Homecoming 2010 set for Oct. 2; all alumni, friends of university are invited to attend

September 21, 2010 -- The Arkansas State University Alumni Association announces plans for Homecoming 2010 on Saturday, Oct. 2. All alumni and friends of the university are invited to attend. The schedule for ASU's Centennial Homecoming includes the All-Alumni pre-game tailgate party at the Cooper Alumni Center;  recognition of Distinguished Alumni at halftime of the football game; reunions; alumni seminars; luncheons; tailgates; the 5^th Quarter Party at the Brickhouse Grill, 218 South Main in downtown Jonesboro, after the game, and activities by academic colleges. For general Homecoming information, see the Alumni Association website  (http://www.astatealumni.org).

On Saturday, Oct. 2, the ASU Alumni Association will sponsor a pre-game tailgate party at the Cooper Alumni Center from 4-5:30 p.m.  All alumni, friends of the university, and their families are invited for food and fun. Wings-to-Go will serve tailgate food, and popular local band the Brewers will be performing live. The Cooper Alumni Center, 2600 Alumni Blvd., is located just north of the Convocation Center and west of the stadium on the ASU campus. The event, which is free of charge, is generously sponsored by Jonesboro's Clopton Clinic.

An added attraction at the tailgate party will be the Crowley's Ridge Cruisers classic car rally on the lawn of the Cooper Alumni Center featuring a colorful variety of classic vehicles of the past 50 years from around the region.

Arkansas State University will honor three outstanding individuals in its 27^th year of recognizing Distinguished Alumni. This year’s honorees, selected by the ASU Alumni Association board of directors, are: Maj. Gen George E. Barker of New York City, class of 1955; Dr. Joel T. Gambill of Jonesboro, class of 1965, and Julia Riggs Lansford of Jonesboro, class of 1962. The Distinguished Alumni recognition ceremony will be held at halftime of the Homecoming football game against Louisville on Saturday, Oct. 2.


The Strong-Turner Alumni Chapter (S-TAC), a chapter of the ASU Alumni Association focusing on African-American alumni and friends of the university, plans several Homecoming events. Strong-Turner Homecoming events begin on Friday morning, Oct. 1, the S-TAC golf outing will be at Sage Meadows Golf Course beginning at 8 a.m., with the S-TAC social that evening at 9 p.m. at the ASU Pavilion. On Saturday, Oct. 2, S-TAC will hold its annual Honors Luncheon in the Hames Room of the ASU Convocation Center at 12 noon. That evening at 10 p.m., the S-TAC alumni dance will be held at Church Street Station, 524 South Church, in downtown Jonesboro. For more information on S-TAC Homecoming activities, contact Shelia Sanders, S-TAC Homecoming Chair, at 870-243-1657, or see the NewsPage release.

On Saturday morning, Oct. 2, the ASU College of Business will host its annual alumni breakfast from 8-9:30 a.m. The event will be held at the Cooper Alumni Center and will honor the Business Executives of the Year Paul Waits, president of Ritter Communications, and Linda and Lloyd Wofford of Engines, Inc. For information, contact the College of Business dean's office at 870-972-3035.

On Saturday from 10-11 a.m., the College of Communications alumni seminar will feature FOX 13 News anchor Darrell Greene of Memphis, class of 1991, and noted attorney Rhonda Davis, class of '86, principal of Davis & Associates in Akron, Ohio. All College of Communications alumni are invited to the TV Studio for the alumni seminar event. The College of Communications will also have a tailgate party at Tailgate City before the football game from 3:30-5:30 p.m. For more information or to RSVP, contact the College of Communications dean's office 870-972-2468 or e-mail Terrie Rolland (trolland@astate.edu).

This event has been cancelled. Also on Saturday morning, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences will host a panel discussion beginning at 10:30 a.m. Dr. Pam Hronek, Dr. Eric Cave, and Dr. Ruth Owens, from Departments of History, English and Philosophy, and World Languages and Cultures respectively, will take part in a panel discussion about teaching in the 21^st century. All alumni are invited to attend the presentation, which will take place on the 3^rd floor foyer of the Dean B. Ellis Library. A casual lunch will follow at 11:30 a.m., and all alumni are invited to attend. For reservations or more information, contact CHSS at 870-972-3973 by Sept. 27. This event has been cancelled.

On Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., there will be a Homecoming rugby game against the Little Rock Rugby Club at the ASU rugby field, located off Caraway Road south of the Arkansas Biosciences Institute. Last April, the ASU rugby team made the Final Four as one of the top teams in the nation.

The College of Nursing and Health Professions annual distinguished alumni awards and open house will be held Saturday afternoon, Oct. 2, at the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Health Sciences beginning at 2 p.m. For more information, the College of Nursing and Health Professions can be reached at 870-972-3074.

The College of Sciences and Mathematics and the College of Agriculture and Technology will hold tailgate parties Saturday afternoon in Tailgate City west of the stadium beginning at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. respectively.

The ASU Red Wolves will host Louisville for the Homecoming football game which kicks off Saturday, Oct. 2, at 6 p.m.  At halftime, the university's Distinguished Alumni will be recognized, and the Homecoming Court will be presented. Game tickets are available through the ASU Central Box Office at 870-972-ASU1.

This year's 5^th Quarter party will be held after the Homecoming football game at the Brickhouse Grill, 218 South Main, downtown Jonesboro. Alumni with a game-day ticket will receive a discount half-price cover charge. There will be live music by acoustic guitarist Kerry Lee on the downstairs stage from 7-9 p.m., followed by the rocking sounds of Tuxedo Flamethrower at 10 p.m.

For more details about Homecoming 2010, see the Alumni Association website (http://www.astatealumni.org) , contact the Alumni Office at 870-972-2586, or e-mail alumni@astate.edu.

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