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WITHIN THE FAMILY
Homecoming: A Family Affair
By Alex Sachare '71
If you missed Homecoming 2003, which this year
was staged in conjunction with Family Weekend and
the opening of the 250th anniversary celebration,
you might wish to consider circling October 1–3,
2004, on your calendar. Those are the dates of the
next Homecoming, as well as the closing festivities
for Columbia250, and if this year was any indication,
you won’t want to miss out.
Homecoming 2003 at Baker Field was a fabulous event,
the biggest and best-attended in memory. More than
2,000 alumni, family and friends enjoyed better
food in a bigger tent — nearly twice the size
of last year’s tent. An indoor arcade and
outdoor amusement area, new this year, added to
the carnival atmosphere and were big hits with the
kids. Even the weather cooperated, as overnight
rains gave way to a pleasant mixture of sun and
clouds. The only disappointment came inside Lawrence
A. Wien Stadium, where the football team scored
first and then gave up 31 unanswered points.
Memo to Athletics Dept.: Next year, please don’t
schedule Penn as the Homecoming opponent. Let’s
give Coach Bob Shoop a couple of years to build
his program before testing it against a team like
Penn before the largest crowd of the season.
That 31–7 loss notwithstanding, Homecoming
2003 was by all accounts a huge success. What makes
Homecoming one of the College’s best events
is its inclusive nature. All alumni are welcome
under the big tent — you don’t even
have to buy a barbecue ticket, although why anyone
would pass on such good food is beyond me. And alumni
of all ages show up, like the grandfather who proudly
wore a shirt that pictured his grandson, a member
of the football team, or our newest alumni, the
members of the Class of ’03 who got together
to talk about their first months since graduation.
What I like best about Homecoming is that it’s
a family affair, more so this year than ever thanks
to the addition of the carnival games and activities.
It’s great to see so many alumni coming back
to a College event, and bringing their families
with them. And the kids were so much fun to watch.
With balloons, pennants, pom-poms, face-painting,
a stilt-walker, cotton candy, ice cream, temporary
tattoos, carnival games for prizes and outdoor activities
like a rock-climbing wall, it’s no wonder
that one 6-year-old said, “This may not have
been the best day of my life, but it was one of
the best!”
Why not mark October 1–3, 2004, on your calendar
and plan to be part of the fun at Homecoming 2004?
Please note: Deadlines limit the number of Homecoming photos
we are able to present in this issue. More will appear in the next
issue of CCT.
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