What's the best way to end an unmatched Homecoming Week besides the yearly reunions, brunches, and receptions?

The forecast looked pretty good at the beginning of this week, but we could only make it without rain for so long during Homecoming.

Still, the rain couldn't "dampen" our mood as the Student Programming Council (SPC) set up for the Homecoming Carnival last night and by 8 p.m. when the rain finally stopped, students came out in droves for popcorn and cotton candy, 16 cakes, rides, and an assortment of inflatables.

We received calls from the Emory Steam Plant, Dekalb County Fire and Rescue, Emory Hospital, neighbors, you name it.

But was the 13-minute firework show last night worth it?

You betcha.

That's right alumni, to kick off Homecoming Week and commemorate Emory's 175th birthday, the Student Programming Council (SPC) brought a fireworks show to campus.

Students gathered on McDonough Field last night with friends and blankets for some barbecue, birthday cake, and pretty lights.

Even though the fireworks took off from the top of the Michael Street Parking Deck, they were plenty visible from the field, exploding right above and between Few and Evans Halls.

I don't mean to be sappy, but I got goosebumps watching those sparks go off. Maybe it's because I'm on SPC, but it was hard not to be impressed by the show.

Every time we thought, "this is the finale," the fireworks kept going and when the finale did finally come, there was no mistaking those grand bombs bursting in the air.

Fast forward 16 hours later and you would've found this cake on Asbury Circle today at Wonderful Wednesday.

Here's a breakdown of the blue-and-gold masterpiece: the top tier, red velvet; the middle, chocolate; and the bottom, of course, was vanilla.

There wasn't a crumb in sight after cake-cutting time came around.

(But I believe Swoop is being saved for SPC posterity...although he probably won't last another 175.)

We also had cupcake decorating nearby and an ice cream truck (see background of photo!) parked in the middle of the circle handing out old-school ice cream to students.

Dr. Gary Hauk even came out to inaugurate a new Wonderful Wednesday tradition called Tej Talks, where faculty and professors are allotted one minute to give a short lesson. Dr. Hauk went with the 175th theme and recited an Emory rhyme he penned.

We might've maxed out the "wonderful" in Wednesday for a while...but I don't think that's possible.

Next up this week is Jo Koy standing up tonight for some comedy at Glenn Memorial. And let's not leave out tomorrow night's Homecoming carnival, sure to be bigger and better than last year's.

--Lindsey Bomnin 12C, EAA communications intern

If Marie Antoinette were a student at Emory, I think she'd be pleased with this year's Homecoming Week.

You see, this year we're celebrating the 175th anniversary of this fine institution--in other words, Emory's turning 175 and it's party time!

And to celebrate Emory's "Super Sweet 175th Birthday," the Student Programming Council (SPC) is bringing cake...and lots of it.

Here's a run down of where the cake will be this week (and where it might not be, but we hope you'll still come!):

Tomorrow, Homecoming officially kicks off with a fireworks show on McDonough Field. Bring a blanket and a friend or two for some music and cake. Fireworks go off at 8:30 p.m.

Wednesdays are always "wonderful" at Emory but this one's going to be even better with more cake (this one's decked out a la Cake Boss style), cupcake decorating and an ice cream truck, all on Asbury Circle from 11:30a.m.-2 p.m.

Wednesday night, enjoy the comedic styling of Jo Koy. You may recognize the name from "Chelsea Lately." He often appears on her show, but if you don't, here's a sampling.

On Thursday, we welcome back the second-annual Homecoming Carnival on Asbury Circle. You can expect turbo tubs, inflatables, a photo booth, popcorn, cotton candy, and much more. Cliche? Maybe. Perfect for Emory Homecoming Week? Definitely.

Saturday is the mother of all Homecoming events for the week. It starts at noon with the traditional Homecoming parade (the biggest showing of Emory spirit in my opinion!), followed by the tailgate and men's soccer game against Berry College! Then stick around for the Homecoming concert on McDonough Field featuring Five for Fighting. You may have heard their hit singles "100 Years," "Superman," or "Chances."

There's also a smattering of lectures, tours, celebrations and reunions throughout the weekend. You can check out the complete list of these right here.

