K’s 90th Homecoming
By Jen Wendel Opinions Editor
Photo provided by Kalamazoo College archives
Kalamazoo College held the first homecoming celebration in 1919. Taking into account the three-year hiatus for World War II, this weekend will mark the event’s 90th anniversary.
For the anniversary this year, special projects manager for the Office of Student Involvement, Ian Flanagan ’13 made a “Homecoming Traditions” display in the hallway outside the OSI in Hicks.
“The changes in homecoming do tell you a lot about changes at Kalamazoo College,” said Flanagan. “There are lot of the traditions that you see [in the exhibit] that aren’t in practice anymore.”
For example, every year up until the ’90s, K held a bonfire on the football field the night before the homecoming game. And at least for a while, students burned their belongings in the fire. First years, until the ’70s, had to wear green caps around campus called “pots.”
“The night before Homecoming they’d all get together and burn their hats to mark their assimilation into college life,” said Flanagan.
Photo provided by Kalamazoo College archives
Homecoming dances used to be themed. Some were historical, like space-themed, commemorating Sputnik, or Civil War-themed during its 100th anniversary.
Student literary societies, and social groups used to host a display contest the night before the Homecoming game. Many of the groups mocked opposing teams, but some were more serious, like the year students created a Vietnam War protest on the lawn in front of Hicks.
Until the early ’70s, K traditionally elected homecoming queens and hosted alumni-student banquets in the dining hall. Only on-campus males were allowed to vote for Homecoming queens. Banquets would happen only after the student body could all fit inside the dining hall.
“In the original homecomings from the ’20s and ’30s, all events were about bringing students and alumni together,”said Flanagan.
As the College stopped hosting alumni banquets and literary societies slowly disappeared in the ’70s, the look of K’s homecoming changed.
“They started emphasizing homecoming as a weekend for alumni, not a weekend for alumni and students,” said Flanagan.
Without the organizing structures on campus, attendance for Homecoming dropped in the ’80s. But now, homecoming participation is on the rise.
“I think student interest in homecoming has actually increased in the past couple of years,” said Flanagan. “There were over 1,000 alumni here last year,” he said.
This year, homecoming will feature reunions for 11 graduated classes on campus, the Career and Professional Development Institute sponsored by the CCPD, a homecoming dance and dozens of other on-campus activities.
Dear Jen Wendel et al
Your article on homecoming was well done, thanks. When I started at Kalamazoo in 1959, as frosh we were gently hazed, had to shine shoes a few times, and we wore our hats, you called them pots, we called them beanies, all the time. They were green and had our names on them. The frosh had to gather the wood for the bonfire, and tradition was to toss your beanie into the fire; however, being sentimental, I kept mine, and still have it.
In the 1980s I was on the faculty at Dartmouth College, where they have a huge bonfire on the green for homecoming. It lights up the whole town. It was actually quite dangerous to build as students were hoisting railroad ties more than 50 feet high.
I hope the tradition of homecoming bringing students and alumni together can be revived. We all would benefit from reaching across the generations, and if cleverly done it could be fun.
Thanks again,
Don Schneider ’63