Union University’s Homecoming Week begins this week, and the campus is preparing for the festivities of the weekend.
Festivities kick off with Bulldog Olympics on Thursday, Nov. 1. Bulldog Olympics is a time for all students to compete against each other in fun games or sports, with a prize of $100 going to the winning team. Teams will also compete for the Presidential Homecoming Cup.
Friday night, Nov. 2, kicks off the beginning of the athletic events. The Lady Bulldogs will play Lee University in a volleyball game at 7 p.m., followed by Bulldog Madness, a student vs. faculty game. One hundred free homecoming shirts will be handed out at the event as well.
On Saturday, Nov. 3, students will gather together at 12 p.m. in the Fred Delay Stadium to cheer on the Lady Bulldogs against Martin Methodist College. At 2 p.m., the Bulldogs will take on Freed-Hardeman University. During halftime of the game, the 2018 Homecoming Court will be presented, and the Homecoming Queen and Mr. Union and Miss Union will be announced. The presentation of the Presidential Cup will be awarded to the student organization that receives the most points throughout the homecoming activities this week.
Union’s Homecoming Court consists of freshman representative Mary Helen English; sophomore representative Emma Butler; junior representative Abigail Johnson; and senior representatives Sabrina Clendenin, Brooklynn Davidson, Tamara Friesen and Sallie Norman. Grant Allen and Corinne Olund are Mr. and Miss Union.
Following the game, there will be a Forever Bulldogs Celebration on the Great Lawn from 4-7 p.m. There will be food trucks, a photo booth featuring Buster the Bulldog, corn hole games, inflatable bull rides and a giant trike race track. For children’s activities, there will be face painting, inflatable bounce houses, slides and football. Tents for Greek Life and campus organizations will also be set up. To top it all off, there will be music and cotton candy.
Starting at 7 p.m. in the chapel, Blank Slate Improv will open for a concert that will be performed by the popular band Anthem Lights.
“I’m pretty pumped to be on the court,” said Tamara Friesen, a digital media communications major and one of the seniors on the 2018 Homecoming Court. “I’ve never experienced something like this, so I am really honored. It seems like this year’s homecoming has been something more people are getting excited for, and there seems to be a lot more going on.”
Ted Murphy, a senior marketing major and senior class vice president, also expressed his excitement for this year’s homecoming.
“Homecoming 2018 is gearing up to be the best homecoming yet,” he said. “All the events going on – Bulldog Olympics, volleyball games, the Anthem Lights concert and the Mr. and Miss Union crowning – are creating excitement for everybody on campus.”
Tickets for Blank Slate Improv and the Anthem Lights concert can be picked up at Union Station. Tickets are free but required for admission and are limited to two tickets per person. Alumni and faculty may pick up the required number of tickets for families to attend.
