The Distinguished Alumni Dinner, “A Red Carpet Affair,” which takes place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, October 10, in the Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center, will include a red carpet entrance. Of course, the main guests of honor of the night will be the award recipients of this year’s Distinguished Alumni awards. These guests of honor include Cecil Yates who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. William C. Lindsey, this year’s Distinguished Golden Rider, Gaye Manning this year’s Distinguished Alumni and Stephen Weaver, who will be recognized as the Young Alumni recipient.

“We are going to be highlighting campus stars such as the current Mulerider Idol,” said Alumni Director Ceil Bridges. “It will be just like we are at the Grammy’s or Academy Awards. We really want to place a special emphasis on the Distinguished Alumni recipients. Lat year was extraordinary and we are going to make it better than last year. We have the recipe to do that.”

HOMECOMING AT A GLANCE

Homecoming begins with a 6:30 p.m. pep rally Monday October 6 at the Greek Theatre. These events, which include the announcement of the homecoming king and queen, are coordinated by the Student Government Association.

At 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, the Student Activities Board will sponsor a drive in movie, “Hancock,” in the Reynolds Center parking lot.

Wonder Boy Burgers will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8 in the Mall Area. The burger event will be hosted by Aramark and the SGA.

An invitation only SAU Foundation Honor Societies dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 9. in Grand Hall of the Reynolds Center.

The SGA will lead street painting from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9 on the SAU Farm Road. There will also be a bonfire.

At 4:30 a.m., SAU students and faithful fans will gather together on Friday, Oct. 10 to appear on Channel 7 Daybreak at Reynolds Plaza.

The Rider Golf Tournament will begin at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at the Magnolia Country Club. The tournament will be a four person scramble and the registration fee is $75 per person. SAU Alumni President Mike Waters is coordinating the event. Call Waters at 901-2208 for more information on the tournament.

The Heartbeat will kickoff at noon on Friday, Oct. 10, in the Senior Walk Mall Area. The event is coordinated by the SGA.

The Foundation Board will have a meeting at 1 p.m., Friday, Oct. 10 at the Reynolds Center. This is coordinated by SGA.

The Distinguished Alumni dinner, “A Red Carpet Affair,” will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Reynolds Center. The event is coordinated by the Alumni Association, SAU Homecoming Royalty and the President’s Ambassadors. Tickets are $17 and can be purchased by calling 235-4079.

A black alumni reception will be held at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10, in the Mulerider Center. Back by popular demand is the group “Chemistry,” which has a range that contains anything from gospel to classic Prince hits.

Of course the big day of the week will be Saturday, Oct. 11 with a host of activities planned.

At 8 a.m. on Oct. 11 in the Grand Hall of Reynolds, a Golden Rider Breakfast will be held to honor the class of 1958 that will be celebrating their 50th reunion.

At 10 a.m. the SAU parade begins and proceeds through campus. The parades will line up at 9:30 a.m. in the Assembly of God Church parking lot. This event is coordinated by the SGA.

Also at 10 a.m., Homecoming banners will be displayed at Wilkins Stadium. This is coordinated by SGA.

At 10:30 a.m., floats will be on display at the Reynolds Parking Lot. This is coordinated by the SGA.

Mulegating will be in full force at noon at the Welcome Center. Food and fellowship is available through many organizations and children will enjoy the popular Children’s Corner, which includes inflatable bouncers, cotton candy, and a clown handing out balloons. Enjoy seeing old friends at the different alumni reunions.

1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 11, SAU Pep Rally, Welcome Center coordinated by the SAU Cheerleaders and the SAU Marching band. This event coordinated by the SAU Cheerleaders and the SAU Marching band.

The SAU Homecoming Queen and her court will be presented at 2 p.m. at Wilkins Stadium. The football game begins at 2:30 p.m. The Muleriders will face Arkansas Tech University. During halftime, banners and float winners of the Homecoming parade will be announced.

The Alumni baseball game will begin thirty minutes after the football game. This event is coordinated by SAU Baseball coach Allen Gum.

Following the game, the Greek Step Show begins at 7 p.m. at W.T. Watson Gym. This event coordinated by Assistant Dean of Multicultural Services Cledis Stuart.

•The SAU Foundation and the SAU Alumni Office donate 1,000 towards prizes to SAU Student Organizations during the homecoming week.

The special event is being sponsored by the SAU Foundation and proceeds will benefit the foundation and the Kathleen Mallory Lectureship Endowment.

A private reception with Babineaux will be held from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in the Magnolia Room of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center. The private reception will be followed by a 7 p.m. dinner and remarks by Babineaux in the Grand Hall of the Reynolds Center.

