Southeastern NEWS
Southeastern Louisiana University
Public Information Office
SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
publicinfo@selu.edu
Date: 11/8/96
Contact: Christina Chapple 4
SLU INVITES ALUMNI TO "COME ON HOME" FOR HOMECOMING 1996
HAMMOND -- "Come on home!"
That's the message that everyone from President Sally Clausen on down is sending out to
Southeastern Louisiana University alumni. The university is gearing up for Homecoming -- a
package of festivities that last for a whole week, Nov. 18-23.
"We've mailed letters with all the details about Homecoming to 28,000 alumni and we're
really working hard to get our 'Come home' message out to the whole community," said Alumni
Association director Kathy Pittman, who is heading the efforts to make Homecoming 1996 a
downright, down home success. "We have a fun-for-the-whole-family day planned for
Homecoming Day (November 23). There will be a parade, a free barbecue, reunions galore,
plenty of music music, fireworks to top it all off. We really hope our alumni -- and all of
Southeastern's friends, too! -- will come on home this Homecoming."
Homecoming Week highlights include a 50-year reunion for the Class of '46; a bonfire;
and the annual Alumni Awards Evening featuring the 1996 Alumnus of the Year, ESPN and
ABC sportscaster Robin Roberts.
Roberts, who is a 1983 graduate, will join the ranks of Southeastern's "Outstanding
Alumni" at the awards ceremony at 7 p.m. Nov. 22.
"I have received Emmy's and other prestigious broadcasting awards," said Roberts, who
is the host of ESPN's SportsCenter and ABC's Wide World of Sports. "Being named
Southeastern's Alumnus of the Year means every bit as much to me."
Roberts was a starting forward and leading scorer and rebounder on the Lady Lions
basketball team in the early 1980s. She got her start in broadcasting at Hammond's WFPR-
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WHMD while still a student. "Southeastern laid the foundation for the person I am today," said
Roberts. "I'm eternally grateful to the University and I'm pleased I can give something back."
Robin Roberts' sister, WWL-TV (New Orleans) news anchor Sally Ann Roberts, will
share "emcee honors" at the awards ceremony with President Sally Clausen. Tickets for the
ceremony and buffet, which will also feature the announcement of the Alumni Association's
Distinguished Service Award, are available at the Alumni Center. Tickets are $15 per person
The theme of this year's week-long "welcome home" celebration is "SLU's Wild World of
Sports and the Year of the Reunion.""The students really get into the spirit," said Pittman.
Students will usher in Homecoming Week with a "Tip Off" celebration at noon Nov. 18
in the Student Union Mall. Tip off highlights include the introduction of the 1996 Homecoming
Court, a fashion show and the drawing for the winner of the "Big Switch," a Southeastern
tradition in which a student trades place for the day with the university president.
Also on Monday, President Clausen and area mayors will pitch in to help with efforts to
deck the campus in green and gold. (Campus offices are also participating in a door decorating
and outdoor display contest.) The president and mayors will paint the first of dozens of giant
green and gold lions paw prints on a campus street.
Tuesday, November 19 is the student's annual "goofy games" day. Leadership planning
director Jackie Dale Thomas gives an example of just how "goofy" the fun will get.
"One of the competitions is called the 'Human Sundae,'" she laughed. "One student gets
coated with all the fixing for a sundae -- whipped cream, candy sprinkles, even a cherry on top.
The 'human sundae' has to get the same ingredients -- including the cherry -- onto each team
member. This I've got to see!"
Wednesday, November 20 is students' "Gumbo Rah Rah," which includes more fun and
games, plus a free meal, compliments of the Campus Activities Board. Also on Wednesday,
graduates of the Class of 1946 will gather for their 50th reunion. The Homecoming bonfire will
be torched on Thursday, November 21 at 6 p.m. next to the University Center and the thousands
of sponsors of a Homecoming poster contest will be put on display in University Center
hallways.
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Thursday is also "Pride Day," the university's monthly spirit day. Homecoming Pride Day
will take on a charitable slant with the Ton Of Fun food drive sponsored by the Gamma Beta
Phi Honor and Service Society. The group wants to make a charitable donation in Southeastern's
name of one ton of food to the Tangi Food Pantry. The weigh-in will take place from noon to 2
p.m. in the Student Union Mall and Park.
Homecoming Week is the build-up for a full program of new and traditional activities on
Homecoming Day, Nov. 23. The day begins with an inspirational banquet sponsored by the
Ministerial Alliance at the Baptist Student Union. The College of Business will host an open
house in honor of the newly renovated College of Business Building -- the old Sims Memorial
Library -- at 10 a.m. Opening ceremonies, including a ribbon cutting, will begin in the building
foyer at 10 a.m. and will be followed by tours and demonstrations of the latest in technological
advances in classroom instruction conducted by College of Business students and faculty
members.
The Homecoming parade, which will begin at First Guaranty Bank at 11 a.m., will feature
floats, cars, dignitaries, high school marching bands and dance teams. Participating bands will be
judged at the line-up spot, Old East Side school and First Guaranty Bank on East Thomas Street.
(After the parade, the high school bands will join Southeastern's band for a number of selections
during the 2 p.m. Homecoming game.) The parade route will take the spirited caravan west on
Thomas Street, north on North Oak and west on University Ave. to the University Center.
Parade goers should be on the lookout for special "Grand Prize" doubloons that could win
them a pair of airline tickets, compliments of USAir and Courtney Travel of Hammond. Twenty
of the special doubloons will be tossed along the parade route. The lucky parade watchers who
grab them must bring the doubloon to the 2 p.m. Homecoming game when their names will be
"put into the hat" for a drawing to determine who "wins a way to get away" on a trip to anywhere
USAir flies in the continental United States.
Alumni and the community can enjoy a post-parade barbecue at the Alumni Center from
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Deans, assisted by student organizations, will be serving up hamburgers,
hot dogs, chips and deserts cooked by Campus Activities and Student Union Director Edwin
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Litoff. Alumni can also join in a variety of reunion headquartered at the University Center from
noon until 2 p.m. Groups planning reunions include the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business
and Education; the School of Nursing; former athletes, cheerleaders and Lionettes; Ag Club;
Gamma Beta Phi; Residence Lifers; Music Alumni; Student Foundation; Alpha Omicron Pi;
Delta Tau Delta; Kappa Sigma; Phi Mu; Sigma Sigma Sigma; Sigma Tau Gamma; Tau Kappa
Epsilon; Theta Phi Alpha, and Theta Xi.
At 2 p.m., the Lions take on Loyola in the Homecoming basketball game in the
University Center arena. At halftime, the Homecoming Queen will be announced as well as the
winner of a special attendance contest. Lion mascot "Roomie" will draw a seat number and the
seat's lucky occupant will win $400 -- $200 for themselves and $200 for the Southeastern
department or program of their choice.
After the game, alumni and friends can enjoy bands provided by the Student Government
Association and a 20-minute fireworks display at the University Center at 5:30 p.m. The 1946
Lions football team plan a 50-year reunion at the University Center at 7 p.m. and the
Southeastern Theatre will present the final night of its production of Horton Foote's "The Trip to
Bountiful" at 7:30 p.m. in Vonnie Borden Theatre.
For more information about Homecoming, call the Alumni Center, 504-549-2150.
Homecoming information is also be available on SLU World Wide Web page,
www.selu.edu.
See you at Homecoming!
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