Homecoming
Homecoming: the Highlights
November 2, 2012 by Kaitlin Noe
In high school, homecoming consisted of a singular night of dressing up and dancing, perhaps accented with a pep rally and school spirit. At W&M, it is an entire week of non-stop revelry that students begin planning for as soon as the school year kicks off. With an overwhelming amount of activities- every single organization on campus feels the need to make their voice heard in the din of school spirit that is homecoming- it can be overwhelming. So I’ve brought you the highlights of what is my personal experience with the homecoming hysteria.
1. Monday night: Paper due at 11 am Tuesday morning, yet I still offered up my house to host my sorority’s float-building. (During homecoming, sororities and fraternities will pair up for a week of parties and usually create a float together to enter into the Homecoming Parade.) As I sit in my room at the desk I never use I try to block out the sounds of music and shouting and planning that is bursting through the paper-thin piece of wood that is my door. Literally impossible. Instead I spend twenty minutes destroying a German chocolate cupcake from Extraordinary cupcakes (lived up to its name) and watching an episode of The League. Two hours later, after giving up on work, paying a visit to the float building, trying to go to my best friend’s house next door, blasting my headphones in hopes that it will block out the noise, and debating going to the library (Swem) for a minute before realizing I am far too lazy to ever walk that far, I give up any vain attempt on writing this essay and mournfully set my alarm for a sharp 7:30 am.
2. Wednesday night: If you ever thought that maybe you belonged in the 70’s, you probably should have hit me up Wednesday night. Thanks to the incredible overachiever-ness of one of my best friends and member of our partner fraternity, we hosted the Right On Band in the Sunken Gardens for Wednesday night of homecoming. Complete with fro’s, glitter, platform boots, and dancing go-go girls, the Right On band (who has played for the past four presidents and at Obama’s Inaugural Ball) led a huge groovin’ love train around the Sunken Gardens. Far out.
4. Friday night: Time for a classier turn of events; tonight is the members-only opening for the Muscarelle Museum’s 12th Faculty Show. As an intern for their Advancement Department (kind of a mash-up of marketing, communications, and development), I like to pretend I have VIP life status by attending these events. They generally consist of a classy array of wine, cheese, and elder residents in pearls and hats that would make any derby run proud. As an Art History major, the museum satisfies my every innate nerdy desire to pretentiously gaze at and evaluate art. Making it even more appropriate that I dedicate the beginning of my Friday evening to dressing up classy (happens about once a year) and sneaking gourmet cheeses from a back table while listening to my Professor (Distinguished Scholar in Residence Dr. Spike) lecture on everything from Close to Preti. There’s always time for dancing when the opening ends at 8.
5. Saturday night: One of the harder decisions of my homecoming career. I work at the local bar Paul’s Deli (the bars here are called Delis or Taverns), and homecoming Saturday is hands-down the busiest night of the year. Non-stop packed from wall to wall from noon until close at 2 am. I worked this shift last year with my roommate/best friend and saw several girls cry, one couple break up over a beer, an alumni pass out in the bathroom and took home an entire pizza because whoever ordered promptly forgot about it. And not going to lie, the tips are out the wahoozers. So in the end, it’s worth sacrificing the one evening of revelry with friends because all of the tips enthusiastic alumni shove on the poor college bartender (that’s me!) are going straight into my piggy bank for my spring semester in Paris.
In every corny and sentimental meaning of the word, I have had more singular bonding experiences and lasting memories with my friends during homecoming than any other week of the year. Half-way through and already sad to see it go, welcome home Tribe!
Follow me on twitter! @wmkaitlin
Reverse Evacuation
October 29, 2012 by Brian Focarino
William & Mary folks are a strange (but awesome) family in a strange (but awesome) place – and Homecoming brings the annual memory jog that this has always been W&M’s M.O.
