Ball State University - Orient Yearbook (Muncie, IN)

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own with the theme “It’s a Wild, Wild Midwest.” ‘And a wilder homecoming few have seen, as the week began Mon- day, October 20 with kickoff games. The 12-member men’s, women’s, and coed teams tested their athletic prowess in five appropriately western events, including the Indian scout, and the stagecoach and pony express relays. Tuesday, October 21 saw cowboys and Indians pushing beds down a 100-yard course down McKinley Avenue by Whittenger College of Business as the first annual bedrace was held. Alpha Chi Omega Sorority and Clevenger Hall were winners in a field of 46 teams. Ball State alum- nus Brad Groniger of WLBC radio presided as master of ceremonies for the event, as Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority’s cat costumes won the best costume award. But Wednesday night, October 22 saw collegiate urban cowboys at their best, as perma-press cowboys and cowgirls clogged and strutted to the music of tobacco-chewing, fiddle-playing Charlie Daniels and that pig-tailed duke of country music, Willie Nelson at the Western Hoedown at LaFollette Field. The Friendly Steppers square dance troupe of Muncie performed and promenaded with students, while more adventurous paraders matched speed and agility with a mechanical bull, a replica of the one in “Gilleys.” The natural bronco busters were quickly singled out from the multitude of mere city- slickered hangers-on, who lost their hats and their seats in short order. An old tradition bit the dust as a new one emerged Friday, October 24, when the “Homecoming Variety ° Show” was replaced by the “Homecoming Musical Tribute.” The show emphasized the western theme of the week by using music from “Hello Texas,” as well as songs made famous by Charlie Daniels, Joe Walsh, Jimmy Buffet, and Tanya Tucker. continued On Wednesday, became the scene of a Western Hoedown. --photo by F.A. Phillips abe Don Hiatt and Mark Bradley carry LaFollette Field the banner as Sandy Dunn, Eric Cheerleaders Libby Patino and Tara Dodane attempt to keep warm English and Tim Casto accompany despite the cold rainy weather. --photo by F.A. Phillips, Jr. their float. --photo by F.A. Phillips, | Homecoming | maga | commence

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Urban Cowboys ound Up the Wild, Wild Midwest with the game Against Wester be: Michigan. Fourteen players pile -around Ken Currin as he tries to | move th e ball down the ean BSU by Paula Glass They’re everywhere. Clad in Levis and Stetsons, they’re invading classrooms and barrooms, humming the latest Waylon Jennings tune and looking for downhome action. They're urban cowboys, pseudo- wranglers, John Travolta clones who have swept the country and the University with their western ap- pearance and mannerisms. Persis- tent, they've even succeeded making Homecoming 1980 their

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Thanks to the talents of imper- sonator Rich Little, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Johnny Carson, Walter Cronkite, George Burns and Neil Diamond were just a few of the celebrities present at the Homecom- ing performance. --photo by F.A. Phillips, Jr. a ae