Morningside College will kick off its 2014 Homecoming celebration with the dedication and ribbon cutting for its $13 million “academic village” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. Homecoming events will take place throughout the weekend for alumni, friends, students and their parents.

Morningside College will kick off its 2014 Homecoming celebration with the dedication and ribbon cutting for its $13 million “academic village” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. Homecoming events will take place throughout the weekend for alumni, friends, students and their parents.

The academic village includes a new classroom building, a new advising center and a remodel of the Hickman-Johnson-Furrow Learning Center.

The new three-story classroom building, Buhler Rohlfs Hall, will have offices, classrooms and labs for Morningside’s Sharon Walker School of Education, Nylen School of Nursing and Regina Roth Applied Agricultural and Food Studies Program. The Krone Advising Center will house a team of full-time, professional advisers focused on meeting the needs of first-year students.

The dedication and ribbon cutting will take place on the Arnold Student Plaza, on the south edge of campus along Garretson Avenue. There will be tours and receptions in the new buildings and the remodeled learning center beginning at 7:45 p.m., and there will be a fireworks display at 8:45 p.m. at Bass Field on Sioux Trail.

Reunion classes honored during Homecoming will be 1954, 1964, 1974, 1984, 1989, 1994 and 2004. Other reunion groups recognized during the weekend will include Sig Eps and the Dave Diamond reunion group.

On Tuesday, Sept. 30, Morningside students will participate in a talent show and Homecoming coronation at 6:15 p.m. in Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Ave. The events are free and open to the public.

Events on Friday, Oct. 3, include an open house for the academic village from 9 to 10:30 a.m., and the Alumni Art Show from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Helen Levitt Art Gallery in Eppley Auditorium. There will be reunion dinners for the classes of 1954 and 1964 at the home of President John and Robin Reynders. Other alumni, reunion groups and friends will gather at Emma’s Event Center, 3828 Stadium Drive, for appetizers and live music.

A full schedule of events on Saturday, Oct. 4, includes a 5K walk/run, campus tours, alumni receptions and the M-Club luncheon and athletic hall of fame awards presentation.

The Homecoming football game against Midland University begins at 1:30 p.m. in Olsen Stadium, 3201 Peters Ave.

After the football game, “Taste of Morningside” begins at 4 p.m. under the “big top” tents on the west end stadium parking lot. “Taste of Morningside” will feature music by The Velaires and The 7 Sons and food from Pizza Ranch, The House of Q, La Juanita’s, Bill’s Funnel Cakes, Miles Inn, Bob Roe’s Point After, Jerry’s Pizza, Palmer Candy, Dairy Queen and Kirk’s BBQ. Tickets for “Taste of Morningside” can be purchased on site.

At 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively, the women’s and men’s soccer teams will host games versus Midland University in Olsen Stadium.

On Sunday, Oct. 5, a worship service will take place at 10 a.m. in Eppley Auditorium, followed by a marquis brunch in the Olsen Student Center.