If that's not enough cake for you, there will be plenty of food to keep you going through the fabulous marathon that is Homecoming Week.

See you there!

--Lindsey Bomnin 12C, EAA communications intern

What do a Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, working Hollywood actor/playwright, VP of marketing for Coke, and a chief of cardiology have in common? They, among several others, were noted as Luminaries for the Emory College of Arts and Sciences' Class of 1985.

The Class of 1985 Luminaries were a select handful of Emory alumni who had gone on to significant achievement post-graduation and were back on campus celebrating their 25-year reunion during Emory Homecoming Weekend. Were they the only successful members of the Class of 1985? Far from it, but they are special in their continuing relationship to Emory.

Each luminary had a distinctive experience on campus as students and for their visit back Homecoming Weekend. Some spoke in classes related to their professional field, others hosted small forums with students for intimate discussions, and nearly all participated in one of four industry-based panels for students.

I was lucky enough to meet them all and be there when they met up with each other again. Many of them hadn’t seen each other since graduation, and the memories flew—the first year of Dobbs as a co-ed dorm, Adam Beguelin's 85C computer (one of the first on campus. Guess who is on his sixth technology start-up?), the last year of Wonderful Wednesdays.

Though their experiences were diverse, I feel confident saying that they all had a great time and re-energized their connection with Emory this weekend by meeting students and getting a feel for Emory today. Let’s hope they (and you) will be back to celebrate long before another 25 years passes.

Here’s to the Luminaries of the Class of 1985: Vicki Arroyo 85C, Adam Beguelin 85C, Haynes Brooke 85C, Kai Ryssdal 85C, Emily Saliers 85C, Larry Sperling 85C 89M 92MR 97FM, Chandra Stephens-Albright 85C, and Robert Van Orden 85C.

-- Kate Lawlor 01C 10MBA, senior director for alumni relations, Emory College of Arts and Sciences

Get out of the way! Run for your lives! It's the Homecoming review blog post!

Now, c'mon ... really. Are you afraid of the Emory Alumni Association's Homecoming float? We were going about 2 miles an hour. Our rockin' red truck, though, was the only thing about the weekend that didn't move fast.

Keep reading for a few more observations about Emory Homecoming Weekend.

• Next time I work the beer tent (my job at Saturday's Homecoming carnival), I want a tip jar. I swear with the volume of patrons we had ... at normal tipping rates ... I could have financed a vacation. Emory alumni do know how to have fun. And they're polite and patient. Didn't hear one complaint from our guests about waiting in line.

• The Homecoming Hospitality Center on the first floor of the new Emory bookstore was a popular place. Could have been because of the free stuff. More than 2,000 Emory shirts were given away to excited alumni and their children.

• For the second year, I got to drive the EAA's float in the Homecoming Parade. For 2010, it was a bright red Chevy truck. The kind of red that, if I was actually driving it on the road, I'd have to pay extra insurance.

• I need to work on my Frisbee throwing from behind the wheel. Way too many off-target ducks. Our students and alumni did a great job -- throwing t-shirts and souvenir cups from the bed of the truck. Part of that ineptitude, though, was my concern about running over the We Are Emory walkers immediately in front of me. Walkers in a parade? What's up with that?

• Yes, my throwing need a bit of work, but I could have used a better receiving corps, too. On more than one occasion, parade-goers were hit square in the chest by a Frisbee they were blissfully unaware of. And it's not like they were thrown hard. Open your eyes behind those shades, people!

• Every year, the Homecoming parade gets better. Several young alumni I spoke with were amazed at the event's growth. For them, during their student days, Homecoming was an afterthought -- a birthday party for the kid no one liked. People may have shown up, and they brought a present, but it wasn't like anyone had any fun. The 2010 parade, though, was a capital-E Event. High-concept floats. Complicated accompanying dance routines. Streamers and balloons and face paint and lots of skeletons. Those young alumni may not have thought much of previous Homecomings, but to a person, they told me they'd come back for the next one and the one after that. And that's what we like to hear.

• Random memory ... the song playing on the truck's radio as we cruised through Asbury Circle was Brad Paisley's "Water." As festive a song as any.

