Homecoming Weekend Schedule

Homecoming Spirit Week

More details to come, but there will be daily themes, all culminating in a formal dance on Friday evening (details below).

---

9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Homecoming Explore Goshen Day
Welcome Center, Union Lobby

There will be opportunities for high school students to attend classes, tour campus and interact with a student panel of current students.

Registration required at goshen.edu/visit.

---

9:30 – 9:45 a.m.
Meet and Greet
Welcome Center, Union Lobby

Meet and greet for prospective students, grandparents, parents and siblings of current students. Coffee available.

---

10 a.m.
Homecoming Convocation
Church-Chapel, Sanctuary

This special convocation will feature 2025 alumni award recipients. Click here to watch a livestream of the event.

Culture for Service Awards

• Raj Biyani ’92, Bellevue, Washington
• Gerald Schlabach ’79, Grand Marais, Michigan

Young Alumni Servant Leadership Award

• Kate Friesen ’14 and Scott Kempf ’11, Goshen, Indiana

Champions of Character Awards

• Tony Janzen ’08, Goshen, Indiana
  Mary Hartzler ’70 , Columbus, Ohio

---

10:45 a.m.
Reception for Alumni Award Recipients
Church-Chapel, Fellowship Hall

---

12 p.m.
Student Music Recital
Music Center, Rieth Recital Hall

---

1 p.m.
Alumni and Family Bicycle Ride
Meet at Schrock Plaza fountain

Ride Goshen’s Pumpkinvine Bike Trail with other alumni, friends and families. Choose rides from a few miles to up to 35 miles. Groups will form going different speeds and distances. Registration encouraged.

---

1 – 4 p.m.
Attend Class

Parents and grandparents may choose to attend a class with your current student during this time. As a courtesy to professors and to ensure there is room for visitors, your student will need to speak with the professor about your classroom visit ahead of time or you can connect with the Admissions Office to see a list of available classes.

---

1 and 2 p.m.
Campus Tours
Welcome Center

New to campus or just want to see what has changed? Join us for a 40-minute walking tour of campus. Tours leave the Welcome Center at 1 and 2 p.m.

---

1 – 5 p.m.
Road Trip to Goshen College’s Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center
Welcome Center, leaving from the South end of the Union Building

Ride in a GC bus to Merry Lea and tour some of the Merry Lea facilities and learn more about all of the amazing programs that are part of this GC gem. Bus will leave from campus at 1 p.m. and return by 5 p.m. or you can drive on your own, if you’d prefer. Registration required.

---

4 – 5 p.m.
Nyai Oyer Gamelan Demonstration
Union building, Gamelan Room

Marcia Yost, director of the arts, will provide an introduction to our Indonesian gamelan. This beautiful set of instruments was gifted to the college in memory of Duane Gingerich ’69 and in honor of Dr. Mary Oyer ’45. Come learn more about the journey that brought this gift to Goshen, the instruments and GC’s plans for it. You will even have a chance to play it.

---

4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Class of 1975 – 50th Anniversary Dinner
Church-Chapel, Fellowship Hall
Cost: $25, Registration required

Celebrate 50 golden years! We will be taking your class photo at 4:45 p.m., so come in time for that. This is a chance to connect with your classmates over dinner and a short program. President Stoltzfus will be there to welcome you.

---

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Tour of the Goshen Printmakers Guild (downtown Goshen)
213 S. Main Street, Goshen (enter in the back, off public parking lot B, next to Fables Books)

Meet the alumni owners of Goshen’s Printmakers Guild, learn about the old-school presses and other equipment, and see the English Department’s Vandercook press in action!

---

7 p.m. Lavender Jazz Set
Downtown Goshen, Goshen Theater

Join GC’s very own Lavender Jazz for this fun event during Goshen’s monthly First Friday evening. There will be drinks and snacks available to purchase in the lobby.

Learn more about the City of Goshen’s monthly First Friday events at downtowngoshen.org

---

8 p.m.
One Act Play – Las Nuevas Tamaleras by Alicia Mena
Umble Center

Cost: No tickets needed, free and open to the public

A charming bilingual holiday tradition from San Antonio arrives in Goshen a little early, but hilarious as ever. This short comedy reminds us of the importance of cultural traditions, especially those involving gossip and cooking. You can learn more about the play here.

