Written by Lacey Mayes, Staff Writer
Photo by Lacey Mayes
DAYTON, TN – With the help of bouncy houses, burgers, bubbles, and ball games, Bryan College celebrated the homecoming of its alumni last Friday and Saturday. Though the Friday evening dance and dinner experienced a slight rain interruption, Saturday was a beautiful day with cool temperatures and a nice breeze. For everyone there, the weather was the perfect setting for the rolling in of the fall season and a celebration of the college season of life.
Saturday morning, the Bryan soccer fields were surrounded by folks of all ages, from children to older alums and former faculty. According to Don Hewlett, the sports hall of fame alumni of the year, the replacement of the classic football game with the women’s soccer match was an “awesome” idea. To him, sports are “the perfect thing” to unite people for a purpose. The 3 to 1 victory was the cherry on top of the event.
One detail that was missed is the homecoming court. Emma Henley, a Freshman, said, “I just wish they had done the court this year.” Her comment seemed to be echoed by many other younger classmen. Though many missed the traditional homecoming court, Hewlett stated: “I just think that it’s [Homecoming] spread out and regimented in a way that you can enjoy as much as you want to. And I think that’s good.” While the current students missed the detail of the celebration, it seemed that the absence of the homecoming court was somewhat overlooked by the graduated alum.
Alumni and students were not the only attendees of the Homecoming weekend. Rebecca Turner, author of Tell their Stories, visited the campus to spread the word about her recent book. When asked about her impressions of the festivities, she noted that Bryan College seemed to be full of people “praiseworthy of excellence.” In her book Turner focuses on the stories of Rhea
County and according to her, “there are many, many stories that involve alumni of Brian College.”
This year, Homecoming highlighted the commitment that Bryan college has to its alumni and the love that alum have in return for their college. Even visitors of Bryan, like Turner, say that they hoped “to encourage and inspire others to show some of the qualities that they [Bryan alum] show.”
Lacey Mayes is a Bryan freshman majoring in Criminal Psychology. Her hobbies include fishing, hiking, reading, and writing as well as visiting her hometown in Chattanooga TN.
Lacey Mayes is a Bryan freshman majoring in Criminal Psychology. Her hobbies include fishing, hiking, reading, and writing as well as visiting her hometown in Chattanooga TN.
