When early October arrived, Homecoming Week came with it.
It was a bright day when the alumni arrived on campus, smiling and hugging their former classmates like they were long-lost siblings. Excitement shone in their eyes as they looked ahead to a weekend full of reunions, activities, and memories. I suppose that will be me someday, returning to Faith after years of absence, reuniting with people who felt more like family than anything else.
Homecoming began with a banquet, seminary reception, and women’s soccer and volleyball alumni games. But for me, the men’s alumni basketball game was the first event that I attended. The gym was absolutely packed and the crowd was in a frenzy before the game even began. White and black bandanas twirled all around the gym, the excitement in the air palpable. The current Faith basketball team warmed up on one edge of the court, while the Alumni claimed the other.
The game itself was even more exciting than the warmups. Visiting alumni and family in the stands equally as loud as they could for the alumni team, while the students in the stands screamed just as loudly for their side. The competition was fierce. It was clear that both sides knew what they were doing.
The next morning at the ripe hour of 7:30am, jacketed runners excitedly lined up for the 5k race, the day still cool. And at 10:00am, the day a bit warmer, the Homecoming Market opened with dozens of canvas tents erected all around the central area of campus. Each booth hosted wares sold by Faith students, local vendors, and a variety of merchants that had come in to try their hand. Customers milled about the sidewalks and tents, talking to old friends and purchasing items. Pumpkins and other cute fall decorations were set up all around; you couldn’t get much more “fall” than the Homecoming Market. The faint smell of cookies, apple cider, and coffee drifted through the air.
That afternoon, the soccer games began. Out in Pyche Field, both the men’s and women’s teams battled for victory against their opponents, the stands filled and the excitement was as high as ever.
The craziest part of the day had to have been the Ya Gotta Regatta boat race. Watching my classmates drag homemade cardboard boats out to the far end of the pond, some even sporting Greek battle helmets made out of cardboard, held promise for an exciting show ahead. I sat with my friends on the campus side of the pond, watching as a couple of sophomore guys climbed into their Greek-themed boat, while two other girls moved their teacup-shaped boat towards the water. The boat racers paddled to the finish line as we cheered them on, and laughter sounded all over campus as a few of the boats collapsed, taking their riders with them. At the end, everyone was soaked and tired but happy, smiling, and thankful for a long and wonderful weekend.
-Written by Molly Anderson, Sophomore