This weekend’s been a strange (but awesome) weekend. As the rest of the East Coast braces for Hurricane Sandy’s approach – ‘playfully’ dubbed the “Frankenstorm” – by evacuating coastal areas and taking to grocery stores, members of the W&M family from all areas and all decades have reverse evacuated to the old College, living proof that in the logic of all W&M alumni, homecomings > hurricanes.
As the clouds gather and the winds begin to kick up, College Delly has never been more crowded, and never have more people been seen falling down the Green Leafe’s still-disastrous front steps. Confusion Corner hasn’t seen such dishevelment since last October. Just walking down Richmond Rd exposes you to the constant threat of un-prompted, rib-crushing hugs from our oldest friends with the most familiar faces.
But while the W&M family gathers to share a reunion, a beer, a booth, a back-slap, a re-kindling, a laugh, a memory, a tailgate, and the many, many moments of our most-formative years in this place, we also gather to bask, in some way, in a larger fact.
Profound in its simplicity is the fact that the W&M experiment has always stood apart from anywhere else. Our alumni stand apart. Our campus stands apart. Our friendships, our accomplishments, and our pride stand apart. Yesterday I watched members of the Class of 2016 speak richly, laugh, and trade stories with new friends from the Class of 1955. I watched as students hosted their parents – and their parents classmates – in Lodges where different members of the same family have lived, and learned, across generations. I watched as parents from classes in the 90s and 00s, decked in green and gold, walked along with their children, clad in green and gold—future members of the Class of 2032.
W&M stands apart because in a world that is profoundly divided, this college is profoundly shared. As I walk past generations of the W&M family walking these old familiar brick walks this weekend, I’m vibrantly aware of the continuity of W&M.
It is said at W&M, and it is true, “We have all drunk from wells we did not dig, and been warmed by fires we did not build.”
It’s fallen on me and my friends now to stoke the fires of W&M, and that’s a responsibility and a privilege I bear gladly.
To all returning to this grand old place I’d say:
We’ve kept the lights on. Welcome home.
Homecoming
October 22, 2012 by Laura Aragon
Hey there! I’m one of the interns with the Undergraduate Admission Office and a new student blogger for W&M. I thought I would use my first entry to talk about Homecoming week at W&M, and why it is arguably the best week of the year.
Every fall, the College has a Homecoming football game and along with it, a week’s worth of celebratory festivities before hand, just to get really pumped up. This year, the Tribe will take on University of Maine, which will undoubtedly be a thrilling game (that we will win, of course). But, at W&M, the Homecoming experience is much, much more than a football game. There are a ton of activities that take place during the week leading up to the game (aka Homecoming week) that are just as fun as the game itself. From Greek social events to parade float building to free concerts on campus, there seem to be about a hundred things going on in preparation (or should we call it celebration?) of Saturday’s game, and yet, there’s always that one teacher that thinks it a good idea to schedule a midterm.
By Friday, after successfully juggling schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and social events for 5 days straight, you get to reward yourself with a flurry of Homecoming Weekend festivities. Friday is marked by the Homecoming parade, followed by a Pep Rally, and wrapped up with a Block Party right in the middle of Williamsburg. And then after all of that, you still have Saturday to look forward to.
Homecoming Day has tons of great events, including a cappella shows, tailgates, brunches, concerts, pig roasts, and BBQs (yes, I realize that most of them are centered around food), not to mention the actual football game. It’s even crazier than the rest of the week because alumni of all ages flood back into Williamsburg to revisit campus, watch the game, and catch up with old friends. On top of all that, the day usually ends with a free concert on campus (this year it’s Ra Ra Riot!). While it is definitely as exhausting to partake in as it probably just was for you to read about, the fact is that Homecoming is one of the most fun weeks of the school year and one of my favorite W&M traditions. It is truly a celebration of every element of the College in one single event. It incorporates current students, alumni, Greek organizations, student clubs, and of course, athletics, and in doing so, it really captures the W&M experience. As a senior, I am a little sad to be going into this Homecoming season for the last time as a student, but am comforted by the fact that I know I’ll be coming back for years to come.
