Homecoming about those who are coming home

House Editorial

Good idea — Running into and welcoming back an alumni.

Bad idea — Running into and throwing up on an alumni.

Good idea — Talking to an alumni about how things have changed at JMU in recent years.

Bad idea — Talking to an alumni about how many kegs you've thrown into Newman Lake in recent years.

Good idea — Marketing yourself to alumni to potentially get a job.

Bad idea — playing beer pong with alumni like it's your job.

Another Homecoming is upon us, and once again the weekend will be filled with the celebration of all that is JMU. To some, it is an excuse to get obliterated. Buried in the jovial partaking, these students have lost sight of the potential that the weekend holds. While celebration wholeheartedly is supported, losing sight of the purpose of the festivities is not.

Homecoming is a celebration of one's school, and students are intended to display their school spirit. Responsible drinking can be a part of the festivities, but it becomes troublesome when it is the focal point. What once was a display of school spirit quickly degenerates into an embarrassing display of the good time taken too far. What is needed is a recognition of our pride in our school, not another excuse for a party. The weekend provides that well enough.

Welcoming back alumni whom we have not seen in some time is a highlight of any Homecoming weekend. After all, it is the namesake of the annual celebration. While certainly the reunion calls for social gatherings, it is possible, and most beneficial, to have ulterior motives when socializing with these Dukes of yore.

For the JMU alumni, Homecoming weekend is a time to relax and celebrate their college years. For the undergrad, it can be an opportunity to network and make connections to potential future employment. Honestly, if an employer has met you in a social situation and knows you from a more informal atmosphere, it will make your resume more recognizable to them down the road. That is, of course, unless you humiliate yourself in their presence.

The time is not so far off when we'll be the alumni coming back on this festive occasion to celebrate our purple and gold days. Most of us would prefer that our return be a welcoming one. Amongst our former fellow students, we'll also be eager to meet the new faces of the school. It would be a disappointment to see that those faces have no interest in meeting us.

Taking advantage of Homecoming weekend by establishing connections with ex-JMUers in the work force is one of the most productive uses of the annual festivities. So enjoy the weekend fellow Dukes, but don't let alcohol be the focal point and make something useful out of it in the process.