Welcome home

In the life of almost all individuals, there is a day cherished above other days – a day that brings a person back to the place where he was raised. On that day he might roam the crowded streets of a major metropolis, talk with neighbors in a small town or stare out at the beauty of rolling hills in some distant countryside. But for each and every person, it is their individual returns – their own personal homecomings.\nThis Saturday will see the masses that have graduated from IU return to a great city and a wonderful university during the annual homecoming celebration for Hoosiers. In much the same way that people might envision the one day when they return to their birthplaces, homecoming for current and former Hoosiers should be held as a day of happy memories and long-awaited reunions. This is the place of our education – academically and emotionally – where we are trained for the great achievements that take us forward into the unpredictable future. It has been home for all of us and will remain such long after we leave it or leave it again.\nIU is very much a home. Homes are more than residencies, but places where families reside and share the intimate moments that shape their outlooks on life. The time we have spent on this campus and in this city, meeting great friends and learning what it means to live our own lives can never be replaced. Just as the distant memories of our childhood affect us for the rest of our lives, the time spent in Ballantine Hall, Dunn Meadow or a dingy bar on Kirkwood Avenue has bearing upon the decisions that we make every day.\nHomecoming is a time to give thanks. IU, in the light of both the fondest and hardest memories of our lives, is unwaveringly ours. Students and alumni have ownership of it and will continue to as long as we pledge to bleed crimson. And so, a million “thank yous” are in order to IU and Bloomington, for simply existing. And for all the future generations that have yet to attend the University, we can hope only that they will hold it in the same deserved esteem.\nAs tens of thousands of fans – drunk from beer and happiness – cheer on the IU football team working meticulously toward the end of victory, the Hoosier homecoming will rise to its summit and all present will be reminded of the University’s glory. For all of us who are currently enrolled at IU, walking the road toward whatever our tomorrows might hold, we will be given a rare chance to view those who came before us on the path. To all those who came before, walking and stumbling, finally seeing the twisting lane to its end on graduation day, we will do our best to show that we are maintaining the quality of your alma mater. Welcome home.