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Students Disconnected From Alumni

What exactly is Homecoming?

For students, the meaning of this annual tradition is unclear. We know it signals the return of alumni, a huge display of Western school spirit and a concoction of beer, football and morning pancakes. But where do we really fit into the Homecoming equation?

This weekend should ideally be a chance for current Western students to encounter and learn from alumni of years past. At Queen’s University, alumni parade around the track during the halftime of the football game amidst the roar of a student-filled crowd. Traditions like this are a heartwarming collision of past and present –– something arguably absent here at Western.

Students are, of course, invited to participate in Homecoming. Yet the interaction between current Western students and alumni is sorely lacking.

Take the annual parade, for instance. Though an example of community and alumni outreach, the parade is poorly organized, with this year being no exception.

Attendance from the student body is typically low, and even those students participating in the parade itself tend to be less than enthusiastic by the end of the route.

When compared to the rich traditions and respect shown at Queen’s, what sort of connection does this make between our students and alumni?

Perhaps an open house would be a beneficial addition to Western’s Homecoming festivities –– one in which alumni can learn about the changes occurring at their alma mater, interact with current students, and pass on their wisdom from years past.

Initiatives such as this may help students like ourselves see where we fit into the bigger picture of Western’s history, and even increase our sense of “purple pride.”

Overall, isn’t that what Homecoming at its heart is really about –– school spirit?

At the end of the day, anything that can be done to foster this sentiment through generations of Westerners is a good thing.

Assumingly the Homecoming initiatives directed solely at alumni — such as the various receptions and dinners they attend — are likely successful at renewing their pride for their university.

In the same vein, hundreds of purple-clad students attending morning keggers and the football game make it clear that current Western attendees also feel proud of this school.

The disconnect between the two groups, however, is disheartening. Homecoming needs to bridge the divide between students and alumni since there is so much we can learn from each other.

We’re all Mustangs at heart after all, and it’s time Western took notice.

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