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Reminisce, Rejoice, Renew

Homecoming

Homecoming

 

Alumni and families converge for 2015 Homecoming & Family Weekend

by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson; video by Joe O'Neill

More than 1,500 alumni and family members of current students came to campus for the 2015 Homecoming & Family Weekend. Chock-full of social, educational and celebratory events, the three-day event drew the largest group of registrants to date.

Celebrations and remembrances

There were plenty of chances to reminisce, celebrate and reconnect, both at alumni club and team gatherings and at large-scale campuswide events.

All were invited to a Saturday barbecue while cheering on the Red Devils and to a panel and reception celebrating the 20th anniversary of Dickinson’s Mosaic programs. Some traveled to the College Farm to enjoy bluegrass music and fresh, local and organic fare, while others kicked back in the HUB Social Hall to smooth tunes by the Dickinson College Jazz Ensemble.

The football game against Moravian College was another highlight, as the Devils lost a high-scoring shootout 55-38. Fans gave a resounding cheer during halftime, as newly minted Athletics Hall of Famers Rachel Leverenz Wood ’02, Megan Shelley Dapp ’05, David Ayers ’60 and members of the 1990 football team were presented on the 50-yard line.

Fans also cheered on the field hockey, cross-country and women’s lacrosse teams during Saturday’s games and invitational. And some rallied with the field-hockey players for a post-game celebration on Biddle Field, while former members of the Red Devils swim teams enjoyed a lively poolside party.

Dickinsonians celebrated a milestone during the Blue Mountain Battalion's annual contracting ceremony. They also joined forces to honor and remember their own: college icon Ben James ’34, who died in July, just shy of his 103rd birthday; and two-time Athletics Hall of Famer Michael T. Mazurek ’90, a varsity football player, surgeon and Navy commander who died in 2009.

Learn, play, repeat

And while they paid tribute to Dickinson and Dickinsonians past, alumni and families likewise sampled a slice of the college’s present through tours, discussions and open houses.

Many took advantage of the college’s two-hour, self-guided Campus Expo, featuring musical performances, student art demonstrations, open classes and first-year seminars; department open houses; planetarium tours; student-internship sessions; and a bicycle-smoothie session. President Nancy A. Roseman shared her vision for the college during a breakfast panel discussion, and college deans discussed college resources over coffee with parents of current students.

Other learning opportunities included talks by Dickinson professors and by visiting experts. Outdoorsy Dickinsonians made the annual trek to nearby Pole Steeple and learned about the geologic history of the Central Pennsylvania mountains, while others attended a lecture on military-civilian relations and a tour at the nearby U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. Some learned to make and use household-energy-saving devices during a Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency workshop.

The weekend was capped by the Asbell Center Bagel Brunch; a legacy brunch; the annual Run for Steph race drew over 500 participants and raised over $10,000 for the McAndrews Fund for Athletics; and a music recital by Contributing Faculty in Music Michael Cameron (cello) and Professor of Music Jennifer Blyth (piano).

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Published September 27, 2015

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