Clarksville, Ark. --- A lecture series featuring one of the top sports ethics professors in the country, a luncheon celebrating the Class of 1961, and an awards banquet honoring seven distinguished alumni are a few of the highlights of the University of the Ozarks' Alumni Weekend 2011, scheduled for April 14-16.
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 annual lecture series, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 15, will feature Dr. Sharon K. Stoll, a 1968 Ozarks graduate who is the director of the Center for Ethics at the University of Idaho. She is considered one of the leading authorities in the country in the area of competitive moral education intervention techniques. She has worked with numerous professional and college teams and athletes, including the Atlanta Braves, Andre Agassi, Tiger Woods and Duke Basketball Coach Mike Krzyewski. Her lecture is titled “The Meaning of Character.”
Also on Friday, April 15, the Class of 1961 will be officially inducted into the University’s 50-Year Club during a special luncheon beginning at noon in Walker Hall. Another event on Friday is a retirement reception for four long-time Ozarks employees --- Dr. Randy Hilton, Dr. Jane Cater, Blaine Caldwell and Helen Hoeffer --- who have almost 120 years of combined service to the university. The reception is scheduled for 4 p.m. in Walker Hall.
Another highlight of the weekend will be the annual Alumni Awards Banquet at 5:30 p.m., April 15, in the Seay Student Center. Those being honored this year include, Fred ’68 and Andrea Romo ’68 with the Merit Award; Joel Gibbons ’57, Hugh Overholt ’55 and Charlie Spoonhour ’61 with the Achievement Award; Rebecca Green D’Aquin ’01 with the Young Alumni Service Award; amd Claude Donaldson ’60 with the Legacy Award.
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). This year’s Inter-ACT program will feature alumni who are in the business world. It will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 15, in the Boreham Business Building. There will also be an alumni roundtable event called, More than a Paycheck: Professions with a Purpose, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 14.
Saturday, April 16, will begin with the annual 5K run/walk at 8 a.m. 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 a float trip organized by the Ozarks Outdoors program, the annual Memorial Chapel Service at 11 a.m. in Munger Chapel, a luncheon and carnival in the student center, a President’s Reception at the President’s House, and men’s and women’s alumni soccer matches.
Also in conjunction with Alumni Weekend, the University Theatre will present the plays Blind Date and Rupert’s Birthday and Other Stories at 7:30 p.m. on April 13-15.
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, http://www.ozarks.edu/weekend.
Topics: Alumni