UIS schedules Homecoming events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: September 6, 2002

Contact: Donna McCracken, 206-6716

UIS schedules Homecoming events

The University of Illinois at Springfield will celebrate its annual Homecoming from September 6 to 14 with a variety of events for students, alumni, and friends. In addition to the events outlined below, UIS students who would like to join in Habitat for Humanity’s on-going Youth Build 2002 during Homecoming week are encouraged to contact the UIS Office of Student Volunteers and Service Learning at (217) 206-7722.

Except as noted, all Homecoming events are free and open to the public.

On Friday, September 6, alumni of the Accountancy department, in cooperation with UIS’ College of Business and Management and the University of Illinois Alumni Association, will sponsor a golf outing beginning at noon at Piper Glen Golf Club. Proceeds will benefit the Don Stanhope Accountancy Scholarship. Advance registration is required; contact the UIS Alumni Office at (217) 206-7395.

Events for Friday, September 13, begin with an Accountancy Alumni Continuing Professional Education program to be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Public Affairs Center conference room F on the UIS campus. Topics to be covered include governmental accounting, cost/managerial accounting, auditing, taxation, and financial accounting. Reservations are required. Contact Ruth Mullenix in the UIS Department of Accountancy at (217) 206-6541 for more information.

Friday’s events continue at 4:30 p.m. when the UIS women’s tennis team will compete against Concordia University at the UIS tennis courts. Family activities are scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Sunflower Court campus housing complex; a pep rally is set for 7 p.m. on the basketball court across from the Pennyroyal Court campus housing complex; and “Mission Improbable,” a Chicago-based improvisational group, will perform at 8 p.m. at the Food Emporium, located on the first level of the Public Affairs Center.

The schedule of events for Saturday, September 14, begins with a Two Mile Poker Fun Run/Walk/Bike/Skate, starting off at 9 a.m. from the Student Life Building. The day’s events also include a Student Leadership Luncheon -- to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Lincoln Residence Hall Great Room (contact Student Life for reservation information) -- and water sports, featuring a cardboard boat regatta that begins at 2 p.m. on the UIS pond. An alumni soccer game is set for 4:30 p.m. at Kiwanis Stadium and the current Prairie Stars team will take on Quincy University at 7 p.m., also in Kiwanis Stadium. A pre-game social with live reggae music by Waterhouse will begin at 4:30 p.m. on the east side of the stadium. Tickets to both soccer games can be purchased at the gate.

Also on Saturday, the U of I Alumni Association will host an Alumni Explorers Travel Preview cocktail reception starting at 5:30 p.m. in Public Affairs Center conference room C/D. More than 10 displays, complete with food that reflects each travel experience, will preview the entire season of Alumni Travel Tours. Travel Preview participants can take advantage of a special two-for-one ticket offer to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s “Tribute to America,” beginning at 8 p.m. in Sangamon Auditorium. Advance reservations to this event are required; contact the Alumni Association office at (217) 206-7395 or e-mail alumni@uis.edu.

In conjunction with Homecoming, UIS’ Center for Legal Studies and Department of Legal Studies have planned a series of Saturday events that are open to the public, staff, faculty, alumni, and friends. At 1:30 p.m. everyone is invited to attend “Where We Have Been and Where We are Going,” a summary discussion of past and current projects of the Center for Legal Studies followed by tours of the center, located in room 451 of the Public Affairs Center. At 2 p.m. in PAC 340 the Legal Studies department and the Legal Studies Student Association will present “Where We Are Today,” an introduction to its 2002 academic curriculum, followed by tours and an informal reception. Various open houses will be featured from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., and the celebration will conclude with a 6 p.m. reception and dinner honoring Frank Kopecky, recently retired charter faculty member and former CLES director. Reservations are required for the dinner; contact UIS Alumni Relations at (217) 206-7395.

Homecoming 2002 winds up with a performance by comedian Kevin Hart, scheduled for 9:30 p.m. in the Homer L. Butler Commons building.