Last modified: Wednesday, June 27, 2007
'Celebrate IU' Week
Week-long schedule of events to become IU homecoming tradition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University's traditional homecoming weekend in October, sponsored each year by the IU Alumni Association, is about to outgrow itself.
This fall, it will become a week-long celebration of the university's eight campuses, their 97,000-plus students, and a multitude of prestigious and award-winning programs.
The schedule for the week leading up to the Saturday, Oct. 20 homecoming football game with Penn State will feature so many special events that IUAA President Tom Martz has decided a renaming is required.
Martz announced today that he is designating the week of Oct. 13 through Oct. 21 as "Celebrate IU" week. Some 30 special events and activities are expected to draw thousands of students, alumni and IU supporters to at least three campuses.
"This will be much bigger than previous homecoming weeks," Martz said. "I've been discussing the idea of a new name with my colleagues in the administration and at the IU Foundation, and they were all unanimously in favor of it. We are including major events at Bloomington, Indianapolis and Kokomo as part of this celebration."
Two special events in Bloomington will place a spotlight on how the university will carry out its academic mission in the 21st Century. On Tuesday, Oct. 16, the newly constructed Simon Multi-Disciplinary Science Building will be dedicated in a special ceremony. On Thursday, Oct. 18, the formal inauguration ceremony for Michael A. McRobbie as the university's 18th president will be conducted at the IU Auditorium.
Martz said this will be an excellent time to have these two ceremonies because so many alumni will be in town for homecoming activities sponsored by the Alumni Association and IU Foundation.
"We, as alumni, have so much to be proud of in all the traditions of Indiana University, and I can think of no better way to remind our alumni of how their degrees are becoming ever more valuable as the university grows in its academic and research missions."
The week will begin Saturday, Oct. 13, at IUPUI with a tri-annual gala celebrating IU's partnership with Kenya's Moi University School of Medicine, followed by an international symposium, reception and dinner on Sunday, Oct. 14.
The international theme will continue on Monday, Oct. 15, at IU Kokomo with colloquia and social events centered around the theme "Learning in a Flat World."
Wednesday, Oct. 17, will see the opening of a student-organized carnival and fair, and the unveiling of a cornerstone for the new Hutton Honors College building.
Martz said he hopes to continue the tradition of a Celebrate IU week in following years and spread the events to all eight IU campuses.
Here is a link to a current schedule of "Celebrate IU" week events: https://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/5902.html
