Fall 2024
Maybe it’s my age creeping in, but these days, the “Sentimental Meter” in my brain goes off the charts every October when I see the leaves changing, the cooler weather setting in, and the truckload of alumni converging on campus for a weekend of fun. This was my 17th Homecoming at Marietta. No, I didn’t graduate from MC, but I’ve learned that if you show up to an event with a notepad and a large camera, they’ll let anyone in. Just kidding — you also need a navy blue nametag and to know the right people.
Speaking of nostalgia and knowing the right people, those of you who attended this year’s weekend revelry may have noticed a certain Ann Foraker Nicely ’03, MCM’05 wearing one of those special nametags. She’s back as the Director of Alumni Engagement, joining a few more familiar alumni faces in the Office of Advancement, including Branden Chambers ’11, who now leads The Marietta Fund, and Bethany McFarland Leslie ’12, who was recently tapped as the Vice President for Advancement. The entire team went above and beyond to make this year a true celebration of lifelong friendship.
It’s hard to think of myself as an “outsider” at Homecoming because I have attended so many and met hundreds of alums over the years. I feel as if I’ve been adopted by so many classes celebrating special reunions — this year’s 1974 Golden Pioneers, the 1984 group, the Math & Computer Science breakfast, the Physician Assistant Program’s 20th, and the tailgating community — like I’m the neighborhood kid who never seems to go home, though nobody seems to mind.
By the time the Farewell Breakfast in Gilman rolls around, that sentimental meter goes off again, and I’m already looking forward to seeing my alumni friends next year. As an outsider who’s been welcomed into this special community, I truly understand why you chose MC all those years ago and why you keep coming back.
Gi Smith
Editor
Marietta, The Magazine for Marietta College
Read the Fall 2024 Magazine
Marietta, The Magazine of Marietta College, is published online six times each year by the Office of Communication & Brand Management for Marietta College’s alumni, donors, faculty, staff, students and friends.
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