For release: April 4, 2012
For press information, contact Gabrielle Maxey, 901/678-2843

From Friday through Sunday, April 20-22, the University of Memphis will host a Centennial Reunion Weekend that is open to the thousands of U of M alumni, faculty, staff, and students from around the world. A spring carnival and the unveiling of an iconic campus statue are among the dozens of events scheduled.

A highlight of the weekend will be the unveiling at 1 p.m. on April 20 of a bronze tiger statue modeled on U of M mascot TOM. The life-size tiger will be located on the west side of the University Center. The public is invited to the unveiling. Everyone is invited to rub the tiger’s paw for good luck, or pose next to it for photos.  

Created by noted sculptor David Alan Clark, the 1,000-pound statue will stand on an inclined surface, symbolizing the value of obtaining a college degree. Inside the statue’s base will be a time capsule filled with items representing the University’s Centennial.

One of the most visible on-campus events will be staged April 21 from noon to 4 p.m. The Student Activities Council (SAC) will hold a free Spring Fling Centennial Carnival on the Alumni Mall and Student Plaza for alumni, faculty, staff, students, and their families. Complete with rides, food, games, a petting zoo, and carnival acts, it will be one of the largest spring events SAC has ever hosted.

In conjunction with Reunion Weekend, the Department of Anthropology will host a weekend of events celebrating the program’s 35th anniversary. The department will host the Anthropology Anniversary Gala Dinner at The Peabody in downtown Memphis on the evening of April 21. Guests are invited to bid at the silent auction, taste exotic flavors from a Moroccan feast, and watch a tribal dance exhibition.

Other Reunion Weekend events include the Spring Opera by the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music; Faculty Convocation; a College of Education, Health and Human Sciences open house; a Loewenberg School of Nursing alumni reception; a Young Alumni Council “Blue Moon Masquerade” on the Madison Hotel Rooftop; a buffet at Corky’s for journalism alumni who served on the student newspaper or yearbook staff; and a Black Alumni Mixer and Reunion.

Details about Reunion Weekend and all Centennial events can be found online at www.memphis.edu/centennial/events.php.