Students, staff and faculty members reunited last week to kick off the 2009-10 school year at Jacksonville State University. The beginning of a new year marks fond memories for some and a fresh start for others. At the freshman convocation last week, new students to JSU were charged to uphold the university's rich tradition of excellence while pushing these boundaries to new heights. We spoke to a class of nearly 1,100 students, our largest freshman class in the history of this institution, and expect great things from them.

This fall we not only have new students and text books, but many innovative offerings such as an honors program, the Gamecock Express transit system, renovated dining facilities and a brand new café in Houston Cole Library. We are moving forward while maintaining the quality that brought us here.

The fall semester also marks the opening of a fresh football season and band program. In the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Preseason Poll released last week, JSU ranked 19th. As the only Ohio Valley Conference team ranked in the preseason poll, this season forecasts great victory for the Gamecocks. The season opens in Atlanta this Saturday as the Gamecocks take on Georgia Tech in Bobby Dodd Stadium at 12:00 noon, central time.

Also making an appearance on this afternoon in the Atlanta stadium will be JSU's nationally recognized Marching Southerners and Ballerinas. This year's show, "Of Thee I Sing," promises to be an intense and unyielding experience honoring the spirit and strength of America. This group, of more than 350, is sure to bring an energy to the field the crowd will never forget with songs such as Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Requium for a Soldier and You Raise Me Up.

While making plans to be a part of all of these exciting events, don't miss your chance to reconnect with old friends as well. There are a handful of reunions planned for the fall, but one new one is being organized by alumnus Fran Blanchard.

On Oct. 3, players, cheerleaders, coaches and friends of the 1980-1984 Gamecock football teams, as well as Delta Zetas from that era, are all invited to return to their alma mater to share a picnic on the quad before watching JSU face off against Tennessee Martin.

Blanchard says he has had an incredible response, hearing from many old classmates. "I've been hearing from people I haven't talked to in 30 years," Blanchard says. "It's been amazing."

One of Blanchard's favorite new contacts is Bobby Lane, '89, a former kicker and then cheerleader for JSU. After graduating from JSU, Lane suffered a stroke — but according to Blanchard, he's refusing to let physical struggles prevent him from returning home to JSU. It has been 17 years since he has set foot on the university's campus.

Lane has plans to take a Greyhound bus from his home in Santa Rosa, Fla. to Anniston, Ala., and he's excited about the opportunity to reunite with everyone. "As long as I am alive, I will find a way to be there," Lane told Blanchard.

Whether you are reconnecting with your JSU family or making new friends, this year will provide many stimulating opportunities for you. As the new marketing slogan states, JSU is "Where You're Going." Join us!

Erin Chupp, a freelance writer for the Office of Marketing and Communications, contributed to this article.