by Ella Brown
It is almost time for one of the most anticipated weekends of the school year: The Weekend.
If you are new to Bison Hill, The Weekend is Oklahoma Baptist University’s annual Homecoming celebration combined with Family Weekend and Bison Day.
From music and reunions to volleyball and football, the Oct. 1-3 schedule offers students, alumni, families and visitors plenty of ways to celebrate together.
“The Weekend is honestly the best three days of the year on Bison Hill,” said Lea Ann Quirk, executive director of university engagement. “It’s our biggest annual celebration — combining Homecoming, Family Weekend and Bison Day into one massive, campus-wide event with over 50 activities included.”
Thursday, Oct. 1
The OBU Library Book Sale opens at 10 a.m. in the Mabee Learning Center. Paperbacks cost $1 and hardcovers cost $2, with proceeds supporting library projects. The sale continues from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. No registration is required.
Women of Vision will gather at 6 p.m. in Geiger Center rooms 219-220 for dinner, fellowship and a presentation by cookbook author and television personality Dina Deleasa-Gonsar. She will give a cooking demonstration and devotional talk. Current members will also review proposals and vote on the group’s next project. Registration is required.
At 7 p.m., OBU volleyball faces Harding University in the Noble Complex for Pink Out Night. Fans are encouraged to wear pink.
Friday, Oct. 2
Alumni and Family Weekend guests can begin at The Weekend Registration Hub on the lower level of the Geiger Center. It will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for check-in, name tags, event information and OBU giveaways. Shaz will stop by at 11 a.m. for photos.
Friday’s 10 a.m. events include chapel in the Recreation and Wellness Center and two alumni lecture forums. Lucas Adams, a 2016 graduate and Graduate of the Last Decade award winner, will speak at the James E. Hurley School of Science and Mathematics forum in Stavros Hall, Room 214. Jonathan Pickett, a 1999 graduate and Lawton Chick-fil-A operator, will discuss faith and leadership at the Paul Dickinson School of Business forum in the Bailey Business Center’s Tulsa Royalties Auditorium. Advance registration is requested for the forums.
Visitors can also get a look inside OBU classrooms and labs through Bison U sessions. Friday’s offerings include engineering and the School of Education’s immersive classroom at 11 a.m.; OBU traditions at 2 and 3:30 p.m.; cybersecurity and a second immersive classroom session at 3 p.m.; and nursing and a planetarium program at 4 p.m. Space is limited for several sessions, so check the registration requirements before attending.
The 50+ Club Luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. in Geiger Center rooms 219-220. OBU will induct the Class of 1976 and honor the Class of 1966. Both classes can continue reminiscing at separate 1 p.m. receptions in the Geiger Center. Choir alumni are also invited to a 1 p.m. rehearsal and reunion ahead of the evening’s Musical Gala.
At 2 p.m., Kerr Residence Center will celebrate its 70th birthday with a reception. A traditional Homecoming worship service begins at 3 p.m. at the registration hub. At 4 p.m., OBU volleyball returns to the Noble Complex to face Arkansas Tech for Alumni Day.
Friday evening brings several of The Weekend’s best-known traditions. The Harvest Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. in Geiger Center rooms 219-220. President Heath Thomas will speak, and OBU will recognize its Alumni Achievement, Profiles in Excellence and Graduate of the Last Decade award recipients. Registration and payment are required.
Students and families can gather for food and games at Fun on the Oval at 6 p.m. Then, at 7:30 p.m., the Musical Gala will feature the Bison Glee Club, Symphonic Winds, University Ringers, University Chorale and Bisonette Glee Club, with a special appearance by OBU choir alumni. This year’s performance will be held in the Recreation and Wellness Center while repairs and construction continue in Raley Chapel. Advance registration is requested.
The Bison Pep Rally starts at 8:45 p.m. in the Noble Complex. Cheerleaders, Shaz, the marching band and football players will help fans get ready for Saturday’s game against Ouachita Baptist University.
Friday wraps up with the Ice Cream Social at 9 p.m. on the lower level of the Geiger Center. Students, alumni and families are welcome. No registration is required, and ice cream will be served while supplies last.
Saturday, Oct. 3
The registration hub reopens from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
At 9 a.m., Arts, Beats and Eats begins on the Oval, bringing together food trucks, live music and the Art on the Hill Festival. Local and alumni artists will sell handmade work, and a Kids Zone will offer lawn games, inflatables and face painting. The festival runs until noon; admission does not require registration, though food and art purchases are at guests’ expense.
Two more gatherings begin at 9 a.m. President Heath Thomas and First Lady Jill Thomas will greet students, families and alumni at a Family Weekend reception in the upper Geiger Center. In Shawnee Hall’s Mabee Lecture Hall, recently retired education professor Jeanne Akin will give a final lecture, followed by a reception and School of Education alumni reunion.
From 10 a.m. to noon, visitors can explore academic buildings during self-guided campus open houses. Residence hall tours run from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Saturday morning also includes reunions for Bison Glee Club, nursing and theatre alumni; a Behavioral Sciences “Beyond the Hill” conversation with students; a physician associate program open house; and a cheer alumni gathering and current-team showcase.
At noon, the Raley Walk will lead guests from the Oval toward the intramural fields, past outdoor spaces and displays showing plans for Raley Chapel’s future. The Bison Bash tailgate also begins at noon on the intramural fields, with food, games, giveaways and appearances by the marching band, cheer teams and Shaz. Neither event requires registration.
The Bison face the Ouachita Baptist Tigers at 2 p.m. Saturday at Crain Family Stadium. The Harvest King and Queen will be crowned at halftime. Game tickets must be purchased in advance.
Quirk said The Weekend is meant to bring together more than those returning for a reunion.
“The Weekend really belongs to the entire OBU community,” she said. “Faculty, staff and students are just as much a part of the celebration as anyone traveling in from across the country.”
Some events require registration or payment. The complete schedule and registration information are available at okbu.edu/alumni/the-weekend.
