Homecoming is being celebrated at Hope this weekend highlighted by events open to the public in addition to activities for alumni.
Enjoy photos from 2013 Homecoming
Among other highlights, the weekend will feature academic and arts events, athletic contests culminating in a fireworks display Saturday evening, a 5K run, a celebration of the Campus Ministries program, and a wide range of affinity gatherings including the 25-year reunion of the Class of 1989, the 80th anniversary of the Department of Psychology and the 180th anniversary of the Fraternal Society.
Worship services on Friday, Oct. 17, at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel are among a series of events celebrating the college’s Campus Ministries program, both past and present. While ministry to students and opportunities for engagement with faith with Hope chaplains and faculty have been integral components of the Hope experience since the college’s founding in the 1860s, the celebration marks the 20th anniversary of the Sunday-evening “Gathering” worship service established in 1994. Admission to the services is free.
As part of its anniversary celebration, the Department of Psychology will host a panel presentation by alumni discussing their career experiences on Friday, Oct. 17, at 3 p.m. in room 1000 of the A. Paul Schaap Science Center. Admission is free.
The Department of Chemistry Seminar Series will feature the address “Next Generation, Sustainable Refrigerants for the Automotive Industry” by Dr. W. Jack Kruper of Dow Chemical on Friday, Oct. 17, at 4 p.m. in Winants Auditorium of Graves Hall. Admission is free.
Volleyball will host Albion College on Friday, Oct. 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the DeVos Fieldhouse. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for those under 18.
The Great Performance Series will feature Sweet Honey in the Rock on Friday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. Tickets are $18 for regular admission, $13 for senior citizens, and $6 for children 18 and under.
The activities on Saturday, Oct. 18, will begin with a 5K run starting at 9 a.m. at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Registration is $20 for the general public and alumni, and $10 for Hope students, faculty and staff.
There will be a men’s alumni lacrosse game on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m. at the DeVos Fieldhouse lawn. Admission is free.
Hope students and faculty will lead a “Family Hands-On Science and Engineering Experience” for families with children ages five-17 on Saturday, Oct. 18, between 10 a.m. and noon at the A. Paul Schaap Science Center. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required.
The Hope-Geneva Bookstore in the DeWitt Center will be open on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The bookstore will also sponsor a tent staffed by members of the college’s Alumni Board and featuring selected Hope merchandise, primarily clothing, at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on Saturday from 1:30 p.m. through the end of the college’s game with Olivet College.
President John Knapp and his wife, Kelly, will host “Memphis Blues & BBQ: Another Taste of the South” in the college’s newly renovated Phelps Hall dining hall on Saturday, Oct. 18, from noon to 2 p.m. Intended for the campus and Holland communities as well as alumni, the family-oriented event will include southern cuisine, live music, giveaways and a variety of activities as well as displays by student organizations. Tickets are $10 for regular admission, $5 for children ages three to 10, and free for children two and under.
Women’s soccer will host Olivet College on Saturday, Oct. 18, at noon at Van Andel Soccer Stadium. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for those under 18.
Hope will host the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Swimming Relays on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 1 p.m. at the Holland Community Aquatic Center. Admission is free.
The Flying Dutchmen will host Olivet College in football at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adult general admission and $3 for general admission for those under 18.
The football pregame activities starting at 1:30 p.m. will include recognition of the undefeated 1984 Hope football team, while halftime will feature the introduction of the Homecoming Court and the crowning of the Homecoming king and queen, and presentation of appreciation awards by the college’s Student Activities Committee and student life office to Wayne Brouwer, associate professor of religion; and Wilma Hart, assistant to student life and coordinator of volunteer services. The college’s chapter of Mortar Board will have a table set up, to collect new and gently used children’s books and donations, through halftime of the football game.
Hope will offer “Hard Hat Tours” of the under-construction Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts and Kruizenga Art Museum on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Both facilities are scheduled to open during the 2015-16 school year. Admission is free, but advance registration is required.
There will be a women’s alumnae soccer game on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 2:30 p.m. at Van Andel Soccer Stadium. Admission is free.
There will be a men’s alumni soccer game on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 4:30 p.m. at Van Andel Soccer Stadium. Admission is free.
Men’s soccer will host Calvin College on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. at Van Andel Soccer Stadium, with fireworks following the conclusion of the game. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for those under 18.
A Homecoming worship service will be held on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 10 a.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. The service will be led by the Hope Campus Ministries team and feature the college’s Chapel Choir and Alumni Chapel Choir.
Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17 and 18, will also include several affinity-group reunions and gatherings.
The Fraternal Society, one of the fraternities at Hope, will celebrate its 180th anniversary with a variety of events on both days, including a golf outing and dinners. The group was chartered at Union College in 1834 and later transferred to Hope.
Other affinity and reunion activities include an open house for nursing alumni, a reunion of alumni of the Baker Scholars program, a reception celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Department of Psychology and 10th anniversary of the A. Paul Schaap Science Center, an open house hosted by the Department of English and a dinner organized by the Black Student Union. The college’s fraternities and sororities will hold events Saturday morning, and the Class of 1989 will celebrate its 25-year reunion with a reception Saturday evening.
In addition, a “Homecoming on 8th Street” event center for all alumni will be open on Friday, Oct. 17, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre. The site will include live music, appetizers, and “passports” linked to a variety of restaurants and shops in downtown Holland. Advance registration is required.
Advance registration and tickets for all events are available online at hope.edu/homecoming or by calling the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at (616) 395-7250. Tickets for the Great Performance Series presentation of Sweet Honey in the Rock and for the ticketed intercollegiate athletic contests are also available at the ticket office in the Events and Conferences Office in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center in downtown Holland. The ticket office is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890.
A full schedule of Homecoming activities is available at hope.edu/homecoming.