The Knox Student

Since the first homecoming celebration at Knox in 1920, there have been many changes and additions to the weekend and this year has its fair share of new events for students and alumni.

While a good number of Homecoming events have already passed, a weekend filled with events for students and alumni to celebrate the school’s 175th year is still ahead.

This weekend’s celebrations will include yearly traditions as well as new events to celebrate the college’s anniversary. Some of the special events this year include a Community Pumphandle at 4 p.m. Friday and the special K-photo shoot at 4 p.m Saturday.

For the Alumni Relations department, the planning started months ago, in January, in the hopes of getting the homecoming schedules to the printers by June.

“We tried several years ago to move away from a more traditional homecoming schedule,” Director of Alumni Programs Carol Brown said. “The objective for homecoming is not only to provide an opportunity for alumni to reconnect with each other and Knox but also in doing that to have a diverse schedule of activities because we have a diverse group of alumni.”

This diverse schedule includes a mix of academic events along with the traditional football game and dinner for alumni.

The campus is expecting around 1,000 alumni this year including alumni from as early as the class of 1942. Brown believes that most of the alumni return to reconnect with their friends and reconnect with the college.

“I never really participated in any way before … it seems more alumni-oriented, so this year I feel more invited to it this year than before,” post-baccalaureate student Kate Robbins said.

A large portion of the events are specifically planned for alumni, but current students have their fair share of events with the “175 years of Knoxsense” theme, mainly planned by the homecoming committee and Assistant Director of Campus Life Kathleen Drake.

“Its a busy schedule this year … we wanted to make sure that we pinpointed the positives of Knox and what our pillars are with services and academics and supporting each other on campus,” Drake said.

For some students, the weekend will be a time to connect with alumni and get a chance to see how people have changed since coming to Knox.

Students have many chances to mingle with alumni during the weekend, including presentations, class visits, and other events.

“One that we hope that will [bring students and alumni together] this year is the student research showcase,” Brown said. “That will be a great opportunity for students to interact with alumni about the research they are doing.”