Alumni News

Homecoming Weekend Fuels Optimism and Campus Spirit

Washington College was alive with energy and enthusiasm the last weekend of October as nearly a thousand alumni, students, families, faculty, and staff converged for a vibrant Homecoming and Fall Family Weekend. The historic campus was abuzz with hundreds taking part in a mix of activities across the academic, athletic, and social spheres, successfully fostering renewed connections across generations of Shoremen and Shorewomen. 

The weekend’s festivities began Friday evening with the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, celebrating athletic excellence. Four new members were inducted as the Class of 2025: Conner Blouin ’10 (Sailing), Adam Cranford ’11 (Men’s Tennis), Katherine O’Brien ’08 (Volleyball), and Greg Vetter ’05 (Men’s Lacrosse). 

Saturday served as the main celebration, with events happening from the athletic fields to the riverfront. The 2nd Annual Party on the Square saw Daly Lawn transform into a festive carnival complete with live music, games, and food trucks. High-spirited competition filled the fields with varsity Homecoming games featuring men’s and women’s soccer, women’s rowing, volleyball, and field hockey. Amidst the action, the brothers of Phi Delta Theta hosted their 34th Annual Crab Feast—a favorite campus tradition celebrating the Eastern Shore. 

Attendees gathered for a ceremony celebrating the replacement of a brick pathway between Middle Hall and the Green with bricks generously purchased by alumni, students, families, and friends and featuring custom messages. Recent graduates Miranda Parrish ’25 and Stephen Hook ’25 returned to campus to lead the path’s ribbon-cutting, which honors the lasting connections within the Washington community.

At the Chester River Cruise & Scavenger Hunt, guests were invited to board the research vessel Callinectes with the Center for Environment and Society to learn about the river’s sites, the Center’s work, and the surrounding land. An early morning kayak tour was also well attended.  

On the academic side, the Summer Science Research Posters display in the McLain Atrium of the Toll Science Center showcased senior science research projects, allowing students to share their original, hands-on work from across the sciences. The Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience offered a bit of hands-on history as participants cut their own quills, made their own ink, and sealed their own letters with wax, all using eighteenth-century methods and techniques. With all the activities, many still found time to stop by the 25th Reunion festivities at Watershed Alley in downtown Chestertown, mosey over to Alumni Night at Riley’s Mill Ale Works, or stop in the campus’ new watering hole, the Golden Goose Pub, for a pint and collegial connections. 

The weekend concluded Sunday with a Family Celebration for first-year students that welcomed parents into the heart of their students’ college experience.

Reflecting on the overwhelming participation and positive atmosphere, Interim President Bryan Matthews ’75, M’86, P’12 saw the weekend as a powerful reminder of the strength of the Washington College community.  

“The weekend was a great success from start to finish,” Matthews said. “The turnout was excellent, the energy and enthusiasm with every event I attended was outstanding, and the excitement for next steps for the College was clearly evident. I am even more convinced that we are in a position to move forward, together.”

— Dominique Ellis Falcon