Elgin Community College will host its first-ever homecoming celebration in September, one organizers say won’t be tied to sports but centered on the meaning of the word.
“Our definition of homecoming is somewhat different than the typical event that we all may have experienced in high school centered around a football game,” said Bonita Goist, ECC manager of alumni and affinity relations. “We’re taking the literal meaning of homecoming — a welcome home. It’s a chance to reconnect with people who meant something to you.”
Goist said the idea for the event sprang from gathering at which many ECC alumni told her about the impact that ECC teachers and the people they met at the school had on their lives.
“But often they also say they haven’t been back on campus in years. So, we thought, why not create a fun reason to bring those people back to ECC?” she said of alumni who attended the school sometime over the course of its 77-year history.
To that end, Goist worked with the ECC Foundation and the Office of Student Life to form a 40-member committee made up of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to shape what the homecoming would offer.
What they came up with are events to be held Sept. 15-20 at the 1700 Spartan Drive campus. They include a sports-themed spirit night featuring men’s soccer and women’s volleyball on Tuesday, Sept. 15; a wine tasting and food-bites pairing on Friday, Sept. 18; a performance of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” on Saturday, Sept. 19; and a 5K fun run followed by a picnic on Sunday, Sept. 20.
While some community colleges, including the College of DuPage, hold homecomings, the committee didn’t look to them for ideas, said Amybeth Maurer, assistant dean of the student experience and engagement.
“We are planning events that will appeal to our community,” Maurer said. “We’re hopeful this will become an annual event, a tradition that people will want to attend every year, so it will likely expand and evolve. But this being our first year, we’re forging our own path and seeing where it leads.”
While men’s soccer and women’s volleyball matches will be part of the festivities, the overall focus will be on relationships and reconnecting to the school, said Maurer, adding that the week will also be a way for ECC to showcase programs.
“In planning events for our first year, we focused on creating experiences that would appeal to a wide audience. We think that there’s something for everyone,” she said.
The committee also came up with a logo and a theme for the homecoming: “Once a Spartan, Always a Spartan.”
While organizers are not sure how many people the events will draw, Maurer noted that for more than 75 years, people have been attracted to ECC as both a community gathering place and a school.
“If you ask just about anyone, they’ll tell you they have gone to ECC or know someone who has,” she said. “People in District 509 and beyond have a strong connection to this campus, and we are excited to welcome them on to campus to celebrate what ECC means to them.”
For more information the events being planned, go to foundation.elgin.edu/events/homecoming.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
