Homecoming 2010: 'Paint The Town Red!'
Homecoming at Minot State University this year centers on the theme "Paint the Town Red!" Homecoming Week officially kicks off Sept. 19 and runs through Sept. 25.
"We really hope our community can catch the excitement of Homecoming at Minot State," said Tawnya Bernsdorf, MSU director of alumni relations and annual giving. "This year's festivities promise to be even bigger than last year's celebrations - and last year was huge with plenty of great memories! As Minot State joins forces with our many community supporters to 'Paint the Town Red,' we hope lots of people will participate in the many events available for our alumni and friends."
Homecoming starts Sept. 19 with a 12:30 p.m. golf tournament, sponsored by Delta Epsilon Chi, at the Apple Grove Golf Course. To register, go to minotstatedeca.com.
Sept. 20 features student voting for Homecoming King and Queen in the Quad with a musical performance from Austin Kyle starting at noon. The traditional Homecoming Community Bonfire will be ablaze in the Dome's north parking lot at 8:30 p.m. The campus and community are welcome to come support all the student athletes participating in fall sports by cheering on the Beavers and showing school spirit. That day will end with a casino night event for students in the Beaver Dam at 9 p.m.
The Homecoming fun continues on Sept. 21 with voting for Homecoming King and Queen in the Quad, with Jazmine Wolff entertaining the noontime crowd with music. Coronation with emcee and musician Matt Santry will be in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall at 7 p.m. Students from more than 25 student organizations will vie for the king and queen crowns. The Homecoming Coronation Dance at the North Dakota State Fair Center's Theater Room, with music by band 8th Hour, will follow the coronation ceremony, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.
For MSU students, Sept. 22 brings acoustic artist Dennis Florine and free food in the Quad during lunchtime. To honor donors to the university, the Minot State University Development Foundation will host a President's Club Luncheon.
For the entire community, Sept. 22 offers the annual MSU Community Block Party, which is free and open to the public, will be held on the lawn in front of Old Main, 5-8 p.m. This year's block party is co-sponsored by the Minot Young Professional Network and Augustana Lutheran Church. The Minot State Community Block Party will include campus tours, appearances from MSU Beaver student athletes, carnival games with prizes, inflated slides, obstacle courses, a Corvette Club and Dakota Cruisers classic car display, and music by local bands. A free dinner will be available while it lasts. Registration for the Beaver 5K Fun Run/Walk is at 5 p.m., or by calling Stu Melby, head cross country/track and field coach, in advance. The race, which is a fundraiser for athletic teams, begins at 6 p.m.
Following the free MSU Community Block Party, beginning at 8:30 p.m., is hypnotist Jim Wand, on stage in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall. This event is free and open to students and the public.
Events for students on Sept. 23 include a noontime text scavenger hunt and an '80s-themed dance at the Flickertail Gardens on the NDSF grounds. In the evening, the MSU Alumni Association's Golden Awards banquet will be held in the MSU Conference Center, 6 p.m. The Golden Awards banquet is a night of tribute to the university's most honored alumni and friends. The 2010 banquet will honor recipients Jon Backes, Ted Brinkman and Wes Luther, as well as Scott Louser, who will be awarded the Young Alumni Achievement Award.
The Sept. 24 student events include karaoke at 11 a.m. in the Beaver Dam and a Comedy Variety Game Show starting at 8 p.m.
The Homecoming Alumni Reunion, to which all MSU alumni and friends of the university are invited, will convene at 7 p.m. at the Grand International Inn. This year, special reunion groups include the Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, the Vagabonds and all women's athletic teams.
Homecoming reaches its apex Sept. 25 with the Homecoming Parade starting at 10:30 a.m. Beginning by the Wells Fargo building in downtown Minot, the parade route runs north on Main Street, west on Central Avenue, north on Broadway to 11th Avenue, then west to the Dome parking lot. A tailgate party, with free lunch for everyone, will follow in the east lot of the Dome. The Beavers face off against Valley City State University at Herb Parker Stadium, 1:30 p.m. During halftime, the homecoming royalty, Athletic Hall of Fame inductees and all athletic women's teams will be introduced. A post-game alumni gathering will convene at the Barley Pop at 5 p.m.
Most activities are free with MSU student and staff identification. Guests may be charged a nominal fee.
For more information on Homecoming activities, visit the Homecoming Week Web site, www.minotstateu.edu/homecoming, or call the Office of Student Activities at 858-3987, the Office of Advancement at 858-3234 or the Department of Athletics at 858-3041.
09/03/10