Homecoming: Where Cougar Nation Comes Home
Every fall, I get to watch something happen that never gets old: a grown adult walks back through our doors, looks around for a second, and grins like they’re seventeen again.
That’s Homecoming.
Mark your calendars: Homecoming Week runs September 24 through October 3, and I’d love nothing more than to see you back on campus to celebrate what it means to be a Cougar. Spirit days, hallway decorations, the crowd in the stands on game night, it’s one of the best weeks of the year, and it’s even better with alumni in it.
You’ll notice we’ve grown.
I hear some version of the same thing every year from alumni walking back onto campus: “Wow, this is so much bigger than when I was here.” And it’s true. Depending on when you graduated, you might not recognize the place. What may have been a handful of athletic teams has grown into a full lineup: football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, swimming, track, golf, tennis, baseball, softball, cross country, cheer, and dance among them, alongside instrumental and vocal music, scholar bowl, and clubs from Robotics and Thespians to FCA, Key Club, and Kingdom Workers. The campus has grown. The programs have grown. The number of students calling themselves Cougars has grown.
Here’s what hasn’t changed: the mission. We’re still the same school that formed you, “empowered by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nurturing spiritual, academic, and personal growth, and equipping students for a life of Christian service.” You might remember gathering for chapel or a quiet moment of devotion sometime during your day. Students still do that every day now, in what we call CougarConnect, a dedicated time built right into the schedule for students to connect socially and spiritually. The name may be new. The heartbeat behind it isn’t. Spiritual and Academic Growth, Servant Leadership, Building Character and Purpose, and Authentic Relationships were core to your experience here, and they still anchor everything we do. Bigger building, same foundation.
One alum who came back last Homecoming put it better than I could: “I wasn’t even sure why I came back at first, I didn’t know if it would still feel like my school. But I sat in those stands, ran into my old math teacher, and it hit me: this is still home. It just grew.”
That’s the thing about Cougar Nation. You don’t age out of it. You’re not an alum who used to belong here…you’re an alum who still does!
So, come have fun with us.
Homecoming is genuinely fun…spirit days that get a little sillier every year, a student section that will make you proud, and a game under the lights worth cheering for. Come early for Cougarpalooza, our family-friendly pre-game cookout. There’ll be a spirit zone where you can meet and greet the Cougar and the spirit squad, plus giveaways for both kids and alumni. Bring your family and let them see where you grew up—the same halls, the same field, maybe even a teacher or two who still remembers your name. Grab a seat, find your old crowd, and let us fuss over you a little. You earned it.
And if Homecoming reminds you how much you missed this place, good news…it’s not the only chance to come back. We host Alumni Reunions throughout the year and every May we gather for Hall of Honor to celebrate the Cougars whose lives have reflected our mission in remarkable ways out in the world.
A couple small favors while you’re at it:
If you haven’t already, take thirty seconds to update your alumni contact information so we can keep you in the loop on reunions, Hall of Honor nominations, and the occasional “here’s what’s new on campus” update. Easiest way to stay connected!
And while we have your attention, mark your calendar for one more important date: our annual Auction on October 23. It’s one of the best nights of the year for our school which means great food, great company, while raising real dollars that go directly toward keeping a Lutheran, Christ-centered education within reach for the next generation of Cougars. It’s a small way you can show up for the mission even if you can’t make it back for Homecoming.
We’ll be sharing Homecoming photos throughout the week and a highlight reel from the game and Cougarpalooza afterward, but honestly, the pictures are always better when you’re in them. Come be part of the story this year!
Welcome home, Cougars. We’ve been waiting for you!