• One of the best places to watch the parade was the Residence Life reunion at Dobbs Hall. At least that's what we heard. Once the sun went down, the best views were had at the Class of 1970's 40-year reunion atop Woodruff Library.

• Kids had a blast at Saturday's festival. The super slide was particularly popular. Every time they got to bottom, they just got back in line. Kind of like the adults in the beer lines.

• The Shadowboxers opened Saturday's concert and they were tighter and more polished than 90 percent of the bands touring at this moment. Visit their Facebook and MySpace pages now (their hooky brand of guitar/keyboard-driven rock is reminiscent of Maroon 5). The quartet of Scott Schwartz 11C, Matt Lipkins 11C, Adam Hoffman 11B, and Jamie Reilly 11C clearly have a bright musical future ahead of them.

• It was a Homecoming in every sense of the word for the headlining Indigo Girls -- Emily Saliers 85C (who had already participated in several Homecoming events earlier in the weekend, including a creativity conversation with her dad, emeritus professor Don Saliers) and Amy Ray 86C were in great moods. Their stage banter included Emory memories mixed in with favorites both new and old. And they drove their own cars to the show, too.

• We don't have a solid concert attendance figure yet, but we ran out of Emory buttons (which doubled as tickets) very early (we had 1,500 to start). Many of the late-comers got "Future Alumni" buttons. I must admit, I chuckled inside whenever I saw a 30-, 40-, or 50-something wearing the button we had originally designed for the kids.

• Dooley was all over the place. He visited several reunions, stood in the front row for the 25-year reunion's class picture (and ended up in dozens more personal photos across campus). His favorite, though, was probably the Class of 1995's 15-year shindig. He arrived, hung out for awhile, left, then came back for an encore.

• The Class of 1965 was overheard planning for 2015. That's when they celebrate their 50-year reunion and march in Commencement as part of Corpus Cordis Aureum.

• You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. Saturday night's class reunions all ended somewhere between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. The official part anyway. Alumni after parties continued at evening haunts like Johnny's Hideaway, Eclipse di Luna, Loca Luna, Sutra, and, of course, Eagle Row.

• The weather throughout Homecoming Weekend was spectacular. Until Sunday. Dreary and rainy all day though it was, a great crowd helped dedicate the Marcus Hillel Center and more than 70 guests turned out for the annual reception for the Emory Travel Program, where our trips for 2011 were introduced. Given the weather, it was a good thing our visitors could see the world without stepping outside.

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

I'm Lisa Dupre. By day, I'm a program coordinator in alumni relations at Goizueta Business School, but on the side, I do something a bit more exciting: I work on the Indigo Girls official website, and help out with their online social media. You can also say I go to "a lot" of their concerts. I'm a big fan.

It all began in 1996 when my best friend Rick sent me a mix tape of his favorite music. It included a lot of great music, but the track that stood out the most was the first Indigo Girls song I ever heard. It was ironically not written by Amy or Emily, but by Dire Straits.

Regardless, I was blown away and became a fan of their music and inspired by their social activism. Now that it's 2010, mix tapes have pretty much gone away. They've been replaced by iPod playlists. With the Indigo Girls playing Homecoming in less than a week, now is a perfect time to put together a new playlist of their best songs. Here are my favorites:

Rock and Roll Heaven’s Gate is a rock song! When people think of the Indigo Girls they usually think of a folk duo, but this song will get you up and dancing. The song also features Pink on background vocals. At live performances, I have seen both Atlanta’s Trina Meade and Seattle’s Brandi Carlile join in for the Pink vocals. (Despite Our Differences, 2006)

Cold Beer and Remote Control is one of my favorite songs off Come on Now Social. Even though Emily is singing about lack of hope and motivation, it's a catchy tune. We all have days where we just want to hide, and this is the song for that. (Come On Now Social, 1999)

Starkville is a special one for me, because I was in Starkville, MS, the night this song was written. The show was postponed due to rain, and everyone headed back to the only hotel in the area. The song is really about love and missed opportunities, but it will always remind me of that show. (Become You, 2002)

