Homecoming 2009 Celebrated
Oct 13, 2009
Cornerstone University celebrated its alumni with a week of activities on campus Oct. 5-Oct. 10 culminating in a festival on Saturday themed “Celebrating Lives that Matter.”
“The past week of celebrating homecoming activities was spectacular,” said Bill Knott, vice president for advancement. “From the start of Spirit Week to the end of the festival, from Mudbowl to the symphonic winds concert it was a so well done. The energy created was felt all week long.”
The Oct. 10 all-day, outdoor festival featured alumni reunion athletic games, outdoor concerts, a community gathering with President Joe Stowell, “Class Without a Quiz,” lawn games, frisbee golf, a guided prayer walk around the pond, giveaways, a Rocky coloring contest for kids, bungee run, spacewalk, adrenaline rush, power jump, rock climbing wall and face painting.
“Homecoming 2009 was the start of a new chapter in our efforts to invest in alumni, and we planned quite a week to get things off to a great start,” said Darci Irwin, director of alumni relations (CU’09).
Along with the traditional events such as Mudbowl, Midnight Madness and the 5K Run and Walk, a couple new events were added.
New this year was a Grand Rapids Theological Seminary Alumni Dinner hosted by Doug Fagerstrom, president of GRTS, scheduled for Oct. 9 and an Alumni Dessert Reception hosted by Dr. Stowell, president of Cornerstone, who shared about upcoming initiatives, additions to the chapel program and campus improvements.
"We took intentional steps in our development of Homecoming to pause and celebrate our history, our present, and our future," said Irwin. "We spent time celebrating our alumni, students, faculty, staff, and most of all, our great God who has been faithful and constant at this University from 1941 until now. Homecoming 2009 was the first part of our strategic plan to reconnect with our alumni."
Sporting events included a women’s volleyball game on the new sand volleyball court on campus, a women's soccer game, a men's soccer game and women’s softball game.
Billy Carl took first place in the 5k run with 17:28; Alex Green, took second place with 17:28 and Adam Looman nabbed third with 17:45.
Current students began the Homecoming 2009 week with students vs. students and department vs. department competing to show their school spirit by celebrating our history.
Each day the teams learned about Cornerstone trivia that corresponded to the decade being celebrated that day. Throughout the week students and departments competed to show who had the most Cornerstone pride. Points were awarded for various activities each day of the week.
Winners will be invited to Java w/ Joe: The Home Edition, providing a chance to hang out with Dr. Stowell at his home.
“Irwin and her team did a fantastic job,” said Knott. “That effort gives us a great platform from which to grow. I am very confident that the current Cornerstone classes will view homecoming differently because of the great week. ”
For more information about Cornerstone alumni, visit: www.cornerstone.edu/alumni.
