Photos: Homecoming Spirits High at the Tailgating Competition

A man and woman face one another with a purple, covered table between them. The man has a wide smile and sunglasses on. The woman facing him adjusts her sunglasses, wearing a purple crewneck and a backpack.
Director of the Gerstacker Business Institute Roy Matthews talks with an attendee about the institute. The Institute passed out “A” shaped cookies from the Foundry (Photo by Lizzy Kelley).

With the second MIAA conference game for the Brits on the horizon, alumni, students, staff and community members gathered together to show their school spirit. The Homecoming tailgate had something for everyone, from the welcome tent giving out stickers to the kids tent with crafts –  people of all ages found ways to get involved and gear up for the game. 

As part of the Homecoming festivities, the Alumni Association Board of Directors hosted their annual tailgating competition before the football game. The competition this year was judged by Meaghan Cole, alumna ‘09, Kevin Opple, alumnus ‘93 and Physics Department Chair Nicolle Zellner. The tailgating competition was held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. as judges walked through the tents and eventually regrouped to decide winners. 

According to Amy Everhart, alumna ‘08, and director of alumni engagement, each team was judged in three categories: Best Food (“Better than Baldwin”), Best Drink (“Brit Spirit”) and Most School Spirit (“Io Triumphe”). 

“We started this activity as a way to build off the energy of the Homecoming tailgate and to facilitate groups mixing and mingling with each other,” Everhart said.

Anyone on campus can compete in the competition – whether in all categories or just one Chuck Coutteau, ‘16 alumnus and member of the alumni association board of directors, said. Each team that won receives a ribbon from the judges at the end of the tailgate. 

“The tailgating competition is for staff, students, facility and whoever wants to participate,” Coutteau said. “They all find out the winners right before the start of the game.”

According to an email from Zellner, the winners were as follows:

“Better Than Baldwin”: Black Alumni Chapter won for their gumbo and the Kzoo Brits for their burritos.

“Brit Spirit”: Softball Parents’ tailgate for their apple cider moonshine.

“lo Triumphe”: The science tailgate because the sciences and science-adjacent programs gathered together.

Honorable mentions to the Classes of 2004 and 2014 for their “amazing tailgates” Coutteau said via email.

Editor’s Note – 5:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 7. The list of winners and a new photo was added.

A line of people ranging in ages stands in a parking lot with smiles.. Everyone in the photo is wearing some form of purple, and many are wearing gold ribbons saying “1” in the center.
Members of the softball tailgate after their apple cider moonshine won the “Brit Spirit” category and they were awarded gold ribbons. The softball team earned the bragging rights of the best drink just before the beginning of the football game (Photo illustration courtesy of Chuck Coutteau).
 A man stands between two women holding up clear plastic forks as they all hold clipboards with score sheets for the tailgate competition. All three are standing in a parking lot with a building and greenery behind them.
Meaghan Cole alumna ‘09, Kevin Opple alumnus ‘93 and Physics Department Chair Nicolle Zellner standing with their clipboards as they walk around judging for Saturday’s Homecoming Tailgating Competition. Each judge scored their ratings and the three collectively decided the winners of the competition (Photo illustration by Lizzy Kelley).
A man stands with a yellow drink and a fork in his right hand as he leans over a table to write on a piece of paper with his left. The man wears a purple shirt, jeans, backpack and has a short white beard.
Oppel, holding a drink for the “Brit Spirit” category and writing down his rating for the Gerald R. Ford Institute’s tent (Photo by Lizzy Kelley).
A wooden basket sits on the edge of a circular table, holding purple and gold ribbons with the number “1” printed in different shades of gold in the center of the ribbon.
A basket filled with purple and gold ribbons that were handed out to the winners of the tailgating competition. Each team had the possibility of winning first place in a category, or winning all three categories together (Photo illustration by Lizzy Kelley).
A table is set up directly behind the open tailgate of a car with people standing all around. Behind the table is a woman scooping food out of a dish with a shirt hanging behind her reading “Black Alumni Chapter.”
Lisa Hains, ‘89 alumnus, hands out food to a group of people as she represents the Black Alumni Chapter. The Chapter returned to defend their title as tailgate winners of last year’s “Brit Spirit” category (Photo by Lizzy Kelley).
 Five people stand underneath a purple tent with two banners hanging across the back of the tent reading “Albion College Biology” and “Department of Earth and Environment.”
Staff and alumni from the Biology Department and the Department of Earth and Environment intermingle with one another as they drink beverages before the start of the tailgate (Photo by Lizzy Kelley).
A wide view shot or a parking lot with tents set up on either side. Tents on the left are purple and have groups of people underneath, while tents on the right are white and set up in the grass just beside the parking lot.
The Ferguson parking lot as groups finish setting up their tents for the tailgate. Tents set up had engagement for young children, as well as a shady space for people to group together and talk (Photo by Lizzy Kelley).
About Lizzy Kelley 17 Articles
Lizzy Kelley is a sophomore from Brighton, Michigan. Lizzy is a psychology major, and is typically found working on her stuff in the Dow. Contact Lizzy via email at EMK16@albion.edu

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