Presented in cooperation with playwright Alicia Mena and director Cristobal Garza Gonzalez.

---

8:30 – 10:30 p.m.
Homecoming Formal
Good Library

Join Campus Activities Council (CAC), Residence Life and the Library for this super fun event. Put on your best clothes and get ready to dance, enjoy delicious food and play some games on multiple library floors.

9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Free Time

Opportunity for parents and grandparents to spend time with your college student.

---

9:15 – 11:30 a.m.
Childcare – Preschool (3-5 yrs.) through 6th Grade
Rec-Fitness Center, Lobby

A variety of age-appropriate activities are planned, including a chance to learn about and play GC’s gamelan. Snack provided. Mark Daniels ’00 will be here to draw caricatures for interested children. Pre-school children will also spend time in the Toddler room in the Church Chapel. Pick up your children by at least 11:45 a.m. at the RFC Lobby. Registration required.

---

9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Alumni Class Reunions

Baked goods, coffee and tea will be served at 9 a.m. in the College Mennonite Fellowship Hall and the Newcomer and Music Center Lobbies. Reunion Locations will be assigned in September.

• 65th+ — Class of 1960 and older
• 60th — Class of 1965
• 55th — Class of 1970
• 50th — Class of 1975
• 45th — Class of 1980
• 40th — Class of 1985
• 35th — Class of 1990
• 30th — Class of 1995
• 25th — Class of 2000
• 20th — Class of 2005
• 15th — Class of 2010
• 10th — Class of 2015
• 5th — Class of 2020

---

10 a.m.
Alumni Baseball Game
Ingold Athletic Complex, Sarge Yoder Field

Baseball alumni are welcome to contact Coach Brad Stoltzfus at bradleys@goshen.edu for more details.

---

11:30 a.m.
Lunch: Food Trucks
Parking lot South of the Union Building 

Enjoy lunch from local food trucks (Caribbean, Mexican and Chinese with a Southeast Asian twist). The Leaf Raker Cafe will also be open with a limited menu. No registration required, food can be purchased directly from the vendors or the Leaf Raker. Mark Daniels ’00 will be available in the Welcome Center lobby to draw caricatures for children and the young at heart.

---

12 – 1 p.m.
Champions of Character Reception
Church-Chapel,  Fellowship Hall

Join the Athletics Department as they honor this year’s Champions of Character Awardees, Tony Janzen ’08 from Goshen, Indiana and Mary Hartzler ’70 from Columbus, Ohio.

---

1 – 2 p.m.
Presidential State of the College update and Q&A
Location TBD

Join President Becky Stoltzfus ’83 for an update on the college and an open discussion.

---

1 – 3 p.m.
Alumni Book Signing
Hunsberger Commons, The Union Building

If you are an alumni author and would like to sell a recent book, you are welcome to reserve a table in the Union. You will need to bring your own books and sell them yourself. Email alumni@goshen.edu if interested or with questions.

---

1 – 3 p.m.
GC Thrift Fair!
Union Building, Hunsberger Commons

Alumni, current students and GC friends are invited to bring their well-loved GC gear — old or new — to share with the GC community. All items will be sold at a reasonable price with all profits going to the Goshen College Fund.

---

1 – 3 p.m.
91.1 The Globe Merch Pop-up Shop
Union Building, Hunsberger Commons

Globe fans need to come pick out your own very cool Globe merch. Credit sales available.

---

2 p.m.
Men’s Soccer Game vs. Bethel University
Ingold Athletics Complex, GC Soccer Field

---

2 – 3 p.m.
Homecoming Hymn Sing
Church-Chapel, Sanctuary

Led by Dr. Scott Hochstetler ’97, professor of music, and H. Roz Woll, assistant professor of music. Scott and Roz will select some hymns, and there will be time for requests too.

