Tusculum College Homecoming 2009, with its theme, “Tradition Never Graduates,” is scheduled this year for October 30-31, in conjunction with the Tusculum College – Mars Hill football game on Saturday afternoon.
This year’s Homecoming schedule is packed with activities that provide alumni and friends of the College a chance for good fellowship, enjoyment of autumn in East Tennessee and visits to former campus haunts.
Registration is available online or by contacting Mary Bartel,
associate director of alumni and parent relations, at 423-636-3703. Registration forms can also be found in the inside cover of the July 2009 edition of the Tusculum magazine.
The weekend’s scheduled events include something for everyone, including golf, football, a tea party, campus tours and visits to local attractions. Offered throughout the day on Friday at the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library is “Preserving Your Tusculum Traditions” and special showing of films of campus life from the 1940s-1960s. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Museums of Tusculum College will offer special presentations for those interested in learning how to care for treasures in their own home. There is no charge for the event.
Also available throughout the weekend are campus tours. Alumni, friends and guest can visit memorable spots and discover what’s new on campus. The tours will be given upon request. Guides will be members of the President’s Society. The President’s Society is a group of elite students dedicated to promoting and fortifying the mission of the College. The students serve as ambassadors to the College, serve as hosts for campus visits, participate in leadership and ethics training and assist with campus events.
The 2009 Homecoming Golf Tournament will be held this year at Nolichucky View Golf Club and will feature a scramble format with the handicap system applied for a net division and a gross division. First place will be awarded for each division.
Registration is required. Alumni, spouses, faculty, staff and friends are invited to participate. The shotgun start is 9 a.m. The fee per participant is $50 and includes a breakfast buffet to begin at 8 a.m. Lunch will also be provided, as well as beverages and goody bags.
Also on the agenda for Friday are visits to Myers Pumpkin Patch (10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) and Brights Zoo (10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.), a staff and faculty Chili Cook-off and a presentation by Jack Smith, director of the Thomas J. Garland Library at 1:30 p.m. titled, “The Story of the Bell,” which tells the story of the McCormick Hall bell from its service on a Civil War gunboat to how it came to the Tusculum College campus.
On Friday evening, the annual Sports Hall of Fame/All Alumni Dinner will be held at the General Morgan Inn, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
On Saturday, the activities gear up with the Pioneer Memorial Walk. A new event for this year’s Homecoming Celebration, the walk is an opportunity to honor the memory for former Pioneers and friends. The Alumni Association will meet at 10:15 a.m. at Chalmers Conference Center in the Niswonger Commons.
The sixth annual Homecoming Parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. and will pass along the route between the Charles Oliver Gray Complex and Pioneer Park. The Golden Pioneers, the Tusculum College Class of 1959 who are celebrating their 50th reunion year, will serve as the grand marshals.
The parade will be followed by a pre-game Tailgate Party starting at noon and the big game at 2:30 p.m. as the Pioneers face the Mars Hill Lions in a South Atlantic Conference. At halftime, enjoy the presentation of the Homecoming Court. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children, with children five and under free, and can be purchased at the ticket booth at the football stadium preceding the game.
To end the night, an Alumni Dinner and Dance will be held from 7:30-10 p.m. at Ella’s in Greeneville, and since it is Halloween, costumes are encouraged.
For more information on any of the planned events or to register, contact Bartel at 423-636-7303.