When Marcie Otteman attended Central Michigan University's Homecoming as a child she didn’t think she’d attend the university let alone be a part of the homecoming coordination team.

She graduated in 1987 as a fourth-generation CMU student. Otteman said hopes that her teenage daughter, Kaitlin, will soon become the fifth.

Having worked in higher education for the last 26 years, Otteman previously worked in Metro Detroit at Davenport University and Lawrence Technological University. For the past 21 years Otteman has worked at CMU. During the past nine years she has served as CMU's Executive Director for Alumni Relations.

Otteman sat down with Central Michigan Life on Oct. 3 to discuss her Homecoming nightmare, her experiences as the Executive Director for Alumni Relations and what she hopes to see you wearing if you say hello to her this Saturday.

What goes into organizing CMU's Homecoming?

The cool part about it for us is that it is a partnership with Student Activities and Involvement group. We work in conjunction with them, so it’s a full team effort. Cindy Jacobs, who is our associate director, is in charge of Alumni Village, so we organize that. We participate with the parade and work with SAI on that. We have our Grand Marshalls in the parade. We have our alumni board presidents in the parade. We are responsible for having the president in the parade. We host a 50-year reunion, where invite the class of 1969 and the whole decade. We have about 60 people coming to that breakfast and reunion on Homecoming morning.

We do a lot of different things that are happening throughout Homecoming. There are a lot of people, a lot of moving parts. We have specialty events, for example our Latino Alumni Group is hosting a career meeting for their students the Friday of Homecoming. The African American Alumni Chapter has a whole weekend of events planned.

We are the ones who are in the center who help organize and bring together all those activities.

What is your favorite Homecoming tradition?

I can only pick one?

Well there is nothing better than watching students race cardboard canoes across the pond when it’s snowing out. But really my favorite is everybody who comes back, so it’s seeing all the alumni. I’ve been walking across a parking lot or whatever and have seen people I haven’t seen in 20 or 30 years, so it’s those opportunities to reconnect again with people you haven’t seen in a long time. My favorite is everybody coming back, that would be my No. 1, and cardboard canoe races is a close second. It’s a really cool way to bring students and alumni together.

That’s what I like best about it, the past and present all coming together.

What’s your go-to Homecoming outfit?

I have a yellow CMU rainsuit that I wear; it’s pretty spectacular. I’m hoping I don’t get to wear it this year, or if I’m wearing it’s only because it is 50 degrees and not because it is raining because I need no rain at Homecoming this year.

If it's not raining, I can definitely wear some fun maroon and gold, like this new maroon fleece jacket that says Chippewas down the side and has a big Flying C.

What are experiences that alumni share?

The No. 1 thing that alumni tell me is that CMU is like a family and they feel connected. That is by far the No. 1 thing I hear from people all the time.

When we go places and we see other alums we yell “Fire Up Chips!” and no one else does that. Nobody is out there yelling “Go Broncos!” or “Go Eagles!” We always do.

I was in an airport in the Vatican in Rome and someone from across the way when we were waiting to get in the elevator someone yelled “Fire Up Chips!” because we had CMU stuff on. That connectivity is the best.

We have a different relationship than people who go to other institutions. I think that is one of the cool experiences about us.

How many people attend Homecoming?

That’s so hard to guess. It just varies because there are so many activities. Some people come to the parade and Alumni Village, but maybe they don’t go to game. Others will go to Alumni Village and the game, but not the parade.

It really depends, but literally thousands. Over 3,500 people will go through Alumni Village and we’ll have tens of thousands at the game. The hotels in town are all sold out and have been for three or four weeks.

What’s your biggest concern or fear leading up to the event?

RAIN!

Rain, rain, rain. It’s not on the radar right now, but it’s come out of nowhere before. My No. 1 fear is always precipitation – rain or snow – of any kind.

What nightmares do you have leading up to the event?

None. It’s one of my most favorite days of the year. It’s like Christmas, I’m a kid waiting to wake up on Christmas morning. It’s just so much fun. It’s the best weekend.

My only nightmare, knock on wood, is rain.

What’s the fun part of being in the middle of the Homecoming chaos?

It’s super busy and I’m everywhere. It’s just go-go-go.

I’m on for two days straight, and that’s fun, but by the time we hit Saturday night at about 8 p.m. I sort of just drop. It’s totally worth it, though. It’s great and just a fun, fun time.

What’s a fun memory you have with students during Homecoming?

A few years ago, the Medallion Challenge had a clue up here by the Alumni House.

Oh my gosh, we were just having so much fun that day.

I’d look outside and see all these students outside look around and coming into the house. We went outside and helped them look around to try and find the clue. It was a ton of fun.

What are 3 things someone should bring to Homecoming?

A positive attitude, a really big smile and their best maroon and gold clothes.

They should be maroon and gold head to toe.