WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — For the first time ever, Purdue University’s selection for Homecoming queen and king has ended in a tie.

Queen Naina Singh will be joined by kings Nathan Welch and Barry Helfrich.

The three were crowned at the Homecoming pep rally Friday (Oct. 2) night and will appear at Homecoming festivities on Saturday (Oct. 3).

Singh is from Granger, Ind., and is majoring in neurobiology and physiology. Welch of Seal Beach, Calif., is majoring in aviation flight technology. Helfrich of Haubstadt, Ind., is majoring in public relations and advertising, and health and fitness. All are seniors.

They were chosen after formal interviews by a panel of faculty, students and staff; appearances at campus events; and online student voting.

Members of the queen’s court are Ashley Feil, Kelly Funk and Susie Holtsclaw, all of Carmel, Ind.; Laura Garrison, Chillicothe, Ill.; Ashley Hebda, Dyer, Ind.; and Rebecca Pankop, Albion, Ind.

Members of the kings’ court are Will Bowman and Ryan Habben, both of Lafayette; Chad Flowers, Indianapolis; Miles Hodge, Camden, Ind.; and Ryan Nugent, Bourbonnais, Ill.

More information on the queen, kings and court can be found at http://www.union.purdue.edu/HTML/PSUB/
HomecomingCandidates.aspx

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University bands and orchestras will kick off their 2009-10 concert season during homecoming weekend.

Orchestras will perform its Homecoming Concert Saturday (Oct. 3) in the Long Center, 111 N. Sixth St., Lafayette. The Purdue Symphonic and Concert bands will perform a tribute to “Main Street USA” at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, also at the Long Center. Admission to both events is free.

From the galloping rhythms of Rossini’s famous “William Tell Overture” to Mendelssohn’s Fifth Symphony, which paraphrases the hymn tune “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” in its finale, the Purdue orchestras will showcase a variety of classical music during its Saturday event.

Both Purdue orchestras will be featured under the baton of Andrew King. The Purdue Philharmonic will perform Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations.” The unique piece takes one melody and explores different ways of playing it, each way influenced by the preferences of a friend or, in one case, a dog close to the British composer. “Enigma Variations” secured Elgar’s reputation as a composer of national, even international, standing and remains one of the most popular works in the classical repertoire, King says.

Before tackling Mendelssohn’s Fifth or “Reformation” Symphony, the Purdue Symphony opens its portion of the program with a “Hi Ho Silver and Away.” Those words will leap to audience’s minds when they hear Rossini’s “William Tell Overture” which became famous in the 20th century as the theme to “The Lone Ranger.”

Felix Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony, written in 1829, is a highly original piece of religious music depicting the triumph of Protestantism. In its fast stormy first movement, Mendelssohn musically depicts an intense spiritual struggle away from Catholicism. The finale, written as a celebration opens with the Lutheran chorale “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”

Bands concert

Nearly every element of fall in America, from festivals and Friday night football to walks down picturesque country lanes, will be described musically in “Main Street USA,” the bands’ concert on Sunday.

Two John Phillip Sousa marches, David Moore’s “Small Town Sketches,” Charles Ives’ “Variations on America” and Broadway composer Robert Russell Bennett’s “Autobiography Part 1″ set the tone for the afternoon of music by American composers.

“Small Town Sketches,” the concert opener performed by Fall Concert Band under the direction of Ishbah Cox presents a series of musical pictures ranging from “Friday Night Football” to “Winter Walk” and from “County Fair” to “Concert in the Park.” The group also performs another highly descriptive work, “Down a Country Lane,” by Aaron Copland.

“Students are embracing many different styles on this concert from classical to Broadway,” says Jay Gephart, conductor of the Purdue Symphonic Band. “They move from one to another very easily, which shows a great deal of maturity as musicians.”

Although influenced by folk and traditional music, Ives was no stranger to compositional techniques of the 20th century, which are showcased in the Symphonic Band’s performance of “Variations on America.”

Symphonic Band also tackles Robert Russell Bennett’s “Autobiography Part 1″ at the Oct. 3 concert and will present “Part 2″ at a subsequent concert.

“H. Owen Reed’s ‘Heart of the Morn’ adds a nice balance to the other pieces on the program,” says Gephart. “It’s just a beautiful chorale based on the poem ‘Michigan Morn.’ ”

“Main Street USA” is presented by Purdue Bands & Orchestras. For more information on upcoming events visit www.purdue.edu/bands

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue University Black Cultural Center announced its Cultural Arts Series programs for the Fall 2009 semester.

The series theme, Hip-Hop: A Social and Political Message of Black Identity, includes the Sept. 10 Rap Session – Community Dialogue on Race and Hip Hop,” followed on Sept. 29 by a lecture and performance by educator and rapper Will Power. During Homecoming weekend, the Black Cultural Center will celebrate its 40th anniversary, and on Nov. 11 the founder of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network will speak.

