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Friday, September 23, 2022

ScotsFest: Arkansas Scottish Festival and Lyon College Homecoming is Oct. 14-16

Lyon College will kick off the celebration of its 150th anniversary with ScotsFest, the 42nd Arkansas Scottish Festival and Lyon College Homecoming, from Oct. 14 to Oct. 16 on the Batesville campus.

General admission to the festival is free, though some individual and alumni events require a registration fee.

The Arkansas Scottish Festival began in 1979 as a small fair on the campus’ intramural field as a way to pay homage to the Scottish heritage of the College’s Presbyterian founders. It has grown into one of the premier festivals in Arkansas and one of the most prominent festivals in the United States for honoring Scottish heritage and traditions. This is the second year the festival will be combined with the Lyon College Homecoming. 

Presented by Lyon College and lead partners White River Health and Experience Independence, ScotsFest will feature a variety of activities in celebration of Lyon College’s sesquicentennial, including special musical performances, alumni and friends gatherings, Highland dancing, sheepdog demonstrations, a dog show, children’s activities, a bonniest knees contest, and a feast and ceilidh. 

“While every ScotsFest is a great festival, this year represents something special in the life of our community: an opportunity to come together, alumni and friends alike, from every corner of Arkansas and from across the country to celebrate 150 years of history and tradition at Lyon College,” said Dr. David Hutchison, Vice President for Advancement.

“The whole weekend is really a huge kickoff for 10 straight days of special events and activities that showcase our unique story as a pioneer college in the foothills of the Ozarks, our journey to a national liberal arts college today, and looking forward to what great things are in store not just for Lyon College, but for Arkansas.”

Cindy Barber, Executive Director of Alumni Engagement, said, "There's always an air of excitement on campus during ScotsFest, and we love seeing so many alumni and friends come home to Lyon. This year, you do not want to miss it.  We look forward to celebrating our Scottish heritage, homecoming, the sesquicentennial, and Lyon College’s exciting future together with you."

John 3:16 Ministries provides outstanding support in helping to set up and take down the festival.

ScotsFest begins Friday, Oct. 14, with open classes, a president’s reception, alumni awards celebration and social, and the Kilted Mile race/walk at 12th and Main Street in downtown Batesville at 6 p.m. Registration for the race/walk is available at arscottishfest.com.

“This year we will have several pipe bands from around the region and great opening ceremonies with all the favorites: Amazing Grace, Scotland the Brave and others,” said Jimmy Bell, Director of the Scottish Heritage Program. “Come see or enter yourself in the heavy athletics. You’ll have an opportunity to throw stones and weights for distance or height and throw some telephone poles.”

Festival gates open at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, with a nod to history and reenactments by MacLachlan's Jacobite Highlanders and Colonel Munro's 37th Regiment of Foot, followed by a Highland athletics competition, rocket demonstrations, pipe band exhibitions, Highland dancing, softball alumni game, Black Student Association reunion, homecoming tailgate, a British car show, Li’l Highlanders Fun Zone, Highland dancing, baseball alumni game and a Lyon volleyball game.

There will be a band and clans march-past followed by opening ceremonies at 12 p.m. with a mass pipe band concert in Couch Garden. Afternoon activities include a dog show, homecoming pep rally and homecoming football game. A feast and ceilidh begin at 6 p.m., followed by a young alumni social.

“There is nothing more exciting than the colorful parade of clans, unless it's the soul-stirring soundtrack provided by the pipe bands as the clans march past,” said Kenton Adler, Director of Development for Scottish Heritage. “And when the massed bands play together, it really can't be beat.”

Sunday’s lineup includes a Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan worship service at 10 a.m. in the entertainment tent with tea and scones provided, as well as sheepdog demonstrations, Highland dancing and a bonniest knees contest. A Club 50 celebration for those who have been alumni for over 50 years is set for noon in the Maxfield Room of Edwards Common, with the class of 1972’s induction into Club 50. The festival closes at 2 p.m.

“Lyon College welcomes everyone to come to this momentous occasion. ScotsFest is always one of the most, if not the most, diverse and entertaining events in Independence County. There is something for everyone of all ages. Forty-two years of practice made perfect,” said Pam Palermo, Director of Institutional Events.

