Homecoming festivities thrill alumni and students at HSU

(ABILENE, Texas)–Another Homecoming season has drawn to a close here on the 40 acres, but the memories made along the way will endure for years to come. Homecoming at Hardin-Simmons University remains as many alumni’s favorite memory from their collegiate years. This year, an extensive list of festivities kept the campus engaged and excited from Oct. 17-20.

On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Alumni Awards Banquet commenced the annual festivities. During the banquet, the Alumni Relations department honored Mr. Hilton Hemphill ’63 with the John J. Keeter, Jr. Alumni Service Award, which stands as the highest alumni honor HSU bestows. Each recipient of the John J. Keeter, Jr. Award has significantly contributed to his/her field of endeavor towards the betterment of HSU and who has offered the highest service to the university.

Members of the class of 1999 catch up at their Homecoming reunion dinner.

Also honored in the ceremony were Dr. Cathy (Fisher) Ashby ’82, Ms. Julie (Joiner) Hammer ’94, and Brig. Gen. Ronald “Ron” Harvell ’83. These three alumni received HSU’s Distinguished Alumni Awards for their personal and professional accomplishments that are exemplary of the ideals and aims of HSU.

Friday evening brought many familiar faces to campus as students, family, alumni, faculty, and staff enjoyed the Friday Night Festival. Carnival games, food trucks, a mechanical bull, a bounce house, and an inflatable slide thrilled guests old and young before the Spurs dance team, HSU cheer squad, and World-Famous Cowboy Band performed on the Sid Richardson Science Building lawn. When the lights went out, a brilliant fireworks display lit up the night sky. To wrap up Friday’s festivities, the HSU police department served Late Night Breakfast in the parking lot behind Abilene Hall, complete with purple pancakes.

Alongside the Friday Night Festival, the Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner recognized four new inductees for their contributions to HSU’s athletics program. Inductees are selected at least ten years after the end of their HSU playing career, and coaches become eligible five years after completing their career with HSU. A committee of current and former HSU athletes from various sports select the new inductees each year. Honored at the 2019 Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner were Ms. Ashley (Allen) Hutson, who played basketball and track and field from ’01-’04; Mr. Josh Knox, who played football from ’03-’06; Ms. Sadye (Hill) Smalls, who played softball from ’05-’08; and Ms. Whitney (Piendak) Stone, who played soccer from ’03-’06.

Saturday morning allowed alumni and current students the time to catch up and share stories from days past. Several departments on campus set up booths or get-togethers, including the art department, career services office, Houston-Lantrip Center, Traveling Range Riders, Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing, Julius Olson Honors Program, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and many more schools and departments. Several student organizations also hosted gatherings in the Johnson Building, including many past and current social clubs.

The Spurs dance team performs a Star Wars themed dance number during All-School SING.

At 11 a.m., homecoming attendees gathered behind Abilene Hall for a purple and gold tailgate. Performances by the cheer and dance teams, as well as Hoss and the World-Famous Cowboy Band, entertained the crowd, who enjoyed BBQ sandwiches before the Homecoming football game.

After the tailgate, the HSU Cowboys faced off against the Belhaven Blazers in a Homecoming showdown.

The Cowboys quickly scored a touchdown, as the defense forced a punt on the Blazer’s opening possession, and HSU went 59 yards in six plays. Led by game leaders junior quarterback Kyle Jones, sophomore quarterback Marc Reed, and senior running back Jaquan Hemphill, the Cowboys prevailed over the Blazers, 63-7.

After the Cowboys’ overwhelming win, alumni prepared for their reunion dinners. This year, the Class of 1999 and the Class of 1979 celebrated their 20th and 40th reunions, respectively.

HSU’s Golden Lariat Society and Hispanic Alumni also met for dinner on Saturday night. The Golden Lariat Society includes all alumni and exes who previously celebrated their 50-year reunion. For each reunion dinner, members of the surrounding class years are also invited to attend, and the university offers a special invitation to family, faculty, and staff.

On both Friday and Saturday night, several campus organizations thrilled audiences with their vocals, creativity, and choreography during the 57th annual All-School SING performances. In March 1962, SING was created by the two national music fraternities on campus, the women’s Sigma Alpha Iota and the men’s Phi Mu Alpha. Karen Swartz, SAI president in 1961, explained, “the objective of the event is to encourage campus organizations to participate in singing.” Early shows featured minimal choreography, fewer rules, more entries, no backdrops, and no costumes, which is much different from today’s performances. Between each competing show, smaller groups and solo-artists perform as interacts, or non-competing SING performances.

To conclude the Homecoming 2019 festivities, HSU’s gospel choir, Selah, performed at the HSU Family Worship Service.

In 2019, the collaborative show by women’s social club, Alpha Iota Omega, and men’s social club, Kappa Phi Omega, swept the board in almost all categories. The group took home awards for their creativity, choreography, and vocal performance, and won best performance overall. The audience chose HSU senior Ricky Ramirez as the best interact performer.

The weekend’s festivities concluded with a campus tradition: the HSU Family Worship Service in Logsdon Chapel. This inspirational time of reflection unites HSU alumni, exes, current student, faculty, staff, and family through worship led by the Cowboy Band; the HSU Gospel choir, Selah; and a message from 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient Brig. Gen. Ron Harvell ’83 and his wife Marsha (Mills) Harvell ’83.

Hardin-Simmons University would like to thank all alumni and exes who attended Homecoming 2019. For more information on the Alumni Relations Department and its events, visit the Alumni & Friends page of the HSU website.