Love of Our Lives is one of the best tracks on the Girls’ latest studio album, Poseidon and the Bitter Bug. Indigo Girls performed on a Cayamo music cruise two years ago. They played this song while we were at sea, and I have many great vacation memories to go along with it. Indigo Girls will be on the 2011 Cayamo Cruise as well. (Poseidon and the Bitter Bug, 2009)

Devotion is the perfect love song. It’s not all hearts and flowers but rather, real-life love. I first heard this song in the Blue Ridge Mountains with some friends. It always reminds me of the fall and good times. (Retrospective, 2000)

Leaving. The Retrospective disc contained two previously unreleased tracks, Devotion and one of my other favorites, Leaving. It makes me feel at home when Emily sings about the Delta sign. (Retrospective, 2000)

Go is a great protest song. It reminds you that anything is possible, as long as you never give up. It was written in part for some high school students in Irmo, SC who had won a contest to have the Indigo Girls play at their school. The show was cancelled due to some of the Indigo Girls’ activism, and the students had a walk out to protest. It reminds you that you are never “too old to care or too young to count.” (Come On Now Social, 1999)

Least Complicated is a great sing-along song. It reminds me of spring when anything is possible and makes people think of their days in school. (Swamp Ophelia, 1994)

Romeo & Juliet was the first Indigo Girls song I ever heard. Even though it is a cover of a Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) song, Amy sings it with more intensity than I have ever heard. (Rites of Passage, 1992)

New photos from Emory Homecoming Weekend are coming in everyday. We like this one, which features five members of the Class of 1999 on campus for their 10-Year Reunion, celebrating Spirit Day with their new Emory shirts.

We'll have a lot more Spirit Day photos in the November 2009 edition of EmoryWire. If you wore your Emory shirt on Spirit Day, September 26, email a picture to Stacey Gall (sgall@emory.edu), here at the EAA. You might just be in EmoryWire, too.

Saturday morning, September 26, I experienced a half century of Greek life for women at Emory, when I attended the “Fifty Years of Sorority Life” panel presentation during Emory Homecoming Weekend 2009. I was impressed with the open and candid panel presentation and the lively discussion on topics ranging from life for Emory’s first women students, to the impact of civil rights, campus protests, race relations on campus, and female empowerment.

Jody Usher 86G, 89PhD, co-director of the Transforming Community Project, moderated the panel, which included a wide array of alumnae, each of whom offered a distinct perspective on her time here.

Jaye Johnson Smith 59C came to Emory in 1955. Back then, clubs were being organized, largely by transfer students who were given scholarships by their national chapters of Greek organizations, to get “colonies” established at Emory. At the beginning of the school year, virtually all the women were eager to attend rush parties and join these clubs—they were among the few social outlets for women at the time. Anyone who wanted to join one of the clubs was able to do so. Four years later, in 1959, Emory would hold a mass chartering ceremony for the nine new Greek sororities. Greek life for women had officially arrived.

Julianne Daffin 60C talked about starting college at Sullins College in Virginia where the strict curfews, bed checks, and women-only environment soon stifled her and encouraged her transfer to Emory. A bit of a non-conformist, Daffin chaffed at the semi-conformity of Greek life, but after her graduation, she eventually returned to Emory as a staff member and went on to become Emory’s last Dean of Women. She retired just a few years ago.

Bonnie Rubenstein Wunsch 83B attended Emory in the 1980’s, during a time she describes as a “complacent period.” An engaged and active member of Alpha Epsilon Phi, a Jewish sorority, Wunsch talked about how far-thinking Emory had been when 50 years ago, it ensured that a Jewish sorority was among its first chartered groups. She also discussed the empowering experience Greek life provided her as she found both social and leadership development opportunities through her participation in Greek life. Wensch went on to continue her involvement with Greek life following graduation and today is the executive director of the AEPhi Sorority, nationally.

Melissa Bowman 02C was exposed to sorority life before she came to Emory, largely through the example of a church youth director who was a member of Delta Sigma Theta, one of two black sororities on campus at Emory. The first black sororities came to Emory in 1979, following the integration of the University in the wake of the 1962 case, successfully argued by Ben Johnson Jr. 36C 40L 05H, dean of the School of Law, and Henry Bowden 32C 34L 59H, chairman of the Board of Trustees, before the Georgia Supreme Court, that allowed the private schools in the State of Georgia to desegregate and still keep their state funding.

