 This year’s Homecoming Week at Union marked an annual
tradition of alumni being welcomed home and faculty and staff visiting with
former students. The fun-filled week of memories revisited by alumni and
created by present students kicked off with perhaps the student’s most
exciting memory of all: a snow day complete with snowball fights that
cancelled classes as well as the much-anticipated chapel with worship led by
Christian recording artist Nicole Nordeman. However, the snow did not stop
Nordeman from hosting a very well attended coffeehouse concert later that
evening.
Competition for the coveted Presidential Cup began with the Wild and Wacky games Thursday night with the Chi-Omega Sorority matching scores with the Lambda-Chi Fraternity for a win. The same night, in the Kenneth R. Hartley Recital Hall, alumni activities began with an enjoyable recital and reception during which old friends from the music department re-established ties and free-spirited conversation. As the week progressed, honored members of the Class of 1952 registered Friday morning for their fiftieth reunion, with special 50-year medallions presented to them during the Founder’s Day Homecoming Chapel. Following lunch, the alumni were shuttled downtown for a visit to the old campus on which they gained knowledge, learned life lessons, and established relationships during their cherished college years at Union. A dedication service was held with a plaque put into place honoring the old but never forgotten “Circle” of the campus. That same evening, various departments of Union offered interesting and informative dinners as well as professional development sessions to bring the alumni of similar background back to their place of common ground. Perhaps the highlight of the evening was the Communication Arts Dinner and Game Show, marked by the alumni “Newlywed Game.” Later that night, the students of Union University showed their talent in the high caliber annual performance competition, “All- Sing.” The large group performance category was won by the Chi-Omega Sorority group and the small group performance category was won by entrants from the Sophomore class.
A basketball double-header scheduled for that evening saw the Union Lady Bulldogs lose narrowly to Trevecca Nazarene, but the Bulldogs Men’s basketball team won by a safe margin. At halftime Union senior Sarah Jane Head was honored as the 2002 Union University Homecoming Queen and the sophomore class took home the Presidential Cup for their outstanding performance in the week’s activities. The Homecoming activities were fun and exciting, but all in all the week was highlighted by the presence of some of those who have made it possible for Union to achieve its present level of distinction – Union’s alumni. Bob Hundley, Class of 1948, may have summed up the feelings of all Union students, past and present, when he said with his wife at his side, “We’ll always remember and love Union University.” - Reported by Josh Howerton, Class of 2005 |
Saturday
brought an enjoyable reunion brunch and reception with the annual Alumni
Awards luncheon immediately following. The award for the reunion class with
the highest percentage of alumni contributing to the University was made to
the Class of 1957 as nearly 50% of the class made annual contributions in
the past year. The class that contributed the largest dollar amount in 2001
was the class of 1952 with a contribution total of $77,000. Following the
awards, Union President David S. Dockery greeted those in attendance with
his encouraging and riveting “State of the Union Address,” stating that
Union remains a “healthy university.” 