Gearing back up after fall break
October 18, 2011 by Women's Gymnastics Team
We all enjoyed our fall breaks, and we were off from classes on Monday and Tuesday, (Oct. 9 and 10). It was nice to have a break! We’re back in the gym now working hard, and balancing classes. This past Saturday, the whole team participated in the JDRF 5K. It was a walk to raise money to find a cure for diabetes, so we all received pledge donations from our friends and family. Thanks to everyone who donated! We all really enjoyed the walk. It was nice to be able to do that charity event as a team.
This week is Homecoming week!! Yay! We are all really excited for the game on Saturday. We’ll be playing Towson, so hopefully it’s a good game. :) As a team, we are selling 50/50 raffle tickets before the game starts to fundraise for the team. We’re all very excited too that alumni from the men’s and women’s teams are coming to visit for Homecoming. Melissa, Taryn, Karla, Dina and Teenie are all coming to visit, so we are looking forward to spending the weekend with them!
We have all been working hard in the gym, and are starting to work routines for this season. Green and Gold is coming up! Team spirit has been high, and everyone has been supportive of each other as we get our routines ready. Let’s keep that up!
I’m excited for a great season. 
Caitlyn Furr
Now & Always
October 10, 2011 by Brian Focarino
I thought that by moving to Scotland I’d be a bit further away from William and Mary than I’ve been used to for the past four years, but while the physical distance between me and the colonial capital may have increased, William and Mary is as present as ever in my life. In ways both noticeable and less so, the College left me with friends, grounding, confidence, a community and the ability to thrive and make the most of novel opportunity. William and Mary taught me the meaning of persistence.
Your relationships from W&M will be with you, Now & Always.
Here are a few of the ways W&M has manifested itself in very noticeable ways during the fall so far in Scotland:
- I’ve spent time in St Andrews and Edinburgh with alumni Brit Fallon ’11 who is pursuing her PhD at St Andrews studying chimpanzee communication.
- I’ve caught up with a cohort of the W&M students studying abroad at Scottish universities this semester.
- Last week I stayed up until 2 a.m. GMT/BST so that I could take part via Skype with the Young Guarde Council and Alumni Chapter Representatives fine-tuning last minute details for what promises to be an amazing homecoming weekend.
- This past weekend, I traveled down to London to take the LSAT and was hosted and hung out with the family of a fraternity brother from W&M. I took the LSAT just a stone’s throw away from St Paul’s Cathedral in the city, where Sir Christopher Wren, who designed both the famous Cathedral and the arguably more agreeable Wren Building at W&M, is buried.
- This Saturday, I’m headed west to Glasgow to spend the day with a fellow W&M alumni, Hayley Rushing ’11, who is pursuing her MLitt in Master’s and Playwriting at the theatrical powerhouse.
- A week from today, I’ll head up to St Andrews where William and Mary has a joint degree partnership. There, I’ll be catching up and breaking bread with Jodi Fisler M.Ed ’05, Ph.D ’10, the Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs who will be in St Andrews working on the degree program.
- In 19 days, I’m flying to Porto in western Portugal where I’ll meet up with a W&M alumni taking a year off between undergraduate and law school to live and au pair in Paris. We’ll spend four days relaxing on the Portuguese coast and likely reminiscing about W&M.
- For a week in November over Thanksgiving fellow blogger Bailey Thomson ’10 will be visiting me in Edinburgh. The packed schedule includes a potential trip down to London for Thanksgiving day for an expatriate meal in the city with other fellow W&M alumni.
- Later in the year I have plans to visit several other alumni who are attending graduate school, pursuing Fulbright scholarships, and doing democracy monitoring in Florence, Bulgaria and Bosnia respectively.
There have been less noticeable contributions from W&M, too:
- This past Saturday I was interviewed for a law school by one of its alumnus. The interview, which was probably supposed to be a quick assessment of my fitness for law school, lasted almost an hour and a half as the successful alumni and I discussed and laughed about everything possible regarding school, undergraduate education, current events and life in the UK. My education at W&M taught me that those who have a human touch will always accomplish more than those who lack it. As a result of my time and opportunities at W&M, I thrive in interview settings.
