School spirit on display at 2011 pep rally

Students filled the bleachers of the Steele Hall Fieldhouse Friday evening for the annual Homecoming Pep Rally. The 90 minute event featured performances by multiple student groups, skits put on by various residence halls and the crowning of the 2011 Homecoming king and queen.

This year's theme "Under the Big Top", was on full display as students poured in sporting their circus regalia. The stands were filled with clowns, circus conductors and animals as the theme appeared to be a hit with students.

President Dennis Hefner kicked off the event by addressing the crowd. Hefner expressed his happiness with students' participation in the circus theme and reiterated what Homecoming weekend is truly about.

"You guys look absolutely terrific," Hefner exclaimed while addressing the students in the crowd. "I love the way you are doing ‘Under the Big Top' Steele Hall style."

Hefner went on to remind students that Homecoming weekend is about alumni and their returning to the university from which they graduated. He urged students to approach the alumni they see on campus and speak to them stating, "They love to hear from you."

"If you are a student that received a scholarship here on campus," Hefner said, "most of the money for those scholarships has come from alums that have been donating back to this campus and creating endowments. They [alumni] really do incredible things."

After addressing the crowd Hefner received an eruption of applause in typical iconic fashion.

The SUNY Fredonia cheerleading squad followed Hefner and whipped the crowd into a frenzy with their dance routine and participatory cheers.

The dance team, hip-hop dance team and the Blue Ice step team carried the next 30 minutes of the rally with their high energy routines. The crowd especially enjoyed this section of the event. The teams infused the crowd with energy in true pep rally style as they showcased their talents in front of the over 500 students, faculty and staff in attendance.

Next were the traditional residence hall skits. Male and female residence halls teamed together to put on a variety of skits for the crowd. Dancing bearded women, creepy clowns, jugglers and clown cars are just some of the highlights from the skits.

As the event began winding down, the anticipation for the crowning of this year's king and queen began to rise.

Voting for this year's Homecoming court was done on Fredonia State's new web portal FSU4U. Anyone currently enrolled at Fredonia could log onto the website and vote for who they thought should win.

The contestants were brought on stage for the crowd before announcing the winner. The contestants stood anxiously while the runner-ups were called out one by one.

In the end Anthony Colon and Jordan Manley were named the 2011 Homecoming king and queen.

Another year and another Homecoming has passed. Congratulations to this year's winners and everyone that helped make this year's Homecoming Pep Rally a success.