Elizabethtown College’s annual Homecoming Weekend will be held Friday, Oct. 20 through Sunday, Oct. 22. Students and their parents can get free desserts in the KAV at 7:30 p.m. Friday night to start the weekend’s festivities. Later, Mad Cow will hold its annual Homecoming Improv Show. This will take place at 8 p.m. in Gibble Auditorium.
Saturday, Oct. 21, will be filled with events for Homecoming. Conrad the Blue Jay will be making various appearances throughout the day. There will also be alumni reunions for all the departments taking place throughout the day. The events begin at 8:30 a.m. with the Alumni Council meeting in the Susquehanna Room.
Many sports events will be happening throughout the day. At 9 a.m., the women’s lacrosse team will play against the alumni on Wolf Field. Also at this time, there will be a swim meet with current and alumni swim team members at the Alumni Pool. A softball game between current and alumni members of the softball team will take place at 10:30 a.m. Another alumni game will occur at 11 p.m. with the men’s lacrosse team at Wolf Field. At 1 p.m., the women’s soccer team takes on Susquehanna University on Ira R. Herr Field. At 4:30 p.m., the men’s soccer team will also play against Susquehanna with an introduction of the Homecoming Court during halftime.
At 11 a.m., the 23rd annual homecoming parade starts. This year’s parade will feature floats made by students, live music, the local fire department and community businesses. The Homecoming and Family Weekend Brunch will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Marketplace. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
From noon until 4 p.m., the Homecoming Fair on the Academic Quad will feature tables with student clubs selling t-shirts and other merchandise. The Brethren Heritage Fair will also be there. Food will be available to purchase as well. Live music from the Prime Time Band, led by Paul Cuttic of the class of 1976, will be played during the fair.
From 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., an exhibit on peacemaking featuring artwork and writing will be held in the Lyet Gallery of Leffler Chapel and Performance Center. Also in Leffler will be the Fall Choral Showcase, and the Jazz Band Spectacular will be held in the Musser Auditorium, both starting at 2:30 p.m.
The Homecoming Dinner Buffet will be in the Marketplace from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. and will feature music from the Duswat Dixie Dutchers Band with Bruce Campbell and Faith Shiffer. From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., the ALANA (African American, Latinx, Asian and Native American) will have a cupcake reception in the Center for Student Success for Alumni and current students.
At 6:30 p.m., author and actress Lisa Jakub will speak at the Bowers Writers House. Jakub has acted in movies such as “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Independence Day,” “A Walk on the Moon” and “Matinee.” During her time at Bowers Writers House, Jakub will read excerpts from her books “Not Just Me: Anxiety, Depression and Learning to Embrace Your Weird” and “You Look Like That Girl.”
The 7th Annual Homecoming M.V.P Spectacular will be held at 8 p.m. in Leffler Chapel and will feature a cappella music from Melica, Vocalign and Phalanx. Junior Ellie Jaroch is the president of Melica and excited to perform in the show.
She is looking forward to “performing with alumni as well as performing the new songs.” Jaroch is also excited that graduate Alivia Shaeffer and senior Brice Williams will be the hosts of this year’s event. After the show, there will be a variety of food trucks in Brinser Field from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m.
Sunday morning, a church service will be held at the Church of the Brethren at 10:30 a.m. The college store will also be open that day from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
At 2 p.m., the 5th Annual Blue Jay 5K Run/Walk will begin on Brinser Field.
As Homecoming Weekend draws near, excitement fills the campus as setup begins. Junior Amy Lieberman is very excited for Homecoming, and she is “looking forward to my family coming and getting some new t-shirts.” Have a safe and fun Homecoming Weekend!