- I am interning and doing research for an MSP at the Scottish Parliament. My time at William and Mary that I spent interning in the Virginia General Assembly and coordinating the College’s Richmond Interns program taught me everything I would need to know to work in any political environment – even if that environment is in a different country. My time at W&M furnished me with the experiences necessary to interview my way into an internship position otherwise not open to students and the ability to work with the majority nationalist party despite being a foreign national at a truly formative time in Scottish history. My research experience from W&M allows me to turn out politically, linguistically and legally important research and has given me the opportunity to potentially transform my masters dissertation research into a motion that will be of political benefit to my MSP and wind up becoming a motion before the sitting Parliament.
- This week I am standing for multiple student government positions in the student body elections for the Edinburgh University Students’ Association. W&M taught me that if there are things you want to change – stick your neck out. The transforming nature of student/administration interaction at W&M is where real progress is accomplished; that’s a model I plan to continue to implement at Edinburgh if elected. Whereas some students graduate from university asking “Why should it be me?” William and Mary students graduate asking: “What more can I do for others?” and “Why not me?”
- Next week I am meeting with the Directors of Development and Alumni Engagement at Edinburgh to discuss developing an internship wherein I’ll be able to put into practice a number of the things I learned at William and Mary in Development and the Alumni Association. On a whim I sent an email to the directors of the respective initiatives. I got an email response saying they’d never had a student reach out with such interest and had recently been talking about how nice it would be to take on a selected student who would have the opportunity to work with the trust and development boards as well as the alumni association to achieve new levels of student/administration collaboration. William and Mary taught me that if there’s something you want to do that doesn’t exist – create an opportunity for yourself.
Perhaps the reason W&M has been on my mind these past few days is the most obvious of all: in 11 days I am boarding a flight headed back to Williamsburg for 4 days to enjoy homecoming. The missed class, layovers and jet lag don’t deter me at all. My journey will involve trains, taxis, buses, cars and airplanes. But nothing bothers you when you’ve been away and you finally find yourself returning to the place and people that created, well, you.
That’s an odd sensation, isn’t it? Returning to the place where the ‘you’ that you’re familiar with started; to the people you were with when it happened. I owe a great deal of myself to the circumstances of William and Mary.
My gmail has been blowing up with messages to and from fellow alums exchanging our plans and excitement for the weekend. Elaborate schemes are hatching. Even my parents are coming down for events and meals.
Out of all the exciting places and new opportunities presenting themselves in October, it’s safe to say none are more exciting than the prospect of returning. On October 20-23rd there’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be than William and Mary.
I’ve been thinking to myself: In 11 days, I’ll be home.
I really, really like the sound of that.
Brian ’11
We Are The Champions My Friend
March 9, 2011 by Admission Ambassador
Here on campus I am involved in a social fraternity, Kappa Sigma. Involved might be the understatement of the year, I love my fraternity and the guys who are in it and wouldn’t have had nearly the same great experience here at the 
college without them. Being part of Greek life in the fall gives me a few things to look forward to like the start of rush, getting new members, and of course the best of all Homecoming. Homecoming is a week full of fun and games, a time when you get to see your graduated friends when they return to campus and meet alumni from the college who graduated before you were born. Also during this week you get to compete in different spirit competitions that all culminate at the parade Saturday morning before the football game. Usually a fraternity and a sorority will pair up to build a float together and this year my fraternity paired up with the ladies of Delta Delta Delta to win the float competition. In the picture you can see a group of guys all standing around the seven or eight foot tall Griffin that we had built for our float. I still maintain that that Griffin is what really won it for us.
On a side note we were also able to enter the marching competition which we took second in. I would explain what we did but it would be better if saw it, so here it is:
Overall I had a blast building the float and being on our drill team. The Homecoming parade and everything that comes with it is something you should definitely look forward to when you arrive on campus in the fall.
