University of the Ozarks is expected to welcome more than 500 alumni, friends and family members to campus for a variety of events and reunions during Homecoming 2018, scheduled for Oct. 25-28.
In recent years, the University has combined its traditional alumni weekend with homecoming to make one larger campus-wide celebration. This year, family weekend will also be a part of Homecoming 2018.
“We combined the events a couple of years ago so that alumni and current students would have more opportunities for interaction and it’s worked out even better than we had anticipated,” said Lori McBee, vice president for advancement. “This year we have an added bonus of family weekend being a part of Homecoming, so it will be a great opportunity for our alumni, current students and their parents to take part in a large number of events we have scheduled.”
The weekend will include numerous family-friendly events, including a Raku pottery workshop on Friday, an alumni and friends fun run and walk on Saturday morning, soccer matches and a tailgate and family carnival on Saturday afternoon, a youth cheer camp on Saturday afternoon and the All Hallows Eve Concert on Saturday evening.
There will also be the annual Alumni Awards Ceremony on Friday evening in the Rogers Conference Center. This year’s recipients will include, Fidel Samour ’08 of Little Rock, Ark., with the Young Alumni Service Award; Maria Denise Duarte ’08 of Managua, Nicaragua, with the Young Alumni Achievement Award; Kent Cecil ’80 of Clarksville with the Alumni Achievement Award; Kaye (Bagsby) Person ’77 of Tuckerman, Ark., with the Alumni Merit Award; and the Jimmie ’53 and Laura Anne (Self) Thames ’52 family with the Alumni Legacy Award.
Other events throughout the weekend include, the alumni golf tournament on Friday morning, a bonfire on Friday evening, a Walton Arts & Ideas Series lecture by 3-D printing prosthetics advocate Jen Owen on Thursday evening, Yoga on the Mall on Saturday morning, a Fall Festival on the campus mall on Saturday evening, a Memorial Chapel Service on Sunday morning and various decade reunions.
“We’ve got more than 30 different events throughout the weekend for our alumni, students and families to enjoy,” McBee said. “This is by far the most events we’ve ever had for Homecoming weekend and we believe we have something everyone.”
Most of the events are open to the public and many do not have a cost for admission. For a complete schedule or to register, please visit www.ozarks.edu/Homecoming or contact the Alumni Office at 979-1234.
Topics: About, Alumni, Community Events, Student Events, Student Life, Student Organizations, Traditions