The work week is done, and it's time for fun. From exciting athletic contests involving nationally ranked teams to a performance by an internationally acclaimed musician and a community open house for an impressive new facility, activities abound at Ohio University this weekend. Following are some of the events.
11th-ranked Field Hockey team hosts Central Michigan at 3 p.m.
The Ohio University field hockey team will put its 8-2 record and No. 11 national ranking on the line in a Friday home game vs. Central Michigan. The game begins at 3 p.m. at Peggy Pruitt Field and is the start of a six-game home stand for the Bobcats. The Bobcats will tangle with Ball State at 1 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free.
Football team hosts no. 23 Toledo on Saturday
The Ohio University football team will attempt to knock off the 23rd-ranked Toledo Rockets at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6. The Bobcats will be looking for their first win of the season on Hall of Fame Weekend at Peden Stadium, while the Rockets will attempt to improve their record to a perfect 5-0. The teams haven't met since the 1996 season, when the Rockets pulled out a 24-23 win in Athens.
Grover Center has Bobcat spirit on Saturday
Ohio University's Grover Center will be charged with Bobcat spirit on Saturday, Oct. 6, as WellWorks, HeartWorks and Ohio University Therapy Associates team up with Ohio Athletics for a community open house prior to kickoff of the Ohio vs. Toledo football game. Doors are open from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for the event.
The open house will feature guided tours of the newly renovated center as well as free drawings for great prizes. Kids will enjoy photos with the Bobcat mascot and face painting by the Ohio Cheerleaders and Dance Team. There will be plenty of fun for adults, too, including a chance to meet head men's basketball coach Tim O'Shea, head women's coach Lynn Bria and several members of the teams.
Zimbabwe musician Thomas Mapfumo to perform
Thomas Mapfumo, popularly known as the "Bob Marley of Zimbabwe," will bring his unique style of music, chimurenga, to Ohio University at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium.
As the creator of chimurenga, the Shona word for "struggle," Mapfumo has used his music since the 1970s as a form of political expression against both the past white minority government of Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia, and the current regime of President Robert Mugabe.
Mapfumo and his band, "the Blacks Unlimited," have made the mbira, an African musical instrument, popular worldwide. He has performed with such musical legends as Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Marley and the Wailers and has taken chimurenga to countries worldwide, including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. The artist's work consistently ranks at the top of the World Music Charts Europe, reinforcing his role as an international musical legend.
Tickets are $7.50 for the general public and $5 for students and are available at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium box office, (740) 593-1780. Box office hours are noon until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Read more about Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited
Soccer team begins six-game home stand on Sunday
The Ohio University women's soccer team begins a six-game home stand on Sunday, when it hosts Ball State at 1 p.m. at Shafer Street Field. Before taking on the Cardinals, the team plays on Friday at Kent State. The Bobcats will be looking to improve on their 2-1 Mid-American Conference record this weekend. Admission is free to all soccer games.