- David Murphy ’12
Show your Tribe Pride: Homecoming 2010
November 4, 2010 by Sofia Chabolla
It’s that time of year again! Full of cider, scarves, and changing leaves. Fall is really in the air. With it comes one of the most outstanding college traditions: a weekend jam-packed with events, returning alumni, and football – HOMECOMING!
I started off Homecoming Weekend by going to see some friends in the William and Mary Choir at the annual Sunset Memorial in front of the Wren Building. Led by President Reveley, the memorial was a time for students and alumni to remember and honor those who have passed in the last year. As the Wren’s bell tolled overhead, I sat there and really realized how many men and women there have been here before me and the legacy that they have put in place for future generations. I thought how one day my name too would be read aloud and remembered by the thousands of new students at the College. The whole ceremony was very moving and put into perspective the history, tradition, and community of William and Mary.
After the ceremony, I went with my hall to the homecoming pep rally on Yates field. There was a massive bonfire and tons of cheering when the Stairwells, a cappella group, sang for us. A group of us even got to participate in a Tribe Holi event where we threw green and yellow powder all over each other. It was surprisingly fun, throwing colored Holi powder on all of your friends, even though the powder somewhat smelled funny and took forever to come off. Oh well- that’s definitely not what mattered.
On game day, my alarm went off at 6:10 in the morning. I’d say it was new record for getting up by far. My roommate and I are interns in AMP, the event programming group on campus, and it had its own float in the Homecoming Parade! After walking like zombies through campus, grabbing some fabulous coffee at Aroma’s, and getting sufficiently lost on our way to the meeting spot, we gathered and set up our float for the parade. I had way too much fun waving and cheering as the floats made their down DoG street and Richmond Road, but it was great to see all the alumni, families, and students that came out to show their support.
After the parade, it was time for the real party to begin. The football game started at noon, so we rushed over to Zable Stadium and plopped on down in the Tribal Fever Student Zone where all the serious cheering happens. After getting off to a slow start, William and Mary came back and beat Delaware 17-16 with an amazing touchdown at the end of the second half. The game was incredible and intense the last 10 minutes; the entire stadium was so anxious to see what would happen. During the game, I even got to go with a group of my friends to The Gentlemen’s a cappella showcase in Sadler. Their voices were amazing, and the members were joined by the alumni for the final song.
There are thousands of men and women from all over the world that are part of William and Mary’s community. Homecoming is a time for all of these Tribe members to gather together again to support our teams and clubs, as well as the rich tradition that makes our school unique. Seeing all of the returning alums here for the weekend made me realize that being a member of the Tribe does not last for only the four years living on campus, but instead it lasts for a lifetime.
Homecoming is all about showing love for W&M and getting involved, no matter what you choose to do with your friends here on campus. It is a memorable experience that will make you feel truly like a part of the community. So, put down your books, and show your Tribe Pride!
Homecoming 2010: Tears and Cheers
November 1, 2010 by Elizabeth Miller
As part of my pledge to enjoy my senior year to the fullest and focus on the fun, I decided to wake up at 8 am to begin my last undergraduate homecoming bright and early with the Homecoming Parade. This was my first homecoming parade, and I really had no idea what to expect, but I certainly didn’t expect that by the end I would be tearing up.
The parade itself was fun and funny: an endearing combination of alumni riding together in classic cars and trailers full of current students showing their Tribe Pride. This is the year of the Griffin (our new mascot) and everyone came up with different plays on the Griffin’s impending defeat of the Univ. of Delaware Blue Hens in football that afternoon. I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched paper mache Hens get roasted, dunked, and wrestled by the Griffin on various floats. I also loved watching my classmates perform with many of the various student groups present at the parade. As I watched, however, it truly began to sink in that this is the last year I will be watching from within. I know William and Mary will always be my home—as homecoming appropriately reminds me—but I also know that becoming an alum will change my perspective on the college. Just in time for Homecoming, the Cohen Career Center and new Sadler Center Terrace were completed. Having watched the transformation over the last year, it’s hard for me to remember what that part of campus looked like before. I know that when I return as an alumnus I will be startled by all the changes on my campus. So I cried a little for the loss that will come from leaving this place, but I cried more for the incredible family I have gained from my time here. When I graduate I will join an amazing group of Tribe members who are leading inspiring lives, and we can all come home together to William and Mary. It was a privilege to enjoy my first and last student homecoming parade, and I look forward to my first alumni homecoming as well.
