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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Oct. 13, 2015) – Milligan College welcomes alumni and friends back onto campus for its sesquicentennial kick-off during the college’s Homecoming weekend, Oct. 23-24. Participants can look forward to events including the launch of the Buffalo Stampede City Art Project, theatre performances and the annual parade.
“This Homecoming kicks off a yearlong historic sesquicentennial celebration that will run through next year’s Homecoming,” said Theresa Garbe, director of alumni relations. Because the college was founded in 1866, 2016 marks the official 150th anniversary.
“Also, we are excited that this is the first year Emmanuel Christian Seminary alumni will be part of homecoming festivities,” said Garbe. “We anticipate hosting between 750-800 guests, and as always, we are looking forward to this special time when the entire Milligan family can come together.”
Because Milligan’s mascot, Brutus, is a buffalo, the college has commissioned six life-size, artistically-decorated buffaloes for display in the community to celebrate the 150th as part of the Buffalo Stampede City Art Project. One of those works, hand-painted by Milligan students, faculty and staff, will be on display during Homecoming. The works will appear soon all over the Johnson City area for the first six months and later move to the Elizabethton area for the remainder of the 150th celebration.
The annual “Celebrate Milligan” dinner will take place on Friday, Oct. 23, at 6:30 p.m. in the McCormick Dining Center of Sutton Hall. Several Milligan alumni and friends will be recognized for their achievements and contributions, including the late Francis Gary Powers (’50), renowned U2 pilot whose spy plane was shot down over the former Soviet Union in 1960, who will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Powers is portrayed in a new movie about the spy negotiations surrounding the U-2 Incident called “Bridge of Spies,” directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, which releases on Oct. 16. Powers’ son, Gary Powers Jr., will receive the award on his father’s behalf. On Saturday, Oct. 24, Powers will share his father’s remarkable story at 4:30 p.m. in Hyder Auditorium in the college’s Science Building.
Milligan’s theatre production of “Our Town” will run Oct. 22-24 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 25 at 2:30 p.m. in the McGlothlin-Street Theatre located in Milligan’s Gregory Center. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in advance at the Milligan Bookstore, 423.461.8733.
Saturday morning begins with the Milligan Buffalo 5K Run/2.5K walk, sponsored by the Associated Ladies for Milligan. The race starts at 9 a.m. at the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse, and all proceeds from the race will benefit student scholarships.
A faculty art exhibition, “Nature, Robots and Elvis,” will open at 11 a.m. in the Milligan Art Gallery located in Derthick Hall and run through Nov. 20. It features work by art faculty Alice Anthony, Nick Blosser and Art Brown.
The annual Homecoming parade will make its way down Blowers Boulevard at 2 p.m. and lead into the festival on Derthick lawn from 2:30-4:30 p.m., which includes kettle corn and inflatables for kids of all ages.
Clint Holloway (’95) and Dr. Lee Fierbaugh (‘94), vice president for marketing and enrollment management, will be on hand to sign copies of the newly published commemorative coffee table book, “Scholarship, Community, Faith: Milligan Celebrates 150 Years,” in the SGA Conference Room of the McMahan Student Center from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
At 3:30 p.m. in the Mary B. Martin Auditorium, located in the college’s Seeger Chapel, there will be a short, family-friendly concert, “Celebrating Our Appalachian Roots,” that features the folk, bluegrass and old-time music of the Appalachian region in honor of the 150th celebration. This concert features the Concert Choir, Women’s Chorale, Heritage, Heard Mentality, Jazz Combo and the Orchestra in addition to guest bluegrass musicians and cloggers.
The women’s soccer team will play Bryan College from 3-5 p.m., and the men’s team will play from 5-7 p.m. at Anglin Field. A tailgate starts at 4:15 p.m. in the Baker Faculty Office Center parking area with $1 hot dogs. The annual Powder Puff game in which freshmen and sophomore women take on the junior and senior women in flag football on the Anglin Practice Field will start at 8:30 p.m.
All meal events, theatre performances and the walk/run are ticketed events. All others are free and open to the public.
For more information, a complete schedule or to register online for Homecoming 2015, visit www.milligan.edu/homecoming, or call the Alumni Office at 423.461.8718.
The Alumni Office asks that all those who have not registered for Homecoming do so on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the lobby of the Gregory Center.