Over the past 52 years Lee University graduates have come together to celebrate and remember. Homecoming 2012 begins Friday, Nov. 2, at noon and culminates with an alumni and friends dessert mixer on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 9 p.m. in the Chapel Courtyard. Throughout the weekend, Lee will be hosting numerous events to welcome alumni back to campus.
“We are really lucky to have Facebook and Twitter so we can keep up with each other, but there is no substitute for actually seeing each other, hugging old friends and laughing together,” said Mitzi Mew, director of Alumni Relations. “That’s what Homecoming is.”
Back for a second year is the Check-In Buffet that will be open Friday from 12-2 p.m. in the Science and Math Complex. Check-In will continue until 6 p.m. on Friday. The buffet will feature restaurants from across campus such as: Chick-Fil-A, Subway, Einstein Brother Bagels and Dunkin Donuts. In addition, guests can have their picture taken with Sparky or a Dr. Paul Conn cut-out at the photo booth.
Also back for a second year is the Alumni Grand Reunion highlighting the classes of ’72, ’82, ’92, and ’02. This event will be in the Paul Conn Student Union on Friday at 7 p.m.
The annual Homecoming music festival will take place Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Conn Center. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for students.
Lee Theatre will collaborate with Lee’s School of Music to premiere the musical production, “Big River,” written by William Hauptman with music and lyrics by Roger Miller. Performances on Friday and Saturday will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Dixon Center auditorium. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for students. Dan Buck, assistant professor of theatre, and Perry Mears, lecturer in music, will direct the play.
The 2012 Homecoming weekend also offers a line-up of athletic events to round out the weekend, including men and women’s basketball, volleyball, and the 5K Run.
The Lady Flames volleyball team will host Volley for a Cure, an event that has raised more than $85,000 to help find a cure for breast cancer. The game will be Friday at 7 p.m. in the Walker Arena where the Lady Flames will face off against the College of Coastal Georgia.
The 5K Fun Run will kick off Saturday morning, with registration starting at 7 a.m. and the run starting at 8 a.m. in front of the PCSU. Cost is $15 per runner, with no charge for students presenting a student ID.
The Homecoming basketball games will be on Saturday in the Walker Arena. The Lady Flames will face Milligan College at noon, followed by the men’s team who will battle nearby Bryan College at 2:15 p.m. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for students.
The student exhibits and the Homecoming Tailgate Party also return this year, both held in the Walker Arena parking lot. The student exhibits begin at 10 a.m. and the tailgate party at noon on Saturday.
Featured reunions include Upsilon Xi’s 50th, Pi Kappa Pi’s 25th, Theta Delta Kappa’s 20th, and Evangelistic Singers’ 45th. Upsilon will dedicate a new arch at the north end of the pedestrian mall, next to the Science and Math Complex on Saturday.
To register for Homecoming 2012, or to view a complete schedule of events, visit www.leeuniversity.edu/homecoming or call 1-800-LEE-9930, option 6, for more information.