This weekend, Wittenberg alumni from classes of 1961 through 2012 will come to campus to celebrate this year’s homecoming. The festivities open Thursday with a 50th reunion gathering for the class of 1963 and the opening night of the Theater Department’s “Six Degrees of Separation,” while Saturday afternoon, Wittenberg football will take on Denison.
Over the course of the weekend, alumni will celebrate their time at Wittenberg with historical walking tours, golf outings, and panel discussions. In addition to several group meals, including a barbeque and a cocktail reunion hour on Saturday, the alumni will engage in several activities to recall their days at Wittenberg. One of the events, organized by William Brown, is a golf outing for alumni and their friends.
“The golf outing has been a homecoming event for the last 15 years,” said Brown. “They like the setting that golf gives them to visit with many old friends.”
“Wittenberg’s identity is locked into its landscape and its built environment,” said Taylor. “The ridges and hollows have shaped us in ways we rarely contemplate. I’ve never had a bad group. Some like revisiting the campus they’ve not seen for years, others enjoy learning the backgrounds to landmark buildings, and some come to share and hear stories.”
Steven Reynolds, who retired from the Wittenberg Theater Department in 2012, will also return this weekend as a guest director for John Guare’s “Six Degrees of Separation.” The play focuses on issues of race, class, and our responsibility to those around us. Reynolds stated that he hopes the play will cause excitement among the students and alumni and that he is honored to return to Chakeres stage.
“This is my artistic home,” said Reynolds. “When I discovered it was Homecoming weekend, I did want to do a play that spoke to contemporary social issues. I had been moved by the death of Trayvon Martin this summer and the audience will be exposed to some intense contemporary language and see some vivid situations I hope they can identify with.”
In addition to these events, there is a great deal going on around campus this weekend. The Athletic Hall of Honor will conduct its induction ceremony, the Third Annual Wittenberg Homecoming Triathlon, or “Tiger Tri,” will take place, and Wittenberg’s chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority will celebrate their centennial on campus.
With a weekend packed full of things to do, this year’s homecoming offers many activities to students, professors, and alumni. While the football game against Denison serves as the backdrop to these events, there are many things taking place to keep the Wittenberg community celebrating the spirit of the university.
