College of Charleston Homecoming Makes a Great Comeback
Kick ’em in the knee! Sock ’em in the jaw! Eat ’em like oysters! Rah! Rah! Rah! The College of Charleston revived Homecoming with great fanfare and engagement.
More than 5,000 alumni, families, students and friends reconnected with the College during the 2024 Homecoming festivities. The reintroduced event, which incorporated the previous Fall Alumni Weekend and Family Fun Day, offered a more robust and inclusive opportunity to bring people and place together. The return of Homecoming aims to evoke nostalgia with each stroll across campus and bring alumni, parents, students and friends together to a place of fond memories that they’ll want to join in year after year.
Homecoming week started on Veterans Day with a Veterans and Military Student Open House in the Veterans Lounge. Veteran alumni and the more than 250 veteran students on campus were invited to learn about the Veteran and Active Military Student Hub.
That evening, in the Sottile Theatre, the Department of Communication and the Civility Initiative hosted Polarization in America with Jamelle Bouie, a noted New York Times columnist and voice on race and politics in America.
On Wednesday, Nov. 13, the Division of Student Affairs hosted the Homecoming Parade. President Andrew T. Hsu joined athletic teams, Clyde the Cougar, student organizations and other members of the CofC community. Immediately following the parade was the Homecoming Carnival with food, novelties, music and giveaways.
Also on Wednesday evening, the School of the Arts Department of Theatre and Dance performed Dracula in the Simons Center Black Box Theatre. Performances were held daily through Nov. 20.
On Thursday, Nov. 14, the Division of Student Affairs hosted the College’s National Pan-Hellenic Council’s Step Show, featuring the Divine Nine, at Festival Hall.
That evening at The Charleston Place, the College introduced two new traditions celebrating donors: a pinning ceremony for members of the President’s Society (those who have committed $1 million or more cumulatively to any area of campus) and a gratitude gala for the generous annual donors and lead volunteers who are helping build a culture of engagement and philanthropy.
On Friday, Nov. 15, the Black Alumni Council held a breakfast at the International African American Museum. Bernard Powers, professor emeritus and founding director of the Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston, shared his insights and knowledge about the museum as one who was a driving force in the building of the IAAM and now sits on its board of directors.
Later that day, the School of Business held a speed networking event with students and successful alumni in the Tate Center. In athletics, the volleyball team celebrated its 50th anniversary and played a game against Northeastern. People had the opportunity to tour the President’s House and learn the rich history of the oldest building on campus. The Addlestone Library Special Collections held a pop-up exhibit with priceless items spanning centuries and continents, including a 1613 King James Bible, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and John James Audubon’s elephantine The Birds of America.
On Friday evening, a tailgate and pep rally was held in the Cistern Yard with the CofC cheerleaders, the Cougarettes dance team, the Chucktown Sound pep band and Clyde the Cougar. The pep rally ignited school spirit for the men’s basketball team’s double overtime 119-116 win over the Florida Atlantic University Owls.
The penultimate day of Homecoming started with breakfast for the Parent Leadership Society in Alumni Hall, followed by the Family Fun Picnic on Rivers Green. Many schools and units – including the Honors College, the School of Business, the School of Education and the political science department – also hosted their own gatherings across campus to showcase their respective areas.
The afternoon included another volleyball game against Northeastern and an opportunity to tour the CofC Library Special Collections. The CofC Civility Initiative hosted the Charleston premier of I Got Myself a Yard, a feature-length documentary about Jermaine Johnson ’08, a formidable Cougars basketball player who now serves in the South Carolina General Assembly.
In the Simons Center, the School of the Arts held SOTA-POP to celebrate alumni and student artisans and crafters. Live music featured both alumni and students. At the same time, Todd McNerney, professor of performance, held a participatory workshop/master class exploring improvisational techniques and their applications.
Saturday evening, in the Sottile Theatre, eight distinguished alumni were lauded for their outstanding achievements at the Alumni Awards Ceremony. The event was followed by an oyster roast in the Cistern Yard, which has become a much-anticipated fall gathering. This year’s event featured class reunions for the Class of ’74, Class of ’84 and Class of ’99, and performances by student musical and dance groups.
Homecoming 2024 concluded on Sunday, Nov. 17, with a farewell coffee and donuts reception on Rivers Green. The reimagined Homecoming festivities were a success in creating lasting memories and will be among the rich traditions that make the College of Charleston so special.
