By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Not even a global pandemic can bring down the Tiger spirit as Fort Hays University celebrates homecoming this week with a mix of in-person and virtual events with a theme of Homecoming @Home.
“We know that they can’t come to Tigerland, so we are bringing the Tiger Spirit to them,” said Tammy Wellbrock, FHSU Alumni Association interim director.
“We have been working really hard to get our virtual homecoming events up and off the ground and then making sure that all of our alumni and friends are aware of the events going on,” said Noelle Husmann, FHSU Alumni Association communications coordinator.
This year, Husmann said, the events are free and the virtual events are open to anyone across the globe.
“We are hoping to get some good numbers this year just because a lot of people have the opportunity to participate during this Homecoming @Home,” she said.
While many of this year’s events moved online, the goal is to create an experience that can still bring the FHSU community together.
“That truly is our way of bringing the news, the celebration and the honoring,” Wellbrock said. “Everything that is traditional about homecoming — from the warm fuzzy sense of the events — we are wanting to re-create.”
With the shift to online events, Homecoming 2020 has the potential to draw more people than ever before into the festivities.
“Certainly, we would have rather had everybody come visit and us to be in person but as we have talked about here at the alumni association, we all know that 2020 homecoming is not going to look like 2019 — but I really hope that the 2021 homecoming also doesn’t look like 2019,” Wellbrock said. “We really want to maybe drive new traditions that can enable those people that either can't travel due to health, can't travel due to distance and finances, time, all those things they can still be able to interact with their fellow alumni, Tiger friends and family and just be able to celebrate at a bigger global level.”
By bringing the events online, many alumni who are unable to come to Hays for the annual celebration can participate.
“I think the majority of people understand we are a global institution reaching every place on the globe,” Wellbrock said. “That’s where we would love to be able to continue to celebrate homecoming here on campus because that is the heart of where everything happens, it all starts here. But it’s also not the only reality, and we certainly hope to be able to engage some of the ideas that we are putting into place this year.”
She said she hopes to grow the online offering in the future, even as life returns to normal.
The events
While much of the FHSU homecoming shifted online, some events are still planned in person.
On Thursday, the Alumni Golf Tournament is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. and the Tiger Alumni and Friends 5K Run/Walk will start at 8 a.m. Saturday.
The 5K will also have a virtual component for those who are not in Hays.
Other virtual events began earlier in the week, with interviews with the alumni award winners that will culminate with an online celebration at 7 p.m. Thursday.
“It’s a challenge to do this celebration while we can’t actually be in person, but we have seven amazing award winners that are being honored,” Wellbrock said.
The interviews are available for replay on the FHSU Alumni Association Facebook page.
Friday’s events include a virtual groundbreaking for the Fischli-Wills Center for Student Success at 9 a.m.
And from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, a virtual reunion is planned in an online space.
“Our office has been working really hard to find an innovative way to connect with alumni,” Husmann said. “We found this great online software that is a bit more interactive than your typical video conferencing.”
Attendees will see be able to interact on a virtual quad modeled after an 8-bit video game.
“You can walk around a live campus and see people that way,” Husmann said.
“It’s kind of a throwback gaming feel,” Wellbrock said.
A big part of the celebration every year is the FHSU football game, but even without games being played, the association has created a fun solution.
Voice of the Tigers Gerard Wellbrock and Head Coach Chris Brown will offer commentary during a replay of the Tigers and Northwest Missouri State 2017 game.
“We are having those two actually do what we call a football flashback,” Wellbrock said.
That is set to premiere on the FHSU Alumni Association youtube page at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Overall, homecoming fits into FHSU President Tisa Mason’s goal for the year — convert don’t cancel.
“Lots to be proud of, lots to celebrate during the homecoming week and a lot of people are making it happen,” said Scott Cason, FHSU chief communications officer.
Despite the challenges of the year and the work required to pull off the event, Wellbrock is grateful for the opportunity to bring FHSU together.
“The opportunity to celebrate is always there and we are glad that we get to be a part of it,” Wellbrock said.
A full schedule of events and links to the virtual events can be found by clicking here.