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Campus Life

Western College takes center stage for Homecoming 2024

Athletic events, M.O.V.E. Bootcamp, parade, and more scheduled for celebratory weekend

A blue car representing Western College for Women participates in the 2022 ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Homecoming Parade
A blue car representing Western College for Women participates in a past ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Homecoming Parade. Western will be celebrated during this year's Homecoming festivities.
Campus Life

Western College takes center stage for Homecoming 2024

A blue car representing Western College for Women participates in a past ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Homecoming Parade. Western will be celebrated during this year's Homecoming festivities.
This year’s ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Homecoming comes with a splash of blue, along with the customary red and white.

Western College is front and center of , taking place Sept. 26-29 and featuring the theme “Celebrating the Spirit of Western: A Homecoming for Love, Honor, and Legacy.”

Founded in 1853 as the Western Female Seminary and renamed the Western College for Women in 1904, Western was renowned as a forward-thinking institution on the forefront of international and multicultural education.

Western College for Women closed in 1974, soon becoming part of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s campus, where it housed ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s oldest residence-based learning community and division, the School of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Studies/Western College Program.

"Western College was much more than a place or a curriculum. Western College encouraged and fostered students who went on to change the world," ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú President Gregory Crawford said. "It was an extraordinary institution that was far ahead of its time - embodying principles of interdisciplinarity, internationalization, and equity and inclusiveness long before it became mainstream."

At the heart of Homecoming is the Sept. 28 football game at Yager Stadium, pitting the RedHawks against the University of Massachusetts. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú will wear special Western College-themed uniforms for the game, which starts at 3:30 p.m.

The festivities begin Sept. 26 as ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s volleyball team meets Central Michigan at Millett Hall. The RedHawks rematch with their MAC rival the next evening.

Also on the agenda Sept. 27 is the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Athletics Hall of Fame induction dinner and a reception for Western alumnae prior to the volleyball match.

Sept. 28 is filled with events, including Yoga in the Park, a 5K run, the M.O.V.E. Bootcamp at Lewis Place, and the Homecoming parade. A is available.

“We are thrilled to honor the legacy of Western College at Homecoming,” University Ambassador Dr. Renate Crawford said. “We have a wonderful relationship with the Western College Alumnae Association that is built on trust, respect, and understanding. They have truly embraced ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú with their enthusiasm and the spirit of Western.”

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú honored the Western College Alumnae Association (WCAA) in June with the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award, which recognizes champions of social justice and civil rights.

As part of Homecoming, the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Alumni Association officially welcomes the WCAA as an affinity group. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the final graduating class of the Western College for Women.

"We look forward to continuing and strengthening the rewarding relationship between the Western College alumnae and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú," President Crawford said. "Homecoming is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the rich history of Western and its many contributions."