Students Bring the Thunder for Annual Homecoming Week

Published: September 10, 2019 | Author: Tiago Rodrigues da Costa | Read Time: 5 minutes

It’s that time of the year again! The time where friends and families get together in a place that helped them to grow and learn. A time where memories are shared and made. It's Homecoming Week at Southern Utah University, get ready for this!

SUU invites alumni, present students and their families, faculty and staff, founding families, friends, and community members to join the Thunderbird family for Homecoming Week, September 22-28, 2019. This year, the Miss SUU Homecoming Pageant, Cardboard Boat Competition, Forever Red, Pancake Breakfast, Homecoming Parade, and Football game are all part of the yearly tradition. As well as exciting new events for the T-Bird community including See the Sun at SUMA! and a tour of the President’s new home.

Sunday, September 22

The week begins with the women’s soccer team playing Boise State University at 1 p.m. at the Thunderbird Soccer Field, admission is free.

Monday, September 23

The Dive-in Movie brings cinema and water together and it's proof that movies don’t necessarily have to mean a couch and popcorn. Held at the SUU Pool in the P.E. Building, Aladdin will be screened for families at 5 p.m., and Aquaman will be screened for SUU students at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free, but check-in is required in the P.E. Building.

Tuesday, September 24

The annual Cardboard Boat Competition is a must-attend event during Homecoming Week. Sponsored by the Engineering and Technology Department and the Markerspace, the event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the SUU Pool. If you want to participate, be sure to attend the cardboard boat workshops on Tuesday, September 17 and Thursday, September 19, both at 6 p.m., in the Markerspace Lab (TH 106). An open lab will be held on Monday, September 23, in the same room.

At 6:30 p.m., the Miss SUU Homecoming Pageant begins in the SUU Auditorium. The reigning Miss SUU will pass her crown off to another woman who will proudly represent the university for the next year. 

Wednesday, September 25

New this year, a dodgeball tournament will be taking place in the P.E. Building gyms at 6 p.m. Modeled after the "DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story", the winning team will have their very own "Average T-Birds" jerseys! Signup as a team or as an individual. 

Thursday, September 26

Join the A.P.E.X Event series as they celebrate the achievements of SUU alumni with speaker Julie Stuart Castle at 11:30 a.m. in the Hunter Conference Center. Castle earned her degree from SUU in 1992, in political science and history. Castle is the CEO of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, located in Kanab, Utah, and also led No More Homeless Pets in Utah and No-Kill Los Angeles programs. In 2018, InStyle Magazine recognized Castle as one of The 50 Badass women “who show up, speak up and get things done.”

Alumni, along with their families and friends, are welcome to attend the Homecoming Banquet & Awards at 6:30 p.m. in the Hunter Conference Center, to celebrate Thunderbirds past and present. Three alumni will be honored this year, Julie Castle, Steve Shirts, and Timian Yoshimoto Godfrey. Save your seat with the Alumni Office, RSVP to (435) 586-7777 or alumni@suu.edu.

At 6:30 p.m. in the America First Event Center, SUU’s volleyball team plays Idaho State. Reserve your ticket at the Thunderbird Ticket Office. Admission is free for students.  

Later that evening, join the annual Powder Puff Football game at 8 p.m. in Eccles Coliseum. The game features Lady T-Birds and is a great opportunity for friends and family to enjoy football.

Following the Powder Puff game, the Pep Rally gives students an opportunity to get excited for the football game on Saturday. The Pep Rally starts after the Powder Puff game, approximately 9 p.m., in the Eccles Coliseum. 

Friday, September 27

Join the Southern Utah Museum of Art from 12-3 p.m. to create space-inspired art and view the sun through a special solar telescope that allows people to see sunspots. The See the Sun at SUMA! Event is part of the annual Southwest Astronomy Festival.

Again at SUMA, artists, artisans and art fans will come together for the Miniature Art: A Very Bit Tiny Art Show from 5-8 p.m. This event is a collaboration of 26 artists and Tiny Art Show! Visitors will have the opportunity to create their own tiny art while enjoying mini refreshments. This show will be on display, at SUMA, until Saturday, October 12. 

Alumni and former student leaders will have the opportunity to catch up in Reunion Palooza at 6:30 p.m. on the Hunter Conference Center patio. Alumni that would like to attend should RSVP. 

The Alumni Band Concert invites former and current T-Bird musicians, and everyone with a relation to SUU Bands, to play. This event happens in the Heritage Center Theater at 6:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Registration is required for those who want to participate in the concert.

To round out the night Forever Red will celebrate SUU with live music, food, fireworks, bounce houses, and prize drawings, from 7:30-11:30 p.m. on the Upper Quad. This year’s lineup includes performances by Next Town Down, Celebrating Queen, and Metro Music.

Saturday, September 28

The last day of Homecoming Week begins with a Pancake Breakfast at 9 a.m. outside the Alumni House. This event is sponsored by SUU Emeriti and Alumni & Student Alumni Associations. After enjoying pancakes, the Thunderbirds take the streets of Cedar City and march under the theme “SUU Throwback.” The Homecoming Parade starts at 10 a.m. on the corner of 200 South and 100 West. 

President Scott L Wyatt and his family have moved to a new home located at 11 North 200 West in Cedar City. The communities of Cedar City and SUU are invited to go in, tour the president’s house, and enjoy light refreshments from 11 a.m. through 2 p.m.

For the second day in a row, See the Sun at SUMA! is happening at the Southern Utah Museum of Art 12-3 p.m. 

At 1 p.m., the volleyball team plays Weber State in the America First Event Center. Cheer on the T-Birds, while preparing for more sports throughout the day.

At 3 p.m., join Thunder Nation in the Thunder Walk & Tailgate, and at 6 p.m., be sure to be in the Eccles Coliseum ready to make some noise in support of SUU’s football team as they battle Cal Poly.

The day, and this year’s Homecoming Week, ends with Headphone Dance in the Sharwan Smith Student Center Ballroom at 10 p.m. This event is sponsored by the SUU Student Programming Board.

For more information about SUU’s annual Homecoming traditions and the full calendar of events, visit suu.edu/homecoming. 

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Tags: Campus Alumni Homecoming

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