The week of April 5 will see a multitude of events occurring as part of a mini homecoming week titled, “Panther Park: UNI Homecoming 2020.5,” the most notable being a virtual discussion with Emmy Award winning actor, director, writer and producer Dan Levy on Friday, April 9 at 9 p.m. 

Levy – known mostly for his role as David Rose in the hit television series “Schitt’s Creek” – will co-host a live watch party sponsored by UNI’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) in partnership with the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. 

Students can register to attend on CAB’s registration webpage at https://studentlife.uni.edu/cab-registration. When registering, students will have the option to attend in-person or receive a link to watch remotely. The event will feature limited seating with snacks and homecoming t-shirts available only to those who attend in-person. Once room capacity is met, students will still have an option to watch virtually.

The remainder of homecoming week will feature events beginning with College Hill window painting on Monday, April 5. Sponsored by the College Hill Partnership, student organizations will have the opportunity to show off their artistic skills and paint a business window along the “Panther Park” homecoming theme.

Tuesday, April 6 will see an office photo decorating contest sponsored by CAB. Those decorating an office in purple and gold will send a photo of their space to CAB for a chance to win prizes. Awards will be separated into two categories: “Best of Show – Decoration” and “Most UNI Spirit.”

The following day, April 7, will be the annual “Traditions Challenge Amazing Race,” sponsored by the Connecting Alumni To Students program.  For this activity, student organizations or a group of no more than five friends will run around campus in two different races. 

On April 8, sponsored by CAB and the UNI President’s Office, students and faculty are encouraged to celebrate homecoming with a grab-and-go-lunch in Maucker Union.  A total of 1,000 lunches will be provided and handed out from 11 a.m. through 1 p.m. or until supply runs out.

Student Life and Event Services, partnered with CAB, put together the mini celebration to make up for the noticeable lack of a homecoming week during the fall 2020 semester.

“We still wanted to show students at UNI that we still care about programming and we understand the importance of building relationships,” said student organizations coordinator Constance Hansen.

Hansen said that with the pandemic and what students have gone through the past year, personally and academically, they want to show they care and are excited to give a special and safe homecoming experience.

“This is what college is about, making memories together and following along with some traditions, and that is what gives UNI a special place in your heart,” she said.

All information about the week-long events, including each event’s respective registration links, can be found on UNI’s homecoming webpage, https://homecoming.uni.edu/.