In conjunction with the sesquicentennial, Founders’ Week celebrations will continue with daily activities the following week and will culminate Oct. 22 with the inauguration of Dr. Melissa Taverner, Lyon College President.

“Our 150th birthday is going to be a bash. We have a week full of events that will end with our 19th Presidential Inauguration and Sesquicentennial Black-Tie Gala,” Palermo said.

Following is a list of the ScotsFest events planned for this year. The full schedule can be seen at arscottishfest.com.

Friday, Oct. 14

8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Open Classes*

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. President’s Reception* (Highland House)

6 p.m. The Kilted Mile* (downtown Batesville)

6 p.m. Annual Lyon College Alumni Awards Celebration* (Edwards Commons)

9 p.m. Alumni & Friends Social* (The River Steakhouse & Waterfront Grill— formerly Josie's)

Saturday, Oct. 15

8 a.m. 42nd Arkansas Scottish Festival Opens to the Public

8 a.m. VIP Breakfast* (VIP Tent, Couch Garden)

8 a.m. Reenactments by MacLachlan's Jacobite Highlanders and Colonel Munro's 37th Regiment of Foot begin

9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Lyon College Scot Shop open (Edwards Commons)

9 a.m. Highland Athletics Competition* begins (Couch Garden)

9 a.m. Sheep Dog Demo (Brown Chapel Front Lawn)

9 a.m. - 11. a.m. Rocket Demonstrations (Practice Soccer Field)

10 a.m. Homecoming Tailgate (Brown Chapel South Lawn)

10 a.m. Pipe Band Exhibitions begin (Couch Garden)

10 a.m. Highland Dancing begins (South Lawn of Brown Chapel)

10 a.m. Softball Alumni Game (House Field)

10 a.m. Baseball Alumni Game (Fred Wann Field)

10 a.m. Black Student Association Reunion (Outdoor Classroom)

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Faculty/Families Meet & Greet

11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Ozark Beer Co. Entertainment Tent Open* (Couch Garden)

11 a.m. Homecoming Tailgate (Brown Chapel South Lawn)

11 a.m. Alumni Hospitality Tent

11 a.m. British Car Show (Brown Chapel Crescent)

11 a.m. Li’l Highlanders Fun Zone opens (South Lawn of Lyon Building)

11 a.m. Sheep Dog Demo (Brown Chapel South Lawn)

12 p.m. Clans and Bands March-Past, Opening Ceremonies, Mass Pipe Band (Couch Garden)

12:30 p.m. Homecoming Pep Rally (Tailgate Alley)

1 p.m. Dog Show (Couch Garden)

2 p.m. Lyon College vs. Texas College Homecoming Football Game (Pioneer Stadium)

2 p.m. - 5 p.m. Alumni & Friends Pavilion (Pioneer Stadium)

6 p.m. Cocktail Hour, Feast, Ceilidh and Dancing* (Entertainment Tent)

9 p.m. Young Alumni Social* (Flanders Terrace, Lyon Building)

 

Sunday, Oct. 16

8 a.m. Festival Opens

8 a.m. Vendors and Clans

8 a.m. Reenactments by MacLachlan's Jacobite Highlanders and Colonel Munro's 37th Regiment of Foot begin

10 a.m. Highland Dancing (Brown Chapel South Lawn)

10 a.m. Tea and Scones (Entertainment Tent)

10 a.m. Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan Worship Service (Entertainment Tent)

12 p.m. Club 50 Celebration* (Edwards Commons, Maxfield Room)

12 p.m. Bonniest Knees Contest (Entertainment Tent)

1 p.m. Women's Basketball Alumni Game (Becknell Gymnasium)

4 p.m. Festival Closes

*Additional Registration Required

Registration Information

General admission to the festival is free, though some individual and alumni events require a registration fee.

Registration for ticketed events can be found at arscottishfest.com.