“Since the late 1970s, hip-hop culture has steadily gained intellectual creditability,” BCC director Renee A. Thomas said. “A unique feature of hip-hop is its ability to translate across cultural, ethnic, racial, generational and geographic boundaries. Hip-hop helps bridge the divide between the academy and the real world and inspires a growing body of scholarly discourse. The series will provide an opportunity to celebrate hip-hop contributions to American culture.”

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Upcoming events include:

• Aug. 27 – The Black Cultural Center’s Annual Boilerfest New Student Orientation will be from 4-6 p.m. in the center’s parking lot, 1100 Third St. Boilerfest is a new student orientation festival that allows campus leaders and student organization members to gather in an informal setting. The event features a hip-hop DJ, B-Boy dancers and live entertainment by the BCC performing arts ensembles in a block party atmosphere.
• Sept. 10 – “Rap Session – Community Dialogue on Race and Hip Hop” will begin at 7 p.m. in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall. Leading hip-hop intellectuals, including Jabari Asim, Bakari Kitwana, Joan Morgan and others, will participate in an interactive town hall style meeting. Participants will explore how today’s popular culture, the impact of the generation gap and emerging trends in youth activism have all influenced our perceptions of race.
• Sept. 19 – “Friends and Family Day – I AM HIP HOP!” will follow the Purdue football game against Northern Illinois. Participants will get an inside look at hip-hop culture. Afternoon activities will include break-dance instruction, children’s hip-hop story-hour activities and a film screening.
• Sept. 29 – Will Power, a pioneer in the genre of hip-hop theater will present a lecture and performance that will fuse original music, rhymed language and dynamic choreography. The event begins at 7 p.m. in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall.
• Oct. 2-4 – Homecoming 2009 activities with the Purdue Black Alumni Organization will include a welcome back reception, a red carpet world premiere film screening of “Black at Purdue,” tailgating and the BCC 40th anniversary celebration reception to honor BCC Pioneer and Legacy award winners. The weekend will conclude with a gospel brunch.
• Oct. 9-12 – Student members of the center’s Performing Arts Ensembles will travel to New York City as part of a field research tour. Students will trace the history and influence of hip-hop in New York City and learn the four essential aesthetics of hip-hop culture: MC’ing, DJ’ing, graffiti and break dancing. Students also will explore museums, meet with hip-hop pioneers and participate in master class instruction by local hip-hop artists.
• Oct. 23-24 – The Black Cultural Center Coffee House will be presented at 7 p.m. both nights at the center. The performing arts ensembles will present an artistic showcase highlighting information gathered from the New York City research tour.
• Nov. 11 – Dr. Benjamin Chavis of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network will deliver a keynote address at 7 p.m. in Fowler Hall. The Hip Hop Summit Action Network is dedicated to harnessing the cultural relevance of hip-hop music to serve as a catalyst for education advocacy and other societal concerns fundamental to the empowerment of youth.
• Nov. 17 – “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes” with filmmaker Byron Hurt will be at 7 p.m. in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall. The documentary examines representations of gender roles in hip-hop and rap music. During the discussion with Hurt, issues of masculinity, sexism, violence and homophobia in today’s hip-hop culture will be explored.
• Dec. 4 – The cultural center’s performing arts ensembles will present the annual Cultural Arts Festival at 7 p.m. in Loeb Playhouse. This year’s festival will culminate the semesterlong focus on hip-hop. Tickets are $7 for the general public and $5 for Purdue students.

About the Black Cultural Center

Established at Purdue in 1969, the Black Cultural Center is celebrating its 40th anniversary this fall. The center is nationally recognized and acknowledged by the Association of Black Cultural Centers as one of the best university cultural centers in the nation. Thomas said the center helps Purdue students gain a greater understanding of African-American heritage and enhances cultural diversity on campus and in the community.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue Student Union Board is hosting a design contest for the 2009 Homecoming T-shirt.

The contest is open only to Purdue students, and the winner will receive $200 in free textbooks from Follett’s bookstores.

Students can find the competition’s rules from the Student Union Board office in Room 268 of the Purdue Memorial Union, or online at http://www.union.purdue.edu/HTML/PSUB

The contest gives students the chance to get involved with Homecoming as well as showcase their artistic abilities.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue’s Homecoming events will include a full week of activities for students and the public, including the traditional pep rally, parade, fireworks and family activities.
The week’s events run Monday (Oct. 20) through Saturday (Oct. 25) and include the noon kickoff Homecoming game on Saturday, in which Purdue takes on Minnesota.

“We are excited to be able to bring so many events into the Homecoming mix this year,” said Kirk Cerny, executive director and CEO of the Purdue Alumni Association. “Our students have new events for their entertainment, including a charity date auction. The public and Purdue family can enjoy the many displays, activities and charitable events associated with Homecoming, such as our blood drive. The week is truly a chance for everyone to get caught up in Boilermaker pride.”

The week before activities start, student organizations will help get the campus in the mood for Homecoming by painting the windows of businesses in the campus area. The groups are encouraged to include this year’s theme of “Purdue Sports Classics” in their decorations.

