Jarred Walker
In Motion Staff Writer
For those who thought their Homecoming days were over, guess again. For the third consecutive year, the Homecoming experience will once again offer a jam-packed schedule, full of events and activities from start to finish.
Between Oct. 11 and 13, DSC alumni, students, staff and faculty, as well as the community at large, can enjoy a long roster of free events that promise to offer diverse, fun and engaging activities for all.
Starting Oct. 11, Homecoming kicks off the weekend with a photography alumni reunion and the Mr. and Ms. Daytona State Pageant. The Hosseini Center will host the pageant and the photo reunion will be held in Building 530. All Homecoming events will be on the main Daytona Beach campus.
Bruce Cook, the dean of Student Life — formerly known as the Student Activities department — said the pageant, “Is basically a showcasing of student talent. They do a performance of any kind of music or dance or whatever kind of talent they might have. Then they are asked to come up with a social platform that they believe in.”
Among the three categories of the talent show, he continued, “The third one is like a spirit contest to show their spirit for the college. They dress up in whatever they think demonstrates that and they come out and do a routine.”
Ultimately, judges pick a male and a female out of all the competitors, then that couple spends the next year conducting public appearances on behalf of the college.
Day two of the Homecoming is highlighted by the alumni awards breakfast and second-annual free movie night which will feature “Avengers: Infinity War.” The event takes place in the ECHO Plaza on campus and students can enjoy free pizza, s’mores and soft drinks, while relaxing in front of the big projector displaying the movie.
Closing out Homecoming weekend on Oct. 13 — when the majority of the festivities and main events take place — are a 5K walk/run, car and truck show and tailgate party, along with softball, baseball and soccer games. Running from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., a highlight of the day will be the vintage car and truck show, which will be held in the south parking lot closest to Administration Building 100.
At press time, car show coordinators were still looking for people to show their vehicles. Prizes will be awarded for hotrods, collectible cars or trucks in both stock and modified categories, plus there will be a President’s Choice.
The $10 donation to enter vehicles benefits student scholarships. Admission to the show is free.
Director of Alumni Engagement and Special Events Suzette Cameron explained, “The proceeds that come in from the car show come into the Alumni Association Helping Hands Fund, which is a fund that is an emergency opportunity for students to get assistance. The tailgate party will include free food, a cornhole tournament, fun carnival-like activities, a bounce house, rock wall and DJ. Last year we served 500 meals at the tailgate. We’re also going to have a mascot challenge, where we’ve asked some area mascots to come in and have a fun activity. It’s a good-sized crowd.”
Back by popular demand on that Saturday will be the Culinary Bootcamp, a three-hour master chef experience in the Café 101 kitchen with Chef Costa Magoulas, dean of DSC’s Mori Hosseini College of Hospitality and Culinary Management.
The event is limited to 20 participants for a $50 donation that benefits DSC’s Culinary Scholarship Fund and runs from 9 a.m. to noon in the Hosseini. Participants will savor flavors and discover how taste works. Chef Costa will introduce basic knife skills, share tricks and tips in the kitchen and offer some 5-minute dessert and meal recipes along with hand-outs of the class. All participants must wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. No jewelry permitted, except wedding rings. Aprons and hats will be provided.
Doing her part for the festivities is Autumn Sander, who plays on the women’s soccer team. She says her team is honoring both Homecoming and Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wearing breast cancer awareness jerseys.
“As a team last year we went to many special events. Homecoming is definitely a crazier week than normal, but it’s all really cool.”
All in all, this year’s Homecoming looks like it is going to be one for the ages, said Cook.
“It is really designed to bring our alumni and faculty more into the college and get them involved in who we are and what we do. It’s a fun and relaxing atmosphere.”
Cameron, who heads the Homecoming committee, added that, “Homecoming came back three years ago because of our leadership in our president, Dr. Tom LoBasso. This was his vision. We want kids, we want families, we want alumni. We want people to come back and share and engage in the beauty of this Daytona State Campus.”
For a more detailed schedule of all the weekend’s events and times, please go to www.daytonastate.edu/homecoming2018 for more information.