Meet Ann Marie DiPietro and Kevin Smith, members of this year’s second Homecoming pair!

Anne Marie is a Nursing and Women’s Studies double major from Media, PA. She describes herself as hard-working, sarcastic and spontaneous, which might shine through when she’s singing Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love,” her favorite song to belt out.  A lover of coconut shrimp and the color pink, Anne Marie thinks she was nominated for Homecoming Queen because of her “passion for Penn State and dedication to the activities [she's] involved in.”

Last Look: Anne Marie thinks she deserves your vote because she is “a Penn State proud, well-rounded woman with involvement in diverse activities– which is representative of a lot of women on this campus.”

Kevin Smith, of Newark, NJ, is a Biobehavioral Health major.  A proud Penn Stater, he says his favorite things are the Lion Shrine, the Creamery, Late Night Penn State at the HUB, and THON. Kevin also describes himself as traditional and outgoing, which might explain why his favorite songs to belt out include “Fight on State” and “Stuntin’ is a Habit.”  He thinks he was nominated because of his “continuous involvement in community activities, work ethic, always showing Penn State pride, and not expecting anything in return.”

Last Look: Kevin wants to be your Homecoming King because he is “a man of high standards who would represent the Penn State community well at all times. I am more than willing to assist people when I can and I love to smile.”

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Get to know Mary Kate DeCoursey and Michael Ducker, members of one of the Homecoming Court pairs for 2008!

Mary Kate, a Public Relations major with minors in Movement Science and International Studies, hails from Wexford, PA,  a suburb of Pittsburgh.  When she isn’t eating applesauce, her favorite food, you might hear her singing “Cruisin’ Together,” a Huey Louis-Gwyneth Paltrow duet and Mary Kate’s favorite song. A self-proclaimed adventurous, giggly sports lover, Mary Kate’s favorite part of Penn State is “the sense of pride and community that you don’t find at any other university.”

Last look: Mary Kate thinks she would make a good Homecoming queen because she “would take the opportunity of Queen to represent Penn State to students, alumni, and the community in a positive light.”

Michael, a Mechanical Engineering major with a minor in Engineering Leadership Development, is also from Pittsburgh, PA.  Michael describes himself as outgoing, motivated and awkward, and likes frequenting Penn State hot spots Gumby’s and Belly Buster Burritos and singing Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight.”  According to Michael, he loves Penn State for the school pride and abundance of ways to get involved. He hopes that he “made this university a little better than it was before coming here and helped inspire other students to make the same difference.”

Last look: Michael says, if elected as Homecoming King, he “would use [the] opportunity to help get other students deeply involved at Penn State in order to feel better connected and even prouder of being Penn Stater[s].”

Stay tuned for biographies of the other Court nominees over the next few weeks to get to know everyone!

WHITE OUT ILLINOIS!

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Sunday, September 21 more than 250 students hit State College, passionately trying to give back to the community Penn State students love so much.  The students gave their time to seven different spots from 10 am to 3 pm.  The sites were THON mat cleaning, Shaver’s Creek, Boal Mansion Museum, Mount Nittany Conservancy, Best Buddies, writing letters to the troops, and State College Food Bank.  The volunteers enjoyed there day of giving back to the community and doing good deeds.  They helped out with everything from grounds keeping, to organizing food, and even tie dying shirts with Best Buddies.  One volunteer, sophomore Erica Lorin said, “The experience was very rewarding.  I felt really good after writing letters (to the troops) and helping with the food bank.  I am so glad I got to help out.”  Volunteers were also rewarded with blue day of service t-shirts, water, and soft pretzels.  The Day of service was a huge success, exceeding the anticipated 200 volunteers and boosting student’s excitement for the upcoming Homecoming events.

Day of Service was planned by Homecoming’s two AVP’s, who have been helping out with the Homecoming experience for months now.  The AVP’s have also successfully planned a captain workshop, for all of the captains to get to know each other and break the ice, as well as captain Olympics, to keep the morale of the captains up and enjoy a day in the sun.  The events included fun games such as potato sack races and dizzy bat and conversation builders such as building a balloon tower.  The events were a success and helped all captains get to know and love each other before a busy year took off.  For more captain bonding, the AVP’s also implemented the committees mission statements and committee of the week, to let the other captains know whats up with everyone else.

The AVP’s are also responsible for keeping in contact with the Interfraternity council as well as the Panhallenic council (in other words, Greek life).  They hope to maintain smooth relations with the Greek community so that Homecoming can be a fun and successful week.  The AVP’s do a great job to get everyone excited about Homecoming and all it has to offer!!

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Congratulations to the 2008 Homecoming Court pairs:

Michael Ducker & Mary Kate DeCoursey

Kevin Smith & Anne Marie DiPietro

Anthony Estes & Kristin Schappell

John Sladewski & Karly Mozdzen

George Khoury & Elizabeth Kernion

In order to pick your favorite nominees, check back here over the next few weeks for biographies of the pairs.  Each duo will be featured before the polls open up for voting on October 13 at 8 am.  Students will have a chance to cast their votes until October 17 at 4 pm.

The 2008 Faculty Court has also been released!  Congratulations to:

Michel Haigh & Dave Rachau

Charlotte Houghton & Pete Regopoulos

Sara Jones & Dirk Matteer

Mary Miles & Andrew Bergstein

With the Courts’ nominees out, Homecoming 2008 is really picking up steam.  Keep checking back for more information; we have the blood drive, Coldstone event, Homecoming Night Out and more coming up!

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University Relations brings Penn State athletes, like the football team, to events around campus.

You have seen them in East for the East Halls Celebration, recruiting new organizations, and bringing the athletes to you. They are…University Relations.

University Relations is responsible for making sure that every group, every person, from every different part of the school is represented in the Homecoming celebration. From the New Organization Information Workshop to the Parade, they work hard so that anyone who calls Penn State home can have a chance to celebrate it Homecoming week.

The main goal of University Relations is to make sure YOU have an opportunity to get involved and excited about Homecoming. This year’s committee is organizing the first ever Past to Present Homecoming Celebration in the HUB on Tuesday, October 14th. They are also the ones holding the workshops for all of those new organizations out there that are anticipating their first ever Homecoming celebration. So, whoever you are, whatever you wear, do, or enjoy, University Relations is putting their best foot forward to make sure you have a great Homecoming experience!

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If you want to have a direct role in making sure the entire Penn State community is “Inspired by Tradition” this year, Homecoming 2008 wants you! Committee applications are now up for positions on the Merchandising, Security, Parade and OPPerations teams.  Homecoming commitees are a great way to get involved early in the school year, meet new people, and play a part in making one of the greatest celebrations of the fall semester a success!  Click here to apply to be a committee member.   Applications will be accepted in the Homecoming Office, 221D HUB until 5pm on Friday, September 12.  All students are encouraged to apply, so fill out the application today!

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Want to spend a Sunday clearing trails, giving food to the hungry, painting buildings, or playing with animals?  You can do all this and more at the Homecoming Day of Service, which will be held on Sunday, September 21 from 10am-3pm.  It’s a great way to get involved in Homecoming without being a member of an organization.  (If you are affiliated with a registered organization, it’s still great to volunteer– 150 spirit points per organization/pair will be given out at 10 points a person.)  Volunteers can choose to work at places like Shaver’s Creek, The Village at Penn State, and Centre County Paws.  Spots are already filling up, so click here to register!  Registration is first come, first serve and will officially close on September 14.  Help make Penn State an even better place to live and come home to!

36 days till Homecoming!

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