HOMECOMING, VETERANS DAY PARADES MERGE

Southeast Missouri State University's homecoming parade and the annual Veterans Day parade are being combined this year.

The parade will be held Nov. 6 in Cape Girardeau.

Tom Giles, chairman of the Joint Veterans Council representing the various veterans groups in Cape Girardeau, said it made sense to join with the university's homecoming parade this year.

"We have normally had it (the Veterans Day parade) the weekend before Veterans Day," said Giles. The parade is usually held on a Sunday.

"This Nov. 6 weekend would have been the weekend we would have done it," explained Giles. But with the university's homecoming occurring on Saturday, Nov. 6, Giles said, the veterans council felt it would be difficult to get people to turn out for a parade the next day.

In addition, securing bands for the Veterans Day parade would be difficult, coming the day after the homecoming parade, said Giles.

"We knew the band situation was going to be futile. We also didn't know if the police department would let us have another parade the day after (homecoming)," he explained.

"We have trouble getting people out to the Veterans Day parade anyway," he said.

Combining the observance with the homecoming parade is "just a matter of convenience," said Giles.

He noted that Southeast's homecoming celebration is usually earlier in the fall, making it unlikely that a joint parade would become an annual event.

"This probably would not be a permanent thing, but it would definitely be nice this year," said Giles. "It would definitely be the biggest Veterans Day parade we ever had."

Said Giles, "This will be great. I am just really enthused about it."

The veterans portion of the parade is expected to include the local commanders of the VFW, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and the Vietnam Veterans and Support Group, as well as color guard units. In addition, the Vietnam veterans generally march as a group, said Giles.

The parade will commence at 9 a.m. at Capaha Park and proceed east on Broadway and then south on Main Street.

Southeast's homecoming festivities begin Friday, Nov. 5, and end on Sunday, Nov. 7.

The theme of the parade is "Comic Strip Live," which is the theme of this year's student homecoming events.

Marvin Rosengarten, former athletic director and Southeast alumnus, will be the parade marshal. Rosengarten had a 29-year career at Southeast, which included serving as a coach and director of athletic development.

Lyman Evans, a Southeast graduate and former director of admissions at the school, will serve as parade dignitary.

Southeast's homecoming theme for alumni is "You've got a home under the dome."

Jane Stacy, director of alumni services, said homecoming amounts to a family reunion at Southeast.

"We are a family at Southeast," she said. "Our alumni become part of our family forever. The university community continues to grow with our alumni base.

"Homecoming is a time for former Southeast students, Greeks and athletes to relive and rebuild family ties. It is a time for bonding," said Stacy.

Registration will begin at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, in the Aleen Vogel Wehking Alumni Center at 1401 N. Sprigg and continue until 4 p.m.

The president's office in Academic Hall will hold an open house from 2-3 p.m.

The university's Merit Award dinner will be held at 7 p.m. at the Show Me Center.

Also at 7 p.m., the Association of Black Collegians will hold a banquet in the University Center Ballroom.

Comedian David Sweeney will entertain at 8 p.m. in Geronimo's in the Towers complex. Tickets are $2 for students and $3 for the public.

Festivities on Nov. 6 commence with the annual Copper Dome breakfast at 7 a.m. University President Kala Stroup will present the annual "Friend of the University" award. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.

At noon on Nov. 6, an all-alumni luncheon will be held at the Show Me Center. The reunion classes of 1943, 1953, 1968, 1973 and 1983 will be honored.

New to this year's celebration is the "Family of Greeks" gathering planned from 1-2 p.m. in the parking lot behind Kent Library. Sponsored by the Greek Alumni Council, the event will feature a Greek hospitality tent that also will be open during halftime of the homecoming football game between Southeast and Eastern Kentucky. The football game is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Houck Stadium.

Following the football game, a "Family of Alumni" party will be held from 4-6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn.

At 6 p.m., a "Family of Athletes" dinner will be held at the Holiday Inn. Former players of the late coaches Abe Stuber, Wayne Goddard and Kenneth Knox, who together coached from 1932 to 1967, will be honored.

This event, formerly known as the "Abe's Boys Dinner" has been expanded this year to include former players from a number of years, Stacy said.

The annual "Depression Kids" party will be held at 7 p.m. in the Alumni Center.

Homecoming will come to a close at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7, with a performance by George Winston in Academic Hall. Tickets are $14.