UNC Asheville will hold its week-long Homecoming 2002 Celebration beginning February 11. The roster of 34 special events range from an evening with Grammy-Award winning entertainer David Holt to a special tribute to Bob Hartman, famed UNCA basketball coach .

Among the highlights will be a special celebration honoring the 180 students and faculty who volunteer in Asheville City and Buncombe County schools. Asheville City Schools Superintendent Robert Logan will speak at the event, to be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, at the YMI Cultural Center on S. Market Street. In addition, historic photos of Asheville's African American community, collected by the YMI and UNCA's Ramsey Library, will be on view. The public is invited to attend this free event.

UNCA has long history of working in both the city and county schools. Among UNCA's tutoring and mentoring efforts is Asheville to Asheville, a collaboration between UNCA and Asheville High schools, which encourages 9th-12th graders to complete high school and go on to post-secondary education. Students and faculty also volunteer through the Asheville/Buncombe Education Coalition, the national AVID and RETAP programs, and provide English as a second language tutoring to middle schoolers.

A number of other Homecoming 2002 events are open to the public. They are as follows:

February 12 -- Celebrate Chinese New Year and UNCA Homecoming at a special dinner featuring Asian food and entertainment from 4:45-7 p.m. in UNCA’s Dining Hall. Dinner is $5 at the door. The event is sponsored by UNCA’s International Student Association and Asian Students in Asheville.

February 12 -- To celebrate the completion of "Campaign UNC Asheville: Moving to the First in Our Class," the community is invited to join the UNCA family for an evening of celebration featuring a concert by Grammy Award-winning musician and storyteller David Holt at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Some 800 free tickets will be given away on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at 7 p.m. in the Civic Center lobby. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call UNCA’s Development Office at 828/251-6080.

February 13 -- UNCA’s free weekly lunchtime entertainment series, Clear Window on the Arts, will feature Bryan White and Jason Richmond, a jazz bass and guitar duo, from 12:15 to 1 p.m. in the Glasshouse adjacent to the Ramsey Library.

February 13 -- UNCA’s women’s basketball team takes on Radford in a Big South Conference game at 7 p.m. in the Justice Center. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children at the door.

February 14 -- The Clear Window on the Arts series will feature Tyler Kittle on the tenor sax from 12:15 to 1 p.m. in the Glasshouse. Free.

February 15 -- UNCA’s sixth annual homecoming parade is set to roll along University Heights, beginning and ending in front of the Justice center, at 4 p.m. A pep rally follows on the Justice Center lawn.

February 15 -- A member of several champion National Poetry Slam teams, Asian American poet Beau Sia will entertain the audience with his witty word stream at 7 p.m. in Lipinsky Auditorium. Sia’s poetry was featured in the movies "Slam!" and "Slamnation." He recently released a book of poems and a spoken word CD. The event is free.

February 16 -- Community members can join UNCA students, faculty, staff and alumni at the Homecoming Brunch held from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in UNCA’s Dining Hall. $4.50 per person at the door.

February 16 -- Bulldog fans will get pumped up at the Pontiac Pre-game Tailgate Party from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. near the UNCA tennis courts. Rain location is the lower level of the parking deck near Zageir Hall and the Justice Center. This event is sponsored by UNCA’s fraternities and the Alumni Association.

February 16 -- UNCA and Coastal Carolina face off in the homecoming basketball games. The women’s team plays at 2 p.m. followed by the men’s team at 4:30 p.m. Both games will be played in UNCA’s Justice Center and admission is $6 adults, $4 children.

During half time of the men’s game there will be a special tribute to Bob Hartman, UNCA’s men’s basketball coach from 1962-1979. Hartman, who holds the record for most wins in any sport in UNCA history, led early Bulldog teams to two district titles and trips to the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City.

The homecoming court will also be presented at half time of the men’s game. The king and queen will be crowned following the game at a formal student dance.

February 17 -- Festivities wrap up at 4 p.m. with a Faculty Chamber Music Concert in the Humanities Lecture Hall. UNCA music faculty Judi Lampert, flute, Jacqueline Mattingly, horn and Elsa O’Farrell, piano will be joined by Western Carolina University faculty Alan Mattingly, horn and Lillian Buss Pearson, pianist.

For more information about homecoming events, call UNCA’s Alumni Office at 828/251-6512.