Homecoming ʼ19 highlights at Fredonia

Homecoming 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1969 and the 30th anniversary of Fredonia’s prestigious Leadership Corps. Honored classes will be recognized -  especially the classes of 1954, 1959 and 1964. Alumni will be able to attend the fourth Mini Maker Faire, a spectacular Fredonia Wind Ensemble concert, great athletic contests, and a host of other special events.

Alumni Deborah Good, Ph.D., ’87 (Medical Technology); Thomas Quatroche Jr., Ph.D., ’92 (Business Administration); and Brian Usifer, ʼ03 (Music Performance), will be honored for their outstanding contributions at the Homecoming Dinner, on Friday, Oct. 18, in the Williams Center. Dr. Good is an active researcher, currently in the Department of Human Nutrition Foods and Exercise at Virginia Tech, and to date, has secured over $3.2 million in external awards and published over 55 journal articles and book chapters on the genetics of body weight regulation. Dr. Quatroche is President and CEO of the Erie County Medical Center, and Mr. Usifer is a New York City-based music director, pianist, orchestrator/arranger, producer and composer, and is currently the Music Director of Disney's "Frozen" on Broadway.

On Friday, there will also be a special Golden Alumni Luncheon for all alumni from 1969 and before. During the afternoon, all alumni and families are invited to attend a special Department of Biology keynote alumni presentation and reception by Dr. Good at 3 p.m., to be held in the Kelly Family Auditorium (Room 105) of the Science Center. There will also be an opportunity to tour the 1981 Fredonia Opera House, down at Village Hall, at 2 p.m.

After the Friday evening dinner, there are two events from which to choose and to enjoy. First is the student performance of “The Grapes of Wrath,” in Marvel Theater.

Tickets may be purchased by contacting the Fredonia Ticket Office online or by calling 716-673-3501.

The second event is the annual free 1970s Reunion Jazz Concert, scheduled in Rosch Recital Hall. Additional performances of “The Grapes of Wrath” are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

The Department of Biology (in the Science Center’s Major Alice Sam Conference Room, at 9 a.m.) will host a complimentary breakfast on Saturday morning for alumni.

The Mini Maker Faire, to be held in the Williams Center and the Science Center on Saturday, will celebrate creativity, invention, and the do-it-yourself (DIY) spirit. There will be a diverse mix of makers; from tech enthusiasts to crafters, homesteaders to scientists, and garage tinkerers to kids, who design and build interesting items. Admission is free. Food trucks will be on site in the Jewett Hall parking lot.

There are great athletic contests and events scheduled for Homecoming. On Friday, the exceptional Women’s Volleyball team will face SUNY Cortland at 6 p.m., in the Dods Hall gym and, on Saturday, will meet SUNY Oswego in Dods, at 1 p.m. Also on Saturday, there will be a Women’s Alumni Soccer match at 10 a.m. in University Stadium. After the Alumni match, at 1 p.m., the Women’s Soccer Team will play SUNY Buffalo State.

Additional intriguing events include a wonderful Freedonia Marxonia exhibit in Reed Library and a special Martha Colburn Exhibit in the Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery. Ms. Colburn, an internationally renowned artist, has an exhibition of four stop-motion, animated films and related collages and props. Her vibrant imagery can belie the seriousness of the themes she addresses. While her work is viewed in both film and art contexts, she believes that the individual films are secondary to the ideas and images behind her work. Colburn’s films and music videos are regularly screened in festivals and museums around the world.

The classes of 1999 and 2009 will celebrate anniversaries with other specially designated events. An Honored Class Reception will be held at 4 p.m. in Tim Hortons in the Williams Center for the classes of 1974, 1979, 1989 and 1994. For honored classes, specific downtown establishments will be designated for further opportunities in which to gather later Saturday evening. Alumni should look for the location assignments at the Homecoming Registration Table.

Check out the entire Homecoming Schedule of Events posted online at the Alumni website and make your reservations. Plan now to celebrate the memories at Homecoming 2019 in Fredonia!