Homecoming Week Brought Rain and a 27-14 Win
Susan Harmon
Managing Editor
The University of Arkansas at Monticello’s Homecoming Week showed the beginning perils of rain and the ending victory of UAM over West Alabama.
On Oct. 13, students gathered in front of the John F. Gibson Center to participate in the Spirit Wall Competition. Blank canvassed walls extended across the front lawn area of the John F. Gibson Center for organizations to decorate the campus and encourage the Boll Weevils Football Team for their game Oct.18 against the West Alabama Tigers. Spirit Wall winners comprised:- First Place – Alpha Sigma Tau ($100 award)
- Second Place – UAM Diamond Girls ($75 award)
- Third Place – Alpha Omega ($50 award)
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| Photo by Susan Harmon |
| Evil Weevil - Alpha Sigma Tau won First
Place and a $100 award. The Spirit Wall competition took place on
Oct.13. |
Scheduled to appear at 7 p.m. at the Fine Arts Center, Hypnotist Kevin Hurley experienced difficulty arriving in Monticello. Flight delays and eventual flight cancellation caused the cancellation of Hurley’s show.
Students received discouraging news the morning of Oct. 16 when rain canceled the Homecoming Parade. The parade was scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Center and end at the John F. Gibson University Center. The parade generally showcases the Homecoming Court, Marching Band and floats.
“I’m glad they canceled the parade because of the rain, but I would still like to have had the parade the next day,” Sigma Sigma Sigma member Megan Prescott said. “I was really looking forward to being in the actual parade, not just standing on an immobile float.”
Student organizations got the opportunity to have their floats judged Friday, Oct. 17. Winners in the float competition comprised the UAM Ambassadors with a $100 award, Tau Kappa Epsilon won Second Place and a $75 award and Sigma Tau Gamma took Third Place with a $50 award.
The Homecoming Bonfire also neglected to take place Oct.
15 at 7 p.m. due to the rain.
According to Jim Brewer, director of Media Services, forestry experts decided the saturation from the rain required an excessive amount of gasoline to keep the fire ablaze, which creates a smoky atmosphere.
On Oct. 18, Homecoming Day activities provided entertainment for all ages with face tattoos, balloons, a parade of alumni and tailgating
Pre-game festivities included the presentation of the Homecoming Court and the crowning of the 2008 Homecoming Queen.
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| Photo by Latoya Shelton |
| Bounce House - Children play around in the
bounce house during the Homecoming tailgate Saturday, Oct. 18. Tailgate
activities included face painting, the bounce house and music.
|
The 2008 Homecoming Court presentation consisted of Micah Bateman of Pine Bluff, Sandy Herring of Benton, Football Sweetheart Natasha James of Monticello, Heather Raburn of White Hall, Renee Norrell of St. Bernard, Louisiana, Myrka Agosto-Dones of Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Janay Kolen of Warren, Centrina Johnson of El Dorado, Chemia Herron of Monticello, Andrea Dubose of Hickory, Mississippi, Britta Halliday of Gurdon, Alisa Haynes of South Holland, Illinois, and Nika Najafova of Baku, Azerbaijan.
After the presentation of the Homecoming Court, Andrea Dubose of Hickory, Miss. received her crown from 2007 Homecoming Queen Brittany Washington, after the surprise of acquiring the title of Homecoming Queen.
With the court's exit of the field, the Boll Weevils Football team made a memorable entrance while fans in the stadium chanted and cheered, especially with the news released Oct. 16.
Media Services Director Jim Brewer announced quarterback Scott Buisson's appearance in Sports Illustrated. According to Brewer, Buisson's picture and a brief story about Buisson and his record-breaking performance against Henderson State appears on page 26 of Sports Illustrated's section “Faces in the Crowd.”
According to Monticellolive.com, the first quarter kept quiet while the second quarter highlighted Junior Quincy Jones, who ran a three-yard touchdown for UAM. UAM scored for the second time when UAM Quarterback Scott Buisson threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Senior Clarence Denmark. West Alabama achieved their first touchdown of the evening with 56 seconds remaining in the first half.
In the third quarter with the Boll Weevils and the Tigers tied at 14, Buisson and Denmark teamed up again to complete a 15-yard touchdown toss. A blocked point-after attempt put the Boll Weevils finalizing the game at 27-14.
Although Homecoming Week started off rough due to weather issues, UAM faculty, students and the Boll Weevil Football team showed “There's nothing more evil than a dang Boll Weevil.”
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