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Emory celebrates Homecoming, Family Weekend

Students had the chance to “surf” an inflatable wave while enjoying treats and friends as “Homecoming at Sea” activities got under way this week. Photo by Parth Moody.

Emory’s Homecoming celebration continues throughout this week, with a diverse slate of events for both current students and alumni, as the university also welcomes students’ loved ones to campus for Family Weekend. 

The convergence of Homecoming and Family Weekend brings a calendar packed with musical performances, tours, lectures and social events, culminating on Saturday, Oct. 20, with the Homecoming Parade, Festival and Concert featuring singer-songwriter, Oxford alumna and Decatur native Keri Hilson. 

Many events are open to the entire Emory community, including faculty and staff, although registration may be required.

Here is a sampling of remaining events this week and highlights for the weekend:


Students celebrate ‘Homecoming at Sea’

“Homecoming at Sea” is the theme for student events planned by the Student Programming Council.

On Wednesday, Oct. 17, enjoy Wonderful Wednesday After Dark with a Game Night at 6 p.m. on Cox Bridge.

Festivities for Thursday, Oct. 18, start at 11 a.m. with "Decks, Dealers and Dooley: Casino Day" sponsored by the Residence Hall Association in conjunction with Homecoming. Then it's HocoFest, a Homecoming festival on the Glenn Memorial lawn at 5:30 p.m., followed by an 8 p.m. performance at Glenn by comedian Beth Stelling. 

On Friday, Oct. 19, there'll be a 6:30 p.m. dinner at the First-Year Quad. The Homecoming Ball will be at 8 p.m. on the Quad. Rappers Waka Flocka Flame and Ugly God have been announced as the headline performers. 

On Saturday, Oct. 20, the Homecoming Parade begins at 1:30 p.m. on the Quad. The festival starts at 2 p.m. on the Quad, as the Student Programming Council and the Emory Alumni Association present Keri Hilson as the 2018 Homecoming headliner.  

This year, the SPC will hold a raffle for Homecoming Week. Those who come to five Homecoming events during that week will be entered into a raffle to come on stage during the main concert and help SPC throw t-shirts to the crowd. Get a card at various SPC Homecoming events; get the five punches for the events and you will be entered into the raffle.

The TechLab at Cox Hall Computing Center also continues its workshops to make themed accoutrements to help celebrate Homecoming.

On Mascot Appreciation Day, Thursday, Oct. 18, you can learn how to make Dooley stickers for water bottles, laptop decals and iron-on designs. Walk-ins are invited between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to get a run-through and make Dooley memorabilia to take with you. 

For Marble Mug customization, customize a mug with a simple hydro-dipping technique. Drop in between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, to learn how to do basic hydro-dipping, a painting technique that can be applied to many other methods of manufacturing and product design. 

Events welcome alumni back to campus

Homecoming means a variety of reunions, learning opportunities and fun activities for Emory alumni, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 17, through Sunday, Oct. 21. Register here for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2018. All of the following events require registration through this link except for those noted.

Here is a sampling of events. View the full schedule

Alumni who graduated 50 years or more ago are invited to a brunch on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 10:30 a.m. themed “Emory Then and Now.” Emory President Claire E. Sterk will give opening remarks and Marshall Duke, Emory’s College of Arts and Sciences, will share his unique perspective of Emory over the last 50 years. This event will be in the Governor's Hall of the Miller Ward Alumni House and is $20 per person. Contact Michele Obester for more information. 

Emory Jazz Ensembles perform at 6 p.m. Oct. 18 on Patterson Green. Jazz on the Green is no charge, no ticket and no registration. This event is open to the public.

The Graduate and Professional School Alumni Tailgate is being held Oct. 18 at SweetWater Brewing Company for alumni from the School of Medicine, Rollins School of Public Health, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Candler School of Theology and the Laney Graduate School to reconnect and reminisce. Cost is $15 per person. For more information, contact Jessica Stephens. 

Friday, Oct. 19, offers a variety of opportunities for learning, networking and reconnecting, along with some beautiful music.

Goizueta Business School has its “Back to School Academic Sessions” from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. featuring classroom sessions with favorite professors and an update from Dean Erika H. James on Goizueta Beyond. The event is $20 per person and includes breakfast and lunch. Contact Stephanie Block for more information.

Take a mid-day break with the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta noon concert at Ackerman Hall in the Michael C. Carlos Museum. Virtuoso pianist Momoro Ono will perform a free concert. This event does not require registration. 

Laney Graduate School Network Exchange is also at noon, inviting alumni and current Laney Graduate School students for networking over a light lunch. Alumni are invited to share career pathways with students then answer their questions in a casual setting. This event is only open to LGS alumni and will be in the Psychology and Interdisciplinary Sciences (PAIS) lobby. There is no charge for the event. For more information, contact Jessica Stephens.

At 1 p.m. participate in a class and panel discussion featuring Emory Nursing alumni leaders with “The Journey to Nursing Leadership Alumni Panel.” This will be held in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing Auditorium. There is no charge. Contact Megan Lennox for more information.

At 3:15 p.m. on Friday, join a historical walking tour of campus with Emory University Historian Gary Hauk. The free tour begins at the Cox Hall Clock Tour. Register here

Emory President Claire E. Sterk hosts "One Emory, Many Voices," a town hall discussion at 4:30 p.m. at Cox Hall. There is no charge, but attendees are encouraged to register.

Saturday, Oct. 20, includes a full slate of events as well, highlighted by the Homecoming Parade at 1:30 p.m. and the Homecoming Festival and concert with Keri Wilson starting at 2 p.m. 

Start your day early with the Homecoming & Family Weekend 5K Run through Lullwater Park. All those interested are encouraged to register online, but walk-ups are also welcome. On-site registration will be from 8-8:45 a.m. and there is charge for Emory students, faculty/staff, alumni, friends and families. Register via emory.reunioniq.com

At 10 a.m., join a panel of legal scholars from Emory Law to explore “Constitutional Law & The Presidency.” The free event takes place at Gambrell Hall at the School of Law.

After the Homecoming Concert, enjoy more music as the Emory University Symphony Orchestra performs with tango musicians Sonia Possetti and Damián Bolotin, who have served as artists-in-residence at Emory this week. Free tickets are required.

Events wind down on Sunday, Oct. 21, with worship services, a free 4 p.m. concert by the Emory Wind Ensemble at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts and a free 4 p.m. jazz family concert with the Gary Motley Trio at the Carlos Museum.

Family Weekend welcomes loved ones

Running parallel with Homecoming is Family Weekend with special sessions to let visitors get to know Emory better. Many events are considered part of both Homecoming and Family Weekend and are open to families, students and interested alumni.

Participants can attend sessions throughout the weekend on career center services, study abroad opportunities, undergraduate research, mental health and crisis services, student housing, pre-health advising and more. 

While there is no charge for these events, registration is required.

On Saturday, Oct. 20, events include a parents-only hard-hat tour of the new Emory Student Center under construction, a family weekend Dooley’s Brunch at the DUCling,

Topics for the Emory College academic sessions include voting in a polarized era and media and the environment. 

There will also be a book fair with barbeque and brews at Goizueta Business School and the Emory bookstore Barnes and Noble will host a sweets social. In addition, there will be concerts, food trucks and other eating opportunities, a tour of Grady Memorial Hospital, a golf club scramble and other athletic events, and many more events and opportunities to reconnect and to meet new alumni and friends.

Go here for more information and to register.

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