Homecoming is a time to see old friends and return to your alma mater once a year to check in and find out what has changed. This weekend brings the 2019 Homecoming at Waynesburg University, but what makes an annual event so special?

 It’s really what you put into as an alumnus of the school. What do you want to gain out of returning to your alma mater?

 Despite events going on throughout the week for current students to take part in, the official start to Homecoming weekend will be Friday, Oct. 4, as it’s Black and Orange Day around campus. There will then be a picnic dinner and pep rally from 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. in Johnson Commons for students to enjoy food, live music from WCYJ-FM and this year’s Homecoming Court.

 For alumni, there will be three events that some might’ve signed up to attend. Golf at Greene County Country Club is starting at noon on Friday. Later in the day, alumni have a President’s Reception, where alumni can stop by the President’s house from 3 to 5 p.m. to meet with President Lee and Mrs. Lee. The final event that evening is the All-Alumni Celebration. This is a combined Class Reunion at Lone Pine Country Club.

Before kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 5, there are a few events for alumni and students to consider attending. The 23rd Annual Waynesburg University Homecoming 5K Run and Walk begins at 8:30 a.m. and is available for current students, alumni and community members.

Dr. Larry Stratton will host a Stover Scholar Alumni Brunch at 10 a.m. in the Stover Conference Room which will be open for any alumni of the Stover Scholar Program. As this occurs, other alumni can begin checking in at Johnson Commons or John F. Wiley Stadium starting at 10:30 a.m.

 The 8th Annual JacketFest will highlight the late morning and early afternoon in Johnson Commons. Current students and alumni alike can come through to grab a light brunch, participate in activities and meet up with others from the Waynesburg community.

One of the more popular attractions of Homecoming weekends is the football game on Saturday, Oct.5. This year, the Yellow Jacket football team will continue its quest for the first win of the season at 1:30 p.m. when they host Presidents’ Athletic Conference foe, Thiel.

 A Waynesburg favorite is the Family 5th Quarter Steak Cookout which concludes the activities for the weekend following the final whistle of the football game right outside John F. Wiley Stadium. Tickets are $15 per person and include plenty of food like steak. Also, children 12 and under will eat free. So, be sure to wrap up the Homecoming weekend the right way at the Steak Cookout.

 No matter how you choose to spend your time returning to Waynesburg, there are plenty of activities and ways to reconnect with former classmates and professors. For some, walking through the building you spent the most time in, might be enough to satisfy your trip back to campus.

 For others, they might already have a connection back to the school, whether they were a Stover scholar or an athlete. Just make sure before you depart campus at the end of the weekend, you get that something that you’re searching for out of the experience, because after all, it’s likely you won’t return to Yellow Jacket territory until this time next year.