To Jason Barker, being the 2016 Homecoming King isn’t about praising what he has already given to the University, but instead it celebrates his individual growth in something much larger than himself.
Barker said when he thinks about being homecoming royalty, he thinks about the story of the person being crowned and how not only has that person impacted the University, but how they have let the University change them as well.
“That is just what BGSU has been to me. It has allowed me to grow and learn and has given me so many opportunities, and it is an honor to be crowned homecoming king,” he wrote in an email.
Barker is a sports management major with a general business minor and has been extensively involved in student organizations.
Throughout his time at the University, he has been the president, vice president and treasurer of Alpha Tau Omega, the director of outreach for the Undergraduate Student Government and a Bikes for Tikes participant for Dance Marathon.
His favorite homecoming tradition is tailgating at Falcon Tailgate Park before the homecoming game, and he specifically likes witnessing all of the reunions that happen between alumni and the University.
“It is such a cool time for Alumni to come back and remember the great times they had here at BGSU and learn about all the current things that are going on now through the current students. It’s a time to bond the past with the present and to celebrate the great times at BGSU,” Barker said.
Senior Tulsa Fearing said her favorite homecoming tradition is the king and queen crowning ceremony at halftime of the game.
“Those folks are always so passionate about BGSU, and it just makes my heart happy,” she said
This year, Fearing was one of those passionate people she referenced, earning her spot as 2016 Homecoming Queen.
“Being Homecoming Queen is one of the highest honors at Bowling Green State University. It is so great to be able to represent the University that I love in such a way and to be a role model for other students,” she said.
A human development and family studies major, Fearing has been a member of Phi Sigma Pi, a McNair Scholar, a LeaderShape Institute Participant and this year’s Homecoming Student Steering Committee director.
