Greetings from Indianapolis and IUPUI!
The IUPUI Regatta happens this Saturday, and shoves off on the Downtown Indianapolis Canal at 10 am on Sept. 24. This family-friendly and campus-friendly campus tradition started eight years ago with just 48 teams, less than 1000 people, and aspirations for something much, much bigger. We haven’t disappointed yet.
The 2016 Regatta is on pace to be the biggest ½ mile canoe relay race we’ve had yet.
With 150 teams, over 750 paddlers and participants, and over 10,000 spectators, we have fast become the premier canal event for Indianapolis. Nearly every corner of our campus – from fraternities and sororities to professional schools like Medicine and Dentistry – compete for a place on the Regatta trophy. We appreciate our annual presenting sponsor Herff Jones for returning in 2016 to help make this event possible.
We are in the midst of Regatta week, a week of campus and alumni events hosted on or near campus by various student organizations and campus units all with the purpose of engaging IUPUI students, faculty, and staff in opportunities to share pride and excitement for their campus and the Jaguar spirit. Alumni will enjoy an opportunity to network on Wednesday evening, as over 125 alumni, artists, students, and campus administrators will attend a networking event at 9 On Canal apartments located on the downtown canal. There they can peruse artwork from Herron School of Art and Design artists and learn more about the Regatta.
The Regatta isn’t just a fun time for those who attend, it’s a scholarship fundraiser for high achieving students at IUPUI who are involved in campus leadership activities. Each year the IU Alumni Association awards 10-$1000 scholarships to students. The scholarship is named after long-time IUPUI Office of Alumni Relation’s Executive Director Stefan Davis; he nurtured the Regatta in its early years to help it become what it is today. Those interested in supporting the scholarship can do so on the Regatta website.
Six units and schools will be hosting alumni and university-wide activities at the event this year. The Purdue Schools of Science and Engineering & Technology will both have a luncheon for alumni and students. The IU School of Medicine welcomes students, alumni and faculty to a BBQ in Fairbanks Hall, and the IU Foundation, IUPUI, and IUAA welcome alumni to a special reception in Canal 337. IU President Michael McRobbie and Vice President James Wimbush from Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs welcome over 300 campus and university colleagues for their annual university-wide reception at Canal 337. And finally, the IUPUI Office of International Affairs is hosting their 25th reunion of International House, a living-learning community on the IUPUI campus that focuses on cross-cultural awareness and education, on the canal throughout the day.
Bring your kids, your dogs, and your family to the canal this Saturday, Sept. 24, for the IUPUI Regatta. As we all anticipate the Regatta’s 10-year university in just two years, we look forward to welcoming you to our campuses newest tradition in Downtown Indianapolis. As they say around IUPUI, #yougottaregatta!
Go Jags!
Jayme Little
Interim Director, IUPUI Office4 of Alumni Relations
Advisor, SOAR and Regatta Steering Committees