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‘Join the Bulldog Party’ for Ferris State University’s Homecoming 2012

Brutus for PresidentVote “Brutus for President” and “Join the Bulldog Party” to celebrate Ferris State University’s Homecoming 2012.

The university will celebrate homecoming with a full slate of activities beginning Monday, Oct. 8 and culminating on Saturday, Oct. 13 with a parade and football game, as well as alumni events and reunions.

“Homecoming is a great opportunity for people to come back to Big Rapids and see all of the growth the university has experienced,” said Jeremy Mishler, director of Alumni Relations. “There is a great deal of enthusiasm centered around this event. Homecoming is a tradition that brings the campus, community and our alumni together.”

The week-long celebration kicks off Monday with the first of several events designed to promote school spirit and friendly competition among Ferris students. The popular lip sync contest, which features performances by student organizations and residence hall groups, will begin at 7 p.m. in Williams Auditorium. Last year, more than 700 students watched the 14-act competition, which awards trophies to the top three vote-getters.

“The students do a great job putting on a fun show,” Mishler said.

Also Monday, bed sheet banners created by Registered Student Organizations and residence halls will be displayed beginning at noon in the Student Recreation Center. The winning banner will best reflect the “Join the Bulldog Party” Homecoming theme.

On Tuesday, student teams will compete in a kickball tournament starting at 7 p.m. at Top Taggart Field, and on Wednesday, hundreds of students will attend a bonfire in Lot 61 behind Brophy/McNerney Hall. The gathering begins at 8 p.m. and includes trivia games, a frozen T-shirt contest and other activities.

Wednesday also marks the first day of voting for Homecoming King and Queen. Five women are running for queen, and three men are running for king.

Festivities continue with the Comedy Central on Campus show at 7 p.m. Thursday in Williams Auditorium, headlined by comedian Na’im Lynn and featuring Sarah Tiana and Michael Blaustein. 

The celebration culminates on Saturday beginning with the Homecoming 5K Run. Entry fee is $20 and includes a T-shirt; registration is open until 8 a.m., and the run begins at 9 a.m. from the Student Recreation Center.

The parade will begin at noon at Big Rapids Middle School, travel through downtown Big Rapids and end at the Science Building on Ferris’ campus. The parade features grand marshals Terry and Andrea Nerbonne. 

The football game, which pits the Bulldogs against the Hillsdale College Chargers, starts at 2 p.m. at Top Taggart Field, where the crowning of the King and Queen will take place during halftime.

Tailgating for the game will begin at 10 a.m. in Lot 37, immediately west of Top Taggart Field. Various colleges and alumni have scheduled tailgates, and the Alumni Association will have a welcome tent set up with food, activities, a live band and more.

“Hillsdale is a solid team, and their current coach (Keith Otterbein) is a former coach at Ferris,” Mishler said. “There is definitely a big rivalry at this game, and it should be an exciting one.”

Following the game, there will be a reception for alumni and students in Westview Dining Center from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The first 400 alumni and students (without meal plans) to arrive will have their meals paid for, courtesy of the Alumni Association.