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Columbia College Today November 2003
 
Cover Story
 
 
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Welcome,
    Class of 2007
Memorial
    for Jim
    Shenton '49
Alumni
    Reflections
    on Jim
    Shenton '49
Conservation,
    Preservation,
    Education
Encyclopaedia
    Iranica

 

Departments
  
First Person:
    1930s Columbia
    Remembered

 

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WITHIN THE FAMILY

Homecoming: A Family Affair

By Alex Sachare '71

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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