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dozens of donated items. Under the
direction of local auctioneer Eric Crawford
of Twin City Auctions, alumni and friends
offered up live bids and purchased
vacations, arts and crafts, retail gifts,
restaurant giveaways, sports memorabilia,
tickets to performing arts and sporting
events, passes to outdoor excursions,
and other quality merchandise to the
tune of $8,300 – all for the BC Fund for
Scholarships.
After the auction, alumni took part in
campus tours, some seeing for the first
time BC’s new Bluestone Commons
apartment complex and a recently
renovated Harman Chapel, among
other facilities. Later in the day, alumni
made their way to Mitchell Stadium
for tailgating and Rams football, a
new mainstay event for Homecoming.
The tailgating fun included music,
cornhole, food and, of course, the
Fourth Annual Homecoming Tailgate
Challenge, sponsored by Walmart
of Bluefield. The winner of this year’s
coveted championship banner as the
best Homecoming tailgate: BC’s Christian
Studies Department.
After tailgating, alumni and friends
watched the Rams football team
secure a Homecoming victory, 21-7,
over Cincinnati Christian University.
During the game, current BC students
crowned the 2016 Homecoming Court.
Seniors Whitney Browning of Bluefield,
West Virginia, and Gabe Spencer of
Riner, Virginia, were selected by BC
students as Homecoming Queen and
King, respectively. Students also chose
Jacquelyn Chick as Junior Princess, Kyle
Findlay as Junior Prince, Ally Carter as
Sophomore Princess, Dagoberto De
Jesus Acevedo as Sophomore Prince,
Sarah Westfall as Freshman Princess, and
Andre Cardamone as Freshman Prince.
During the evening of day two, alumni
and friends took part in the annual Alumni
Awards Dinner where five of BC’s most
distinguished graduates were honored
with alumni awards, including Rev.
Rodney Hale (’60) of Richmond, Virginia,
who received the Primitivo Delgado
Christian Service Award; Sheriff Brian
Hieatt (’99) of Tazewell, Virginia, who
was named Alumnus of the Year; Justin
Sheriff Brian
Hieatt (’99):
Alumnus of
the Year.
Rev. Rodney
Hale (’60):
Primitivo
Delgado
Christian
Service Award.
Justin Hamm
(’01): Young
Alumnus of
the Year.
Fred Phillips
(’88): Athletic
Hall of Fame.
Rev. Jack
Marcom
(’62): Hall of
Distinguished
Graduates.
For more detailed coverage of
Homecoming 2016, including
dozens of photos, visit
bluefield.edu/homecoming.Hamm (’01) of Bluefield, West Virginia,
who was named Young Alumnus of the
Year; Fred Phillips (’88) of Richlands,
Virginia, who was inducted into the BC
Athletic Hall of Fame; and Rev. Jack
Marcom (’62) of Fredericksburg, Virginia,
who was inducted into the BC Hall of
Distinguished Graduates.
Day two finished with a fireworks show
and the traditional Homecoming Dance
where winners of the Homecoming Court
were recognized again. The overall three-
day Homecoming weekend concluded
with a Campus/Community Worship
Service, featuring music and worship
provided by the newly planted campus
church, Highlands Fellowship. A special
Sunday lunch followed worship in the BC
dining hall. Homecoming 2017 has been
set for the weekend of October 21
(see
pages 26-27).
Top:
Members of the Bluefield College Christian Studies
Department, winners of the Homecoming Tailgate Challenge.
Bottom:
Homecoming Queen Whitney Browning (left) and
Homecoming King Gabe Spencer.