That afternoon I was too caught up in the football game to be thinking about anything but holding my breath and cheering for our Tribe victory! Football, I will admit, is not my sport. I generally understand the concept of touchdowns and offense vs. defense, but only with the help of my friends Kat and Emily do I advance beyond simply cheering when those around me are. The homecoming game was intense, and I was glad I had their guidance.
Sitting in the middle of the student section is always amusing as I listen to all the witty cheers and attempt to join in at the right times. I particularly enjoyed the student in front of me who had a rubber chicken painted blue to represent the UD Blue Hens that made a hilarious wailing noise when squeezed (the chicken, not the student). Watching our defense hold strong and our offense make great plays was a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Our victory (17-16) was well earned and so great to cheer for!
Homecoming is a wonderful weekend that reminded me of how much I have here at William and Mary, and as scary as the future is, I know that for at least one weekend a year I will always have a home to come back to where I can cry and cheer and enjoy the company of the incredible Tribe family.
Alma Mater Hail
October 26, 2010 by Tour Guides
Last week something felt a little different around the College. There was a sense of excitement in the air, a growing anticipation that continued to build as the days passed. Students and faculty began looking forward to the weekend with even more impatience than usual, and the ever-present green and gold became even more ubiquitous. What could have stirred this level of animation and enthusiasm during a time of year usually reserved for long nights in the library and pot after pot of strong coffee? What could have increased Tribe Pride to an even higher intensity then usual? Nothing other than Homecoming 2010, a weekend filled with reunions, receptions, tailgates, and generally more free food than any other time of the year. Current students welcomed their alumni back to relive old memories and make new ones as the line at the Green Leafe wrapped around the block and photo ops on the Sadler Center Terrace seemed mandatory for nearly every group of passerby.
I admit it took me a little while to get excited about Homecoming. I was coming off of a week full of papers and exams, with more looming large on the other side of the festivities. To me Homecoming was just another weekend, albeit one with more events to attend and obligations to fulfill as I tried to balance all the alumni events for the different organizations with which I am involved. As Friday evening arrived, however, and I started to suddenly see faces around campus that I hadn’t seen in quite some time, I began to realize that whoever invented the idea of a homecoming celebration was quite smart indeed. Throughout the rest of the weekend I chauffeured graduated sisters in my sorority, sat for hours in Aromas catching up with friends who are now off braving “the real world,” and lamented the absence of those who couldn’t make it to Williamsburg physically. It was a whirlwind to say the least.
Writing this blog late on the Monday night following the festivities I am already nostalgic for the experience. I didn’t realize how much I had missed the alums until they were around me once more and it suddenly hit me on Sunday afternoon that I will have to wait another whole year to have this experience again. Sure, alums who live in the area or even as far away as D.C. will pay this place a visit every so often but the full Homecoming atmosphere in all its glory will not be replicated for quite some time. Even more disturbing was the realization that I only have one more Homecoming as a “welcomer” before I join the ranks of the welcomed. This new awareness made me suddenly become much more conscious of how quickly my college experience is passing. All too soon I will have to buy a plane ticket or at least settle in for a long drive in order to see the sun set over the Wren Building rather than stepping outside my front door. All too soon I will be the one exclaiming over all the changes that have taken place since I last “came home” and reminiscing over “the good old days.” OK, so maybe I’m being a little too dramatic, but my sentiment is sincere. I love this place, and I want to make a point to treasure every last one of my remaining minutes here. They say you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone and I plan to appreciate everything W&M has to offer before I have to let it go. And on that note, I’m off to people-watch in the Sunken Gardens for a while. Care to join me?
