It's that time of the year: Homecoming!

It's time for tailgates, football games, pep rallies, parties, and celebrations of alumni. At the College of the Holy Cross, Homecoming weekend comes with a whole line of traditions. Friday night they have a Pep Rally featuring several performing student groups, and usually the Football coach, to get the students excited for the game and excited about supporting their fellow students. Saturday there's a tailgate and all sorts of receptions for returning alumni. It all leads to the Football Game on Fitton Field, where--this year--the team faced Dartmouth. Throughout the weekend, friends are reunited, alumni come back to see the Campus, and family celebrate.

Friday night (moved inside because of rain) was about pride for the school, and getting the students excited about the weekend's festivities. The Dance Ensemble and Cheerleaders each had their dance, and the Fusion Hip Hop Team showcased their talents as well. The students heard from a few athletic coaches and crowded together for free t-shirts. The Marching Band played the school songs and gave a preview of their halftime show while students crowded together to enjoy the company. Another exciting sports season is upon us and Crusaders, who may not always have the best record, are proud and ready to compete.

The Homecoming Tailgate brought in thousands of students and alumni, filling freshman field and the baseball field with cars full of fans, lots of food, games, and entertainment. Lots of the fans piled into Fitton Field to get a look at how the football team is doing. The Pregame show featuring the Marching Band showcased the school songs, honored troops with the Star-Spangled Banner, and lined up to welcome the football team onto the field. Although the results of the game were not as good as we all hoped, the team went out there ready to play. Within minutes of their first drive, they scored a touchdown. Unfortunately, an equally good drive from Dartmouth, and a fumble from Holy Cross resulted in a few touchdowns for Dartmouth. The score was 35-10 at the end, but the team kept playing up until the very end.

While the game was going on, alumni were reuniting in the stands, cheering on the team, and reminiscing about their days as a student at Holy Cross. Receptions for the alumni were scattered across the campus, and families spent the day enjoying each other's company. Plenty of people were on campus to see the Football game, but lots were back to celebrate at their Alma Mater.

In the first halftime performance of the year, the Marching Band was ready for their debut show: The Foo Fighters. The sounds of Everlong, Learn to Fly, and The Pretender rang throughout the stadium as they gave their all in the first show of the season. The Marching Band's job in college is to get the fans excited about the game and entertain them. They sure did that, putting one foot in front of the other or behind the other or next to the other--depending on their direction change--the band gave it their all and left the field after a solid performance that certainly entertained the football crowd.

Alumni come back for Homecoming every year because Holy Cross meant something to them. The years they spent studying, hanging out with friends, playing sports, and participating in student organizations meant enough that they would want to return to watch those sports games, check in on their favorite organizations, and reconnect with all the people they spent their time with. It's that time of the year!