Northwest Homecoming celebrating ‘101 Years in the Books’

Northwest Homecoming celebrating '101 Years in the Books'

Northwest Missouri State University's annual Homecoming celebration returns Oct. 19-25 with activities and events planned for students, employees, alumni and friends of the University. 

The celebration begins Sunday, Oct. 19, with the hanging of the banners at the J.W. Jones Student Union and concludes Saturday, Oct. 25, with the Homecoming football game. Highlights include the Homecoming parade, Bell of '48 ringing, Variety Show, International Flag-Raising Ceremony and the 50th-year reunion for the Class of 1975. 

Details about all Homecoming activities, including participant entry forms, are available at https://www.nwmissouri.edu/homecoming, or by contacting 660.562.1226 or [email protected]. All entry fees are due by noon on Friday, Oct. 17.

Families and friends visiting Northwest also should be aware of continuing construction on and around the campus. Visitors should by prepared to use alternative routes to navigate the Northwest campus. For more information about campus construction, including an interactive map, visit https://www.nwmissouri.edu/alert/infrastructure/.

Northwest's 2025 Homecoming Executive Board consists of Sarah Linder, a senior social media management major from Des Moines, Iowa; Nessa Montgomery, a sophomore mass media major from Brookfield, Missouri; Olivia Owen, a junior social media management major from Kansas City, Missouri; and Jilliane Spiegel, a junior elementary and special education major from Kansas City, Missouri. 

Homecoming Parade

The annual Homecoming parade begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the corner of Ray and College Avenue. It will proceed east on Fourth Street and end at Main Street. It traditionally features more than 100 entries, including marching bands and floats sponsored by campus and community organizations and businesses. 

Additionally, Northwest alumni are invited to the Homecoming Welcome prior to the parade at 8 a.m. at the Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends. Classes of 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 are encouraged to visit the Faust Center or the Bearcat Zone tailgate in College Park to pick up their commemorative Homecoming button and reunion year ribbon.

Athletic events

The annual M-Club Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, in the J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom. This year's individual inductees are Collin Bevins (football), Mark Clements (athletics administration), Bob Gonsoulin (baseball), Brandy Haan (track and field), Kyle Zimmerman (football) and Jake Vollstedt (football). The 2015 and 2016 Bearcat football squads also will be inducted. Tickets are $35 and may be purchased online by contacting Brenda Lutz, Northwest's assistant athletic director for business and finance, by email at [email protected]or phone at 660.562.1977.

The Bearcat football team will face the University of Nebraska-Kearney in the annual Homecoming football game, beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Bearcat Stadium. Tickets may be purchased online at https://www.bearcatsports.com/tickets. 

All fans are invited after the conclusion of the Homecoming parade to the Bearcat Zone, at the Raymond J. Courter College Park Pavilion to enjoy tailgate activities before the football game. Admission to the Bearcat Zone is free, and a meal is available to purchase.

Other Bearcat athletic contests during the week include the soccer team welcoming Nebraska-Kearney at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at Bearcat Pitch, and the volleyball team welcomes Missouri Western State University for a match at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, in Bearcat Arena. 

Other activities and entertainment

Student organizations will compete in the Donation Creation Contest on Sunday, Oct. 19, at J.W. Jones Student Union. The displays will remain in the Student Union until Sunday, Oct. 26, and canned items used during the contest are donated to the Maryville Ministry Center. Individuals also may vote for the People's Choice Award by leaving donated canned goods at their favorite display; those cans will be donated to Northwest's Bearcat Pantry. 

Student organizations also will participate in the annual banner decorating contest, a long-standing Northwest tradition that rewards banners with the most original expression of Bearcat pride and the year's Homecoming theme. Student organizations will begin hanging their banners at noon on Sunday, Oct. 19. 

The annual Homecoming Variety Show will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, in the Charles Johnson Theater and features an array of individuals and student organizations performing skits and musical acts. Tickets will be sold for $5 at https://www.nwmissouri.edu/homecoming/. 

The Homecoming King and Queen will be announced at the conclusion of the Homecoming Variety Show. Undergraduate students may vote for Homecoming royalty candidates, beginning at midnight Wednesday, Oct. 13, and voting ends at midnight Tuesday, Oct. 21; undergraduate students received instructions to participate in voting via email.  

Walkout Day, the Northwest tradition of canceling all classes during the Friday of Homecoming week, is Friday, Oct. 24. Walkout Day activities include the Ringing of the Bell of '48 at 8 a.m. and the annual International Flag-Raising Ceremony at 2 p.m. in the Charles Johnson Theater at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building. The Student Activities Council also will distribute Walkout Day T-shirts and other items, beginning at 7 a.m. in the Student Union, while supplies last.

This year, the Northwest community also is invited to a dedication of the Dr. Dean L. and Aleta Hubbard Hearth and Fireplace at 4 p.m. at the Thomas Gaunt House. The new outdoor space is funded through a multi-year gift from the Hubbard family and designed as a place to foster hospitality, stewardship and relationships at Northwest.

Northwest Homecoming history

Homecoming at Northwest is a week-long celebration each fall that features athletic events, entertainment and other opportunities for community members to show their Bearcat spirit.

The school's first general Homecoming took place Oct. 10, 1924, in conjunction with an annual district teachers' meeting at Northwest. The weekend included a Friday evening social gathering at the Nodaway County Courthouse, the Bearcat football game on Saturday and a dance that evening in the Administration Building gymnasium.

In 1941, Northwest selected its first Homecoming queen. During the second half of the decade, Homecoming became an annual event on the campus, and several of the institution's modern-day traditions were born. The Variety Show and house decorations were added to the festivities while the parade grew to include more marching bands, large floats, jalopies and clowns. The weekend ended with a Homecoming dance featuring big bands.

On the Friday of Homecoming week, all classes are canceled and students participate in a variety of activities on the campus. The tradition dates back to Oct. 22, 1915, when students walked out of classes and declared the day an unscheduled holiday. Early Walkout Days featured all-school picnics and hikes. In 1977, after an absence of several years, the University reestablished Walkout Day and set it as an annual event on the Friday of Homecoming week