Southeastern celebrates Homecoming Week Oct. 17-22
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
by: Tonya Lowentritt
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University celebrates Homecoming Week, Oct. 17 –
22 with a myriad of spirited activities capped by tailgating, reunions, a parade and
football action in Strawberry Stadium.
With a theme of “Roomie’s Road Trip,” Homecoming 2016 also will feature an myriad
of awards and recognitions. Sponsoring this year’s Homecoming festivities are the
Tangipahoa Convention and Visitors Bureau and with the Southeastern Student Government
Association sponsoring all student-related activities. The week culminates with Homecoming
Day Saturday, Oct. 22, when the Lions take on Houston Baptist at 4 p.m.
Homecoming Week will offer a number of time-honored traditions, such as Gumbo
YaYa for students, campus and community decorating contests, an alumni art exhibit,
and the FeLions’ Homecoming luncheon.
The celebration begins on Monday with Business Week, Oct. 17-20, which features
a variety of lectures by specialists in numerous phases of business. The Southeastern
Family reunion will cap off the day on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Park.
On Tuesday, Oct. 18, the action begins at 2 p.m. when students and faculty battle
it out in the Phi Kappa Phi Quiz Bowl in the Student Union Theatre. Next up is the
student paint run at 6 p.m. in North Oak Park. The day closes out with a volleyball
match vs. McNeese at 7 p.m. in the University Center. Attendees are encouraged to
come dressed in their best “Coach Smoot” Hawaiian attire and get tropical for the
mid-week match.
On Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., students will enjoy food and fun
at Gumbo YaYa, where the 2016 Homecoming court will be introduced to the student
body.
Also on tap at 12 p.m. is the annual Lyceum Lights faculty lecture in the Alumni
Center, featuring Southeastern Child Welfare Program Coordinator Corie Hebert. Hebert
will present “Louisiana Child Welfare Training Academy and Southeastern Louisiana
University: The Best Kept Secret on Campus.”
At 3 p.m. that day the Lady Lions will host a softball exhibition at North Oak
Park, and the student competition “Minute to Win It” will be held in Strawberry Stadium
at 7:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Oct. 20, Gamma Beta Phi will host its “A Ton of Fun Food Drive”
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union Mall with collections benefiting the Student
Food Pantry. The FeLions will host their Homecoming luncheon at Trey Yuen at noon.
Also at noon is an Alumni Art Lecture by Georgia Polkey in the Contemporary Art Gallery.
Thursday evening kicks into gear with a 6 p.m. Lady Lions Volleyball match versus
Incarnate Word in the University Center, and an ROTC Alumni Reunion is scheduled at
7 p.m. at Murphy’s Seafood in Hammond. A bonfire, pep rally and Roar Rally spirit
competition sponsored by SGA is scheduled at 6:45 p.m. at Cook Field on North Campus.
Spectators can also enjoy music by the Spirit of the Southland Band, followed by a
Lip Sync contest for students at 8 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 21, begins with the Homecoming Golf Tournament at Carter Plantation
at 1 p.m. Cost of the event is $150 per person or $600 per four-man team. Participants
will receive lunch prior to play. All proceeds from the event will benefit Southeastern
Golf. For more information, contact Head Coach Jake Narro at 985-549-5186 or jnarro@southeastern.edu.
The Southeastern Pennington Student Activity Center will be offering free workouts
for Alumni all day Friday and Saturday.
Also, the Alumni Association will host the annual Alumni Awards Evening, sponsored
by Gary and JoAnn Sandifer and family, at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. Tickets
for the event are available at the Alumni Association, (985) 549-2150 or on line at
www2.southeastern.edu/external/alumni_events/alumni_awards. Texas A&M head basketball coach Billy Kennedy will be recognized as Alumnus of the
Year, while Zac and Cari Caramonta, owners and operators of Gnarly Barley brewing
company, will be honored as the Young Alumni of the Year. In addition, the African-American
Alumni Chapter will host its annual Homecoming mixer beginning at 9 p.m. in the Alumni
Center.
On Homecoming Day, Oct. 22, the focus shifts to Friendship Circle, where visitors
can enjoy tailgating, reunions and entertainment starting at 11:30 a.m. There will
be booths manned by area merchants. Activities for children include a variety of crafts,
face painting, train rides and inflatables. Attendees are asked to leave pets at home.
Southeastern donors who have endowed scholarships and professorships will be
honored at 10 a.m. in the President’s Residence. The campus bookstore will open from
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
In addition to football, several sporting events are scheduled Saturday, including
a basketball green and gold scrimmage at the University Center at 9:45 a.m. and a
softball alumni fall fun game at 10 a.m. in North Oak Park. The Southeastern volleyball
team takes on Corpus Christi A&M in the University Center at 12 p.m.
The annual Homecoming parade rolls at 12 p.m. Following the parade, Lion fans
can cheer on Head Coach Ron Roberts and his team during the “Lion Walk” as they make
their way through Friendship Circle to Strawberry Stadium at 1:30 p.m.
Reunions and tailgating will be hosted by many of the university’s colleges and
divisions, as well as by groups such as the Former Football Players, Seventies Black
Alumni, ROTC, and Greek organizations. The Alumni Association tailgate will take place
in Friendship Circle from 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. and is sponsored by the Lion Athletic
and Alumni associations, with the Livingston Alumni Chapter hosting the event.
After pre-game activities, the Lions will kick off against Houston Baptist at
4 p.m. The 2016 Homecoming queen and king will be announced and crowned at halftime.
Immediately after the game, the Greater Hammond Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown
Development District will host “Railroad Roar,” an evening of dining and entertainment
by participating downtown businesses. For more information, call the Greater Hammond
Chamber at (985) 345-4457.
For a complete schedule of Homecoming 2016 events, visit www.southeastern.edu/homecoming or call the Alumni Center, 1-800-SLU-ALUM or (985) 549-2150.
