Council Connections – September 2015
Homecoming is great time for alumnae and collegians to connect!
By National Vice President Emma Bunnell Rice, Phi
Believe it or not, September is already upon us! With it comes the first day of fall and its many new beginnings: a new academic year with newly recruited Sisters, the kick-off of a new football season (pun intended!), and pumpkin spice everything. For me, I look forward to Homecoming, especially this year which marks my first as an almuna of both my chapter (Phi) and alma mater (Southeastern Louisiana University).
Homecoming is a time for university alumni across the country to descend upon their respective institutions and celebrate their undeniable school pride. For some, this could be a trip to another state to get back to their school. For others, this could be just a trip down the road. No matter the distance, it is hard to deny that attending Homecoming is a terrific way to celebrate a school that gave you so much more than a just a great education – it gave you a home. After all, it’s called Homecoming for a reason!
For Sorority women, Homecoming festivities are a great way to connect with our collegiate chapters and the first chance to meet all the new members. Homecoming is also a chance to rekindle some of our lifelong friendships built within our chapter and university. As an alumna, meeting the women that will be the future of your chapter is always an exciting feeling. On the flip side, as a new member, meeting the women who helped shape your chapter into what it is today is very rewarding. Being new to the alumna experience, I am very excited to see the women who not only share my values as an Alpha Sigma Tau, but also a passion for Sisterhood and our university.
Most of the school pride you develop in college becomes real at your first Homecoming. As a collegian, I always enjoyed it when our alumnae came back for Homecoming and told us stories about their time in college. The pride you feel seeing all the successful alumnae attending the festivities is enough to make anyone stand up and scream for four quarters of a football game! Now that I am attending Homecoming as an alumna, I look forward to sharing that same experience with my chapter Sisters! I also look forward to reuniting with friends I haven’t seen in a while as well as making new friends.
I feel as though going back to your university for Homecoming brings out a special sense of nostalgia in all of us. It makes you proud to see how far your university has come, and makes you reminisce on all your best memories from college. No matter what your school’s Homecoming traditions are, whether it is your first Homecoming or your tenth, support your school in any way possible. Enjoy the football game, attend a parade, and hang out with friends … and make this Homecoming a memorable one!