My Last Ferrum Homecoming as an Undergrad

by Stephanie D., Panther Blogger

Homecoming weekend is a weekend where alumni and current students come together and celebrate Ferrum College and all of its accomplishments.  This year, homecoming at Ferrum also included the family festival and the hall of fame inductees. Friday, September 26th started off with the family festival. There was a BBQ dinner along with live entertainment!  There was also a parade that showed off sports teams and clubs on campus. For this parade, we had a banner-making contest that the clubs and teams took part of to earn a cash prize!  On Saturday, September 27th, the Ferrum Football team played the Bishops from NC and lost by 4 points.  The game was awesome and the team played so well throughout the whole game.

Homecoming is also a chance to get to know alumni and make connections with those who have graduated and experienced "the real world."  Networking with alumni is a great way to get first hand knowledge on what steps to take after graduation. These alumni might even be able to get you a job!  Ferrum has the friendliest faculty and staff, as well as alumni, and it is very easy to make a new friend at every event that Ferrum holds. I am sad to say that this was my last homecoming as an undergraduate at Ferrum College, but it was my best one yet!

Happy Birthday, Ferrum!!

by Laken P., Panther Blogger

Homecoming is always one of the most magical times of the year, but this year happened to be extra special. Not only was it Homecoming weekend last weekend, but it was also Ferrum College's big Centennial celebration!  Not many students get to say that they went to a school as it turned 100 years old, so this Homecoming was made to be one that will always be a special part of Ferrum's history.  When looking back at the history of Ferrum, it is easy to see what great progress and advancement a century has brought along.  From a small Junior College founded in 1913 to the beautiful and close-knit family that is Ferrum College today, the school has seen a large change in academics, enrollment, athletics, and student life outside the classroom. 

The spirit of Ferrum's growth and the promise of the future inspired this Homecoming celebration to be one that I will never forget. Panther Pride definitely rang true in every heart across campus as alumni, family, and friends all joined to not only watch the Black Hats on the field, but also celebrate a place that holds a large part of their heart.

The activities on campus included a parade and fireworks, cookouts and a large tailgate, concerts, poster-decorating, dedications and initiations, dress-up days, the crowning of the Homecoming Court, and of course every Panther's favorite occasion:  a Ferrum win!

Friday night kicked off the celebration with a BBQ dinner and a parade.  All of the clubs and student organizations took place in the parade, along with distinguished alumni and outside community groups. All of the student organizations had the opportunity to design and create a banner to enter into the contest, and each of the banners were carried in the parade to display all of the designs.  Once the parade was complete, there were several concerts ranging from local cover bands to a hip hop violinist. After the concerts, the night concluded with a big fireworks show over the lake!

Day two of the Centennial Celebration brought the Homecoming game.  The morning started with the Panther Tracks 5k run to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. After the run, the tailgate began in Bassett Field. Food, family, and fun were the center of the tailgate as many students, sports, and clubs gathered to prepare to cheer on the Black Hats. There were also several alumni games hosted by various sports teams. At 12:30 p.m., a time capsule was sealed and buried to be opened at Ferrum's Sesquicentennial at the Homecoming Game in 2063.  The capsule included a photograph of current students, faculty, and staff, a donated National Championship Football ring, and several other items that hold a special place in the heart of the Ferrum family.  After the ceremonies ended, it was time for the real center of the weekend to begin - Ferrum football!  The Panthers pulled out a win in an exciting finish to beat the Pride of Greensboro, 31 - 21!


It was such an experience to see so many past Panthers gathered in once place to cheer on the current students and athletes in celebration of the Centennial.  I had the honor of meeting the Sports Hall of Fame inductees and the members of the National Championship football teams, all of whom still say that they will always call Ferrum home. The memories of this weekend have been in the making for 100 years, and it was definitely an indescribable experience to be able to cheer on the sidelines of such a meaningful game!  I will never forget the importance, remembrance, and celebration of this weekend as I think of all the Panthers before me and look forward to those who will come after.

My First College Homecoming

by Laken P., Panther Blogger

Cheering on the sidelines for my first college Homecoming game is a feeling I will never forget. Between the pre-game tailgates, the spirit of the fans, and the joy of defeat, I was easily reminded of how much I love Ferrum. I enjoy being able to be on the field to cheer on our boys, keep the fans involved in the game, and “wow” the crowd with our pyramids and tumbling. The experience of a college football game is not one that can merely be described; it must be experienced.

