Ball State University - Orient Yearbook (Muncie, IN)

Page 28 text:

24 Record Breaking Week Heamecoming. . it was a time that meant different things to everyone. For some it seemed like a whirlwind of activities much too numerous to get involved in, because of the mid-terms being given that week. For others, who got down to a system of working on the float until 1 a.m., and then studying until 4 a.m., the week of Homecoming 1979 with the theme “It’s a Small World,” was one of the most important parts of the year. Homecoming week began on Monday, October 8 with the Kick-off games. Men's, women’s and coed residence halls competed in six different games. The games included the tire crawl; the necking relay (passing a softball under the participants’ chins); goat soccer, which included passing afd “butting” a volleyball; the balloon race (breaking a balloon by sitting on it); the straw race and the peanut race. . On Tuesday a Volkswagen stuffing contest was held at the scramble light. The Homecoming Steering Committee, two fraternities and a sorority were involved. A Volkswagen Rabbit, donated by Giganti Volkswagen of Indianapolis was the object used in this event. There was a three minute time limit on the contest. Rainy weather forced some teams to cancel, but Sigma Chi and Delta Tau Delta didn’t seem to mind the weather. “Stuffing the car really raised the spirit of the brothers. We all fired up for Homecoming,” said Bill Kitch of Delta Tau Delta. Sigma Chi won the event by fitting 28 brothers into the tiny car. Delta Tau Delta took second place with 25 brothers stuffed in the car. Lynn Houston, special events chairperson for the Homecoming Steering Committee explained that, “It was too hard to find a telephone booth like we used last year so we Twenty contestants sat down to pizza eating on October 11 in the Student Center Ballroom. Shakey’s donated the cheese pies for the event. The competition was sponsored by the Homecoming Committee. --photo by William E. Vance Homecoming committee chairman Tim Taylor, Muncie senior, congratulates Homecoming Queen Kathleen Walter. Indianapolis junior, prior to the 77-unit Homecoming Parade Procession. --photo by Tom Nemcik Homecoming decided to use the car. I am pleased with the way things turned out.” : But perhaps the most important event leading up to the game was the Lapsitting Contest held on Wednesday night that put Ball State in the Guinness Book of World Records. At LaFollette field 5,069 students and Muncie residents lined up and sat on the lap of the person behind them, thus breaking Michigan Tech’s old record of 3,590 people. Representatives from the television show P.M. Magazine, the Associated Press and United Press International attended the contest. P.M. Magazine planned to film the event and use it on a future show. After the successful sit, students watched ‘as a huge bonfire was lit to celebrate homecoming. Kim Baade, number 5,069 Michigan Tech's old lapsitting record of 3,590 was shattered Wednesday of Homecoming week. 5,069 students and Muncie residents sat on each other in LaFollette field. The event drew the attention of the two major wire services. --photo by Tom Nemcik With 13 seconds gone in the first quarter, freshman Stevie Nelson took the ball from the Cardinal's one-yard line to the Illinois end zone. 18,136 fans were in attendance for the Homecoming game against Illinois State. --photo by Tom Nemcik

Page 30 text:

Record said, “There were so many people out there it looked like a lot of fun. I thought it was great so many people got involved.” The events of the week such as the Kick-off games, Queen contest, Variety show, parade, Fifth Dimension Dave Letterman Show and the Lapsit were organized by the Homecoming Steering Committee, headed by chairman Tim Taylor, a Kokomo junior. But the success of the game goes to the Cardinal football team and Coach Dwight Wallace, who beat Illinois State by a score of 42-14. According to Chris Landrigan, Fort Wayne freshman, “It was all over when Stevie Nelson took the first one back 97 yards.” But the stands emptied a great deal after the half-time show and the coronation of queen Kathy Walter, Indianapolis junior, because of the mid-40’s temperatures, and perhaps because of the lopsided score. The bright red and white uniforms, and the balloon corsages and band contrasted against the dismal blue-grey of the sky. Another colorful part of homecoming was the parade. There were 77 entries, the smell of popcorn was in the air and hundreds of spectators lined the parade route. People sat in the windows of the apartments above the former Sycamore Shop in the village. Sigma Chi and Sigma Kappa were named winners of the best float. On the Thursday before the game, students proved that the theme of homecoming, “It's a Small World.” is true. There's a little bit of childish humor in everyone. and you don't have to be a kid to actually enjoy the gooey mess of a pie eating contest. --photo bi FA. Phillips Jr. Some ingenuity anda great deal of of dexterity were needed for one of the relavs at the homecoming kick-off games. Participants had to pass a small rubber ball to team members without using their hands at all. --photo by Kim Ferrill 26 Homecoming