UNIVERSITY HOMECOMING THIS WEEKEND: ALUMNI BAND HAS BECOME TRADITION

Tradition has carried a tune at Southeast Missouri State University where the Golden Eagles Marching Band has been a fixture for 40 years.

The university annually organizes an alumni band, which performs at the homecoming football game.

Homecoming events this week center around a Mardi Gras theme, "From Broadway to Bourbon Street."

Events get under way today, but the majority of activities are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

For Golden Eagles alumni, the celebration begins with a reception Friday night at the Show Me Center.

The alumni band will perform a pre-game concert in front of Houck Field House Saturday. The alumni band then will join the 1997 Golden Eagles on the field to sing the alma mater before the football game.

Former band member Jim Rhodes of Jackson will conduct this year's alumni band.

Rhodes, 60, was the first president of the Golden Eagles Marching Band. He played the clarinet.

The band previously was known only as the College Band.

But when LeRoy Mason became the band director in 1957, he wanted a name for the marching musicians.

He asked the students to submit suggestions. Band members then selected the name.

"Golden Eagles was pretty well a unanimous vote," recalled Rhodes.

There were other suggestions. They included the Sputniks, in honor of the Russian satellite; the Squaws, the Cherokee Marching Band and the Mohawks.

"But Golden Eagles kind of had a ring to it," said Rhodes.

The uniform originally was powder blue and gold. Today, the uniforms are red and gold.

Mason, previously had been band director at Jackson High School.

He didn't want to have red and black uniforms because those were the colors of Jackson's marching band.

Rhodes began playing with the band in 1957. While the band adopted the Golden Eagles name that year, the band didn't march under that name until 1958.

Rhodes helped design the new uniforms. The first uniform was made to fit him.

Rhodes has been in the music business for years. He has worked as a musician, song writer, arranger, recording engineer, producer and acoustics consultant.

Rhodes said he is looking forward to conducting the alumni band. "Homecoming is fun," he said.

"If some of the alums make a mistake, nobody cares," he said.

The university has had an alumni band at homecoming for the past 17 years.

About 30 former Golden Eagles participated last year. This year, school officials hope the turnout will be around 50.

"In the '60s and '70s, the band here really had a national reputation," said Dr. Robert Gifford, music professor and coordinator of the alumni band.

The Golden Eagles performed at two Pro Bowls in the Orange Bowl in Miami in 1965 and 1969. The band played in Super Bowl V in 1971 in Miami, and has performed at other professional football games since that time.

The Golden Eagles also have performed in Cape Girardeau for two presidents, Ronald Reagan in 1988 and Bill Clinton in 1996.

Southeast has a number of activities on tap for homecoming.

They include a dinner Friday night at the Show Me Center honoring the alumni and faculty Merit Award winners.

The university's fund-raising Copper Dome Society will meet at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at the Show Me Center. The university foundation annually presents its Friend of the University Award at the breakfast.

The parade is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. at Capaha Park and proceed down Broadway to Main Street.'

Southeast will play Tennessee Tech in the homecoming football game, scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Houck Stadium.

The activities conclude with a Big Band dance at 8 p.m. in the Show Me Center.