Ticket prices are $25 for dinner and remarks and $50 for entry into the private reception, to receive a photograph with Babineaux and to attend the dinner with remarks by the athlete.

The mission of the Kathleen Mallory Lecture Series is to honor the contributions of Dr. Mallory, an English professor who has made extraordinary contributions to SAU and to issues of English Curriculum improvement in Arkansas and the United States. Mallory is credited with brining scholars working in the fields of African Diasporic and African American Studies to Southern Arkansas University to share their scholarship with students, faculty, staff and members of the community.

For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, call the SAU Foundation Office at 877-235-7409 or 870-235-4078.

The open house will include several performances by members of the band as well as comments from Southern Arkansas University President Dr. David Rankin.

Faculty and students have been practicing and holding rehearsals in the 14,377 square-foot band hall since January. J.P. Wilson, director of bands, anticipates growing opportunities to highlight his program and promote music education in the region.

“We are just excited that we have enough room to be able to invite other schools to host competitions. We’ve got two huge rooms and the smaller room is bigger than our old space was. That’s amazing,” Wilson said.

The public is invited to attend this event at the new band hall located behind Dolph Camp Hall, facing the pond to the north of the University Village.

Visitors may participate in a drawing to receive a free copy of T. T. Tyler Thompson’s definitive history, Horns Up!! College Bands of the Arkansas Heartland.

The schedule of the open house includes:
• 1 p.m. clarinet quartet in hallway
• 1:30 p.m. jazz band in secondary rehearsal room
• 2 p.m. comments by Dr. Rankin
• 2:15 p.m. wind ensemble in primary rehearsal room
• 3 p.m. percussion ensemble in primary rehearsal room
• 3:30 p.m. concert band in primary rehearsal room

For more information, contact the Dean of Liberal and Performing Arts, Southern Arkansas University, 870-235-4200.

Dr. Elba Birmingham-Pokorny, SAU’s 2006-07 Honor Professor, will provide the commencement address. She has been at SAU since 1990. She is a professor of Spanish and is advisor of the Spanish Club. Pokorny received her B.A. from Portland State University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Washington.

The Nursing department is holding a separate ceremony for their graduates at 4 p.m. in the Harton Theatre.

Graduates, family and SAU faculty and staff are invited to an SAU Alumni Association sponsored reception from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center Blue and Gold Room.

Babineaux, whose nickname among some Seattle fans is “Big Play Babs,” was named as recipient of the Distinguished Young Alumni Award this October during the SAU Homecoming. However, because his football schedule prevented Babineaux from picking up his award in person, a group composed of alumni representatives, other administration and their family members took the trip to St. Louis to deliver the award in person.

The Mulerider fans were thrilled with the 24-19 victory of the Seahawks over the Rams. SAU President Dr. David Rankin attended the football game with his wife Toni and their daughter Beth Anne Rankin.

Carrying a sign reading “Mulerider For Life,” members of the SAU group gave Babineaux celebrity treatment by asking for numerous autographs and pictures following the game. Each of the 13 SAU fans who went to the game wore SAU jerseys with Babineaux’s college jersey number, 2, printed on the back.

“It was a pleasure to present to Jordan Babineaux the Distinguished Young Alumni Award,” Rankin said. “He had a fine record here at SAU, both academically and athletically, and has achieved great success with the Seattle Seahawks. It was fitting that Jordan receive this award after a great defensive effort in St. Louis.”

Babineaux, a 2004 graduate of SAU, earned second-team All-American honors for his football skills. His academic skills were impressive as well. He took a load of 23 hours his final semester so he could complete his bachelor’s degree in mass communication in four years.

Alumni Director Ceil Bridges said although Babineaux has an entirely new fan base now that he plays for the National Football League, he seemed to enjoy seeing familiar faces who have cheered for him from the sidelines since he wore SAU’s blue and gold colors.

“He loved it, he was so excited,” Bridges said. “He was humble and gracious even though he has so many fans from Seattle.”

Babineaux wrote Bridges an email following the meeting that confirmed her thoughts that the visitors had made an impression on the former SAU student who signed a five year contract extension with the Seahawks this September.

“I’m glad to know everyone had a great time,” he wrote in an email to Bridges. “Always good to see the extended family. See you next year!”

Bridges said the association will continue the tradition next year and encourage even more SAU fans to come along and show their support.

“It was a great opportunity for the alumni association,” Bridges said. “This is what our organization is all about, supporting the alumni of the University.”

That is why this year women have something exciting to look forward to on the opening day of the hunting season, “Doe Day!” from noon to 1 p.m. this Saturday on the lawn of the Welcome Center.

