Four days of Homecoming festivities at Greenville College promise a lively mix of competitive spirit, family fun and class reunions. Members of the community are welcome to participate in events that include a parade, choir concert, athletic games, the 47th annual Panther 5K Road Race and more.
For a complete schedule of activities, including student and alumni athletic games, visit greenville.edu/homecoming.
Thursday – Swinging Kick Off
The Greenville College Jazz Band will kick off Homecoming festivities with a free concert at 7:00 p.m. in Whitlock Music Center. A special Vespers service will follow at 9:30 p.m. in the same location.
Friday – Special Guests, Parade, Games and Concert
Three honored alumni guests will be recognized during a chapel service in Whitlock Music Center at 9:30 a.m. These include Distinguished Alumnus Lieutenant Commander Stephen Coates, special speaker for the morning. Coates currently serves at the Pentagon as assistant deputy chaplain of the Marine Corps and head of Plans, Policy and Operations.
Bill Ahern will receive the Loyalty Award for his dedication to the development of Ayers Field Station and enthusiastic contribution to the greater community including work with the Factory Theatre, the Bond County Health Department, Habitat for Humanity, and Greenville Regional Hospital. Outstanding Young Alumnus Michael Malone will also be recognized as the founder of South City Preparatory Academy, a charter school in St. Louis that has achieved notable success.
Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Religion Frank Thompson will return to campus to receive special honors at a colloquium at 2:30 p.m. in Room 101 of the Dietzman Center. Brian Hartley, a former student of Thompson’s, will speak. Hartley is the dean of the School of the Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of religion at Greenville College.
At 4 p.m., parade marshals James A. and Marilyn Reinhard will lead the march down College Avenue. Participants include bands, student athletes, honored alumni and local businesses. The parade will begin at the United Methodist Church parking lot on Second Street and travel north to College Avenue. It will proceed east on College Avenue to Eastern Avenue and then north on Eastern to Oak Street. It will turn west on Oak Street and head back to campus. Post-parade fun on Scott Field will include music and a meal ($10 a plate, payable at the register).
Athletic events in the afternoon and evening include alumni football, baseball and softball games, junior varsity soccer and women’s volleyball. Visit greenville.edu/homecoming for details.
The Greenville College Choir will perform a free concert in Whitlock Music Center at 7:30 p.m. A reception will follow in the nearby Watson and Bonnie Tidball Alumni House and Welcome Center.
New this year, a prayer service will take place in Luzader Chapel in Whitlock Music Center at 9:00 p.m.
Saturday – Panther 5K, Athletics and Gatherings
ChampionChip 24/7 will once again provide chip timing at the Panther 5K Road Race on Saturday morning with an 8:30 a.m. start. Interested participants can register online through Wednesday, October 22. Runners may also register on race day, beginning at 6:45 a.m. on Hogue Hall Lawn off College Avenue. Children ages seven years and younger will participate in the Children’s Fun Run on Scott Field at 8:00 a.m. Older children ages 8-12 will run the College Avenue Dash at 8:15 a.m. Detailed race information including registration for all races is available at greenville.edu/homecoming.
A tailgate lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. under the tents at the Strahl Athletic Complex. The cost is $10 for an adult and $5 for children age 12 and under.
The Panthers will take on Iowa Wesleyan in football at 1:00 p.m. Other games include men’s soccer at 2:00 p.m. and women’s soccer at 4:00 p.m. Other athletic events throughout the day include men’s alumni soccer and basketball games; women’s alumni basketball, soccer and volleyball games; men’s and women’s tennis and alumni mixed doubles. Visit greenville.edu/homecoming for times.
An all-alumni dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. Saturday evening in the Eleanor M. Armington Center. Advance reservations are recommended for this event. Informal gatherings for reunion classes begin at 8:00 p.m. at venues throughout town. This year’s reunion classes include ’54, ’64, ’74, ’89, ’94 and ’04, as well as young alumni graduates from the Classes of 2010-2014.
Special reunion gatherings are also planned for alumni who played Panther football, majored in art, philosophy and religion, or areas related to commercial music. Visit greenville.edu/homecoming to learn more.
Also on Saturday – Open Houses and Tours
The Bock Sculpture Museum will be open for visitors from 9:30 a.m. to noon, including a special exhibit, “Tweet Blessed” by Professor Jessa Wilcoxen. A faculty art exhibition will also take place in the Rowland Art Gallery in Maves Art Center.
Science enthusiasts will not want to miss the come-and-go Science Research Symposium from 10:00 a.m. to noon in Snyder Hall of Science. Student researchers will be on hand with displays that illustrate their recent explorations in quantum physics, neurobiology and more.
A plaque unveiling for the college’s most recent property acquisition, J K L Academic Hall at 100 North Locust Street, will take place at 10:00 a.m. with an open house to follow. Generous gifts from alumni Don and Esther Jones made the acquisition and renovation of the former McCracken Office Building a reality.
Visitors are also welcome to tour the President’s House (formerly the Chartreuse Bed and Breakfast) on the corner of Main and Locust Streets and the newly renovated Joy House on the corner of College Avenue and Spruce Street. Both sites will receive visitors from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday Breakfast and Worship with the Choir
President Ivan Filby will host a continental breakfast at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning at the Greenville Free Methodist Church. Worship beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the sanctuary will include choral selections performed by the Greenville College Choir.
For additional information including a complete listing of alumni games, meal prices, and event locations go to greenville.edu/homecoming or email your questions to alumni@greenville.edu. You can also call Greenville College’s Director of Alumni Relations Pam Taylor at 618.664.7000.
