Montevallo, Ala. – The University of Montevallo recently hosted their 2016 Homecoming festivities, as alumni, faculty, staff, students and their parents retreated to campus to celebrate Homecoming with events spanning several days, including athletics, awards, honors and musicals.
The week’s festivities began Tuesday evening with the annual College of Education Faculty, Staff and Alumni Recognition Dinner. Awards were presented to 14 individuals, including a Lifetime Commitment to Education Award presented to Pat Scales by Dr. Anna McEwan.
Scales presented her own gift to the school on Sat. Feb. 13, at a dedication ceremony honoring her collection of over 3,400 children’s literature titles Scales has gifted to the University over the past five years. Scales’ special collection that will be held in Carmichael Library will also hold several original manuscripts and audio recordings of children interviewing some of the world’s most renowned children’s authors. A member of the class of 1966, Scales celebrated her 50th anniversary and the dedication of her special collection with several friends from UM, known as the “Same Sweet Girls.”
The University of Montevallo National Alumni Association Awards Dinner was held Friday evening and the winners of the 2016 alumni awards were announced. Rev. Alice Hunt, Ph.D., president of Chicago Theological Seminary, was recognized as the Distinguished Alumnus. Hunt graduated from UM in 1978 and continued to earn her MTS, M.A. and Ph.D. in Religion at Vanderbilt University. She is an ordained minister with both the National Baptist Convention and the United Church of Christ.
Eric SanInocencio received the Nathalie Molton Gibbons Young Achiever’s Award. SanInocencio, a 2003 UM graduate, is the digital media director of the NFL’s Houston Texans. Sharon M. Gilbert, the current director of Upward Bound at UM, was the recipient of the Nathalie Molton Gibbons Alumni Achievement Award. Gilbert holds two degrees from UM, and also serves on the Montevallo City Council.
The University hosted a number of departmental receptions and class reunions on Saturday, including a Minority Alumni Brunch that took up a donation for a scholarship to help minority students cover book expenses. The 2016 UMNAA award recipients were once again recognized at the Homecoming Awards and Recognition Luncheon, as were honored classes, outgoing UMNAA President Michael Malone and newly installed UMNAA officers.
Later Saturday afternoon a Purple & Gold basketball game, “Bloch Party” and art auction were held on campus. The evening concluded with The Campaign for Montevallo: It’s About Family comprehensive campaign public launch in Anna Irvin Hall and the final performances of the College Night productions held in Palmer Hall.
College Night is the unique culmination of homecoming weekend at UM. In its 98th year, the event has been celebrated annually during February since 1919. The crowning event of College Night is the completely student-created musical production. Everything from scripts, music, lyrics, costumes, choreography, sets and lighting are student produced for the shows that are judged by objective professionals. Along with athletic competitions between the sides, points are awarded and the side accumulating the most points owns bragging rights until the next year.
This year, the Purple Side’s production, “All Hands On Deck” won the night. Between the Purple and Gold shows on Friday and Saturday night, the recipient of the College Night Dedication was recognized, and the winners of the Mr. and Ms. Montevallo elections were announced. This year, the dedication went to Dr. Laurie Middaugh, an UM alumna, current Music Director for the Division of Theatre and staff accompanist. Mr. and Ms. Montevallo were James Powers, of Hazel Green and Hannah Stephens, of Vestavia.
About The University of Montevallo
The University of Montevallo seeks to be unique in higher education in Alabama, by providing students from throughout the state an affordable, geographically accessible, “small college” public higher educational experience of high quality. Settled within an atmosphere of national historic beauty and offering a tradition of innovative cultural expression, we seek to provide professional programs supported by a broad base of arts and sciences that are designed for intellectual and personal growth in the pursuit of meaningful employment and responsible, informed citizenship.