It's Homecoming time again, and Monday marked the beginning of Ball State University's 80th Homecoming week.
Hundreds of students showed up Monday night to help the week's festivities get off on the right foot with events at the Opening Day Kick-off at Irving Gym.
"It was a great turnout," Homecoming Steering Committee member David Downing said. "So many organizations came out to show their spirit."
A pep talk from Ball State Athletic Director Tom Collins and performances by the Ball State Cheerleaders and the Code Red Dance Squad started the kick-off. Then the faculty/staff Homecoming king and queen were announced. This year's king and queen are Todd Porter, assistant hall director at Schmidt and Wilson halls, and Jackie Carroll, cashier at The Retreat in Noyer Complex.
"This is wonderful," Carroll said. "I'm surprised and honored. These kids are great."
Games and activities got participants involved with the kick-off. They included a Homecoming relay race, where students had to run in a three-legged race, do ten spins around a baseball bat with their forehead on the end, ride a tricycle, run a sack race and toss a football. There was also tug-of-war and, new to the kick-off, root beer pong.
Dozens of teams from fraternities, sororities, residence halls and independent teams competed in the three games.
"It's a good time," junior Abra Bailey. member of Sigma Kappa sorority, said. "It'll be really fun to see how the rest of the week goes."
Tonight is the 22nd annual Student Scholarship Talent Search. Students will demonstrate their musical capability in seven categories: female vocal, male vocal, instrumental, musical group, dance, original composition and freestyle. The winner of each category will receive a $500 scholarship, Homecoming Committee chairman Matt Bare said. In addition, the overall winner will be crowned and receive an additional $500 scholarship.
"This is a really good event," Bare said. "Ball State's most talented performers come out and do really good to showcase their talents to the student body."
The scholarships are provided by the Ball State University Alumni Association, Bare said.
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at Emens Auditorium. Admission is free.
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