Any given weekend this time of year is an opportune time to enjoy the full atmosphere of college football, but no game is as magical as Homecoming. Saturday afternoons are all about Ferrum pride, and on Homecoming weekend, the heart of the Black and Gold radiated across campus. Perhaps it is the anxiousness of the crowning of Homecoming Court and the collection of alumni sprinkled throughout the stands; maybe it’s the beauty of the mountains and autumn colors that surround the football field. Regardless of the factors that make it so special, Homecoming never fails to be the biggest game of the season. 

Not only will it forever hold a special place in my heart because it was my first college Homecoming, but it was also the biggest victory of the season! The Ferrum Panthers defeated the North Carolina Wesleyan Bishops with a final score of 51-35. In a game that began with a rough start, the Panthers were able to press on and reach a victory in a huge conference match-up. Winning the game has helped propel the Black Hats to be ranked as one of the top teams in the USA South Conference.

Because the Panthers were so successful in their pursuit of a win, the bookstore backed up the team with their tradition of “Pigskin Payoff.” Every Monday after a game, the bookstore will give students 5% off Panther merchandise for every touchdown that is scored up to 25%! Because the football players were so dominant on the field Saturday, we all received 25% off of some already great deals!

The big win at Homecoming got both the players and fans seeking more. The Ferrum Black Hats football team has three more conference games to close out the regular season. If you get the chance to schedule a visit, come support Ferrum as we move our way toward a conference championship. Let’s Go Panthers, Panthers Let’s Go!

Mascotting!

by Brett W., Panther Blogger

In high school, my four years were split between two commitments during football season: marching band and being the mascot. The two activities were not mutually exclusive though; when I was in the marching band, we would dance like crazy when the mascot was out, and then while I acted as the mascot, so much of my energy and movement came from the band in the stands. So, when I heard that Ferrum had no marching band at all – not even a small pep band – it made my job of “mascotting” a little bit harder and a whole lot less fun. During the first two games here at Ferrum, with my debut of being the new Panther, I had to play songs in my head and just feed myself my own crazy stunts, which is fortunately not that hard.

When Ferrum’s Homecoming came around on October 13th, I expected to do the same thing as usual. Well, I was in for a pleasant surprise. As the cheerleaders and I were walking to the stadium, the band was walking up with music stands and instruments! Though the Ferrum band is small, I guess the new director they hired this year decided to bring the band out and give it a try. I was so excited to hear what they would play and be able to once again feed off of the band’s music.

Well, as the game went on, the band did little ditties such as a kickoff drumroll, the Imperial March from Star Wars, and even a fight song with a chant to go along as well! In high school, when the band played the fight song, there was always a dance that I did as the Eagle; I figured, why not create a dance for the Panther? So I did. Anytime the pep band played a song, I did my own little dance which I now call the Panther Trot. (Yes, I know panthers don’t trot; horses trot. But there is a dance called the foxtrot, so does that make any more sense than this?) So next time the band plays and you see the Panther doing a dance, come join me and learn the Panther Trot!

As the game ended and everything started slowing down, I was so ecstatic about the experience of having Ferrum’s very own band play at the game, but I assumed that was where it ended and that this had been a one-time deal for Homecoming. Little did I know then, but as I learned later after receiving a campus email about it, Ferrum just recently got permission to start an actual, full-fledged pep band!  Hopefully now, the band will be at every game! My first homecoming experience as a whole was completely amazing with the band making it so much better. I look forward to my homecomings still to come, and a lot more crazy dancing memories I still have to make.

Also, I realize “mascotting” isn’t an actual word, but I’m coining it as a word. The act of being in a boycott is boycotting, so why shouldn’t the act of being a mascot be called mascotting? Think about it!

My Last Homecoming as a Student

by Keenan L., Panther Blogger

Hello, everyone!!

This past weekend here at Ferrum was our Homecoming! It was such an amazing weekend for me to hang out with all my friends who are seniors and also seeing friends who have graduated within the last few years. Being a part of Student Government Association (SGA) allowed me to be hands-on with some of the events that were going on around campus! I think it was great to hang out with my other SGA members and decorate the campus for our homecoming.

This year’s theme for homecoming was “A Haunted Homecoming.” Everyone around campus got the into the Halloween spirit with the all the homecoming activities.

My most memorable part of homecoming this year was attending the football game with my friends, and a few new friends I met who attend Virginia Wesleyan College. Jasmine, Brittany, Katie, and Deven are four of the nicest girls that I have ever met, and they were very interested in student life at Ferrum College. Overall, our conversations comparing schools were GREAT, and I have decided that a few friends from Ferrum and I will visit Virginia Wesleyan to hangout with them and learn the way of life at their school. Being a senior Resident Assistant (RA) allowed me to have one night off from duty and I really got to enjoy my last homecoming as a student of Ferrum College.

Homecoming is one of the greatest moments in your life as a college student, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of it! Hope everyone enjoyed his or her weekend!