One thing I've always been a bit confused about, over my entire life in the academy, is the exact meaning of Homecoming. When I was in high school, Homecoming was naturally a big event, a time to make floats, choose beauty queens, pray for a date to the dance, and pin flowers to band uniforms. Oh, and there was a football game too. I think we might have even won one.
But it always seemed to me that Homecoming was for the students who were in school, not the ones who had already graduated. I rarely saw people return for the game. I never saw anyone with a 'Class of 59' or 'Senior 78' t-shirt.
At FSU, Homecoming was also a big event with little relevance to the people who had walked out of the gates of Doak Campbell Stadium with a degree in hand. It meant a big pep rally (the PowWow) with a band and a nationally famous comedian and a huge parade that tied up College Avenue for half a day. I'd hear about reunions and 'grads made good,' but the university was so big that returning graduates never seemed real to me. I've never been back to FSU for Homecoming, and I don't feel anything especially sentimental toward the FSU Class of 1985.
At Wofford, everything is different, and I think I've finally figured out what Homecoming means. We're smaller than so many high schools, and people get to know almost everyone in their graduating class. People who graduated before 1990 usually DO know everyone in their class! They love to return, they're proud of their classmates' accomplishments. They keep up with what is going on here, because they love the place so much. And they always want to show off their kids and grandkids (usually in cute little Wofford outfits). That's not to say that current Wofford students aren't caught up in the festivities as well, with trivia contests, and the Mr. Wofford competition, and the street party and (oh yes) the football game. But what strikes me the most is how the two groups, alumni and current students, both enjoy Homecoming and make it a memorable occasion. It doesn't exist just for one or the other.
I always envy Wofford grads and students at Homecoming. It's an experience that those of us who went to big schools can only share on the edges.
Comments