Peter Carr- Student organizations and technology chair
Senior Peter Carr describes himself as a spirited person, actively promoting school spirit in high school and then in college.
"Being involved with Homecoming is an opportunity to give my time back to Ball State," he said.
After college, Carr hopes to go into sports broadcasting. As the Homecoming technology chair and athletic department liaison, Carr has been able to put his telecommunications skills to work.
This summer, he created a promotional video, which is now available on the Homecoming Web site. He also plans to upload short podcasts every night during Homecoming Week, culminating to a five-minute video about the "Best Week Ever.""I like bringing technology into it, and I've got some freshmen, sophomores and juniors helping me out," he said.
Carr is also working with the athletics department to coordinate a new event this year, a scavenger hunt. The grand prize winner will be named honorary captain of the Homecoming football game. Students who find the thing being described each day must submit a picture of him or herself, at the location described, to the Alumni Association office for a chance to be chosen as honorary captain.
"It'd be so cool to get to do it and to be there during the coin toss," Carr said.
Carr is also involved in greek life, sports and news broadcasting on campus. In past years, he was recruitment chair and chapter editor of Sigma Chi. He has covered sports and news with WCRD and NewsWatch and recently became involved with NewsLink and SportsLink. He also attends St. Francis of Assisi University Parish.
Carr said the steering committee is unlike any group he has ever worked with before.
"I've never worked with a group of more talented people," he said. "Everybody thinks big. It's surreal for me that [Homecoming] is here. Here's our week to perform and show what we've been doing."
Sheri Niekamp- Talent search chair
Sheri Niekamp is a senior studying interpersonal communications.
She said after helping with hall decorating and attending Homecoming events in past years, she wanted to take the next step and become involved.
"I saw people around campus wearing the Homecoming jackets, and I wanted to be part of that," Niekamp said.
She said being on the committee is a great way to take a leadership position.
"I've gotten to work closely with great people to make a huge thing happen," she said.
Niekamp said this is the 25th year for the talent search, and each of the 20 acts demonstrated great stage presence.
"It was really entertaining," she said. "We had to cut the number down from about 70 groups that tried out."
Niekamp is also the co-president of the Communication Studies Honor Society, and she works at the Office of Orientation.
She plans to attend graduate school at Ball State and become involved with alumni activities after graduation.
"It just hits you all of a sudden that Homecoming is almost here," she said. "I don't know what I'm going to do when it's all over."
Carrie Cozad- Royalty chair
Carrie Cozad said being on the steering committee has helped her become more outgoing and efficient with her time.
Cozad was a top 10 royalty candidate last year, and she said being royalty chair seemed like a good fit. Last summer, she did a lot of paperwork and got 75 responses from various organizations on campus.
She said she usually works in the Homecoming office for two hours each week, but she has put in a lot more time in the weeks leading up to Homecoming.
"It's been a busy semester," she said. "It seems like I go from meeting to meeting, and sometimes start my homework at two in the morning."
Even so, she said the experience is well worth the time spent.
"It's been great working with many different people in a setting, meshing and learning how to deal with people and adults," she said.
Among other groups, Cozad is also a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. She said there are certain times when each organization seems to take priority.
Cozad plans to teach K-3rd grade, and she said she will probably move away from Muncie when she starts her career.
As a word of advice, Cozad urged students to get involved on campus.
"It makes your college experience well worth it," she said. "The experiences are amazing."
Sam Adamczewski- General chair
Sam Adamczewski said after being so involved with the steering committee and the Alumni Association, it will be weird to graduate and have a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job.
Adamczewski is a public relations major and hopes to get a job in event planning after graduation. She said being the general chair has helped her learn how to manage a team.
"This is what made my college experience," she said.
She said she brings experience to the table as one of two returning members to the steering committee. Last year, she was a special events coordinator, in charge of Opening Day, Touch the Tower and the bonfire.
"I want the committee to understand Homecoming before it happens," she said. "I'm always using social media, from Facebook to calling and texting. I'm happy with how the committee meshes together."
Adamczewski isn't in charge of any particular event, but she said she tries to oversee everything.
"Everybody's ready, but no one's seen this happen before," she said.
She said she spent 20 hours preparing in the weeks leading up to Homecoming Week, and building the binder that she will pass on to next year's committee.
She is also involved in Cardinal Communications, Student Government Association Executive Board and University Program Board, and she has worked for Expo in the past. She said she is confident that after graduation she will be ready to pursue her goal of being an event planner.
However, in the back of her mind are thoughts of someday being an Emergency Medical Technician. She has worked for the Department of Natural Resources at Indiana Dune State Park and for the police department in her hometown of Chesterton, Ind., near Chicago.
"I love to help people, and it'd be a great way to give back to the community," she said.
Adamczewski said she would love to be involved with the steering committee as an alumna.
"I'll be sad to leave," she said. "I've gotten to interact a lot with alumni, and I feel like I'm closer to the university."
