Last week Friday and Saturday, alumni ravens were welcomed back to AU for the 2024 Homecoming Family Weekend. Friday, Oct. 11, hosted the opening of Murder on the Orient Express, an orchestra concert, multiple athletic sporting events and of course the favorite traditional luminaries. This year was the 25 anniversary of 10:07, a student-led worship service currently held every Tuesday at 10:07 p.m. in Fair Lobby. To celebrate, students and alumni came together in a worship service to end Friday’s activities.
The festivities continued on Saturday, Oct. 12 with the Homecoming Street Fair. This event is “AU’s Super Bowl” event, said Trent Palmer (‘07), director of alumni relations. Campus clubs, organizations and more set up their booths for fundraising and tents for alumni reunions were filled.
Later that afternoon, the Homecoming court was presented at Fridley Field between the women and men’s soccer games due to the football stadium under repair this fall. Visitors could then visit the Wilson Gallery and get their fill of laughs and awe with Cheap Encore: a combination of Cheap Thrills and Encore to end the weekend.
Luminaries lighting the path
Homecoming weekend was a time for families to reconnect and a time for students to destress after strenuous work. In the weeks leading up to the Homecoming weekend, students were able to participate in a craft activity that was dearly loved known as Luminaries. Luminaries are paper bags that are held down by small rocks with a candle inside to better see the designs at night. Students were able to design their luminaries for AU spirit and club spirit, and the valley was filled with designs from creative minds. The origin of this tradition, however, is something that is left open to interpretation.
Sophomore dance and chemistry double major, Alexis Gronow, said that she didn’t know the exact history of the luminaries, but she believed that it may have something to do with God’s light bringing each family back together. She later added that she had helped Becca Palmer, the director of spiritual information, put the luminaries out. Palmer had said to Gronow, “Look at what we can do when we come together.” So, while the history of this tradition is not exactly known, one thing is for certain: it was a fun activity that was able to connect people in ways not fully explored before.
Food, fun and fellowship: Street Fair brings ravens back to the nest
Street Fair is a staple for Anderson University’s Homecoming festivities. Each year, different campus clubs, local organizations, athletic teams and university departments come together on University Blvd. in front of Martin and Dunn Hall to fundraise for their respective groups while connecting with alumni and peers. This year was a special treat as there was a ferris wheel for all to take a ride on and get a bird’s eye view of campus. With the sun shining and a slight breeze in the air, the weather created a beautiful start to this Saturday morning.
People began to walk the fair at 10:30 a.m. and the road quickly began to fill with a sea of orange and black as more Ravens, past and present, arrived. From street tacos from the Hispanic Latino Student Association to cupcakes celebrating President John Pistole and his last year before retirement, the smells of delicious cuisine filled the air. College Mentors for Kids did their annual ‘Pie a Professor’ with different professors who signed up to help fundraise for their chapter funds that goes towards activities for their group. Reunion tents were set up for alumni graduating classes from each decade, 1970s to 2010s, to check in and talk to their peers who graduated in the same class as them.
One 1974 alumni, Ron Vollmar, got to experience his first Homecoming, fifty years after graduating from AU. Vollmar said, “I love it. I came a day early to see all of the changes and I am highly impressed. We had good stuff but this is great stuff.”
Another feature that people seem to flock to at Homecoming is Jeffery Jackson’s live screen printing shirts. For Jackson, this is a great opportunity for him to promote his brand, The Wandering Press, and commemorate his alma mater in a way that is unique to him. When talking to Jackson about how he felt about the street fair, he said, “I am excited. I am pumped. This is my sixth year printing shirts here, I think.” Each year Jackson creates two new designs to feature at Homecoming that you can only get at the street fair. With all the laughter, hugs, and smiles, it is safe to say that this year’s homecoming was a success in helping all Ravens reminisce and enjoy time with their conspiracy.
Above: Jeffery Jackson at his shirt printing booth. Photo by Abigail Sanchez
The ministry at night: 25 years of 10:07
10:07 is a campus ministry that operates on the principles of worship and prayer. It was formed out of a student-led church by AU students 25 years ago, and continues to provide an authentic and intimate experience with God. The charm of this ministry comes from its unique timing, where it doesn’t start until the odd number of seven minutes after 10 p.m. The 10:07 anniversary worship night began at 9 p.m. at the Reardon lobby with messages from past alumni who have been deeply impacted by the ministry, including the worship leader and AU alumnus Brandon Schmidt.
After their testimonies, the night continued with worship and prayer through music and ended at 10:07. Just as it had done so before, the experience had impacted both newcomers and returning attendees of 10:07.
“10:07 still operates on the same principles of worship and prayer since it started,” said Ezra Martin, a volunteer of the youth ministry at Mercy Road Church that was invited to attend the Homecoming events. “The things that we do unto the Lord should stand the test of time, and the same heart that we had when we started it, we should still continue it and not forsake it.” Current students at AU also testify about what God has been putting on their hearts during 10:07. “Thank God in the small times,” said Abbie Van, a student majoring in marketing at AU, “Even when you don’t feel Him, just thank Him for the things that He’s doing in your life.”
Cheap Encore performs at Reardon auditorium
On Saturday night, students were able to attend Cheap Encore in Reardon auditorium, hosted by Orangehaus and featuring Davitus and AvantiBoosters. The event included performances from fellow students along with a few comedy skits in between. The songs selected were all released by UK artists, such as “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele and “Valerie,” and were all sung by various students with a live band. In between every few songs would be a skit for the audience to laugh at, which ranged from a video of the “national anthem” playing on screen (“Take Me Home Country Roads”) to two members of the group being made to drink smoothies composed of various foods.
While such an event may seem a bit chaotic, it received much love from the crowd. One audience member, Sarah Loehmer, a freshman literary studies major, mentions that she enjoyed the “cozier” aspect of the night and how close-knit it felt. “I heard about it and I wasn’t going to go, but it is so much fun and I would definitely go again. There was a lot of audience participation and we were hyped for the whole two hours,” she said. The night was long, entertaining and comforting all at the same time.
When asked what about Cheap Encore sticks out to students the most, Loehmer added the fact that it has an overwhelming appeal. “I feel like everyone loves music. Everyone loves community. Everyone loves to talk to their family, hang out with them. And basically that’s everything that Cheap Encore is, bundled up into one, and you get to watch your friends and your fellow students just mess around.” Cheap Encore ended Homecoming with a crash of drums and flashing green lights.
Then, the new week began with students in high spirits from seeing family, friends and enjoying the fun festivities. The warm sunshine has been instead traded in for the beginnings of fall: the colder weather setting in and the leaves finally slowly changing to the colors of autumn.
However, while AU pulled out all the stops for Homecoming, it is not the last event to happen on campus for students, faculty and staff to enjoy! Upcoming events include Oksoberfest this Friday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. on the Nicholson library patio, Fall into Dance in November and more!