Alumni Weekend 2008 scheduled for April 17-19

Clarksville, Ark. --- A lecture series that will feature two of the university's integration pioneers and a ceremony recognizing the 75th anniversary of Munger Memorial Chapel are two highlights of the University of the Ozarks' Alumni Weekend 2008, scheduled for April 17-19.

More than 500 alumni, family members and friends of the university are expected to be on campus for a number of events throughout the weekend. One of the biggest annual events on the Ozarks campus traditionally draws alumni from throughout the United States as well as other countries. The theme for Alumni Weekend 2008 is Aloha , Ozarks!

The topic of the annual Alumni Lecture Series will be Integration Pioneers at Ozarks and will feature Dr. Jon Dodson, a 1961 graduate who is a radiologist in Little Rock, and Sylvester Benson, a 1967 graduate who is a retired educator in Kansas. In 1957, Dodson was among the first black students to enroll at Ozarks. In 1963, Benson became the first black student to play intercollegiate athletics at Ozarks and in Arkansas. The Alumni Lecture Series will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 18, in the Walker Hall Community Room. The public is invited to attend and there is no charge for admission.

The university will recognize the 75^th anniversary of Munger Chapel during the annual Memorial Service in the chapel at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 19. The Memorial Service recognizes those alumni, faculty and staff members who have passed away over the last year.

Alumni Weekend officially begins on Thursday, April 17, with the University Theatre’s production of The Mousetrap at 7:30 a.m. in the Walton Fine Arts Center. The play will also be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 18.

The weekend will include numerous opportunities for current students to interact with alumni, including a career networking event and an alumni panel program called Inter-ACT (Alumni Career Talks) with former U of O fine arts students at 3 p.m. on April 18 in the Walton Fine Arts Center.

On Friday, April 18, the Ozarks Class of 1958 will be honored with a luncheon and induction into the university’s 50-Year Club. Other events on Friday include a reception at the home of Jack and Ann Phillips, and the popular Alumni and Campus Community Picnic, which begins at 6 p.m. on the campus mall.

Saturday, April 19, will begin with the annual 5K run/walk through the streets of downtown Clarksville. The cost to participate in the race is $15 and includes a T-shirt and a medal for age-division winners.

Other events on Saturday will include the Alumni Awards Luncheon, women’s softball games, a President’s Dessert Reception and the annual All-Alumni and Friends Reunion at the Clarksville Country Club.

Registration is currently underway and anyone who plans to attend any of these events is encouraged to register as early as possible. For more information on Alumni Weekend activities, please contact the Alumni Office at (479) 979-1234 or alumnioffice@ozarks.edu. Information is also available on the university’s Web site, www.ozarks.edu.

Topics: Alumni