4 Days of Homecoming Festivities, October 17-20

Published: April 13, 2021

Four days of Panther pride and Homecoming celebration promise something for everyone music, sports, class reunions, an inside look at GCs recent building acquisitions and plenty of opportunities for alumni to connect with classmates and friends. A free Jazz Band concert at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday ushers in the festivities, followed by a Homecoming Vespers service at 9:30 p.m., both in Whitlock Music Center.

Three special GC alumni will be honored during Homecoming chapel on Friday at 9:30 a.m. in Whitlock Music Center:

• Distinguished Alumnus Dennis Spencer 75 has built a career connecting sports fans to their favorite games by orchestrating the broadcast of events like NBA basketball, the U.S. and French Open Tennis Championships and the Boston Marathon.
• Loyalty Awardee Dan Jensen taught history and political science at GC for more than 35 years, but his service to the College has continued well into retirement. The skilled woodworkers creations include the Hall of Fame display in H.J. Long Gymnasium, a kiosk in the dining commons and the press box at the baseball field. Jensen has also acted in Factory Theatre productions and assisted GC with fundraising.
• Outstanding Young Alumnus and attorney Gary Pierson 95 supports the arts through his legal work. The St. Louis Business Journal named Pierson one of its 40 Under 40 outstanding young professionals for 2012. He serves on the board for Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for Artists (VLAA) and leads a music business seminar at St. Louis University Law School.

Free donuts for all will be available after chapel under the tent on Hogue Hall Lawn.

This years Homecoming parade will feature the Greenville College Panther Corps marching band, student athletes, honored alumni and local businesses. Former President Robert and Joanna Smith will lead the procession as parade marshals. The parade steps off Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. from the United Methodist Church parking lot on Second Street. It will travel north to College Avenue, 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 where the post-parade fun on Scott Field will include music, inflatables for all ages and a meal ($7 a plate for non-GC students).

The womens volleyball team will battle Spalding at 7:00 p.m. in H.J. Long Gymnasium.

The Greenville College Choir, one of the Midwests premier college choral groups, will perform a free concert in the Whitlock Music Center at 7:30 p.m. A reception will follow in the nearby Watson and Bonnie Tidball Alumni House and Welcome Center.

Greenville College once again presents the Panther 5K Road Race, the childrens Fun Run and College Avenue Dash on Saturday morning. Panther 5K runners will line up on College Avenue near Spruce Street for an 8:30 a.m. start. Click here for detailed race information including registration and fees for all races.

A tailgate lunch for students and Homecoming guests will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. under the tents at the Strahl Athletic Complex. The Panthers will take on Northwestern (MN) in football at 1:00 p.m. GCs womens and mens soccer teams will battle Eureka in games that start at 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. respectively. The Junior Varsity mens soccer team will battle Lincoln at 6:00 p.m.

The Bock Sculpture Museum will be open to the public on Saturday, from 9:30-11:30 a.m.

From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, homecoming guests may tour two of the colleges most recent property acquisitions, its Digital Media Center and the Prairie Street Center. The Light and Life Digital Media Center on First Street, just off Beaumont Avenue, houses one of the Colleges most popular programs of study. The Prairie Street Center, five blocks south of College Avenue on Prairie Street, houses the Colleges Intensive English Language Program that serves dozens of Chinese students.

Spiders, stars, and 3-D printing are just a few of the topics math and science students will share with visitors at the come-and-go Student Summer Research Symposium from 10:00 a.m. to noon in Snyder Hall of Science. Former math and science professors and the divisions newest faculty will also be on hand to converse with guests.

An all-alumni dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. Saturday evening in the Eleanor M. Armington Center. To ensure seating, advance reservations are recommended for this event. Informal gatherings for reunion classes follow at 8:00 p.m. at venues throughout town. This years reunion classes include 53, 63, 73, 88, 93 and 03, as well as young alumni who have graduated in the last five years.

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 www.greenville.edu/homecoming, email your questions to alumni@greenville.edu or call Greenville Colleges Director of Alumni Relations Pam Taylor at 618-664-6513.