News Highlights

Sept. 23-29: Homecoming Week Schedule

Events scheduled throughout the week.

2012-09-24
Minnesota State University, Mankato Media Relations Office, 9-19-2012

Mankato, Minn. – Step Afrika!, which bills itself as the first professional company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping, will give a free public performance on Saturday, Sept. 29 as one of the highlight events of Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Sept. 23-29 Homecoming Week.

The performance will cap an activity-filled homecoming day, headlined by the Maverick football game against Concordia-St. Paul at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29 in Blakeslee Stadium.

Step Afrika! will perform in Bresnan Arena at 8 p.m. on Sept. 29. Thanks to a Prairie Region Lakes Arts Council grant, the event is free for the general public as well as students, faculty and staff.

Founded in December 1994, Step Afrika! is critically acclaimed for its efforts to promote an understanding of and appreciation for stepping and the dance tradition’s use as an educational tool for young people worldwide. Step Afrika! reaches tens of thousands of Americans each year and has performed on many stages in North & South America, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.

Based in Washington, D.C., the company has been featured on CNN, BET, PBS & NPR as well as numerous books, documentaries and articles that seek to explore the tradition of stepping. Step Afrika! completes an annual 50-city tour of American colleges and universities from Maine to Mississippi. The company is a model for the use of stepping in educational settings, espousing themes such as teamwork, academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding.

Other “2012 Homecoming: Stomp the Yard” events from Sept. 23-29 leading up to the Saturday, Sept. 29 football game and Step Afrika! performance include:

• Monday, Sept. 24: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. kickoff program on the Minnesota State Mankato Mall. Speakers will include Linda Baer, interim vice president for academic and student affairs; Jen Myers, interim director of alumni relations and special events; and Will Malloy, student Homecoming chair. A Recognized Student Organization (RSO) fair will also be held. At 7:15 p.m. in Myers Field House, there will be a Kick-off Event followed by an 8:30 p.m. concert by Eric Hutchinson. Cost is $12 and free for Minnesota State Mankato students.
• Tuesday, Sept. 25: Dodge Ball Tournament in Myers Field House at 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 26: Lip Sync in Bresnan Arena at 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 27: Canned Food Sculpture Competition at Mav Ave in Centennial Student Union from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 28: School of Nursing Reunion from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Old Main Village. Athletic Hall of Fame Induction at 6 p.m. in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom. Homecoming coronation of the Homecoming King and Queen is at 6:30 p.m. on the Maverick Midway near Blakeslee Stadium. It will be followed by a block party from 7 p.m. to 9:35 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 29: Game day begins with a Homecoming Alumni & Friends 5k run at 9 a.m. behind the outdoor track near Gage Towers, followed by a free president’s community appreciation pancake breakfast at 10 a.m. The final free tours of Gage Residence Community will take place at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. (registration is almost full). The homecoming parade is at noon, and the Alumni Tent and Maverick Family Fun will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. behind Blakeslee Stadium. The football game against Concordia-St. Paul starts at 2 p.m. The Golden Mavericks Reunion (for anyone who graduated in 1962 or prior) is from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Centennial Student Union Hearth Lounge. The Truman and Reta Wood Silent Auction and Scholarship Dinner is at 5 p.m. in Centennial Student Union, room 284 ABC. The Dental Hygiene Reunion and 40th Anniversary Celebration begins with a 5 p.m. social hour in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom.

Jen Myers, the university’s interim director of alumni relations and special events, said many Homecoming Week activities provide an opportunity for the University to connect with the Mankato community.

Those who want a complete listing of homecoming activities may go to http://www.mnsu.edu/homecoming/schedule.

Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university, is part of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system, a system of 31 public colleges and universities with 54 campuses in 47 communities throughout the state of Minnesota.

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