Concord University Crowns 2017 Homecoming Royalty

Homecoming King and Queen were representatives of the Phi Delta Pi fraternity and International Students Club. 
                            Photo By Anastasiia Vorobeva

Through Oct. 9 to Oct. 14, Concord students, staff, and visiting alumni had their schedules packed with homecoming activities, beginning with a billboard exhibition on Monday, Oct. 9, and ending with the coronation of the 2017 Homecoming Royalty on Oct. 14.

    This year’s theme for Homecoming was “Modern Disney.” Clubs, sororities, and fraternities embraced their chosen movies while creating posters, parade floats, costumes, and lip sync performances.

    Along with the events which were a part of the competition for participants of homecoming, there were also activities for returning graduates, including the Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, a brunch at University Point, teas and other gatherings for sororities and fraternities, and affinity tents and tailgates in the stadium parking lot, which offered alumni a place to reconnect with former classmates.

    For the first time this year, Concord added an extra task to the regular set of challenges – philanthropy. The teams were given the task of collecting food donations for the University’s food pantry. The result was impressive; participating organizations collected 3,476 items.

    “I liked that they decided to give something back [to the community] as well,” said Andrew Sulgit, Concord’s director of student affairs, and the man who was behind a large share of activities organized for Homecoming. “Still competition, still for points, but this benefits a wide range of folks as well, folks who don’t even participate in homecoming… Concord’s mission is that of service.”

    On Saturday, Oct. 14, Concord crowned 2017 Homecoming Royalty during the football game halftime at Callaghan Stadium. This year’s royalty are Haruka Ishikawa from Kiyose-shu, Tokyo, Japan, representing the International Students Club and Osisioma Okorigbo from Abuja, Nigeria, representing Phi Delta Pi.

    Ishikawa said she felt pressure running for the titwle of royalty because International Students Club held the crown for three years in a row. “I was just trying to enjoy the whole thing and trying to be humble,” she said.

    Sulgit thinks the competition this year was fierce. “It was so close this year, it was literally down to a couple of points difference. Probably the closest you’ve ever seen.”

    First runners-up were Sally Jo Dickerson from Danese, WV, representing Delta Zeta and Brooke Cline from Princeton, WV, representing Sigma Sigma Sigma. Second runners-up were Kayci Wine from Copen, WV, representing Nu Zeta Chi and Joshua Wayne Amos from Lewisburg, WV, representing Chi Omega Psi.

    Other candidates competing for the 2017 crowns were Sam Stockton from Charleston, WV, representing Phi Sigma Phi and Parker Unroe from Beckley, WV, representing Sigma Tau Gamma; Cameron McNeely from Scarbro, WV, representing Alpha Sigma Tau and James Frye from Strasburg, VA, representing the Geology Club; and Kaylee Taylor from Christiansburg, VA, representing Alpha Sigma Alpha and Bradley Flinchum from Lashmeet, WV, representing Tau Kappa Epsilon.