Today, the Emory campus is 29 percent Greek, and Greek students have a fairly significant impact on campus. After 50 years on campus, sorority life at Emory continues to challenge students to lead, to gain in self respect, and to set demanding personal and academic standards.

Not a bad record of achievement.

-- Martha Fagan, senior director, alumni relations, EAA

Sitting in traffic. Moving along at about 5 miles an hour. Paying more attention to the scenery than to the road. Sounds like a typical day driving in Atlanta, doesn't it?

Well ... yes, it is. But Saturday afternoon's traffic jam on campus was much more fun. I got the honor of driving the EAA float in the Emory Homecoming Parade. The "float" was just a tricked out Dodge Ram (if "tricked out" means covered in streamers and shiny stuff, which it does), but compared to some of our competition (see above), I'll take it.

Actually, our "competition" also included a Hummer, a tank (at least it looked like a tank), President Jim Wagner's Model-T (with Dooley aboard) and a school bus. Quite a collection.

The theme was "Swoopstock," which gave the students an excuse to break out their tie-dye t-shirts. When the rain poured down as we turned onto Asbury Circle, the Woodstock reference carried even more relevance. But many of the revelers, like our McTyeire Hall float above, made the best of it.

To see even more photos from the Parade, visit the EAA fan page on Facebook.

--Eric Rangus, float driver, EAA

Wow, what a great way to kick off Emory Homecoming Weekend!

I just came from the Alumni Art Exhibit and Concert, and while I do not consider myself particularly cultured, even I completely appreciated the beautiful art and music at this event.

I have had the pleasure of working with Susan Stubbs Robert 67Ox 69C on her 40-year reunion this year, and I casually mentioned that I really wanted something unique to kick off Homecoming Weekend. Before I knew it, she had arranged to exhibit some of her amazing artwork at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, and had added on a classical concert at the same time!

The exhibit (above) is installed in the Upper Lobby at the Schwartz Center, and is titled “Art History,” and focuses on us seeing classic works with a new eye. Below is a bit of the artist statement about the exhibit, which explains it better than I ever could.

Suzy will share her rediscovery of the rich and brilliant arc of the history of art, and her journey to the creation of derivative images from these classical motifs. Her unique grid display arrangements arose from the effort to see something new and fresh in images which our collective minds have long ago memorized.

Tonight, William Ransom, Emerson Professor of Piano, kicked off the evening with a performance of two time-tested masterpieces - Ballade #1 in G Minor, Op. 23 by Chopin and Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin. But tonight, much the same way we viewed the art with a fresh eye, we also heard the music with a fresh ear, remaining open minded for some new interpretation.

If the rest of Homecoming Weekend is as exciting as our debut, we'll be in for a wonderful time!

-- Gloria Grevas, director of Emory Homecoming Weekend and Reunions, EAA

Updated Saturday morning, 9:25 a.m.

Emory Homecoming Weekend continues ... Highlights follow.

Saturday, Sept. 26:
12:01 a.m. Spirit Day, Everywhere. Put on your Emory shirt and hat! Go outside as much as possible. If for some awful reason you don’t have one, pick up a free shirt at the DUC or during the Homecoming parade.

9:00 a.m. 5K Run Through Lullwater, Lullwater Park. The 5K times really dropped after we added the Lullwater Park Monster to the lake. That’s not really true, but you’re thinking about it now, aren’t you?

10:30 a.m. Celebrating 50 Years of Sorority Life, DUC, Winship Ballroom. 50 years minus that Tuesday after Rush in 1988. You know the day we mean. Not much to celebrate that day.

10:30 a.m. Blue Jean Brunch, Woodruff Library, MARBL. Annual social sponsored by GALA (Emory Gay and Lesbian Alumni). Levi’s are cool; Toughskins, not so much.

To see the entire Can't Miss List of Homecoming Highlights, visit the October 2009 issue of EmoryWire.

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA