It was a party with a purpose for Marian University students, their families, and friends at Homecoming and Family Weekend 2023. That purpose was to meet friends, join in tailgates, and, of course, have fun! Marian student Elizabeth "Lizzie" Schmidt '24 was a bit sentimental.
"It's my last homecoming as a student, so I'm excited about it and especially for all of the years I've attended before," Schmidt explained. "I'm happy my family came along this time as my cousins, niece, and nephew got to join the activities like football-throwing and jumping around the bouncy house."
For many alums and their families, it was a blast from the past and a chance to come together as a Marian University community. "Now that I have a six-year-old son, it's not only set up for the kids, but I get a chance to walk down memory lane," said Chris O'Connor '14.
"I love the community coming together, especially since my husband is an alum and he sees all of his friends, so it's a reunion for everyone," said Olivia Kozart.
And no one wanted to miss the camaraderie. "We love it, and we hang out with people we graduated with, so we always try to come back for homecoming and, of course, the tailgating," said Megan Blankenship Hahn '10. She was part of the first class to graduate from Marian University in 2010 after the name change from Marian College in 2009. That's when her sister graduated.
"The dynamics have changed, the campus looks awesome, and to hear about what Marian continues to do in the community is fantastic," added Emily Vogelgesang, '09. She was in the last class to graduate from Marian College. "When I had my children, some Marian student nurses took care of us, so seeing how Marian impacts students who serve others is great."
Pat Murphy '73 was a former student-athlete who played on the basketball team and remembered when Marian College had dirt roads. "It's amazing how much this campus has changed, because when I came here, there was Doyle and Clare Hall and that was pretty much it."
You couldn't beat the fellowship. "Once you're part of Marian, you're part of the family," said James Turner, community liaison for Marian University's St. Joseph's College. "It's a beautiful event, and when you look around, you see people who've been here for 30 years or more. And if you're a recruit and want to join a family at an excellent school, Marian is the school for you."
The Marian football homecoming game couldn't be beaten either. The Marian Knights, whose high-powered offense and opportunistic defense dominated in a 44-17 win against Lawrence Technical University of Southfield, Michigan. Along with highlights of the game, check out the homecoming pictures here, and see our 2023-24 Homecoming King Patrick Bath '25, and Queen Alyssa "Becky" Becker '25, both nursing students, here. Congratulations!
