'Behind the Blue': Continuing tradition during Homecoming Week
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 9, 2023) — For over 100 years, the University of Kentucky has celebrated Homecoming, an opportunity for students and alumni to continue the tradition of what it means to be a Wildcat. The UK Alumni Association, Student Organizations and Activities, Black Student Union, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Student Activities Board, the Office for Student Success and many other groups have been working hard to make Homecoming a special time in the lives of students, alumni and all who participate.
The UK Alumni Association will also welcome the Golden Wildcats from the Class of 1973 for a variety of 50th reunion activities. A full list of Golden Wildcat Society reunion activities and registration information can be found on the UK Alumni Association’s website.
From Oct. 10-13, there are events for all members of the UK community leading up to the Homecoming football game against University of Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 14. The Lyman T. Johnson Awards Luncheon, DanceBlue Silent Auction and National Pan-Hellenic Council Step Show are just a few of the annual events that lead into Homecoming weekend, a special tradition on UK’s campus since 1915.
On this episode of "Behind the Blue," UK Alumni Association Executive Director Jill Smith and this year’s Alumni Association President Janie McKenzie-Wells, highlight some of the events of Homecoming, the overall mission and worldwide reach of the Alumni Association, how students and alumni can get involved, and more, including the unveiling of Alumni Commons, the newest community area at the heart of campus.
‘Behind the Blue’ is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.
For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of "Behind the Blue" can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.
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As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.