Minot State University student government association president Lindsey Nelson said she would like to see people get fired up about MSU events.
"We want to rejuvenate the school spirit on campus," said Nelson.
Student government members are being encouraged to go to home games and other student events as a group to show their school spirit. Nelson said that the student government also has street crews who walk around campus during the week of an event urging people to attend.
Being a supporter of her school comes naturally to Nelson, who comes from a small town - Bainville, Mont. - where she wore many hats, including being a member of her high school pep squad.
Nelson first got involved in student government last year when she chaired the homecoming committee. She found she liked being involved and decided to run for office and eventually for president when she saw the position was open.
Nelson thinks this week's homecoming activities at Minot State should be fun. The homecoming parade on Saturday has the theme of "The Greatest Show on Turf."
Fact Box
Homecoming activities are planned throughout the week. Today and Wednesday will include student voting for homecoming king and queen from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the university quad. The coronation will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on the lawn in front of Old Main, with the homecoming bonfire following at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the MSU Dome's north parking lot. It is open to the public.
On Wednesday there will be a community block party from 5 to 8 p.m. on the lawn in front of the university's Old Main building. The block party is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by the Minot Young Professional Network. The block party will include campus tours, appearances from student athletes, carnival games with prizes, inflated slides, root beer floats, face painting, a Corvette Club and Dakota Cruisers classic car display, and music by MSU bands. A free dinner will be served by Augustana Lutheran Church.
The Beaver 5K Fun Run/Walk is at 6 p.m. Wednesday with registration beginning at 4:30 p.m.
The MSU Development Foundation will host a president's club luncheon on Thursday. At 6 p.m. Thursday, the MSU Alumni Association's Golden Awards Banquet will be held in the MSU Conference Center. Paul Soderberg and Ray Giacolatti are the 2012 Golden Award Recipients. Kristi Berg will receive the Young Alumni Award.
The homecoming dance will be held from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday at the Grand International.
On Friday the events for students include a caricature artist, music and food from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the quad.
The Wiley Wilson Memorial cross-country race will begin at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Wildwood Golf Course in Burlington.
The Homecoming Alumni Reunion, open to all MSU alumni and friends of the university, will begin at 7 p.m. Friday at the Holiday Inn-Riverside. This year, special reunion groups include the Tri Sigma Sorority and the 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 football teams.
The Homecoming Parade will be held Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The parade route begins by Thompson Larson Funeral Home, travels Main Street, Central Avenue, Broadway, north over the viaduct to 11th Avenue and to its final destination in the Dome parking lot.
A tailgate party will follow the parade Saturday in the east lot of the Dome. In soccer, MSU battles the University of Sioux Falls at Herb Parker Stadium at 11 a.m. The MSU Beavers face off against the University of Sioux Falls in football at Herb Parker Stadium at 2:30 p.m. During halftime, the homecoming royalty, the MSU Marching Band and the '91-'94 football teams will be introduced. At 7 p.m. Saturday the MSU volleyball team plays the University of Minnesota-Crookston in the Dome. Most activities are free with MSU student and staff identification. Guests may be charged a nominal fee.
- Andrea Johnson
"It's always kind of surprising the day of (the parade) what everyone puts together," said Nelson, who said parade float themes are something of a secret before the big day. She thinks some floats might take a football or a circus theme.
"I'll probably hop on (one of the floats) with one of the clubs that I belong to," said Nelson.
Nelson said her job also has its serious side.
She has been gathering feedback this month on a proposal by university system chancellor Hamid Shirvani for a three-tiered university system. Nelson said students have quite a few concerns about how the proposal would impact Minot State University, including the possibility of higher tuition for out-of-state students as well as in-state students, and less money available for tuition grants.
Nelson said she came to Minot State because she was attracted by its communication disorders program, but also because Montana students pay the same tuition as North Dakota students. She might have been less likely to come to the university if the cost had been higher, she said. Many students have friends from out of state who might not be able to afford to attend the university if the policy being proposed by Shirvani went into effect. Sixty-eight percent of athletes on the university's various athletic teams are from out of state.
The political side of her job is one that Nelson is still learning, but she said she knows the legislature is likely to make decisions that impact students, and she is sure MSU student government members will be testifying during the upcoming session.