CWU’s Homecoming Welcomes New, Returning Faces to Ellensburg

October 16, 2009

Ellensburg, Wash. — The school year doesn’t feel quite as official until Homecoming rolls around. The annual Central Washington University weekend-long event is something students, alumni, staff and community members alike look forward to each year.

Homecoming, to begin Oct. 20 with the annual naming of Mr. and Ms. Central at 7 p.m. in the SURC Ballroom, always features a headlining entertainer. This year CWU will welcome iconic funnyman Bill Cosby, who will take the Nicholson Pavilion stage at 8 p.m. on Oct. 24. Tickets are $35 for general admission, $45 for reserved seating and $25 for students and can be purchased at www.cwu.edu/~wildcattickets/cosby.html.

Of course, Homecoming just wouldn’t be complete without the annual football game, to start at 1 p.m. Oct. 24 at Tomlinson Field. Currently the Wildcats are ranked third in the American Football Coaches Association Division II national poll. They’re also second in the official NCAA Super Region Four ranking.

CWU is under the team spirit spell, especially now that the team’s got a 7-0 on the season and 2-0 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. Come support the Cats, and make sure to wear school colors.

Another important annual event is the Homecoming Banquet, which includes a 5:30 p.m. social hour and 6 p.m. dinner. It will honor CWU’s distinguished alumni, special achievements and philanthropy awardees and professors who’ve been chosen for excellence in teaching awards.

“The return of alumni is what anchors Homecoming to Central’s past,” says Alumni Relations Director Jim Armstrong. “It’s a time for old friends to meet and relive their college days, introduce their spouses and children to one another and see how campus has changed over the years.”

Distinguished alumni for 2009 include Jim Jansen, president and chief operating officer of Lynden, Inc., John Williams, former chair of the department of molecular and integrative physiology at the University of Michigan, Gary Fredrick, member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame and former CWU women’s softball coach, and David Boushey, a 30-year career stuntman and Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame member.

CWU’s Excellence in Teaching awards for 2009 will go to assistant professor of theatre education and youth drama, Elise Forier, assistant professor of human resource management, James Avey, assistant professor of information technology and administrative management, Natalie Lupton, and assistant professor of law and justice, Teresa Francis.

This Homecoming will also be a commemorative one with the dedications and tours of new and remolded buildings, including CWU’s newest residence hall, Wendell Hill Hall. It will be open for tours after a celebratory concert at the Music Building at 1 p.m. on Oct. 23.

Also on Oct. 22, at 4 p.m., there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate CWU’s new Aviation Training Center, located at Bowers Field.

And on Oct. 24, Dorothy Purser Hall, formerly the Physical Education Building, will be officially dedicated in honor of Purser, a long-time paramedics professor and coach. The dedication begins at 10:30 a.m.

For a complete lineup of Homecoming events, please go to www.cwu.edu/~cwualum/2009homecoming.html. There will be fun activities and events throughout the weekend.

Media contact: Liz Bryson, Public Relations and Marketing, 509-963-2714, brysone@cwu.edu

Central Washington University is a master's degree-granting institution with approximately 10,000 students and 1,500 faculty and staff. More than 160 undergraduate and master's degrees are offered. Founded in 1891, the Ellensburg campus is located in the heart of Washington State, nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River. Since 1975, CWU has served the needs of placebound students at six university centers throughout the state. CWU is an AA/EEO Title IX Institution.