Homecoming Looking “Virtually” the Same Despite Pandemic Restrictions

Article written by Hannah Fraser (‘23).

Legacies are built over time. The Houghton legacy continues to grow as students, alumni, and faculty create changes and celebrate victories. This year’s Homecoming weekend gives another opportunity for Houghton to gather and connect. The Houghton Homecoming weekend is an opportunity for alumni and current students to build a legacy and celebrate the direction of our movement as a community. 

This year, despite the given circumstances of COVID-19 restrictions, Homecoming maintains the same goal. Phyllis Gaerte, the Director of Alumni and Community Engagement, said that even though the delivery and platforms are different, the goal is still “to bring together the Houghton College community – alumni, students, families, and friends – to celebrate our rich heritage, discover what is new and current, and to envision the future together.”

The main difference between this year and former years is the virtual aspect. The decision to move to a fully virtual Homecoming weekend was made early in the summer after the guidelines for reopening came from New York State and the Houghton PREP team. Most events will not be in person, but the schedule remains similar. “We will have the Greatbatch School of Music Concert, our Homecoming Legacy Chapel that features our annual alumni awards, class reunions that will be held via Zoom, an art exhibition, equestrian open house, the Highlander 5K, and more,” said Gaerte. She encouraged students to go to the Houghton website where links to the programs will be posted. 

 Programs like “Hands on Houghton” and the Legacy Chapel display aspects of the community outside the student body. “Hands on Houghton” is a way for Houghton to showcase their academic departments, and these virtual activities include art, ornithology, and outdoor recreation. 

Students’ reactions to this year’s schedule display the optimism and hopefulness of the student body, as well as some caution about the virtual aspect. Mallory Horn (‘23) said, “I think it’s awesome to see how even in the midst of such a unique season, Houghton has still found so many ways for the community to safely celebrate Homecoming and to connect with one another. I’m most looking forward to the homecoming concert!” 

Timothy Lund (‘23) responded, “I have never been to Homecoming before but the thought of doing it virtually seems a bit bizarre. I think given the COVID situation, a virtual Homecoming is the only way to go about things without creating a health risk… but still it’s going to be quite odd, to say the least.” 

Purple and Gold Week leads to Homecoming weekend, and the week’s events also look different because of the current guidelines. Like Homecoming, the events are mostly virtual, and CAB has planned ways to engage students wherever they are. AC Taylor, the Director of Student Engagement, said “The ultimate goal of Purple & Gold Week is to help foster school spirit and a sense of belonging for students at Houghton.” He said that the goal is the same this year, but it needs to play out differently. Links are posted for virtual events throughout the week. 

One of the events that presented the greatest challenge to translate into a world with COVID-19 restrictions was the Homecoming dance. CAB is hosting a Houghton Photo Stroll instead, which AC Taylor said allows for us to “maintain the dressing up with friends and making memories aspect of the dance while addressing student health and safety concerns of crowd size, social distancing, and time constraints.” 

To finish off the week, SPOT will be hosted virtually on Saturday at 10:00 PM. SPOT is a long-standing Houghton College talent show that features any Houghton student. The hosts for this year, Jakob and Ingrid Knudsen, decided on the theme “Masquerade” before the pandemic, and Ingrid said, “When the pandemic came our idea seemed even more applicable and we just kept going with it!”

Ever since he was a first-year student, Jakob wanted to host SPOT. “SPOT was something that felt quintessentially Houghton,” he said, “Students working together to show off their awesome talents and/or goofy sides,” he said. When his sister came to Houghton, they decided they wanted to host together. 

Challenges due to COVID-19 restrictions meant that Jakob and Ingrid had to get creative with advertising, so they used Instagram as a way to let people know SPOT is still happening and to promote student involvement. They were afraid that because of COVID-19 they wouldn’t receive many submissions, but according to Jakob, “Houghton has more than exceeded our expectations,” and they’re excited about the submissions students and faculty have submitted. 

Students can’t gather in the chapel for SPOT like before, but Ingrid encourages watching while it’s streaming on YouTube with roommates or other friends in a socially distanced way. “It is happening, and we want you there!” She said, “This is going to be the most unique SPOT, at least we think, in Houghton’s history! You will always remember the show that happened amidst the pandemic in 2020, and this will be the only one!” 

The goals of all these events include celebrating Houghton’s community and uniting the student body and the faculty. While the format of these programs will look different, students can still participate in meaningful ways.

What are your thoughts on Homecoming, Purple & Gold Week, and SPOT this year? Excited? Not as interested? Comment below or get in touch with us via Instagram, Twitter, or email (editor@houghtonstar.com)!