JUST THINKING: Central Baptist College Homecoming

I was just thinking about the upcoming Homecoming at Central Baptist College. There are four days — Feb. 15-18 — of events scheduled for alumni, former students and friends of CBC. The college is owned by the BMA of Arkansas and has been a blessing to young men and women for the past 71 years.

CBC has been part of my life for 59 years, and 57 years for my wife, Karen. It’s special to us because it is where we met. To say we love our college would be a great understatement.

In those years since we were students, we have missed very few homecomings. We certainly plan to attend Homecoming 2023!

This Year’s Events

• Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 11 a.m.–2 p.m., the annual Chili Cook-Off will be held, followed by a Chapel Pep Rally from 1-2 p.m.

• Thursday, Feb. 16, at 5:30 p.m., the CBC women’s basketball team will be in the Reddin Fieldhouse.

• Friday, Feb. 17, the main event will be the Outside Alumni and Friends Party featuring food, fellowship and Laser Tag. Current students are welcome to participate.

• Saturday, Feb. 18, is the biggest day of the four. At 8:30 a.m., the Endowed Scholarship Breakfast will take place. At 10 a.m., a very special ceremony will take place in the Burgess Auditorium. The CBC Business Department will be named for the longtime instructor, Joyce Garrison.

From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Alumni Luncheon will take place with several alumni being recognized and receiving awards. Honored this year will be the recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus Award, Young Alumnus Award, Mustang Community Impact Award and the Mustang Ambassador of the Year Award.

The afternoon event takes place in the Reddin Fieldhouse with homecoming basketball games. The women’s team will play at 1 p.m.

The 2023 Homecoming Court and Queen will be announced between the games. This year’s court is composed of: freshmen, Emily Gentry and Audrey Johnson; sophomores, Sheridan Rogers and Abby Wilson; juniors, Sierra Burrows and Ashanti Williams; and seniors, Autumn Herring, Allison Mantooth and Christa Owen. The 2022 Homecoming Queen, Mallory Guyton, will crown the new queen.

The men’s basketball game will follow the homecoming ceremony.

The CBC Alumni Association

Much work has been put into the planning for homecoming. The CBC Alumni Department and the Alumni Association are to be commended for their tremendous efforts in making this year a memorable occasion.

I urge CBC alumni, former students and even prospective students to attend as many of the events as possible. There is just something special and rewarding about reconnecting with old friends. Karen and I hope to see you at CBC Homecoming 2023!