Lyon College Scots football gameday ticket information is available here: https://lyonscots.com/sports/2019/8/30/tickets.aspx.

at Friday, September 23, 2022
Founders' Day ScotsFest Homecoming

Monday, September 19, 2022

Lyon College Kresge Gallery exhibition features works of Sean P. Morrissey in 'Move-In Ready'

The Lyon College Kresge Gallery will host an artist talk featuring current artist Sean P. Morrissey and the exhibition "Move-In Ready" at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, in Room 100 of the Lyon Business and Economics Building with a reception to immediately follow in the Kresge Gallery in the Alphin Humanities Building, 2300 Highland Rd., Batesville.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

"The North American landscape is the foundation for my investigation of domestic space, land use, identity and consumerism. I question the cultural obsession with the 'dream home' and the underlying normativity present in these everyday spaces, asking if individualism exists in prefabricated choices," said Morrissey in an artist statement. "I explore the desires to fit in and stand out while I question my own paths to self-determination and individuality. The suburban terrain spreads ad infinitum, and I examine the landscape for forms that have become signifiers of lived space."

Morrissey has a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Two-Dimensional Studies from Bowling Green State University.

Morrissey's work has been exhibited in over 100 venues nationally and internationally in the last decade, including the International Print Center New York, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art (Omaha), the Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art (Richmond), Coop Gallery (Nashville), the University of Texas at Austin, Dedalo Center for Contemporary Art (Italy), and the Biennale internationale d’estampe contemporaine de Trois-Rivières (Canada).

The exhibition will run through Oct. 9. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays.

For more information about the exhibition, please contact Dustyn Bork, Professor of Art and Kresge Gallery Director, at Dustyn.Bork@lyon.edu.

Posted by Carol Langston at Monday, September 19, 2022
Lyon College art program Kresge Gallery Sean P. Morrissey

Monday, September 19, 2022

Lyon College Alum John Pruden receives graduate fellowship

Lyon College alum John Pruden, ‘21, from Allen, Texas, was recently awarded the Alpha Lambda Delta Dr. Warner Moore Graduate Fellowship, in the award amount of $2,000, for use during the 2022-23 academic year. 

Alpha Lambda Delta is an honor society that recognizes student’s academic success in their first year at college or university, but since ALD is a lifetime membership, there are opportunities for alumni as well. Award amounts range from $2,000 to $7,000 and are used to offset the expense of pursuing graduate or professional studies.

“Because of how hectic my senior year was I ended up not getting an application in,” Pruden said. 

He continued, “However, I was able to apply during my second semester of graduate school, and that gave me a better handle overall on my goals.”

Pruden originally joined ALD as an undergraduate because his sister was also a member of her college’s chapter.

“She had told me all about her campus's chapter of ALD, and she also won a scholarship from them to study abroad,” Pruden said. “Getting accepted into ALD was the first big academic goal I accomplished when I got to campus, and it gave me a lot of confidence in my abilities as a college student!”

As an undergraduate, Pruden studied Chemistry and French, graduating in 2021. At Lyon College, he was a brother of Tau Kappa Epsilon, as well as the president of the French club and honor council.

“Aiming for acceptance to ALD made me set myself up for a successful college career, both directly from the scholarships they offer, but also indirectly by making me prioritize my first semester grades, which led to me getting quite a few invaluable research and internship opportunities right after my first year,” said Pruden.

Before graduating, Pruden, much like his sister, won the same study abroad scholarship during his senior year. Unfortunately, due to COVID, the program fell through. 

Currently, he participates locally in the Philadelphia Gryphons inclusive rugby team and Temple InterVarsity Queer Bible Study, while pursuing a degree in electrical and computer engineering at Rowan University.

“As a member of Dr. Dwaipayan Chakraborty’s lab, I research applying various machine learning frameworks, to assist with materials discovery for non-volatile devices. After graduate school, I hope to continue studying machine learning and to pursue a career in intellectual property,” Pruden stated.

Pruden said that the biggest thing Lyon had instilled in him was the ability to accept and embrace change.

“I expected everything at Lyon when I matriculated to be the same when I graduated, and that's honestly unrealistic, and if it was the same then the college wouldn't be improving! I changed my major a few times, changed my priorities a few times, and learned how to improvise and adapt. ‘Perseverance conquers all, God willing.’ is really true,” said Pruden.

And it’s these mottos, lessons and messages that Pruden encourages more students to experience.

