Music, mad dashes and Motown all part of Homecoming
Oct. 13, 2000
KALAMAZOO -- Western Michigan University students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends will be treated to a wide variety of Homecoming events Sunday, Oct. 15, through Saturday, Oct. 21.
The 2000 Homecoming week celebration promises to offer a little something for everyone. Among the many events open to the public are musical shows, athletic contests, traditional student-oriented Homecoming activities, a 5K run and a Motown concert.
The week begins Oct. 15 with three entertaining shows: the production of "Into the Woods" at 2 p.m. in Shaw Theatre; a performance by Gold Company, WMU's award-winning vocal jazz ensemble, at 6:30 p.m. on the Bronco Mall's Center Stage; and a bagpipe and drum concert by the Black Watch (British Army Royal Highland Regiment) at 8 p.m. in Miller Auditorium.
By the time Friday Festival rolls around on Oct. 20, the action on campus will be almost nonstop.
During the festival, students participate in a variety of wild and wacky events, starting with the soap box derby from 2 to 4 p.m. in front of the Siebert Administration Building. Two other festival events open to public viewing, the Fritter Fest at 3 p.m. and Western Olympics at 3:30 p.m., will take place on the Promenade by the Lee Honors College.
Also on Oct. 20, the previously announced winners of this year's Distinguished Alumni Awards will be recognized for their professional accomplishments by the WMU Alumni Association during a dinner 6:30 p.m. in the West Ballroom of the Bernhard Center.
This year's award recipients are Ronald E. Hall of Detroit, chairman and chief executive officer of Bridgewater Interiors LLC; Marin Mazzie of New York City, Broadway actress and three-time Tony Award nominee; and Samuel J. Simmons of Washington, D.C., president and chief executive officer of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aged Inc.
A full slate of activities is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 21, beginning with the second Homecoming Campus Classic. The event features a 1K kid's fun run and 1K fun walk at 8:30 a.m. and a 5K run and 5K fun walk at 9 a.m. Runners and walkers will take off from the Bernhard Center and follow courses that showcase the WMU campus. Refreshments will be available for participants, volunteers and spectators.
Following the race, the WMU Alumni Association will sponsor the University's first Homecoming PepFest at 10 a.m. in the third floor gymnasium of the Student Recreation Center. Alumnus Ron Boyd, WWMT-TV weatherman, will serve as host for this celebration of Bronco spirit and pride for WMU alumni and friends of all ages.
A pregame party for the whole family, it will include a breakfast buffet and entertainment ranging from face painting and the antics of Buster Bronco to performances by the WMU Marching Band, cheerleaders and dance team.
Advance registration is encouraged for the pepfest, which costs $12 for Alumni Association members and their guests and $15 for nonmembers and guests. Tickets for children age 10 and under are $10. To register, call the Alumni Association at (616) 387-8777.
The event is guaranteed to pump up participants for the Homecoming football game at 1 p.m. in Waldo Stadium, where WMU will take on Northern Illinois University.
Prior to the game, football fans are invited to gather by the Bronco Sculpture at 12:15 p.m. for another new Homecoming event-a pregame victory march in anticipation of WMU winning the gridiron contest. The marching band and cheerleaders will guide participants on a rousing ramble through campus.
Also parading on Saturday will be many of the University's 1,650 international students, who will be taking part in the traditional Homecoming Parade of Nations. The students will march down the field at Waldo Stadium just before the opening kick off of the game carrying flags from their more than 100 home countries.
All WMU students, as well as local host families for WMU's international students, are welcome to attend a tailgate scheduled for 10:30 a.m. inside the Corporate Village at Hyames Field next to the stadium and to participate in the parade. A sign-up sheet for reserving flags in advance is available in the Office of International Student Services, A-411 Ellsworth Hall.
Homecoming Saturday will end with several additional events, including a volleyball match at 5:30 p.m. in University Arena and a Motown concert at 7:30 p.m. in Miller Auditorium.
Tickets are still available for the concert, which will feature Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, the Temptations Review with Dennis Edwards, the Miracles, the Contours and the Velvelettes. To order tickets, call Miller Auditorium at 7-2300.
For more information about Homecoming 2000 or to register for various events, visit the Homecoming Web site at <www.wmich.edu/homecoming>.
Media contact: Jeanne Baron, 616 387-8400, jeanne.baron@wmich.edu