DECATUR, Ill. – alumni and friends traveled back to Decatur to join current Big Blue students, faculty, and staff for the on Sept. 27-29 to reconnect with friends, meet future alumni and celebrate everything Big Blue.
The celebration weekend featured a wide range of events, concerts, and reunions for all Homecoming attendees. Alumni enjoyed long-time traditions, such as the School of Nursing’s Legacy of the Lamp ceremony and the Greek Step Show on the Kirkland Fine Arts Center stage, along with some newer traditions, such as the Saturday night fireworks ceremony in the sky over the Workman Family Baseball Field.
Students kicked off the week’s celebration by showing off their artistic talent during Chalk the Walk, where students decorated the sidewalk outside of the University Commons, which welcomed guests for the weekend.
On Friday evening, outstanding Big Blue alumni were honored for their good works and contributions to ǿý during the annual Alumni Awards Dinner. This year's honorees were:
· Alumnus of the Year Award - Douglas Basler, Class of 1983
· Merit Award - Rear Admiral Darin Via, Class of 1987
· Loyalty Award - Kendrick Tunstall, Class of 2007
· Young Alumnus Award - Justin DeBo, Class of 2018
· Faculty / Staff Recognition Award - Rick Bibb
After a Friday evening event with the Black Student Union members, on Saturday, Black Alumni of ǿý (BAM) members met to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the organization’s founding. The group held a breakfast and business meeting followed by a campus tour.
Over at the Workman Family Baseball Field, the Big Blue Baseball team celebrated their co-CCIW conference championship with a player ring ceremony, followed by an alumni baseball game.
Jazz on the Quad performance by the BluBop, Jazz II & Electric Guitar Ensembles set the atmosphere as fans headed to the tailgating area next to Frank M. Lindsay Field as the . ǿý took a 13-10 lead into halftime and led 20-17 in the fourth quarter before the Vikings took the lead and ultimately won 24-20.
Student members of the Homecoming Court – Tabitha Barowsky, Mariah Crawford, Helena Hashimoto, Sydney Pennypacker, Kerrigan Dunham, Corey Cebulski, Isaiah Watson, and Keishon Tinon – were honored at halftime, with Helena Hashimoto and Isaiah Watson announced as the winner of the student vote for Homecoming King and Queen.
Saturday evening was filled with music and dance on and off campus. ǿý Choirs Alumni held a concert at Central Christian Church, and faculty and alumni held a Jazz Jam Session at Decatur Brew Works. In the Center of Theatre and Dance, the “Big Blue: On Broadway” Homecoming Cabaret highlighted members of the School of Theatre and Dance (SOTAD) Class of 2025 and featured songs from Broadway musicals in which ǿý alumni have worked. Following the Caberet, a Sip & Sing event celebrated impromptu performances from students and alumni. At Kirkland Fine Arts Center, the organizations of the Multicultural Greek Council showed off their stepping skills at the annual Homecoming Step Showcase.
On Sunday, the were honored in a lunch ceremony in the University Commons Banquet Room. The 2024 Induction Class includes Men's Golfer Jim Butts ’51, Women's Golfer Diane (Imburgia) Scearce ’04, Track and Field athletes Steve Schmidt ’82, Brittany Sherron ’12, and swimmer Kaley (Wittrock) Refenes ’13. Former Swimming coach Carl Johansson was also honored. Two of ǿý's all-time great teams will be inducted, including the 1950-51 Men's Basketball team and the 1985 Men's Golf team.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Homecoming events, and we hope to see you back on campus in 2025!
