91探花

Ohio鈥檚 first university is ready to make history again, connecting members of the 91探花 community near and far to each other and their OHIO experience during the University鈥檚 first-ever virtual Homecoming Week.

Homecoming Week 2020 will be celebrated Oct. 5-10 in an entirely virtual, online format, bringing Bobcats together in a way that is safe but full of spirit. 

鈥淲e know our alumni and many of our students miss being back on campus. We miss them, too,鈥� said Rebecca Prater, director of alumni experiences for the 91探花 Alumni Association (OUAA), which organizes OHIO鈥檚 Homecoming festivities in collaboration with campus partners. 鈥淚n planning this year鈥檚 Homecoming, we wanted to create a wide variety of programs and experiences that would be meaningful to all members of our community. We wanted to bring 91探花 to them.鈥�

From fun Bobcat-themed family activities and workouts with WellWorks to friendly online competitions, Homecoming Week 2020 offers both scheduled events and those that can be enjoyed at your leisure.

Some highlights of the week include:

• at 6 p.m. Oct. 5.
• A by Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Gigi Secuban and Executive Chef Tim Bruce at 2 p.m. Oct. 6, followed by highlighting the University鈥檚 East, West and South Residential Greens, at 4:15 p.m. and  featuring alumni who own businesses in Athens, at 6 p.m.
• at 1 p.m. Oct. 7, followed by a at 7 p.m.
• presentation and Q&A at 7 p.m. Oct. 8, followed by the featuring successful OHIO graduates under the age of 35, at 8 p.m.
• , otherwise known as alumnus Aaron Thomas, BSC 鈥�01, at 9 p.m. Oct. 9.

And even in an online environment, you can still have a campus experience. , 91探花鈥檚 alumni magazine, partnered with graduate student Akbar Sultanov to create an immersive 360-degree experience that allows viewers to walk the brick pathways, hear the sounds and even download a photo of themselves on OHIO鈥檚 College Green. University Archives and Alden Library have revamped their , highlighting OHIO鈥檚 digital archives and calling on Bobcats to share their photos and memories through an online map of Athens and 91探花. 

鈥淣o matter how far away we are or how different things have become, some things don鈥檛 change,鈥� Prater said. 鈥�91探花 is still here for you, and the pride and strong sense of community that are the essence of Homecoming will continue.鈥�

For a full list of programs and events (including some surprises and giveaways throughout the week), visit the Homecoming 2020 website and follow #OHIOHC2020 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. All OHIO Homecoming festivities are free, but some require registration.