Homecoming 2012

Homecoming Schedule 2012

Friday, November 9
Saturday, November 10
Sunday, November 11
General Information

Friday, November 9

8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Alumni House Reception Center Open
Please stop by for registration, schedules of class activities, messages, information on the Amherst area and light refreshments.
Alumni House, 75 Churchill Street, (413) 542-2065

 

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Attend Open Classes
Visit professors and see what students are up to today. A list of classes open to visitors is available here and at Alumni House when you arrive.
Various locations

 

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Archives and Special Collections Open
Robert Frost Library, Level A

 
9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Mead Art Museum Open
The Mead Art Museum holds the world-class art collection of Amherst College—more than 16,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of global culture, all used for teaching and research across the academic disciplines and available for the pleasure and understanding of a diverse public. Collection highlights appear in regularly changing displays. Student-recorded audio guides are available for use free of charge at the lobby desk. A bookshop and café offer museum publications, postcards, espresso drinks, cookies and more. Admission is free. The museum is fully accessible. Also on view this fall is a special exhibition, Reinventing Tokyo: Japan’s Largest City in the Artistic Imagination.
 

11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Beneski Museum of Natural History Open
The Beneski Museum of Natural History houses outstanding collections and exhibits that include vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology, minerals and other geologic specimens. Our specimens have been collected since 1825 from local areas and around the world. Some displays illustrate the evolution and ecology of major groups of animals, and others describe the geological processes that have formed the earth and local structures. Particularly noteworthy is the world-famous dinosaur track collection from the sedimentary rocks of the Connecticut Valley. This collection continues to be the largest fossil track collection in the world and one of the most studied.

 

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The Emily Dickinson Museum Tours
"Emily Dickinson's World," a 90-minute visit to both the Homestead and The Evergreens, is offered on the hour (11 a.m., noon, 1, and 2 p.m.). "This Was a Poet," a 45-minute introduction to Dickinson and her poetry, begins at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30, 2:30 and 3 p.m. The museum also has a self-guided audio tour of the grounds narrated by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Richard Wilbur '42, P'73, G '14, the John Woodruff Simpson Lecturer at Amherst College. Admission ranges from $3 to $10.  There is no charge for Amherst College students, faculty or staff.  Alumni and their families who visit during Homecoming receive a 50-percent discount on tour admission and can apply the admission fee toward a membership in the Friends of the Emily Dickinson Museum. The Homestead was the birthplace and home of poet Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886). The Evergreens next door was built in 1856 for the poet's brother Austin and sister-in-law Susan. For more information, call the museum at (413) 542-8161 or visit the website.
Emily Dickinson Museum, 280 Main Street

 

2 p.m.

50th Reunion Planning Meeting
All members of the Class of 1963 are invited to come participate in planning the 50th Reunion (May 29 - June 2).
The Morgan Room, Pontypool, 22 Snell Street

 

2 p.m.

Museum Tour: Reinventing Tokyo
Join the Mead student docents for a 30-minute tour of the special exhibition Reinventing Tokyo. Paintings, photographs, prints and textiles tell the story of Tokyo's continual reinvention since its founding as Edo over 400 years ago.
Mead Art Museum

 
3:15 p.m.

Museum Program and Tour: The Extinction of the Great Dinosaurs
Fred Venne, museum educator, will start the program by presenting a brief film that explores a catastrophic series of events that may have led to the extinction of dinosaurs. Participants will then be guided through the museum collection. Bring your cameras. The program will last a little over an hour with free time to explore the museum following the guided visit.
Tour begins in the Paino Room across the hall from the Beneski Museum

   

4 p.m.

Museum Tour: Masterpieces at the Mead
Join a tour led by student docents and learn about the many fascinating works of art housed in the Mead Art Museum, from larger-than-life depictions of ancient Assyrian kings to abstract contemporary works. Highlights include works by Hudson River School landscape painters, American Impressionists and Realists and Russian artists of the early 20th century.
Mead Art Museum

 
 4 p.m.

Black Soldiers and the Civil Rights Movement
Was the racial integration of the U.S. military an outcome of the civil rights movement, or was it often the other way around? While black soldiers were still dealing with the prejudice of the U.S. military, seeing the world outside U.S. boundaries changed their sense of what was possible, says Khary Polk, the Robert E. Keiter 1957 Postdoctoral Fellow and visiting assistant professor of black studies. They returned home to fight for improved rights for both civilians and soldiers. Amherst graduates were among those who spearheaded this change. Lawyer Charles Hamilton Houston, Class of 1915, served in World War I and went on to mentor African-American jurists—such as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall—who would join him in laying the legal groundwork for the 1954 Supreme Court decision that banned racial segregation in public schools. William H. Hastie ’25 was instrumental in advocating for African-American soldiers in World War II. Polk, a self-described “military brat” who lived abroad for much of his childhood, is writing a book on the topic. This lecture will be broadcast online as part of our Virtual Lecture Series.
Stirn Auditorium

 

4:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Individual Counseling
Counselors/clinicians from the McLean Hospital Mental Health Program will be available for individual counseling for any alumni or students in the following rooms:
Group Study #1 A-31; Group Study #3 A-35; Group Study #4 A-32; Group Study #5 A-36
Frost Library, Lower Level

 

5 p.m.

Networking Workshop for Students
All students are invited to this panel of professional alumni who will discuss their own networking experiences and offer advice based on their interactions with students and others.Students will learn:
  • Strategies for entering conversations with alumni
  • How to prepare and deliver an “elevator speech”  
  • Crafting key questions to ask in a networking conversation
  • Managing food, drink and conversation
  • Determining when and how to politely walk away from a networking conversation
  • Appropriate ways to follow-up after the conversation
This panel will be followed at 5:45 p.m. by a networking reception for all alumni and students.
Friedmann Room, Keefe Campus Center
 

5:45 p.m.