Go Tribe.
Hark upon the gale.
Katie Clough
Class of 2012
Managing All That Stress
October 13, 2010 by Brian Focarino
Readers,
Fall Break was a delicious slice of peace that was essential for breaking up the otherwise insane amount of midterms, meetings, and events that constitute life at the College my senior year. After meetings finished last Thursday night I drove home for two days of good food, hanging out with my family, and kicking it with my two enormous newfoundlands – I even managed to watch a movie or two and re-read about 250 pages of Harry Potter book 7 in anticipation of the movie release in a month.
For the past two days I’ve been in Newport News to stay with one of my fraternity brothers. Adventures included a visit to an apple farm, a pumpkin patch adventure and two carved pumpkins, some tennis, a trip to a museum, LOTS of sleep, and tasty food.
Nick Triska '13 and myself after carving our W&M pumpkin during Fall Break at the Units
It was a wonderful break – but now it’s back to the hustle and grind on campus. Next week is homecoming week and midterms are still in full swing so my academic to-do list for the next two weeks looks a little bit like:
- Geology Quiz
- Complete Full Thesis Outline
- Complete Honors Colloquium Presentation
- Study for Japanese Society Midterm
- Submit Proposal for Georgetown University Linguistics Landscape Symposium
- Write 2 Essays for my self-designed Independent Study in Language and Law
- Complete Geology Problem Set
- Study for Geology Lab Exam
- Work on my Honors Thesis
- Write Japanese Society Essay
- Finish Applications for at least 5 overseas graduate programs
Outside of the classroom things are gearing up for the College’s Haiti trip I’m leading, the senior class gift I’m co-chairing, new tour guides are beginning to interview, plans are being laid for Charter Day 2011, HOMECOMING IS HAPPENING ALL NEXT WEEK so my fraternity and our partner sorority are gearing up, Omicron Delta Kappa is hosting its honorary induction ceremony and luncheon, aspects of the College’s strategic planning process are meeting, the Fund for William and Mary Board of Directors and Volunteers are having receptions, the President’s Aides are having their usual dinner meeting with President Reveley to discuss College policy, and much more!
Needless to say – things are just heating up on campus as the weather begins to cool and the leaves are changing color. But despite the stress and long to-do lists, there are always ways to find some downtime (blogging included) to blow off some steam. Over the next two weeks, I have an equally impressive relaxation to-do list uploaded onto my Google Calendar that I could not be more excited about:
- Lots of sorority clues involving meeting awesome new people and (usually) tons of great food and fun
- The Green and Gold Affair philanthropy dance for campus organizations!
- Paintball with the W&M Paintball Club on Saturday
- A trip to Busch Gardens with a fraternity brother to visit the infamous Howl-O-Scream on Sunday
- A trip up to DC on the 20th to see Lissie perform at the 9:30 Club
- A trip to ODU on the 21st to see the 30H!3 and Ke$ha Concert with some friends
- Catching up with tons of amazing alumni friends next weekend for homecoming (W&M has one of the best attended [and awesome] homecomings in the country)
- My family visiting to enjoy the College’s homecoming festivities including the parade and football game against the Delaware Blue Hens next Saturday
- The College’s annual homecoming pep rally and homecoming concert
- A trip up to DC on the 25th for just the night to see my Mom receive an award from American University
At William and Mary, we specialize in working hard and playing hard. Even though your list of things you need to get accomplished might look impossibly daunting at times, always make sure that you construct an equally impressive list that allows you to kick back and completely relax in order to cope with it all. At the end of the day I’ve found out that it will all get done – it’s just a matter of keeping your eyes on the prize. I’ve also come to realize that this is my senior year, and I plan to make the most out of it that I possibly can.
Here’s to a fulfilling, stressful, amazing, cooler, alumni-packed, travel-ridden, productive next 14 days!
Go Tribe,
Brian