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Printer-Friendly ModeRoyalty crowned at football halftime
October 5, 2009 —
Two spirited Cardinals snagged the honor of homecoming king and queen on Saturday at halftime of the SVSU vs. Northern Michigan University football matchup.
Professional accountancy senior Jason Sweet and special education senior Mallory Marek emerged from a Red Pride-filled week to capture their crowns.
Marek represented the Student Michigan Education Association (SMEA) on her quest for the title. The Big Rapids native said winning queen was one goal she had hoped to cross off her list before graduation.
The senior has been an RA for two years, a member of the National Residence Hall Honoree, a freshman orientation leader and a knitting club member. She plans to study in Italy on a faculty-led education trip this summer.
Receiving support from her peers and riding the parade trolley with other homecoming court members were the highlights of her week.
“Being surrounded by such great leaders on campus, you couldn’t get the smile off my face,” she said.
Marek hopes to return to her hometown and teach after graduating. She thanked her supporters and campaign helpers.
Sweet, too, has a track record for campus involvement. The Waterford native is the man behind the persona he dubs “Cardinalman” at SVSU sporting events. As a freshman, Sweet covered himself in red body paint to rile up the home SVSU football crowd. But the paint wasn’t so easy to remove.
“I spent almost the entire year tinted pink,” he said.
A sophomore, Sweet created a new outfit, primarily consisting of red spandex and a signature cape. Throughout his college career, he said he has tried to make it to every home football game, as well as a variety of other Cardinal matchups upon request.
“Anything I can do to get the crowd going,” he said. “Most of all [I do it for] the athletes.”
Sweet said he ran for king with the support of his fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau, whose brothers supported him 100 percent.
“I did it more for the fraternity than myself,” he said. “I wanted to bring the honor and the pride back to the Greeks.”
Sweet is an RA and cofounder of the Red Pride Spirit Crew. He participates with the Inner-Fraternal Council and in community service projects through the accounting department.
Owning the bragging rights for the homecoming student organization competition is Tau Kappa Epsilon. The men of TKE toted the trophy home for a third consecutive year.
TKE president Jason Galea thanked his fraternity for an outstanding effort this homecoming.