Every November, yellow umbrellas are hung across the ped mall. Although the umbrellas appear to only be a bright decoration across the ped mall’s sky, they symbolize the arrival of Homecoming at Lee, where alumni will soon be welcomed back home.
“Homecoming is a fun-filled weekend packed with activities for alums to reminisce and reconnect and really remember all that makes Lee so special to them,” said Taylor Smith, director of alumni relations.
Alumni are shown here gathered under the yellow umbrellas hanging above the Pedestrian Mall in anticipation of Homecoming, one of Lee’s longest standing traditions. Photo courtesy Lee University Office of Communications.
According to the ‘Encyclopedia of Lee University History,’ Homecoming was first established at Lee College in 1958. Originally, the event was held during the Thanksgiving holiday at the end of November. Festivities included music, sporting events, a Thanksgiving meal, and the crowning of Homecoming Queen and King during halftime of the football game. From 1985, Lee University held Homecoming during the first weekend of November. Many special events take place among clubs, organizations, and sports teams on campus and Homecoming Court winners are crowned during the halftime of the men’s basketball game.
Smith believes Homecoming is a special time of reminiscing for alumni who make their way back on campus.
“For so many alums, Homecoming is a time for them to come back on campus…it’s this time of nostalgia for them to come back and see what has changed and even in all the change still remember the ‘when I was here’ stories.”
During the eventful weekend, several events are set up for alumni to enjoy. These events include club and ensemble events, theatre shows, sports games, and the tradition of Homecoming court. Each event invites memories to flood back into the minds of alums and is a time of remembrance and reflection on their years at Lee. Although attendance of alums varies from year to year, Lee typically welcomes more than a thousand alums during the November weekend.
Smith described prep for Homecoming as a year round process, beginning as soon as Homecoming ends. The process of planning for the weekend event involves planning events that alumni will enjoy, celebrating any upcoming anniversaries for clubs, ensembles, or organizations, and contacting alumni throughout the year. “The day after Homecoming ends, you start thinking ‘How did this go? What could we add? What could we change?’” said Smith, on beginning prep for Homecoming.
The Alumni Relations offices works closely with several departments on campus to prepare for Homecoming. One of the many is Physical Plant, who works to ensure the campus is spick and span for alums.
“Physical Plant assists…with the various setups and decorations across campus. Homecoming has many sub-events, and several other sectors get involved with them, including decorating and other logistics. It truly is a campus-wide team effort for Homecoming…Physical Plant does put in extra effort all across campus to the buildings and grounds to help prepare for Homecoming weekend. It is an important event for the university, and the entire Physical Plant team strives to assist in any way possible to help showcase our facilities,” said Larry Berry, the director of physical plant and building services.
The department also helps with decorating campus with a Homecoming staple – the famous yellow umbrellas that are strung along the Ped Mall every year.
“To hang the yellow umbrellas, we must attach cabling to various points on buildings and in the trees along the Ped Mall. Then, we hang each umbrella along those cables randomly through the area. The university art department assists with the umbrellas by attaching lines to hang them. Our physical plant team then works in lifts to tie them to the cabling. We allow for several days with four personnel to hang the umbrellas, but we also have to balance serving the campus with other maintenance work requirements,” Berry said.
The umbrellas aren’t for protecting against the rain though. Instead, they hold traditional and figurative implications.
“The yellow umbrella are really a symbol of a couple different things - of alums covering the university, so that can represent financial covering through the generous financial support of alums…it represents their prayers. We have different ways that alums are praying for our campus and for our student body so it represents spiritual covering and then it’s the general support of the alumni community for our current students. We want current students to know that alums are here for you,” Smith said.
Homecoming is not only geared towards past students, but current students as well. Students are invited to join in the multiple weekend festivities happening all over campus. “For multiple reasons, I think it’s important for current students to see themselves in alums and for alums to see themselves in current students,” said Smith, “It gives students the opportunity to dream and have the foresight to say ‘okay, this will be us in a couple of years.’”
Lee University will hold its annual Homecoming celebration the weekend of November 3-5. Current students are encouraged to come out and engage with alums and the multiple events happening around campus. For a full schedule of all Homecoming events, visit https://www.leeuniversity.edu/alumni/alumni-events/.