Alumni welcomed back for Homecoming

Dec 29

Dec 29 Alumni welcomed back for Homecoming

This weekend, the Lee University Homecoming celebration is returning to campus along with the alumni who participate.

Dr. Susan Ashcraft, director of Alumni Relations, is excited to welcome back alumni for this year’s in-person Homecoming after moving the 2020 celebration online due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been really exciting to be able to plan events for all of our alums to come back and be live and in person,” Ashcraft said. “I think we did the best that we could do virtually, but it is going to be nice to have everybody come back home and be here on campus.”

The weekend will include a celebration of the Conn family legacy, an open-air market, departmental lectures, Homecoming games and many other events.

“Saturday, we are bringing back the Homecoming parade. We’re also, out in the Alumni Park, having what we’re calling the ‘Flame Fair’ – where alums with small businesses are coming. It’s going to be a big open-air market, and they’re bringing all of their products. We’re going to have food trucks, bouncy houses and things for kids. Plus, engaging with students and organizations,” said Ashcraft. “Friday night, we are celebrating the 34 years of Paul and Darlia Conn and their leadership here at Lee, so that’s going to be a really great program as well. We’ve got a lot of fun things planned.”

Current students will have the opportunity to hear from alumni concerning their education and careers since graduating from Lee.

“Every department in every school selects a distinguished alum from their department and school, and that alum is going to be featured in a lecture that students can attend to find out, you know, what they’ve done with their life and successes in their life, how they made it in the career that they chose, kind of learning from them, and then have a reception where everyone can hang out,” said Ashcraft.

Students will also have the opportunity to participate in a historical discussion panel with members of the class of 1971, moderated by Dr. Louis Morgan, the director of Library Services.

“This year, what we decided to do is bring in the class of ‘71 to have a panel discussion to talk a little bit about what Lee was like in ‘71,” said Morgan. “We’re the Lee Flames now, and they were the Vikings, that changed in about 1982-83. It changed from Vikings to Flames. A lot of the older alumni connect so intimately with that idea of the Vikings, so this is to hear from some of those Vikings.”

On Friday, Lee Theatre will open its production of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, directed by Dr. Christine Williams, professor of theatre.

“We really chose Sense and Sensibility to do a couple of years ago. It was supposed to be produced in spring of 2020, and so this was our pandemic show. Originally, as part of that season, it was chosen because it’s a show that has name recognition but also is a show that’s based on a novel by a woman, adapted by a woman and has some really great roles for women. And that’s important for us to showcase because we have a lot of women in our program,” Williams said. “The way it’s adapted, it’s definitely very modern and fast-paced, and it gives you some really fun options for how you produce it.”

Throughout the weekend, Lee will host numerous athletics events in the Paul Dana Walker Arena and at the newly built Ray Conn Multi-sport Complex.

“We’ve got a wonderful lineup of athletic games: soccer, volleyball, basketball, so that’s all going to be fun. I mean, there’s really something for everyone,” said Ashcraft.

Many of the events will be available for viewing via livestream for alumni unable to return to campus for the celebration.

“On Saturday, there’s a lot of things going on that we cover. Everything from the new parade and the student movies, the club booths, and now we’re going to have this market, but then the traditional things like the Homecoming basketball games, which has the Homecoming court associated with that,” said Director of Media and Marketing Dr. Jeff Salyer. “Then there’s concerts, something we normally record and cover, and then all of that will be put together for social media.”

The main event for the weekend, according to Salyer, is a celebration of the legacy of Paul and Darlia Conn on Friday night.

“This in-person Homecoming is a little different than our traditional Homecoming because we are celebrating the legacy of the Conns, an event that was supposed to be last spring 2020,” said Salyer. “The main Friday night event is going to be a big honoring of their legacy, and so we’re making a lot of content, developing a lot of things, for that event that are kind of secret for the Conns. We want them to be surprised a little bit.”

This event has been in production since the fall of 2019 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The production of the event resumed in fall 2020 when Lee returned to campus.

“There’s a committee that has been working on this since probably fall 2019, and I had developed a program that we think will touch on the big points of the Paul Conn presidency,” said Salyer. “Now we’re in the stages of editing all that together. Our goal is that the Conns will be pleased and feel well represented and loved.”

The celebration of the Conn legacy has been long anticipated by those involved in the project over the last two years.

“I think the most important thing for me for this Homecoming is honoring the legacy of the Conns. They mean a lot to me. I’ve been here over 23 years as an employee, and they’ve been here the whole time,” said Salyer. “To honor them is a big honor for me, and that’s why I’m looking forward to their reactions and just seeing our content play in the room.”

The weekend is packed with live events and digital content. Visit the Lee University Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or the Lee University Alumni Instagram for live updates of the 2021 Homecoming celebration.

“Throughout the day, people can check the Lee University brand or the Lee alumni brand and get content about Homecoming, so if you miss the event, you can almost feel like you’re here,” said Salyer.