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September 24, 2007
Expanded reunions highlight varied schedule for Homecoming 2007
By Eric Rangus
Emory Homecoming Weekend begins Thursday, Sept. 27 and runs through Sunday, Sept. 30. If it feels like the campuswide celebration has come around pretty quickly this year, well … it has.
For the last several years, Homecoming dates have floated throughout the fall semester (Homecoming 2006 took place at the end of October), but moving forward the University decided to lock Homecoming into the last weekend of September.
“We wanted to find a weekend free of conflict, and with fall break, religious holidays and even Halloween, that was difficult, but in general we’re really satisfied with the move,” said the Emory Alumni Association’s Gloria Grevas, assistant director for reunions. The EAA is one of Homecoming’s co-sponsors along with the Division of Campus Life and the Student Programming Council.
“With an earlier Homecoming, it’s also easier for new students to get involved,” Grevas continued. “They are still on a high about beginning college, and they haven’t yet gotten overwhelmed with classwork. From an alumni side, with Homecoming taking place at the same time each year, it’s easier to plan a return to campus — especially for a class reunion.”
And a vastly expanded class reunion program is one of the new features of Homecoming 2007. Previous Homecomings included reunions for three classes; Homecoming 2007 features nine reunions (five-year, 10-year, on up to 45-year), and according to Grevas, each will have its own distinct feel. Music from the eras, photographs and other memories will be just a part of the events, which truly are “home comings” for the attendees.
Reunions are expanding in other directions, as well. The EAA and Division of Campus Life are also partnering to create interest group reunions. Ad Hoc Productions, Emory’s musical theater organization, is celebrating 40 years of programming, and inviting its alumni back to campus. The Emory Wheel, the University’s independent student newspaper, is welcoming former staff back into the fold, with a reception at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28, in its offices on the fifth floor of the Dobbs Center.
Class and interest-group reunions are among the very few Homecoming events that are for specific populations. The vast majority of events are open to the entire Emory community. To see the full Homecoming schedule, complete with dates, times and event locations, visit www.alumni.emory.edu/homecomingweekend.
Homecoming highlights
Academics: Classes Without Quizzes features talks by faculty members Drew Westen, professor of psychology and psychiatry, and Natasha Trethewey, Phillis Whatley Distinguished Chair in Poetry.
Westen will present “The Political Brain,” which explores how emotion and reason collide in politics; and Trethewey will read from her Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry collection, “Native Guard.”
Athletics: Emory’s men’s lacrosse team will host Div. I Clemson University — lacrosse is a club sport on campus, but bringing in an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent breaks the NCAA’s traditional “creampuffs for Homecoming” mold. Women’s softball also will be in action against Georgia Perimeter College — a special fall double header for the spring athletes. For those interested in being a participant rather than a spectator, the annual Birdie for Eagles golf tournament is back for a return engagement, as well.
Groundbreakings and Openings: “A Celebration of Psychology” makes the groundbreaking of the new Psychology Building that will take place Friday, Sept. 28. The new Turman Hall will be open for tours as well, as will the new School of Medicine building.
Tours: Campus tours are always an integral part of Homecoming. Guests also can meander through the Visual Arts Building (which has a Dalai Lama-themed exhibit opening) or take a guided tour of the Goizueta Business School’s Balser Art Collection.
Music: The pop rock band Everclear will play the Student Activity and Academic Center on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 29.
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