Contact: Kimberly Osborne (304) 766-3363 kosborne@wvstateu.edu
INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Virginia State University (WVSU) will celebrate its 2016 Homecoming with a variety of activities held at the school’s Institute campus beginning Sept. 24 and concluding Oct. 1.
A highlight of the annual celebration will be the inaugural State of the University address by WVSU President Anthony L. Jenkins at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, in the P. Ahmed Williams Auditorium, located on the second floor of Ferrell Hall.
“As alumni from around the country return to campus, I look forward to not only learning from them about their histories and remembrances of West Virginia State, but also sharing with them my vision for the future of our University,” said Jenkins.
Homecoming festivities officially kick-off on Saturday, Sept. 24, with the fifth annual Homecoming 5K Run/Walk beginning at 9 a.m. on the plaza of the James C. Wilson University Union. Register online at . The cost is $20 in advance of the race, and the first 100 registered participants will receive a t-shirt.
On Wednesday, Sept. 28, the WVSU Theatre will present “The Bald Soprano” by Eugene Ionesco at 7 p.m. in the Skeen Theatre located in Cole Complex. Considered a classic of the mid-century absurdist movement, “The Bald Soprano” is free and open to the public. It will also be performed Thursday, Sept. 29, and Friday, Sept. 30, with both shows at 7 p.m. in the Skeen Theatre.
Other activities scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 29, include a WVSU National Alumni Association Board Meeting set for 3 p.m. at Embassy Suites in Charleston, and a Young Alumni Mixer at 7 p.m. in the Erickson Alumni Center on campus. There will also be a mixed media art exhibit, “Indirect Take” opening in the Della Brown Taylor Hardman Art Gallery in the Davis Fine Arts Building. The art exhibit will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Sept. 30, and is free and open to the public.
On Friday, at 9 a.m. in room 134 of the Wilson University Union there will be a bust unveiling of Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Maj. Gen. Charles C. Rogers, a former member of the WVSU ROTC Yellow Jacket Battalion. Then at 11 a.m., also in room 134 of the Wilson University Union, new members will be inducted into the WVSU ROTC Hall of Fame. The ceremonies are free and open to the public.
Friday’s Homecoming activities will also include a Golf Outing at Little Creek Country Club in South Charleston with registration at 10 a.m. and a shotgun start at 11 a.m. Cost is $50 per player and proceeds benefit the WVSU men’s basketball team. At 3 p.m. in the Dr. Ann Brothers Smith Conference Room of the Judge Damon J. Keith Scholars Hall, President Jenkins will hold an open forum and take questions from alumni. Friday at 7:30 p.m. the WVSU National Alumni Association will hold its annual Homecoming Awards Banquet at Embassy Suites in Charleston. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased by visiting or by calling (304) 766-3387.
Saturday, Oct. 1, at 8:30 a.m. in room 134 of the Wilson University Union, the National “W” Club will induct new members into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Cost to attend the induction brunch is $10 and tickets will be sold at the event.
At 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 1, the annual Homecoming Parade will begin at Shawnee Park and proceed along Route 25 before turning onto campus and continuing along the red road through the heart of campus to the football field where it will be followed by tailgating.
At noon, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony and dedication of the naming of Dickerson Stadium. The ceremony will take place at the newly completed ticket booth and entrance to Dickerson Stadium. Then at 1:30 p.m. the WVSU Yellow Jackets will take on the U.Va.-Wise Cavaliers in the annual Homecoming football game.
At 8 p.m. Saturday there will be an alumni dinner and silent auction at Embassy Suites in Charleston. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased by visiting or by calling (304) 766-3387.
For more information, and a complete schedule of Homecoming events, visit or call (304) 766-3387.
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