If you go to this school, you’ll most likely agree that homecoming is that one day a year that actually feels like a “Game Day.” Everyone and their mother (quite literally—it’s also parents’ weekend) are out on campus in Columbia gear. The sound of the band plays in the distance, the streets appear covered in “Columbia blue,” and the chanting of “Roar Lion Roar” makes its way all the way to Baker.
Better known as Christmas, Columbia’s happiest day of the year usually begins with a series of tailgates (if you’re of age), breakfasts, and rooftop hanging. You have just picked out every piece of Columbia attire in your closet in order to find that perfect balance between spirited and fashionable clothing. Luckily, this homecoming’s forecast was cool, but sunny. So tank tops and shorts were most definitely fair game as long as you brought a jacket.
One of my personal favorite parts about Homecoming is getting the chance to see your friends, old and new, in the midst of midterms season. You’ve probably already begun living the life of a hermit, cooped up in Butler until the end of time. So the familiar and dearly missed faces of our alumni are a real highlight of this special day.
And now for the game…
For many, this day is the one time a year in which attending a football game is both expected and anticipated. If you made it to the game, congratulations – that is a true feat. If you didn’t, that’s okay; there’s always next year. Taking the subway to 215th is a trek, I know. But, hey, there’s always the bus. And what’s better then hopping onto a bus (free of charge) with 40 or 50 of your closest classmates to make it to and from the game. However, if you’re trying to leave early, then don’t count on the bus. The bus is only for those true Columbia football fans that are holding onto the hope that our team may just pull out a win one of these days. No luck this year, but stay tuned.
If you didn’t quite make it to the game this year, here’s what you missed:
1. The football team’s excellent new football swag. New year, new looks, new team!
2. Columbia’s coach, Al Bagnoli, was reunited with his old team (he left Penn in 2014).
3. Robert Kraft — cherished alum, owner of the New England Patriots, and CEO of the Kraft Group — supported his alma mater and helped cheer from the stands.
4. We lost 42-7, but it’s the effort that counts, right?
All in all, I’d say this homecoming was a pretty successful one. We continue to prove that despite our losses, Columbia will “fight on to victory evermore!”
Photos by Kiera Wood. (www.kieraewoodphotography.com)