On Saturday I started my morning by sitting at the front desk in the Admissions office talking to perspective students. I later ended my day hanging out in the green room of the theatre with my new friends that are McDaniel Alumni. One of the reasons I love Homecoming is because not only do you get to spend the day tailgating and cheering on the football team with your friends, but you also get to catch up with friends that have already graduated and meet even more new friends. When we say to prospective students that McDaniel really has a sense of community and family, we aren’t just saying that to get more people to come here. It is true. The connections I’ve made with people who are older than me connected right away over McDaniel traditions and stories that are passed down through the years. It is always fun to sit around and hear stories about past McDaniel experiences.
I truly believe that Homecoming gets better every year. It is only natural to make friends with people who are older than you and as sad as it is to realize that they won’t be there every day once they graduate, it’s awesome to know that they will be back on the Hill for Homecoming. I know personally, as a Junior, I made friends with people who were Seniors when I was a Freshman so I know a lot of alumni that I only get to see once a year. I love catching up with them and getting to know how the “real world” is treating them. It is going to be very strange for me next year if I can’t get off work to come back for it. Even though I’ll be working in Florida, I am going to try my best to make it back for Homecoming. My best friend is a Senior this year so I would be sure to see her here.
Notice I haven’t talked much about the actual football game. While we were ahead for a lot of it, we lost in the last few seconds. It was a sad defeat but because of our awesome tailgating skills, we made the most of it. One of my favorite parts about Homecoming is just walking around the bowl stadium and stopping at the different organization’s tents. Each Greek organization always has a tent and a bunch of other clubs set up camp as well. One of the best parts of McDaniel, in my opinion, is even though we have some groups that are selective, there are very few events that are strictly for members only. For the most part, we all work and play as one school and are a very inclusive group. I am always proud to say that I am a student at McDaniel College because not only am I getting a wonderful education in the classroom, but I am also making connections with my peers and professors that will last a lifetime.