“I think going into college with a successful mindset can really make a huge difference,” said Pruden. “Even for a student that doesn’t get into ALD, if they try their hardest early on, they’re setting themselves up for long-term success.”

at Monday, September 19, 2022

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Lyon College to host Native-American flautist, dancer, storyteller, author and composer

Lyon College will present Grammy- and Emmy-nominated Native American flute artist John Two-Hawks on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 6 p.m. in the Bevens Music Room of the Brown Chapel on the Lyon College campus, 2300 Highland Rd., Batesville.

The performance, “Of Mist and Stone: Sacred Music and Ancient Mysteries,” is sponsored by the Lyon College Music department and Convocation Committee and is free and open to the public.

In the presentation, Two-Hawks, a Native-American flautist, dancer, storyteller, author and composer who descends from both Celtic and Indigenous people, will share the wisdom and knowledge of two highly advanced, predawn civilizations and cultures through sacred music and stories.

Two-Hawks is a Platinum Award winning recording artist whose music has been featured in movies by Fox Searchlight, films by HBO and programs by The History Channel. He has been performing professionally since the 1990s and is credited with helping to introduce the Native American flute to a worldwide audience.

In addition to the Native American flute, Two-Hawks sings and plays many other instruments. He has produced nearly 20 CDs and shares his Lakota heritage in numerous books he has written and through guest lectures at schools and on college campuses across the U.S.

For more information about the Lyon College performance, please contact Dr. Michael Oriatti, Convocation Chair, at Michael.Oriatti@lyon.edu. For more information about John Two-Hawks, visit www.johntwohawks.com. 

at Thursday, September 15, 2022
Lyon College convocation John Two-Hawks

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Lyon College’s TKE chapter joins the $5,000 Club in fundraising

Lyon College’s Tau Kappa Epsilon chapter, or TKE, recently announced that they had the honor of joining TKE’s prestigious $5,000 club, and were recognized at the TKE Conclave in Houston, Texas. Lyon College’s chapter has been working diligently over this past year to help raise money to donate to their main philanthropy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, with the final amount totaling $5,405.

“Our organization chose St. Jude as our primary philanthropy as one of the fraternity’s alumni, Danny Thomas, founded the hospital in hopes of helping all children with illnesses who may not have the financial ability to get the care they need,” said Zachary Nohr, Lyon College senior and TKE Philanthropy Chairman.

Nohr said that Lyon College’s chapter has been holding both individual and group fundraising events for St. Jude. Some of the bigger events like Dunk TKE, Shave for St. Jude, and the TKE St. Jude Charity Livestream helped to create a fun atmosphere while encouraging donations for a great cause.

Dunk TKE allowed donors to pay to dunk the brothers of TKE in an ice-filled dunk tank. The TKE Charity Livestream was a new event this year where TKE brothers live streamed video games for 12 hours straight on Twitch and Facebook. Shave for St. Jude has participants shave off their hair and auction it off based on donation goals.

“My favorite fundraising event is Shave for St. Jude as it allows us to help raise money for the hospital and show solidarity with the children at the hospital by shaving our heads,” said Nohr.

With all of the various fun and inviting events, it’s no surprise that the College’s TKE chapter soared to new heights with their fundraising goals.

“While we have raised money for St. Jude for decades, the amount we have raised as a chapter this last year is new,” said Nohr. “The $5,000 Club is a group of chapters within our fraternity that have raised $5,000 for St. Jude in a year.”

Being a recognized member of the $5,000 Club is an achievement unto itself, but Lyon College’s TKE chapter also being within the top 50 fundraisers, out of 225 total chapters, makes it all the sweeter.

“This has shown that our chapter here at Lyon is able to compete with larger schools when it comes to fundraising for St. Jude,” said Nohr.

The College’s TKE chapter has already raised $1,350 thanks to Chapter President Hunter Perkins and a TKE alum individually raising money for St. Jude over the summer.

“Members of the campus and Batesville community can help us break our previous fundraising total by looking out for our philanthropy events this semester by following our Instagram or donating to St. Jude through our organization,” said Nohr.

If you are interested in staying up to date with Lyon College TKE, follow their Instagram at @lyontke, or donate directly through their link here, https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/TKE/TKE?pg=entry&fr_id=139908.
at Thursday, September 8, 2022
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