Various organizations on Grounds will host Homecomings events this week for current students and a crop of alumni expected to return to Grounds. These events, which will include cookouts, receptions and tailgates, are open to students within the University community as well as to the public.
Some Homecoming events are philanthropic in nature, such as Kappa Delta’s Corner Crawl. Third-year College student Sara Surface said students and members of the Charlottesville community eat at participating restaurants on the Corner and part of the proceeds will go to Prevent Child Abuse America.
“What's unique about our philanthropy is that it doesn't require that anyone pay an entrance fee or buy a shirt,” Surface said in an email. “All you have to do is eat at any of the participating restaurants on the Corner.”
Relay for Life’s 5K, a collaborative event with Pancakes for Parkinson’s, is also philanthropy-based activity which aims to raise awareness and funds. Relay for Life and Pancakes for Parkinson’s are eager to represent the University community coming together, said Relay for Life Event Chair Katie Bailey, a fourth-year Architecture student.
“Our vision is to have people come run the 5K to raise money for the American Cancer Society and the fight against cancer, then stop by Pancakes for Parkinson’s following the race for an awesome breakfast to support the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research,” Bailey said in an email.
Other Homecomings events are centered around fostering close ties within an academic community. The Batten School will host a tailgate Saturday morning before the game open to Batten students, alumni and faculty. Assistant Dean Howard Hoege said the Batten School, as the youngest school on Grounds, has a duty to grow its alumni base.
“We really want our alumni to know that they will forever be an important part of our Batten community,” Hoege said in an email. “In time, they will be far and away the largest segment of that community. For now, we are looking forward to having them back and reconnecting with them.”
Fourth-year College student Kate Kingsbury said the International Relations Organization has increased the number of events it is hosting this week due to the number of people in town.
The IRO’s weeklong programming includes a panel on Democracy and Technology, a talk on “21st Century Energy Geopolitics” and a discussion on Obama Administration’s policies in the Middle East.
“IRO is hosting more events this week to further engage the student body during an exciting week in the semester,” Kingsbury said in an email. “I think that it is important to host events when the student body is already mobilized and amenable to attending lectures.”
Kingsbury said the IRO encourages alumni to come back and use the University as a home base in their post-graduate life.
“After spending so much time with the organization, it's only natural to us that we reach out to young alumni and invite them back, both to share their experiences in the post-graduate workplace and to show how IRO has grown as a result of their passion and effort,” Kingsbury said.
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