Alumni invited to celebrate with Scripps events during Homecoming Weekend

Ohio University Homecoming Weekend 2024 is quickly approaching, and Scripps College of Communication alumni are invited to a full slate of college events.

On Friday, Sept. 27, the Ohio University Alumni Association’s Alumni Awards event will recognize the outstanding achievements of OHIO alumni. The event is being hosted by Chicago Bulls Radio Play-by-Play Announcer Chuck Swirsky, BSC ’76.

During the ceremony, Swirsky will have the honor of presenting one of the awards to a fellow Scripps College alumnus. Emily Bresser Hobel, BSC ’01, is being inducted into The Kermit Blosser OHIO Athletics Hall of Fame. Bresser Hobel was a member of the OHIO women’s swim team from 1997-2001 and served as team captain from 2000-2001. She is a 20-time MAC Champion and was a five-time MAC and OHIO school record holder. Bresser Hobel is a four-time First Team All-MAC honoree and was undefeated in the 200 backstroke at the MAC Championships throughout her four years at OHIO. She was named the 2001 MAC Outstanding Senior Swimmer of the Year, earned the MAC Commissioner’s Award and received the MAC Presidential Award in 2000-2001. Throughout her collegiate career, Bresser Hobel ranked in the top 50 and top 75 in the U.S. for multiple events, and never placed below third place in any event at MACs. In 2000, she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

Also on Friday evening, two additional Scripps College events are planned. WOUB Public Media is hosting a reception for alumni who worked at the media organization to celebrate both the 75th anniversary of WOUB Radio and the 25th season of WOUB’s high school football program, “Gridiron Glory.” More than 150 students work at WOUB each year, gaining professional media experience on TV, through programs like “Gridiron Glory,” as well as on the radio and online. Meanwhile, the School of Visual Communication will host an alumni gathering in the VisCom Focus gallery and Lasher Learning Center. The gallery currently features an exhibit called “Celebrating Chuck Scott’s Vision: 100 Years, Birth Anniversary of the Founder of the School of Visual Communication.” Hors d’oeuvres will be served. The exhibit runs through Sept. 30.

On Saturday, Sept. 28, alumni can visit Schoonover Center lobby for a pre-parade “Donuts with Dean Scott Titsworth” event from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Immediately following that, Swirsky, along with current student Donovan Varney, a junior news and information major, will co-host the Ohio University Homecoming Parade livestream Pre-Show from the Schoonover Center patio beginning at 9:45 a.m. Joe Focke, BSC ’73, a retired TV feature reporter at WVEC TV in Norfolk, Virginia, will be out along the parade route interviewing attendees along with current students, Jack Greene, a senior journalism news and information major, and Betty Kankam-Boadu, an international studies graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences. Swirsky and Varney will also emcee the livestream of the entire parade following the pre-show to help those who couldn’t come to Athens for this year’s festivities experience the parade.

“Homecoming is always a highlight of the year,” said Scripps College Dean Scott Titsworth. “In addition to having Schoonover Center being a key location for enjoying the parade, I’m excited to see Chuck host the annual Alumni Awards banquet where Emily Bresser will be honored for her contributions to Ohio Athletics! I’m also excited to host all Scripps alumni for Doughnuts with the Dean on Saturday morning before the parade begins—it’s always fun to say hello to the many alums making their annual trip back to Athens!”