Four women and three men will vie for the titles of Ferris State University Homecoming
King and Queen.
Ferris will celebrate Homecoming 2013 with a “Bulldog Beach Bash” of activities that begin Monday, Sept. 30 and wrap up Saturday, Oct. 5 with a parade, alumni events and a football game. The king and queen will be crowned during halftime of the game by 2012 King Byron Williams and Queen Avery Larson.
The candidates make up a “very outgoing and professional group,” said Steve Balkema, chairman of the selection committee. “Each of them has demonstrated leadership qualities, and they are all very involved on campus. They all have immense Ferris pride as well.”
The university’s king and queen are charged with fostering friendship, togetherness and professionalism among Ferris students, Balkema said.
“The king and queen are selected by the students and, as such, are representatives of the school,” he said.
The candidates for king are:
Kevin Bunce
- Year: Senior
- Major: Ornamental Horticulture/Business Administration Professional Track
- Hometown: Big Rapids
- Campus involvement: Student Alumni Gold Club, American Marketing Association, orientation leader, intramurals participant, College of Business Student Delegate
- Sponsoring organizations: Student Alumni Gold Club, American Marketing Association
Lonie Donald III
- Year: Senior
- Major: Secondary Education in English
- Hometown: Big Rapids
- Campus involvement: Black Leaders Aspiring for Critical Knowledge (B.L.A.C.K.), Student Government, Scalar Peer Mentoring Program
- Sponsoring organizations: Black Leaders Aspiring for Critical Knowledge, You Beautiful Black Women (Y.B.B.W.)
Rory O’Brien
- Year: Senior
- Major: Marketing
- Hometown: Highland
- Campus involvement: Interfraternity Council executive vice president, Sigma Phi Epsilon president and former Chaplin, athletic director and fundraising chair
- Sponsoring organizations: Sigma Phi Epsilon, Alpha Xi Delta
The candidates for queen are:
Chelsea Chapin
- Year: Senior
- Major: Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications
- Hometown: Haslett
- Campus involvement: Honors Program, Delta Zeta, American Marketing Association, Bulldog Radio
- Sponsoring organizations: Delta Zeta, Lambda Chi Alpha
Melissa ‘Mel’ Kocefas
- Year: Junior
- Major: Biology
- Hometown: Grayling
- Campus involvement: Honors Program, Honors Emerging Leader Award (2012), Ferris 125 Initiative Recipient (2012), Student Alumni Gold Club, Residential Life student staff member, National Society of Collegiate Scholars
- Sponsoring organizations: Student Alumni Gold Club, East Campus Suites
Christyn McLochlin
- Year: Senior
- Major: Early Childhood Education
- Hometown: Granger, Ind.
- Campus involvement: Zeta Tau Alpha, Race for the Cure, Relay for Life, Colleges Against Cancer
- Sponsoring organizations: Zeta Tau Alpha, Phi Sigma Kappa
Katherine ‘Katie’ Rachon
- Year: Senior
- Major: Pre-Optometry
- Hometown: Rockford
- Campus involvement: Honors Program, Alpha Sigma Tau vice president, Club Tennis team captain, Order of Omega treasurer
- Sponsoring organizations: Alpha Sigma Tau, Club Tennis
Voting will begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2 and continue through 11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3 on the Election Portal in OrgSync. Students must be registered in OrgSync and be part of the Ferris State University Umbrella and Election Portal to participate.
In addition to their individual campaigns, the candidates will attend several events during homecoming week, including the lip sync competition and King and Queen Q&A Session at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30 in Williams Auditorium. Other homecoming events include the kickball tournament at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1 at Top Taggart Field, the bonfire at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2 in Lot 61 behind Brophy/McNerney residence halls and a performance by a comedian at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3 in Williams Auditorium.
The homecoming parade will begin at noon Saturday, Oct. 5 in downtown Big Rapids, followed by the football game at 2 p.m. at Top Taggart Field, which pits the Bulldogs against the Saginaw Valley Cardinals.
To run for king or queen, candidates must be a full-time student and have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. They also must be involved in an extra-curricular activity affiliated with the university and must be sponsored by two registered student organizations. Candidates also must have a campaign manager who is a full-time student.
Potential candidates completed an application process and were interviewed by homecoming committee advisors and members, students from different colleges and faculty and staff members.