There are events for all ages, class reunions for what seems like each of its 100 graduating classes, and an endless series of banquets, gatherings and shows, all of which are crowded and truly joyful. The football team usually wins. The weather cooperates so often that pure luck is an unlikely explanation. The parade is always energetic and humorous and long. Even the traditional naming of the homecoming king and queen is seriously watched and well attended.
Students hope for a date to the homecoming dance.
Grandparents want to see the dorm room they stayed in as freshmen. And beyond the Norman Rockwell rituals, there is a visceral bond that links the homecoming visitors, a bond that is hokey and sappy and, most of all, very real. There are, of course, those who profess to be too cosmopolitan to get caught up in these rituals, claiming they were dragged back kicking and screaming by a demanding and over-sentimental spouse. But even these former students can be seen sneaking off to check out some corner of the campus that holds personal romantic memories or carries special historic significance in their journey to adulthood. Former lovers steal time to catch up on the progress of their now-separate lives.