Campus/Community Centennial Celebration set for Sweetheart Circle March 30

March 13, 2007

Historic Sweetheart Circle will be packed with alumni, students, friends and community well-wishers as Georgia Southern University honors its 100th birthday with a Campus/Community Centennial Celebration Friday, March 30, from 5-8 p.m. All are welcome to join the festivities for free food and drinks, Centennial cake, popcorn, cotton candy, balloons, give-a-ways, activities, entertainment and exhibits.

‘The citizens of Statesboro and Bulloch County had the vision to bring the college to Statesboro, and what better way to celebrate the University’s Centennial than with this big event showcasing the many facets of this great institution, ” said Billy Griffis, vice president for University Advancement and chairman of the Centennial Leadership Committee.

Live entertainment will be provided and the campus radio station ‘The Buzz” will present the backdrop for an evening of history, fun and games capped with the spectacular fireworks show visible from the Circle. A rare South Georgia ‘snowstorm” will create a snow area for playing and building snowmen. Several Georgia Southern departments will provide activities and games for children, including laser tag, making ‘slime,” and face painting. The College of Education adds a historical twist, featuring century-old games and dances.

While guests can view the Centennial exhibit, ‘Alma Mater, Dear: 100 Years of Student Life” at the Georgia Southern Museum, a familiar campus icon, the TKE rock, is being resurrected for this celebration. The TKE rock was stationed outside of the Williams Center and later moved to Olympic Blvd. and the entrance of Greek Row. As part of the tradition of the TKE rock, individuals will be able to paint the replica of the TKE rock in assorted colors. For those less artistic, cutaways of vintage photos and classic paintings ‘The Scream” and ‘Whistler’s Mother” will provide photo opportunities. Popular wildlife creatures from the Center for Wildlife Education also will be on hand for greetings and photos as well.

Items from student media, George-Anne newspapers and Reflector yearbooks from days gone by, will be on exhibit. Students and faculty dressed in period clothing will read poetry and play music from various decades and classic vehicles and agricultural equipment will be on display at the Circle. If the sight of beautifully restored cars gets the blood pumping, students and faculty from the School of Nursing will have blood pressure checks and other minor health screenings available to everyone who stops by.

While some exhibits focus on the University’s history, Henderson Library will showcase both the University’s past and its future. Displaying historical documents and artifacts, the Library will be open for tours of the new expansion and its brand-new automated retrieval system, the first of its kind in the Southeast. The Archives and Records Management Department will display Centennial items and other departments will offer historic displays from various eras.

Athletics hopefuls can try out their arms at the dunking booth, taking a turn to sink the booth’s inhabitant. Everyone who loves the Eagles will surely flock to GUS, Georgia Southern’s bigger-than-life mascot, as he joins the Eagle student-athletes and cheerleaders to distribute Centennial give-a-ways to everyone who attends the event. Posters honoring legendary Georgia Southern teams and individual coaches and athletes will also be available. Centennial items, available exclusively at the University Store, can be purchased at its location at the center of the Circle.

Parking for this event is available at the J.I. Clements Baseball Stadium, Hanner Fieldhouse and the College of Education lots. Southern Express, the University’s transit system, will run a shuttle from the College of Education lot to Sweetheart Circle throughout the evening.

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