Una Celebrates Homecoming This Week

Sep. 19, 2011

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - As the University of North Alabama stands at the cusp of a number of major advancements, the university has chosen the 2011 Homecoming theme "Expanding the Legacy" to signify the university growth. UNA is currently building toward NCAA Division I status while building a black box theatre, an academic center and student commons, and science and technology center, among several other major initiatives. "It's an exciting time here at the university," said Carol Lyles, director of alumni relations and coordinator of the UNA Homecoming activities. "Everything on campus is changing, enlarging and expanding. We're falling back on what (UNA) has done and built before us. This is an entry into our building the future campaign." UPC will offer a variety of events for students, faculty, staff and community members. A recycled percussion concert will take place Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. in Norton Auditorium, while a pep rally Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. on the football practice field will also feature the Pride of Dixie Band and Auxiliaries, cheerleaders and mascots. UPC officers are urging pep rally attendees to wear white T-shirts to help coordinate a UNA Pride and Spirit photo. Band members, cheerleaders and mascots will wear purple and create an outline of UNA, while pep rally attendees will wear white T-shirts to fill in the UNA. "One of the things we're emphasizing this year is this is one of the last years UNA will look the same as it does now," said David Johnson, spirit chair with UPC. "With the D-I transition coming up, this is a really great time at UNA, which is on the verge of expanding and growing." An alumni awards banquet honoring the alumni of the year, alumni service, promising alumni and Homecoming court will take place Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m. The SGA Past-Presidents' breakfast will occur Sept. 24 at 8 a.m., while the Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. the same day. The Homecoming parade will start Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. in downtown Florence. A lion walk will occur at 4 p.m. on Royal Avenue by Braly Stadium, while the UNA vs. Harding football game will take place at 6 p.m. in the stadium. The Midnighters will perform from 3-5:30 p.m. on Spirit Hill at Braly Stadium. The list of 2011 Homecoming Alumni Award Winners is as follows: Alumni of the Year George Carpenter '73 Dolores Cook '69 Robert McKenzie '62 Lifetime Achievement Raymond Isbell '53 Harvey and Joyce Ann Robbins Community Service Gene Hamby '65 Steve Harrison '75 Steve Logan '64 Faculty/Staff Service Lynn Aquadro '95 Wanda Bradford '80 Stanley Hurst Educator of the Year Buford Arnold '59 Fred Frawley '68 Tina Smith '78 Military Service John Battcher '65 Charles Dexter '59 Jim Noles '67 Friend of the University Crocodile Ed's Louise McCoy Rosie's Mexican Cantina Political Service Greg Reeves '88 Athletic Hall of Fame Rachel Price Bell '00 Ronda Price Brinley '00 Michael Edwards '96 George Lindsey '52 Bobby Wallace Allen Williams Promising Alumni Ralph Akalonu Caleb Banks Lucy Berry Dillon Hodges Brandi Lewis Allison Ray Cierra Smith Heather Unger-Robertson For more information and a complete list of Homecoming events, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 256-765-4201 or register online at alumni.una.edu.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.