---

2 – 5 p.m.
Nursing Alumni Open House for the new Center for Nursing and Public Health
Westlawn Floors 2 and 3 & Church-Chapel, Fellowship Halls

This is an special open house for nursing alumni only. Registration required. 

Join current and retired nursing faculty for a special open house. At 3:30 pm, following the the open house, there will a program for nursing graduates in the Church Fellowship Halls. This will be a time of story telling and reconnecting with your nursing co-hort. Light refreshments will be served.

---

2 – 3 p.m.
Tour of the Center for Communication Studies
Northwest end of Newcomer Center

Jason Samuel ’93, WGCS general manager and assistant professor of communication, and student leaders will guide you through the new center.

---

3 – 4 p.m.
Public Open House for the new Center for Nursing and Public Health
Westlawn Floors 2 and 3

This is a public open house. Come take a look our most recently updated facilities.

---

3 p.m.
Hispanic-Serving Initiative Update and Latino Reception
Location TBD

---

3 p.m.
Advocates Reception for LGBTQIA+ Students, Alumni and Allies
Location TBD

Join students from the Advocates affinity group and their advisor and professor of kinesiology, Jewel Lehman, for an informal reception. Advocates seeks to educate and promote communication between LGBTQIA+ and straight students, faculty and communities on campus. Light refreshments will be served.

---

3 p.m.
Demonstration of the Nyai Oyer Gamelan
Union building, Gamelan Room

Marcia Yost, director of the arts, will give a brief introduction to the instrument and you may even have a chance to play it.

---

3 – 4 p.m.
Art Exhibit: “Hutterite Life from 1528: Communal Anabaptism.”
Good Library Gallery (basement)

Ervin Beck ’59, professor emeritus of English, will host this event and will comment on the exhibit.

---

3:30 p.m.
Alumni Softball Game
Ingold Athletic Complex, GC Softball Field

---

4 p.m.
Women’s Alumni Basketball Game
Rec-Fitness Center, Gunden Gymnasium

---

4 p.m.
One Act Play – Las Nuevas Tamaleras by Alicia Mena
Umble Center 

Cost: No tickets needed, free and open to the public

---

5:00 – 7 p.m.
Homecoming Indoor Picnic
Westlawn Dining Hall

Adults – $12
Children ages 5-12 – $8
FREE for children under 5

Bring your friends and family for a great dinner of picnic food, including Chef Jeremy’s amazing brisket.

Tickets can be purchased here prior to Homecoming for this discounted rate. Ticket pre-sales will end on Friday, October 3 at noon. Tickets can still be purchased at the door for a higher price.

---

5 p.m.
Black Student Union Alumni & Friends Family Cookout
Location TBD

Join students from the Black Student Union, their advisor, and other Black faculty and staff for members for an old-school family cookout filled with music, dancing, card games, dominoes, barbecue, potato salad, mac and cheese, and—of course—caramel cake.

---

5:30 – 7 p.m.
Art Exhibit Reception: “Refraction” by Tiffany Wyse-Fisher ’02
Music Center, Hershberger Gallery

Come see an exhibit of work by Tiffany-Wyse Fisher ’02, assistant professor of art. There will be an artist talk at 6 p.m.

---

7:30 p.m.
Homecoming Music Gala & Celebration of the Class of 2020
Music Center, Sauder Concert Hall

Cost: $10, $8 for seniors/youth and free for GC students/faculty/staff

The Music Department presents its annual showcase of student and faculty musicians. After the intermission, we will also specially recognize our Class of 2020 graduates, who only had a virtual commencement due to the pandemic and are back on campus for their 5-year reunion.

Tickets can be purchased here or by calling 574.535.7566. Ticket window will open at 6:30 p.m. for ticket purchase or will call.

10:30 a.m.
Worship at College Mennonite Church
Church-Chapel, Sanctuary

Join us for worship. President Rebecca Stoltzfus ’83 will be preaching during this bi-lingual World Communion Sunday worship service. Coffee and fellowship time starts at 10 a.m.

---

2 p.m.
One Act Play – Las Nuevas Tamaleras by Alicia Mena
Umble Center 

Cost: No tickets needed, free and open to the public