Homecoming activities at Hope College will take place on Friday through Sunday, Oct. 8-10, and are expected to bring hundreds of alumni back to campus.
Highlights of the week include a dedication celebration for the college's new science center throughout Friday, the 27th annual Run-Bike-Swim-Walk on Saturday, a home football game with Olivet College on Saturday, and reunions for several graduating classes from 1984 through 2003.
Many of the Homecoming events are open to the public.
The science center celebration will begin on Friday, Oct. 8, at 9 a.m. with the keynote address "Science and Citizenship: The Importance of Public Understanding of Science" by Dr. Judith Ramaley of the National Science Foundation in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. Additional activities will include two sets of parallel presentations by Hope alumni at 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. at a variety of locations in the science center; a dedication ceremony at 12:30 p.m. at Van Andel Plaza at the building's north side; and an open house beginning at 1:15 p.m.
On Friday, Oct. 8, at 3 p.m., Dr. Tim Laman will present the address "The Evolution of Gliding in Borneo's Rain Forest Vertebrates" in room 1019 of the science center as the department of biology's weekly seminar. Laman is a 1983 Hope graduate from Cambridge who is a research associate of the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University and a wildlife photographer whose work has been featured in "National Geographic." He will also be among the dedication session presenters earlier in the day.
The gallery of the De Pree Art Center is featuring the exhibition "Two Eyes on Mexico: Josephine Sacabo and Mariana Yampolsky." The exhibition displays photographs from the Witliff Gallery of Southwestern and Mexican Photography of Texas State University-San Marcos. The gallery is open Sunday and Monday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and on Thursday from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. The exhibition will continue through Friday, Oct. 22.
"The Princely Players" will appear as a follow-up to the college's Sept. 28-29 Critical Issues Symposium on Friday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre. The group of eight singers shares the struggle of Africans in America from slavery to the Civil Rights Movement in a unique program of spirituals, work songs, hymns and songs of freedom. Tickets are $10 for regular admission and $5 for senior citizens and students, and are on sale at the theatre lobby box office in the DeWitt Center, which can be called at (616) 395-7890. Any remaining tickets will also be available at the door.
Hope College Theatre is presenting its first production of the season, "Golden Ladder" by Donna Spector, on Wednesday-Saturday, Oct. 6-9, and Wednesday-Saturday, Oct. 13-16, in the DeWitt Center studio theatre. Tickets are $7 for regular admission, $5 for Hope faculty and staff, and $4 for senior citizens and students, and are on sale at the theatre lobby box office in the DeWitt Center, which can be called at (616) 395-7890.
The 27th annual Run-Bike-Swim-Walk will take place on Saturday, Oct. 9. Events will include a health fair in the Dow Center from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; a two-mile prediction walk; a five-kilometer run; ¾-, 3.5- and five-mile criterium bicycling events; and quarter-mile and half-mile swims. Starting times vary for the competitive events, and registration information may be obtained by calling the Dow Center at (616) 395-7690.
The Hope-Geneva Bookstore in the DeWitt Center will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The bookstore will also sponsor a tent staffed by members of the college's Alumni Board and featuring selected Hope merchandise, primarily clothing, at Holland Municipal Stadium on Saturday from 1 p.m. through the end of the college's game with Olivet College.
There will be an "Alumni Men's Soccer Game" on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Buys Athletic Fields.
Hope will dedicate a sculpture by Bill Barrett on Saturday at 11 a.m. The sculpture, "Wall Relief: Opus A," is being installed on the north wall of the organ studio of Nykerk Hall of Music. The organ studio is on the building's west side, facing Van Raalte Commons and Dimnent Memorial Chapel.
The Alumni H-Club's annual Homecoming luncheon will begin on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at the Haworth Inn and Conference Center. The club will celebrate 100 years of Hope men's basketball. In addition, the group will present its "Hope for Humanity Award" to Dr. Vern Boersma, a member of the Class of 1944 who practiced medicine in Holland for more than three decades.
From noon until 2 p.m. on Saturday, the department of psychology will host an open house in the college's new science center. The department's offices are located on the western side of the first floor.
Also at noon on Saturday, women's soccer will host Albion College at Buys Athletic Fields.
From 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, a tailgate picnic will be held for alumni, parents, friends and students of the college on the lawn of the DeWitt Tennis Center, located on Fairbanks Avenue near Holland Municipal Stadium. The picnic will include fare such as hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta salad, carmel apples, chips and soft drinks, and live music by Potato Moon for entertainment until 2 p.m. Tickets may be ordered in advance for $8 each (free for children 10 and under) by sending a check to: Hope College; Alumni Relations; PO Box 9000; Holland, MI 49422-9000 or by credit card by calling (616) 395-7339. Tickets will also be sold on-site for $10 each.
At 1 p.m. on Saturday, the Homecoming parade will leave campus at 13th Street and College Avenue and wind its way to Holland Municipal Stadium.
The men's soccer team will host Kalamazoo College on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Buys Athletic Fields.
The Flying Dutchmen will host Olivet College at Holland Municipal Stadium at 2 p.m. The pre-game show, which begins at 1:30 p.m., will feature the Schoolcraft High School Marching Band, which will also be marching in the parade. Halftime will feature the band; the presentation of the annual "Honorary Professor/Staff Member" award, as chosen by the student body; the introduction of the Homecoming Court; and the crowning of the Homecoming king and queen. In addition, the college's chapter of Mortar Board will be holding a children's book drive at the stadium beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
A Homecoming worship service will begin on Sunday, Oct. 10, at 11 a.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. The service will feature the college's Alumni Chapel Choir and Chapel Choir under the direction of Brad Richmond of the Hope faculty, and the organist will be David Schout, a 2000 Hope graduate who is organist and choir director at Hope Church in Holland. The guest preacher will be the Rev. Jan Luben Hoffman, a 1971 Hope graduate who is co-pastor of First Reformed Church of Scotia, N.Y., and is also a member of the college's Alumni Association Board of Directors.
The college's Faculty Recital Series will present a concert on Sunday, Oct. 10, at 3 p.m. in Wichers Auditorium of Nykerk Hall of Music.
Reunion-oriented events include a career networking event for reunion class participants Friday evening; class photographs for the classes of 1984, 1989, 1994 and 1999; and an all-reunion brunch on Saturday for the classes of 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003. The classes of 1984, 1989, 1994 and 1999 will also hold reunion parties Saturday evening.