Students, alumni, faculty and staff of Missouri Western State University will celebrate Homecoming 2012 Oct. 8-13. This year’s theme is “Griffon Country: Where Dreams Come True.” For more information or to register for alumni events, call 816-271-5646. Details on student events are available at www.missouriwestern.edu/homecoming.

A highlight of homecoming every year is the parade in downtown St. Joseph. The parade is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 13 at Union Street and Frederick Avenue. The parade will travel southwest on Frederick to Faraon Street, then west on Faraon to Fifth Street, south on Fifth to Felix Street, and east on Felix to Eighth Street.

Other Homecoming Week activities include:

Monday, Oct. 8

  • Residence Hall and Office Decorating Contests. Residence halls and offices will be decorated reflecting this year’s homecoming theme.
  • “Western Paints the World” sign contest. Spirit signs created by student organizations will be placed around Downs Drive.
  • “Jump In” obstacle course, 6 p.m., Spratt Stadium. Student teams will participate in seven contests, including the hula hoop pass, paper airplane throw, lemon race and more.

Tuesday, Oct. 9

  • “Griffon Rescuers” blood drive, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Blum Student Union 218-219. Student organizations compete to recruit the most blood donors.

Wednesday, Oct. 10

  • “It’s a Small World” trivia night, 6 p.m., Blum Student Union. Each participating team gets a passport in the Blum lobby. They must locate 12 hidden tour guides around campus and successfully answer a Disney trivia question to get their passport stamped. The teams have one hour to find all 12 guides.

Thursday, Oct. 11

  • “The Laugh Floor” comedy show, 6 p.m., Looney Complex. Organizations will perform skits before a performance by Donnell Rawlings of the Dave Chapelle Show. Rawlings will take the stage at 8 p.m. The show is free to students with a Missouri Western ID. Tickets are $10 for the general public. Advance tickets are available in Blum 207.
  • 30th Annual Alumni Awards Banquet, 5:45 p.m., Fulkerson Center. Five Missouri Western alumni and one retired faculty member will be honored with the Herb ’35 and Peggy Iffert Service to the University Award, the Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award, the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Distinguished Faculty Award. The cost of the dinner is $30 per person. RSVP by calling 816-271-5646 or email Jenny Sherlock at jsherlock@missouriwestern.edu.

Friday, Oct. 12

  • Alumni Golf Tournament, 1 p.m., Fairview Golf Course. Cost is $35 per person of $140 per teams of four. RSVP by calling 816-271-5646 or email Jenny Sherlock at jsherlock@missouriwestern.edu.
  • “Cinderella’s Can-Tastic Castles,” 6 p.m., Griffon Indoor Sports Complex pavilion. Organizations will build Cinderella’s castle out of canned goods donated around campus during the week. The food will be donated to the Second Harvest Community Food Bank.
  • “Griff-Tazmic” dance contest, pep rally and bonfire, 7:15 p.m., Spratt Stadium.

Saturday, Oct. 13

  • Homecoming parade, 9:30 a.m., downtown St. Joseph.
  • “Arts, Beats and Treats,” 10:30 a.m., Blum Union. Free family fun for all ages. Kids can make fun crafts, and the Balloon Dude and Casey’s Creatures will be there.
  • Pre-game tailgate, 11:30 a.m., Lot H near the Baker Family Fitness Center. The Student Government Association and the Missouri Western Alumni Association are sponsoring a free tailgate before the game. Hamburgers, hot dogs and chili will be available.
  • Griffon football homecoming game vs. Missouri Southern, 1:30 p.m., Spratt Stadium. As of Oct. 5, the Griffons are undefeated and ranked No. 5 in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Poll and No. 4 in the D2Football.com Media Poll, the team’s highest national rankings ever.
  • Greek Village Ribbon Cutting, 4 p.m., Juda Hall.
  • Griffon volleyball vs. Central Oklahoma, 7 p.m., Looney Complex.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.