The 12th presidential inauguration in the history of Hope College will headline a busy Homecoming Weekend that will include multiple activities open not only to alumni but to the entire community on Friday-Sunday, Oct. 4-6.
In addition to featuring the inauguration of Dr. John C. Knapp as president, the weekend will include arts events, athletic contests, alumni events for every class from 1988 through 2013, a 5K run and a 50K bike ride, a picnic, a wide range of affinity gatherings and a worship service. The weekend is expected to bring many to campus, including alumni celebrating reunions for every fifth class from 1988 through 2013.
Area residents and those arriving early can attend a concert by the college’s Symphonette on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 8 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. Admission is free.
Activities scheduled in conjunction with the inauguration celebration will begin with the college’s weekday Chapel service on Friday, Oct. 4, at 10:30 a.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel, which will feature remarks by Dr. Gordon Van Wylen, who served as the college’s ninth president from 1972 until retiring in 1987. The public is invited to the morning service and admission is free, although attendance at the event is often at or near capacity.
The inauguration ceremony will take place on Friday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. Admission is by ticket only, distributed in advance, but the event will be live-streamed online. In addition, a live feed of the ceremony will be available in Winants Auditorium of Graves Hall.
A post-inauguration reception will take place on Friday, Oct. 4, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Haworth Inn and Conference Center. Admission is free.
There will be two reunion parties for alumni on Friday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m.: a “Party at the Park” for the classes of 2003-2013, and a “Bash at Baker” for the classes of 1988-2002. The events will include special recognition for the traditional reunion classes of 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013. Advance registration is required.
Hope College Theatre is presenting “Oh, the Humanity” by Will Eno on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 4-5 and Wednesday-Saturday, Oct. 9-12, at 8 p.m. in the DeWitt Center studio theatre. Tickets are $10 for regular admission, $7 for senior citizens and $5 for children 18 and under.
The activities on Saturday, Oct. 5, will begin with a 50K recreational bike ride starting at 8 a.m. and a 5K run starting at 9 a.m., both at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Registration for the bike ride is $20 for the general public and alumni, and $15 for Hope students, faculty and staff. Registration for the run is $20 for the general public and alumni, and $10 for Hope students, faculty and staff. The fee for registration for the run will increase by $5 after Friday, Sept. 27.
There will be a men’s alumni lacrosse game on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m. at the DeVos Fieldhouse lawn. Admission is free.
The Hope-Geneva Bookstore in the DeWitt Center will be open on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 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 Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on Saturday from 1:30 p.m. through the end of the college’s game with Adrian College.
President John Knapp and his wife, Kelly, will host a celebration in the college’s Pine Grove on Saturday, Oct. 5, from noon to 2 p.m. Titled “A Taste of the South: A celebration of Southern cuisine” and geared especially to alumni and students but open to others, the family-oriented event will include live music, giveaways and a variety of activities as well as displays by student organizations. Tickets are $10 for regular admission, $5 for children ages three to 10, and free for children two and under.
Women’s soccer will host Calvin College on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 1 p.m. at the Van Andel Soccer Stadium. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for those under 18.
The Flying Dutchmen will host Adrian College in football at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adult general admission and $3 for general admission for those under 18.
Halftime during the football game will feature the introduction of the Homecoming Court and the crowning of the Homecoming king and queen; and presentation of appreciation awards by the college’s Student Activities Committee and student life office to Rosemary Bannerman, a staff hostess at Phelps Dining Hall; and Dr. Fred Johnson, associate professor of history. The college’s chapter of Mortar Board will have a table set up, to collect gently used children’s books and donations, through halftime of the football game.
There will be a women’s alumnae soccer game on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 3 p.m. at the Van Andel Soccer Stadium. Admission is free.
Volleyball will host Olivet College on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 4:30 p.m. at the DeVos Fieldhouse. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for those under 18.
There will be a men’s alumni soccer game on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 4:30 p.m. at the Van Andel Soccer Stadium. Admission is free.
Men’s soccer will host Olivet College on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Van Andel Soccer Stadium. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for those under 18.
A Homecoming worship service will be held on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 10 a.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. The service will be led by the college’s campus ministries team and feature the college’s Chapel Choir and Alumni Chapel Choir.
Saturday, Oct. 5, will also include several affinity-group reunions, including the 25th anniversary celebration of the Dorian sorority. The college’s fraternities and sororities will hold events in the morning, with most beginning at 10 a.m. Events in the afternoon include a luncheon for alumni of the nursing program; and, beginning at 4 p.m., gatherings for alumni and friends of the Vienna Summer School, political science and international studies programs, and department of physics.
In addition, the gallery of the De Pree Art Center is featuring the exhibition “Art for Commerce,” featuring work by Charles S. Anderson and Laurie DeMartino in collaboration with French Paper Company through Sunday, Oct. 6. The gallery is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the gallery is free.
Advance registration and tickets for all events are available online at hope.edu/homecoming or by calling the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at (616) 395-7250. Tickets for Hope College Theatre’s production of “Oh, the Humanity” and the four home intercollegiate athletic contests on Saturday are also available at the ticket offices in the Events and Conferences Office in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center in downtown Holland or in the main lobby of the DeVos Fieldhouse. Both ticket offices are open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890.
A full schedule of Homecoming activities is available at hope.edu/homecoming.