Like many traditions at the University of Redlands, Homecoming is a time-honored custom. Sure as the 33 words in the “Och Tamale” or the frequent attacks on Fairmont Rock, each year in October you can expect a weekend filled with talks, get-togethers, and a gridiron match-up in Ted Runner Stadium.
In many ways, this year’s celebration was one for the record books, and it left me with indelible impressions of sights, sounds, tastes, and touches.
I saw the maroon banners lining Colton Avenue, signaling a campus celebration was upon us.
I noticed a room filled with generous donors and the beneficiaries of their support (most of whom were student scholarship recipients) at the Celebrating Endowment Luncheon.
I watched a crowd join together to hear David Boies ’64, one of the most brilliant legal minds of our time, share his insights into our country’s challenges in a talk made possible through the Hall Network for Public Policy.
I observed alumni in their backyards along Frat Row, engaging with current members in the very same spots they called home as students.
I viewed alumnae from different generations at my own sorority’s Homecoming event— some just having graduated in the last year or so, others from decades ago—united in a common bond of sisterhood and Bulldog pride.
I took in iconic images of campus, displayed beautifully on the Chapel stage for the Forever Yours campaign launch.
Then I heard a voice-over beginning the spectacular tribute created by Marilyn Magness Carroll ’75 and Steve Carroll ’74 to mark this special occasion in our history.
I listened to laughter and cheers during the high-energy of the musical numbers (side note: who knew that so many of our faculty members had such dancing talent, showcased in a chorus line none of us will soon forget?)
I absorbed emotionally filled testimonials shared by five alumni storytellers, each explaining their personal connections to Forever Yours campaign priorities: scholarship promise, personalized education, experiential learning, global perspectives, and educational innovation.
I heard audible gasps of surprise and delight when Campaign Chair Alice Mozley ’70 announced the exciting news that a record $130 million had already been raised toward the $200 million goal—the most ever for a U of R campaign.
Then I smelled the intoxicating scent of fried chicken infusing through the air as attendees exited the Chapel, still holding the infectious excitement from the performance they just witnessed.
I tasted the lingering flavor of a buttermilk biscuit, as I joined more than 2,000 other alumni, parents, students, and friends on the Quad to share a delicious picnic meal.
Together, we savored the sweetness of victory, as our Bulldog football team defeated the Pomona-Pitzer Colleges’ Sagehens. Is there anything more invigorating than a home game victory, with a spectacular fireworks finale?
From Greek and athletic reunions to the SURF Garden Farm Day, from post-game parties to family pumpkin carving, this year’s Homecoming was a delight. But above all, I heard from numerous attendees how the weekend’s events touched their hearts, reminding them once again what they love about the University.
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For more information about the Forever Yours campaign, visit https://www.redlands.edu/giving/forever-yours/