Women are encouraged to come relax, be pampered and let the SAU male cheerleaders wait on your hand and foot. Women will be served lunch on a silver platter beneath a tent especially decorated for “does.”

Each participant will receive a goody bag and a camouflage T-shirt that says, “I was chased by Mules on opening day of Deer Season!” A game similar to the popular “Let’s Make a Deal” will also be played except it will be called, “I’d rather have five bucks than five dollars,” and will force participants to choose between an envelope and what is behind a buck, which also will have a variety of prizes.

All this will take place before the 2 p.m. football face-off between the Muleriders and Henderson State University.

For more information, contact Ceil Bridges, director of alumni relations at (870) 235-4092.

Babineaux was recently honored as the Young Alumni award recipient at the 2007 Distinguished Alumni Dinner held Oct. 19 as a part of SAU’s Homecoming activities. He graduated from SAU in 2004 with a Bachelor’s degree in mass communications and won a place on the Seattle Seahawks roster that same year. Due to football obligations, he was unable to attend the dinner to receive his award.

The Alumni Association is sponsoring this trip as a way to give interested persons the opportunity not only to watch Babineaux play, but also to meet with him personally and present him the award for Young Alumni 2007. Participants will also receive an autographed jersey.

A $125 deposit to cover bus fare and ticket to the game is required. The group will be staying at the Holiday Inn Select in downtown St. Louis located across the street from the Edward Jones Dome. The cost per night is $104. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-HOLIDAY.

The group will leave by charted bus at 10 a.m. on Nov. 23 from the Welcome Center parking lot and return after the game on Nov. 25.

Those interested in going are asked to RSVP with Director of SAU Alumni Relations Ceil Bridges at 870-235-4092 or 870-235-4079.

Bismark, who has called Magnolia home since 1961, brings to the position an understanding of customer service from co-owning two businesses with her husband Paul, as well as a working knowledge of education, and the challenges of the field, from working as an English teacher in Columbia County schools.

“As a former school teacher I am interested in education and the University because of my connection with it over the years,” Bismark said. “I also see this position as an opportunity to make a contribution the University. Plus, my husband said I took the job because I can’t resist a challenge.”

Bismark’s ties with SAU run deep and began with spending a couple of weeks each summer with her aunt Floy Childs, and her uncle Orval Childs, who was director of the agriculture department for three decades, and whose name students associate with the Childs Agriculture Building.

Bismark said her immediate goal in her new position is to help grow the Foundation by recruiting people who have an interest in education. One of the often overlooked responsibilities of the University is to impact economic growth, she said.

“Education is important for its own sake, but it is also important that a student’s education makes them more productive in the economy,” Bismark said.

In the long term, she is looking forward to helping bring the “Blue and Gold vision” to life. Dedicated fundraising is one way to support this vision of a quality comprehensive University.

Bismark has a bachelor of arts in English with honors from SAU and a master of arts in English from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

She is a former member of the SAU Foundation Board of Governors, was chairman of the Columbia County Sesquicentennial Celebration, Magnolia-Columbia Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, 2002 and past president of the Magnolia Junior Charity League.

She and her husband Paul co-owned the Treasure Chest and Olive’s Sporting Goods, both in Magnolia, with her husband Paul. They have one son, Carl, who lives in McNeil, Ark., with his wife Brandy and their two children, Marley, 4, and Will, 1.

Bismark replaces Art Horne who was the executive director of development for the SAU Foundation in Magnolia from 2002-2007. Horne has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Office of Development and Alumni Affairs as executive director of development for UAMS colleges.

She said she might not have discovered this if it hadn’t been October, breast cancer awareness month, when as a student worker she was assigned to promote awareness in the library.

“I was walking around asking everyone if they had their self exam and they asked me if I had had mine,” she said. “I told them if they would do theirs, I would do mine. If it wasn’t for that reminder to check ourselves, I wouldn’t be here now.”

Merrell was 29 when she was diagnosed and has battled the cancer off and on ever since. But throughout her cancer treatments of chemotherapy and radiation, Merrell, now 37, still kept her goals of completing her degrees from Southern Arkansas University. She has earned a bachelors of science and education degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in educational administration and supervision despite her illness.

“When I first found out that I had cancer I thought my life was over and I was angry, but I decided to live my life,” Merrell said. “I was going through chemotherapy fulltime when I graduated with my bachelor’s and when I was going for my master’s degree I was diagnosed again. I continued those classes through chemotherapy.”

Although she had to take a sabbatical from her classes while working on her graduate degree, she eventually got her master’s and further fulfilled her goal of walking to receive her diploma even though she could have used a wheelchair after having to have a hip replacement because of the cancer.

