Columbus State to Celebrate 'Winner Takes All' Homecoming

February 16, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Columbus State University will stage its 2009 Homecoming, themed 'Winner Takes All,' with Feb. 23-28 activities for students, faculty, staff and alumni. Several of these events, culminating with game day Saturday, are open to the public.

The celebration will involve alumni reunions and competitions ranging from a dodgeball tournament to a hamburger cook-off where students, faculty, staff and alumni compete with grills and propane stoves in the Lumpkin Center parking lot. The cook-off, in its second year, is part of tailgating on gam eday Saturday that leads to a trio of NCAA doubleheaders on main campus.

A new event, a golf cart parade, will complement traditional activities including the homecoming ball and the Friday-night bonfire and pep rally. The parade begins 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26 at the clock tower as part of the week's overall competition among student organizations. Entries, golf carts decorated and converted into floats, will proceed through and around main campus.

Entries to the annual student flag competition in the Lumpkin Center lobby and the faculty-staff door decoration contests also will provide visuals of school and homecoming spirit in line with the casino-style theme.

Special programs for CSU alumni include a reception between the women's and men's basketball games to honor CSU's 1984 graduating class, whose members will be inducted into the Silver C Society as 25-year alumni. For more information, call CSU Alumni Affairs at 706-568-2280.

Below is the overall homecoming schedule:

Monday, Feb. 23
• 'Ultimate Gaming Experience' and , 11a.m.-3 p.m.
• Night-student appreciation , 5:45-7:30 p.m., Howard Hall and Center for Commerce and Technology
• Student flag and faculty-staff office door competition entries on display
• 'Mr. & Miss Housing Pageant,' 7 p.m., Davidson auditorium

Tuesday, Feb. 24
• Homecoming lunch , 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Davidson cafeteria
• RiverPark campus night-student appreciation, 5:45-7:30 p.m.
• Intramural basketball All-Star Night , 7 p.m., Woodruff Gym

Wednesday, Feb. 25
• Dodgeball Tournament, , 12:30 p.m. , Gym Annex
• Find the Cougar Competition

Thursday, Feb. 26
• Golf cart parade, 12:30-1 p.m., clock tower-through-main campus route
• Homecoming Ball, 8 p.m.-midnight, Cunningham Center

Friday, Feb. 27
• Bonfire and Pep Rally , 7-9 p.m., parking lot behind the Elizabeth Bradley Turner Center

Saturday, Feb. 28
• Tailgating/hamburger cook-off, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Lumpkin Center parking lot
• Softball doubleheader: CSU vs. Francis Marion, noon, Lady Cougar Field
• Baseball doubleheader: CSU vs. West Florida, 1 p.m., Ragsdale Field
• Basketball doubleheader CSU vs. UNC Pembroke, 2 p.m. , 4 p.m. , Lumpkin Center.

Between Basketball Games
• Homecoming court introductions
• Homecoming week competition results

CSU Alumni Game Day Activities
• Main campus tour, begins 1 p.m., from Lumpkin Center
• Children's play and game activities in designated area, 2-5:30 p.m., Lumpkin Center
• Alumni networking and Silver C Society reception ,between basketball games

For more information, go to http://studentlife.colstate.edu/homecoming/index.asp or call 706-568-2273.