Homecoming 2006

Southeast Missouri State University Homecoming festivities go into high gear today with the alumni breakfast at 7:30 a.m. at the Southeast Alumni Center followed by the parade down Broadway at 9:30 a.m. and the football game against Eastern Kentucky University at 1 p.m.

Six Missourians -- June Barton of Caton, Bob Keathley of Bernie, and his wife, Yvonne Keathley, Dr. Jerry Kinder of Cape Girardeau, Wedel Nilsen of Cape Girardeau and Harry Rediger of Cape Girardeau -- will receive Distinguished Service Awards from the university at the alumni breakfast.

This homecoming brings a reunion of the SEMO Veteran Corps, an organization active in the 1960s and 1970s, along with reunions of the championship 1967 football team and the squads from 1984 through 1989. The 1987 team shared the league championship.

Tonight country stars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood bring their "Time Well Wasted Tour" to the Show Me Center for an 8 o'clock show.

Homecoming concludes Sunday with a bus tour of Cape Girardeau followed by church services at the Baptist Student Union at 11 a.m.

Comedian Ron White kicked off the festivities with a performance Thursday. Friday's events included a business forum and the Copper Dome Dinner honoring seven alumni and a faculty member with Merit awards.

The awards were given to Dr. David Amberger, president and laboratory director for Aloha Laboratories in Honolulu; Dr. Edward Cleino, a retired University of Alabama educator and administrator; Gary Downing, chief executive officer of Lansinoh Laboratories; Donald Heeb, retired athletic director at Vianney High School in St. Louis; Mark Hitt, manager of the Missouri Department of Agriculture's international marketing program; Kathy Toon, a teacher of homeless students in downtown San Diego; and Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, deputy director for operations for the U.S. Army National Guard.

The university has much to celebrate.