SEMO's 150th celebration continues with blowout homecoming block party, parade, football game

Southeast Missouri State University students, faculty and alumni will be celebrating homecoming week with several events over the coming days.

George Gasser, SEMO's director of Alumni Services, said this homecoming will be bigger than ever as this year is also a celebration of SEMO's sesquicentennial. He said that past years have seen around 8,000 people who take part in SEMO's homecoming festivities, but this year could see over 10,000 people.

"This is going to be a massive event this year because it's the 150th anniversary of the university," Gasser said. "We've expanded the weekend with more days and more events. It's going to be a really fun time."

Gasser said in addition to the parade and football game Saturday, Oct. 14, they will be hosting a homecoming kickoff block party Friday, Oct. 13, that will feature a kids zone, beer garden and 45 community vendor booths offering free food samples, games and activities.

The block party will start at 4:30 p.m. and take place at the SEMO campus on Normal Street between Academic Hall and Kent Library.

Gasser said the kids zone will have inflatable bouncy houses, Southeast Missouri Pets will be there with puppies and SEMO's Department of Agriculture will bring out a mini donkey, a sheep and a calf for people to be able to see and pet.

He said people will be able to purchase wine, whiskey and beer in the beer garden, which will feature products from River Ridge Winery, Nobletons Distilling House and Many Good Things Brewing. River Ridge and Nobletons are both owned by SEMO alums. Nobletons will be serving its SEMO branded Copper Dome Whiskey and Many Good Things Brewing will be serving its new beer called SEMO Red Ale named in honor of a former mascot for the university.

Gasser said university president Carlos Vargas will make a "big announcement" at 5:30 p.m. on the front steps of Academic Hall.

"It'll be something major that will really kick the university off to the next 150 years of success in the future for our students and school," Gasser said.

The parade will begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 14 at Capaha Park. The route will travel east on Broadway and turn east on Main Street ending at the intersection of Independence and Main streets.

Russell Goss, chairman of the student parade committee, said the theme this year is "150 Years of Tradition". He said there were over a hundred separate entries for the parade including five marching bands and 30 floats.

Goss said four bands are from nearby high schools as well as SEMO's marching band. He said seven floats were created by student groups and 23 made by community businesses with decorations inspired by styles of decades from 1940 to 2000.

The football game will start at 2 p.m. at Houck Field. The Redhawks will be hosting the Eastern Illinois University Panthers.

Before the block party, parade and football game, SEMO will host the Alumni Association Awards Celebration at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, at Academic Hall.

Gasser said five SEMO alumni will be honored -- three Alumni Merit Award recipients, one Distinguished Young Alumni Award recipient and a Faculty Merit Award recipient.

Other homecoming events

• Retired faculty and staff brunch at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 9, in Kem Statuary Hall at Wehking Alumni Center.
• Class of 1973 50-Year reunion at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 14 at the Wehking Alumni Center. 1973 Alumni are invited to a "Grab 'n Go Breakfast", after which they can head out the front of Wehking to reserved seating on the front lawn for "the best view of the parade in town".
• Holland College of Arts and Media Night at the Crisp Museum at 5 p.m. Oct. 14 in the Rosemary Berkel and Harry L. Crisp II Museum at the River Campus.