Frank Hood- Sponsorship chair
Frank Hood is a senior who says he likes to stay busy and always seems to have one big project he's working on.
Hood is in charge of community, sponsorship and promotions for the steering committee.
Although this wasn't his first choice, he said it turned out to be the best suited for him.
"I'm a business major, so I understand business mindsets," Hood said. "It doesn't take a crazy amount of organization, so it's better for me."
To promote community involvement, he organized a store decorating contest, which 18 businesses participated in. He organized how sponsorship would be allocated, and he was in charge of buying all the door prizes, coupons and free products that were given out at Air Jam and Bed Races.
Hood said the week before Homecoming Week was his busiest time, because that's when he picked up the promotional products and had to get banners ready for the Bed Races.
Working with the steering committee has been incredible, he said.
"Everyone takes it extremely seriously, but we have a lot of fun," he said. "Meetings can be full of laughs, but full of progress."
At this time, Homecoming Week is Hood's biggest project. He ended his SGA presidential term for the Campus Alliance slate a week before planning for Homecoming Week got started last Spring Semester. Now that it is over, he said he will become more involved in a philanthropy project called "Ride Across the Purple Valley," which is a bike ride that raises money for the Red Cross.
This summer, Hood plans to work on a congressional campaign, and then go to law school after that.
"Everything that I've done at Ball State has helped me grow as a person," he said. "It's helped me and other people."
Laura Stauffer- Parade chair
Parade chairperson Laura Stauffer has to stay organized as she manages 119 entries for the parade on Saturday morning.
She said one of her good friends was the parade chair three years ago and encouraged her to tryout for the position. She has helped with it two of the last three years, making her a qualified leader of this event.
"I think I'm ready," she said on Monday. "But that may be different in the days leading up to the parade."
Her job includes sending out mailings, finding possible convertible drivers, bands to compete and dignitaries to participate.
The parade will start at 8:30 a.m., but her day will start much earlier at 4:30 a.m., which gives her time to pick up a few drivers, get things ready and brief committee members on what jobs they'll be doing.
Besides being involved with Homecoming Week, Stauffer is the secretary for the Ball State American Sign Language Club and a member of Cru.
"I had to learn not to procrastinate," she said. "But I've done Homecoming stuff to procrastinate from classes."
Inspired by a cousin with cerebral palsy, who uses sign language to communicate, Stauffer is double-majoring in deaf education and special education. Eventually she wants to teach middle school or lower high school math and science.
"Being on the Homecoming committee taught me how to work with larger groups of people, teamwork and problem-solving skills that I can take with me and use when I start teaching," she said.
Chanel Richards- Publicity chair
Chanel Richards is a junior public relations and speech pathology major.
"It's awesome to be involved in something people get pumped about," she said. "It makes our job that much more fun."
Dealing with media relations, Richards is in charge of publicity with the Daily News, putting out fliers and programs and managing the steering committee's Twitter account. Additionally, she also works for University Marketing and Communications as a senior writer for the Student Media Team.
She said she's learned a lot from being on the committee.
"No matter how stressed or busy I get, I need to keep a good attitude," Richards said. "This is something that I can apply to my daily life."
She said it was somewhat of a challenge to be chosen for the committee since so many public relations majors usually apply. She said each year they try to form a diverse group and avoid filling all the positions with students from the same major.
She said she would like to try out for a new position when she applies next year.
"I liked my position, but I want to see the steering committee from a different point of view," she said.
Abby Mills- Air Jam chair
Senior Abby Mills said she fell in love with Air Jam after participating her sophomore year. Now, being in charge of the event is exciting to her.
"It's a lot of fun meeting the groups and seeing how they develop," she said.
Mills said her job forces her to be organized, as she plans meetings with group and subcommittee members. She said she's sent hundreds of e-mails in the past month.
"I'm ready," she said on Tuesday. "I hope it goes well. I want to see the final event, since it's something we've been working on for the last seven months."
Mills said even though Cru is the only organization she has been involved with consistently during the last four years, she likes being involved in different things.
"I've been able to explore what I really like and meet different people along the way," she said.
As a sophomore, she was a residence hall assistant. She has been involved in Student Voluntary Services in the past, and this year she is the vice president of SGA.
Mills is majoring in secondary English education with a concentration in special education. Managing her responsibilities with the steering committee, working two jobs and finishing up her major classes has been a lot to juggle. But she said she's developed skills along the way that will help her when she's teaching.
"I've had to work with different personalities," she said. "I learned how to be flexible and very assertive, which will help me when I'm making lesson plans and dealing with the personalities of students."
Ideally, Mills said, she would like to teach overseas.
Following in the footsteps of her older sister, former SGA President Betsy Mills of the U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative, Abby Mills said Ball State was a great fit for her.
"I couldn't imagine not being here," she said. "I love being on the Homecoming committee because we really try and promote Ball State pride. We try to embrace it and have fun with it."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
