Re-Instituted Homecoming Brings Together Alumni and Students

Hundreds of alumni, students, faculty, staff, family and friends traveled from near and far to celebrate our re-established campus tradition on Nov. 14 and show their Laker pride.

“We were very happy with the number of Oswego family members who turned out for Homecoming 2015,” said Laura Pavlus Kelly ’09, director of alumni and parent relations. “One of the goals of the Oswego Alumni Association in re-instituting Homecoming was to get our recent alumni—our Graduates Of the Last Decade—to return to campus and connect with us, and our GOLD alumni represented approximately 28 percent of the alumni who participated in Homecoming. That is a great start, and I know this newly re-established tradition will continue to grow.”

For some, the day started off with a recognition breakfast. GOLD donors—many of whom support the annual “March Matchness” fundraising challenge—attended an informal breakfast as a thank you for their generosity as well as a way to network with each other.

Donors who have established a scholarship at SUNY Oswego were invited to a breakfast to meet the recipients of their scholarships and hear a heartfelt thanks from College President Deborah F. Stanley and student scholarship recipient Darlene Le ’16, who spoke on behalf of the 354 SUNY Oswego students who received support from donor-funded scholarships this year.

Experience Homecoming 2015: The Multimedia Presentation

Approximately 130 people celebrated over lunch in the Sheldon Ballroom as seven alumni-athletes were inducted into the SUNY Oswego Athletic Hall of Fame, joining 89 others who have received the honor. Read more about the SUNY Oswego Athletics Hall of Fame.

A few dozen alumni took advantage of HALLcoming, an opportunity to visit their old residence halls, check out the updates and meet the current students living in their former stomping grounds.

Another highlight of the day was the GOLD Alumni-Student Networking Reception, which featured a panel of young alumni who shared their experiences transitioning from student to professional.

Homecoming attendees were also invited to a range of other activities throughout the day, including women’s basketball and women’s hockey games, a Del Sarte Dance Recital, Story Hour at Rice Creek Field Station and a Music/Theatre Department Showcase, among others.

But for many the highlight of the day was the Homecoming Tailgate and the men’s ice hockey game versus Potsdam.

A bonfire planned to cap off the daylong event was canceled due to high winds, but a dance party continued as planned inside the Marano Campus Center Activity Court.

To wrap up the Homecoming celebration, the college community also successfully met the first-ever Homecoming Challenge. The 876 donors who made a gift during the five-day challenge raised a total of $143,677 for The Fund for Oswego, including a $25,000 gift from Jeff ’92, a member of the Oswego Alumni Board of Directors, and Ginger Bray Sorensen ’93 and a $15,000 gift from an anonymous second challenger.

“I am so proud of our college community, and the way so many alumni, employees and friends rallied around our Homecoming celebration by participating in this challenge,” said Joy Westerberg Knopp ’92, director of annual giving. “I am particularly thankful for the generosity of our challengers—the Sorensens and our anonymous second challenger. These gifts support a range of programs that make a direct impact on students’ experiences inside and outside of the classroom.”

While we celebrate the success of this re-instituted tradition, we know there’s always room to improve! We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions at alumni@oswego.edu.