Republican students are anticipating candidates’ events in the coming days, as gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory, Sen. Elizabeth Dole and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, according to Students for McCain chair Ches McDowell.

Dole will be at a tailgate event Saturday morning before the Homecoming football game, McDowell said.

She will arrive around 10 a.m. at the Trinity Lot, he said, and he had been pushing to get candidates to speak to students for a while.

“This makes it feel like we accomplished something,” he said.

Jim Ceresnak, a junior in political science and director of Students for McCrory, said he expects about 100 students to attend a “Bluegrass Barbeque Reception” for McCrory Friday evening.

Students for McCain has worked with the campaign for the event, but Ceresnak said the main purpose they serve is to provide “grassroots support.”

“As we’ve increased our presence on the Brickyard,” Ceresnak said, they have seen a difference in student voters.

The people who support McCrory’s democratic rival Bev Purdue more are typically those under 30 and unmarried people, and since college students fit into those categories, Ceresnak said it is important that the McCrory group stays active.

McCrory’s event will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Wingtip Farms, which is at 3628 Auburn Nightdale Road in Raleigh.

“It’s a great opportunity for Pat McCrory’s grassroot support to be on display,” Ceresnak said.

McDowell said because of the spontaneity of political campaigns, it is difficult to see when candidates will be available.

“Candidates make decisions at the last minute and she’s coming so it makes everybody feel good,” he said.

Gov. Sarah Palin, presidential candidate John McCain’s running mate, will be at East Carolina University Tuesday, for her first trip to North Carolina to campaign.