Kuyper Celebrates First-Ever Homecoming
There are 85 years of Kuyper College graduates living and serving all over the world, and a recent event in early November saw many of them return to campus.
“Homecoming: Falling for Kuyper” combined Kuyper’s annual Fall Fest with a homecoming celebration to create a first-of-its-kind event honoring Kuyper’s 85th anniversary. It was attended by students, faculty, staff, and alumni – some from as far back as the 1970s.
“It was a great way to recognize Kuyper’s history, while looking forward to what God has in store for the College in the years to come,” said Nathan Slauer, Kuyper’s Manager of the Annual Fund and Alumni Relations, who spearheaded the event’s organization.
A gorgeous, sunny fall day created an ideal backdrop for the event, which began at 11 am with registration, after which guests could take part in a whole host of fun activities, including capturing memories with a photo line in the student development lobby, enjoying donuts and cider in the Walters Dining Hall and outdoor games on the soccer field.
“It was so much fun to see Kuyper students, alumni, staff members and supporters all gather together and build community. One of the best parts of the day was seeing guests share their favorite Kuyper memories with one another via sticky notes,” Slauer said.
All this created the perfect opportunity for alumni like Eric and Kristeen VanderWall to relive some of their time at Kuyper. The VanderWalls, both 2010 Kuyper graduates, were eager to attend the inaugural homecoming celebration and introduce their young children to their alma mater.
“We were excited for them to experience a little bit of Kuyper life,” Eric said. “When we arrived, we were greeted by President Harris and others that we knew from our time at Kuyper. It was like a blast from the past!”
Because no homecoming celebration is complete without a homecoming game, the Kuyper women’s basketball team took on Calumet College of St. Joseph at 1 pm in the Boonstra Gymnasium, securing a 62-56 victory over the Crimson Wave.
“The women’s basketball team did an amazing job, and it is so great to see student-athletes finding success both on and off the court,” said Slauer.
Slauer was also quick to praise the efforts of Maria Sobany-Bosch, a student athlete and member of the Advancement team, who spent her birthday setting up for homecoming before heading out onto the court with the team.
“She also planned event details, promoted homecoming on social media and with students and spent days blowing up balloons,” he added.
Bosch said she was just glad there was a coffee cart at the event.
“I was really tired going from setting things up to playing the game,” she said. “But it was cool seeing everything come together and enjoying the event as both a planner and basketball player.”
Before members of the Student Development team led an obstacle course competition on the court at halftime, Kuyper President Patricia Harris took the microphone to address attendees in the stands.
“85 years ago, Kuyper College began. We didn’t look like this, but we had the same kind of dedication,” said Harris, to sounds of applause from the audience. “Alumni, students, staff, friends of the College, we are so glad you are all here for this first-ever Kuyper College homecoming!”
With a successful first homecoming celebration under his belt, Slauer is already planning for the future.
“Since this was our first year, we would love to hear from the Kuyper community about what activities they would like to see during future Homecoming events,” he said. “For those with an interest in event-planning and decorating, we could always use new members of the Alumni Relations Committee to help put this event on!”
