Hardin-Simmons looks forward to eventful Homecoming weekend

(ABILENE, Texas)–It is once again time for reunions and family fun on the Hardin-Simmons University campus. Homecoming is one month away, making now the perfect time to register for all the exciting events campus has to offer. From Oct. 17 to 20, HSU will be home to countless exciting and memorable activities for the whole family.

This year, Hardin-Simmons University’s Homecoming will include events both old and new. As the beautiful campus continues to grow and develop, HSU maintains its traditional spirit that has thrived since 1891.

Schedule of Events

Homecoming 2019 kicks off on Thursday, Oct. 17 with the Alumni Awards Banquet at 6:30 p.m. Beginning at noon on Oct. 18, attendees can register in the Moody Student Center to receive their Homecoming Schedule Book, tickets, and nametag, and can purchase tickets for upcoming events. Friday afternoon’s activities include the 1891 Legacy Room Reception House Reception and a School of Music Foundation meeting.

Students enjoy SING during Homecoming.

Friday evening brings a crossover between new events and classic HSU traditions. At 5 p.m., a festival will overtake the Sid Richardson Science Center Lawn and will include pay as you go food trucks, inflatables, and carnival games. At 6 p.m., HSU’s 57th annual All-School SING performance will begin in Behrens Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for students and $15 for general admission. Also at 6 p.m. is the annual Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner.

After SING, the HSU Cheerleaders, World-Famous Cowboy Band, Spurs, and HSU’s mascot, Hoss, will lead attendees in a pep rally before a bright firework display lights up the night sky. Once the fireworks die down, the Hardin-Simmons Police will host Late Night Breakfast, similar to HSU’s famous Pancake Study Break, but with purple pancakes!

Saturday, Oct. 19 consists of a slew of high-energy events for the whole family. At 7:30 a.m., HSU invites ROTC and military veterans to an informational breakfast in the cafeteria. At 8 a.m., various campus booths will begin setting up to provide information to attendees. Throughout the morning, several groups will host gatherings, breakfasts, and teas, including the College of Fine Arts, the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Holland School of Sciences and Mathematics, and the Logsdon School of Theology, among many others.

International students perform a culturally inclusive dance number during SING 2017.

Saturday morning also includes all social club and organization reunions, as well as HSU Kids Club, which is open from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. This family-friendly event allows HSU kids the chance to participate in games, make crafts, have their faces painted, visit with the Six White Horses, and more.

For lunch, visitors are invited to eat on campus, either in the cafeteria or at the HSU BBQ Tailgate. Students are welcome to attend the tailgate, as well, and are invited to eat free of charge with their HSU IDs.

Visitors are then invited to check in on the Fletcher Fitness Center patio to receive free HSU alumni swag at 12:30 p.m. For parents with small children, the Kids Zone on the indoor soccer field in the fitness center is the perfect place to let the little ones run around out of the Texas heat. Kickoff against Belhaven is at 1 p.m.

During the fourth quarter of the game, HSU cheer team alumni are invited to join the current squad on the field to cheer on the Cowboys in the home stretch of the Homecoming game.

Saturday evening provides a time for rekindling old friendships, as reunion dinners for the classes of 2009, 1999, and 1979 span campus. Also, Saturday evening events include the Golden Lariat Society Dinner for anyone who has previously celebrated their 50th class reunion. Tickets to these dinners cost $15, and are available not only to graduates of these years but to those of the surrounding years, as well. HSU would also like to extend a special invitation to faculty, staff, and other friends. The Hispanic Alumni Dinner is also on Saturday evening, and the cost is $10 to attend.

For those who missed All-School SING on Friday, there is another opportunity to see the show at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

A highlight of Homecoming is the annual Homecoming football game.

As is tradition, Homecoming 2019 will draw to a close with the annual Sunday morning HSU Family Worship Service in Logsdon Chapel. This service allows HSU faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends to worship together after a weekend of festivities. 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient Brig. Gen Ron Harvell ’83 and his wife Marsha (Mills) Harvell ’83 will bring the message, and both the Cowboy Band and HSU’s gospel choir, Selah, will provide the music.

For the Glory of the Purple and Gold

As the writers of the 1941 edition of the Bronco, HSU’s annual yearbook state, “highlighting each year is the return to the campus of thousands of alumni when new friendships create a lively sparkle, and old friendships blaze anew with the fervor of the annual homecoming bonfire that roars a merry welcome to all.”

HSU has long been a place for fellowship and comradery, as homecoming has continuously linked students and alumni from many decades together through a collective nostalgia for the 40 acres. Hardin-Simmons University invites all students, alumni, family, and friends to join in on the Homecoming 2019 fun.