Homecoming-themed shirts are available for purchase at Follett’s bookstores on campus. The shirts feature a design highlighting the Purdue-Minnesota game on the front and a list of Purdue Student Union Board homecoming events on the back. The shirts sell for $15, with $2 of the price benefiting the board.

The festivities get under way with the Homecoming Kick-Off Cook Out at noon on Monday (Oct. 20). Purdue Student Union Board will pass out hot dogs, chips and drinks free of charge to Purdue West Lafayette students on Memorial Mall who show their Purdue identification card. Games and inflatables also will be set up.

On Tuesday (Oct. 21) a new event, the CandiDATE auction, is slated for 7 p.m. on the ground floor of the Purdue Memorial Union. Audience members are encouraged to bid on dates with Homecoming King and Queen candidates. The highest bidders will receive gift cards donated by local restaurants and businesses to take their candidates on a date. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Lafayette Boys and Girls Club.

A blood drive will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday (Oct. 22) in the Purdue Memorial Union’s South Ballroom. The drive is part of the Purdue vs. Indiana University Blood Donor Challenge, and all donations collected on that day will go toward Purdue’s total. The public is encouraged to attend. In addition, student groups participating in spirit week will gain points for the competition through donations.

Gutter Ball the Gophers is scheduled from 7-10 p.m. on Thursday (Oct. 23). The Union Rack and Roll will offer $2.50 per hour billiards, $1 bowling games and free shoe rental for all Purdue students with a Purdue ID. Other games, prizes and music will round out the evening at the bowling alley and billiard center located in the Purdue Memorial Union.

Also on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., lawyer, writer and actor Ben Stein will headline the Krannert School of Management’s eighth annual Leadership Speakers Series. Tickets are sold out, but media are invited to attend. Journalists who wish to cover the dinner should contact Tim Newton, Krannert School director of external relations and communications, at (765) 496-7271, tnewton@purdue.edu; or Tanya Brown, Purdue News Service, at (765) 494-2079, tanyabrown@purdue.edu. For more information, go to http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2008b/081013CosierLead.html

The 8th Annual Boilermaker Night Train parade will begin at 8 p.m. Friday (Oct. 24) on McCormick Road by Purdue Village. The parade route will begin at the corner of McCormick and State Road 26 (State Street), head north on McCormick Road, turn east on Third Street, head north on Martin Jischke Drive, turn west on Stadium Avenue and end at Slayter Hill. The parade will feature floats by student and community groups and will include both walking and motorized entries.

A pep rally will follow on Slayter Hill around 9 p.m. The Purdue “All-American” Marching Band and Purdue cheerleaders will perform. Fireworks are scheduled to begin immediately following the pep rally.

The Homecoming king and queen will be announced and crowned during the pep rally and will be introduced during halftime of the Purdue-Minnesota game on Saturday (Oct. 25).

To view a list of Homecoming court members, go to http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2008b/081010H-PSUBHomecoming.html.

From 9-11 a.m. on Saturday (Oct. 25) the celebration on the Purdue Mall will feature more than 40 tents housing displays by colleges, schools, departments and divisions as well as the dedication of two new landmarks on the Purdue campus.

During an invitation-only ceremony at 9 a.m., the “Unfinished Block P” sculpture will be dedicated. The sculpture is designed to symbolize that all people are works in progress and are never completely finished in the process of growing and learning. Rita and Rick Hadley, from Moments in Bronze in Otterbein, Ind., crafted the sculpture. Journalists wishing to attend the event should contact Christy Jones, Purdue News Service, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu.

At 10 a.m., the graduating classes of 1958 and 1959 will dedicate an arch and make other announcements involving support for the university. The “Gateway to the Future” arch and other announcements are gifts to Purdue from the two classes on the 50th anniversary of their graduating years. Journalists wishing to attend the event should contact Tanya Brown, Purdue News Service, (765) 494-2079, tanyabrown@purdue.edu.

Among the displays on the mall will be a children’s activity area featuring a “big bounce house” with inflatables and an obstacle course. A balloon artist and face painters also will entertain children.

The Discovery Park tent will include a laser-cutting machine that manufactures football key chains. Visitors can keep a keychain and play games for a chance to win glow-in-the-dark footballs. Many tents will offer trivia games and other challenges.

Performances by musical groups and other artists will be featured on the stage between Schleman Hall and the Heine Pharmacy building on Stadium Mall Drive. Scheduled acts include the Purdue Juggler and Unicycle Club, the Black Voices of Inspiration and the Purduettes.

Five area restaurants – Pizza Hut, Subway, Dairy Queen, Sgt. Preston’s and Moe’s Southwest Grill – will operate the Boiler Food Court near the stage.

Purdue President France A. Córdova will make remarks on the stage at 11 a.m.

The Purdue Mall festivities will end with President Córdova and first gentleman, Chris Foster, leading Purdue’s “All-American” Marching Band and Purdue alumni and friends to Ross-Ade Stadium for the noon kickoff.