But she didn’t use the wheelchair — she walked.

Earlier this month a fundraiser was held at Southern Arkansas University to help support Kim Merrell and her husband, Kelly Merrell who has been employed with the SAU Physical Plant since May of 1988 and their children, Kevin, 15 and Kacy, 13.

The fundraiser was a hamburger cookout at the Greek Theatre. Members of the SAU family and other friends of the Merrells’ purchased $5 tickets for a lunch with a hamburger, chips, desserts and a drink. While those who could ate outside, those on a tight time schedule were served in a “drive-thru” style by University volunteers.

The $3,200 check was comprised of money made up from lunch ticket sales and another $830 grant donation from Wal-Mart will also be given to the couple, according to La’Tricia Davis, administrative assistant to the vice president for academic affairs and university facilities coordinator.

The check was presented to the Merrells’ this week. Kim Merrell said she was overwhelmed with the generosity of the community and Kelly Merrell pointed out that friends from all over the state of Arkansas supported them in the fundraiser as well as teachers and the principal from the Haynesville Elementary School in Louisiana where his wife taught second grade this past year. He said she wants to return as soon as she is able.

“When I saw the money that was raised I started crying because when you go through a dark period of your life and people do something like that, it gives you hope to live,” Kim Merrell said. “We are so grateful for this gift. It was a humbling experience.”

Organizations that made the fundraiser possible include Sysco of Little Rock, Ark.; Wal-Mart of Magnolia, Ark.; Western Sizzlin of Magnolia, Ark,; Gilchrist Bag Company, Inc., Camden, Ark.; Pizza Place of Benton in Benton, La.; Brookshire’s of Magnola, Ark.; and Aramark on the SAU campus. Volunteers included members of the SAU faculty and staff, including workers from the physical plant and the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority. The sorority members sold tickets for the event, served food on the day of the event and used the day as a philanthropic gesture for their organization.

Each day members of the 40 or so member cast of the Broadway inspired dinner theatre prepare for the show, which will be presented at 6 p.m. on October 19 in the Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center. The dinner, which includes enticing entrée items such as filet mignon and twice baked potatoes, is designed to honor those being named as SAU distinguished alumni.

The bulk of the cast are members of the 30-strong Southern Arkansas University cheerleading squads, so they are already comfortable being directed by co-captains, Joni Bridges, a senior majoring in early childhood education of Magnolia, and Frank Byers, a senior majoring in general studies of Waldo.

Both Bridges and Byers are helping direct the cast in this production. Byers said he is already noticing some growth in performances from the cast, most of whom do not have a theatrical background.

“People are really getting out of their comfort zones with this,” Byers said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the SAU Welcome Center was abuzz with activity as cast members were up to their elbows in paint and foam board, creating pieces of six sets which will be used during performances of “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King.” The cast will also perform to songs from “Mary Poppins” and “Pocahontas.”

But, just as the current students are working on making the 2007 Homecoming as special as possible, students of the past are also looking forward to participating in many of the events. Earlier this week, cheerleaders also reunited at the SAU Welcome Center to reminisce about their experiences on the squad. Reba Jennings, of Magnolia, a cheerleader in 1980 and 1981, said a lot has changed since she cheered, including the more demanding performance abilities required of the women and men now on the cheerleading team.

“Our only requirement was to be able to do a cartwheel and the splits, and we thought that was something” Jennings said. “We also did not do pushups when there was a touchdown. We were too busy adjusting our skirts,” she said, laughing.

Another change over the years has been the addition of a cheerleading sponsor, a position now held by Ceil Bridges, who is also the director of Alumni Relations. During the days of Jennings and Donna Boyd, of Magnolia, a cheerleader from 1979 to 1982, Donna Walthall of Magnolia who cheered from 1975 to 1978, and Vivian Carr, of Lewisville, who cheered from 1975 to 1977, cheerleading competitions and the like were traveled alone. This created some pretty vivid memories when the ladies ran into anything unexpected, including car trouble. On a trip to Dallas one year when the ladies had a flat, the squad took matters into their own hands.

“We made a pyramid on the side of the road to get the attention of someone to stop and help us,” Boyd said.

The scheme worked and the ladies made their competition even without a sponsor.

These kind of stories are certain to resurface during Mulegating which begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 20 and lasts until the football game kickoff at 2:30 p.m. at Wilkins Stadium. Other reunions to take place during this time include members of the 1972 All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football team, past members of the volleyball Riderettes and former homecoming queens.

For more information about any activities related to Homecoming or to purchase $15 tickets for the dinner theatre on October 19, please call the Alumni Office at 235-4079.