Alumni/Student Networking Reception
All alumni are invited to join current students for an informal opportunity to network and connect.
Friedmann Room, Keefe Campus Center

 

5:30 – 7 p.m.

Friends of the Mead Celebration
Everyone is welcome to this annual celebration for the Friends of the Mead Art Museum. The 2012 event reprises a modern-day campus tradition–a student-organized Evening at the Mead, in which volunteer student docents present an informal tour of collection highlights and an Amherst a cappella group responds to each artwork by performing a thematically related song. The cabaret-style festivities conclude with a wine and cheese reception, offering a chance to mix and mingle while perusing the Fairest College's world-class art collection. New Friends' memberships are available at the door with donations in any amount.
Mead Art Museum

 
5:30 – 8 p.m.

Shabbat at Hillel
Join Hillel and Rabbi Bruce B. Seltzer, Jewish religious adviser, for an inclusive and relaxing Shabbat service at 5:30 p.m. followed by a free, Kosher, home-cooked dinner at 6:30 p.m. If you won't be on campus early enough but want us to keep in touch, email us at hillel@amherst.edu or look for our Facebook group.
Cadigan Center for Religious Life, 38 Woodside Avenue

 

6:30 p.m.

Health Professions Alumni Panel for Pre-Med and Other Pre-Health Students
Hear from current medical school students and other young alumni who have just finished applying to medical school and are engaging in interesting health-related jobs or volunteer work before medical school.
O'Connor Commons
 

7 – 9 p.m.

Pratt Field Old and New: Friends of Amherst Athletics Reception and Presentation
Join current and former athletes who have competed on Pratt Field and Neuhoff-Lumley Track for reminiscences and refreshments. Suzanne Coffey, director of athletics, and Jim Brassord, director of facilities and associate treasurer for campus services, will present the plans for the new field, new track and new field house and answer questions. Please click here to reserve a spot. Space is limited.
The Dickinson Ballroom, Lord Jeffrey Inn

 

7 – 8:30 p.m.

Friday Night Fellowship
Join the Amherst Christian Fellowship for an evening of worship, prayer and fellowship.
Chapin Hall

 
7 p.m. – midnight 

Homecoming Bonfire and AC After Dark Homecoming Block Party
Celebrate Homecoming with food, lawn games and music. The bonfire will blaze from 8 to 10 p.m., with The Night Truck and SugarBakers providing second dinner and dessert starting at 7 p.m. Our traditional Pep Rally starts at 8 p.m. with Social Council and Mr. Gad’s House of Improv. Students should check out the Student Activities Calendar of Events to learn how to win tickets for free food. Hosted by Student Activities, Program Board and Social Council.
Base of Memorial Hill

 

8 p.m.

YES
A Senior Thesis in Playwriting and Performance

At the tender age of 6, a girl forced her parents to make a morbid yet charming promise: Should she die before they did, she wanted a big, loud, spirited gospel choir at her funeral. Fifteen years later, still inexplicably adamant about that childhood promise and the power of a lively, theatrical ensemble, she imagines a world where her parents have already made that wish come true. Backed up by an ensemble of kindred spirits, Reilly Horan '13 explores the need for indulging weird impulses, being more theatrical in everyday life and validating one another. Join her and her friends for a whirlwind tour of childhood and a vibrant reimagining of adult life's mundanities.
Holden Theater

 

8:30 p.m.

Epic Journeys II: Schubert's Fifth Symphony
The orchestra continues its yearlong survey of famous fifth symphonies with its performance of the sunny symphony #5 by Viennese master Franz Schubert. Before the symphony, the orchestra will join forces with Amherst College Adjunct Piano Instructor Chonghyo Shin as soloist for the sublime Piano Concerto #23 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for senior citizens and children under 12 and free for Five College students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the Alumni House during registration and will be available at the door one hour before the performance begins.
Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center

 

Saturday, November 10

7:30 a.m.

Class of 1973 Reunion Planning Meeting
Note: This is a new meeting time
Game Room, Alumni House

 

7:30 a.m.

The Coach's Report, 2012 Season
Join E.J. Mills, head football coach, for a closer look at our team.
Conway Classroom, Alumni Gymnasium

 

8 a.m. – noon

Alumni House Reception Center Open
Please stop by for registration, schedules of class activities, messages, information on the Amherst area and light refreshments.
Alumni House, 75 Churchill Street, (413) 542-2065

 

8 a.m.   

 

Pratt Field Opens for Tailgating Setup
Please use Route 9 and Hitchcock Road entrances. Parking is limited, so plan accordingly. No tents may be erected on the field without a tent permit from the town and prior registration with Alumni and Parent Programs.

 

8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.   

Registration Tent Open at Pratt Field
Stop by to register and pick up programs and information as well as Pratt Field commemorative ThunderStixs to show your Amherst spirit.
Just inside the Hitchcock Road Gate at Pratt Field

 

8:30 – 9:45 a.m.

Admission Workshop for High School Students and Their Parents
Alumni and their children are welcome to attend this overview of admission procedures at Amherst, led by Katie Fretwell, director of admission and senior associate dean of admission. No registration is required.
Converse Hall, Cole Assembly Room

 

9 – 11 a.m.

Conversation with Amherst's 19th President, Biddy Martin
President Martin invites you to join her in the chapel beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday. This extended conversation is being offered because of the events of the past month and to provide an opportunity for fuller discussion of student life at Amherst. There will also be an alumni forum in Cole Assembly Room at 11 a.m. (see below) for those who wish to continue the discussion. President Martin welcomes you to join and leave the program as your schedule allows. Cullen Murphy ’74, chair of the Amherst College Board of Trustees, will introduce President Martin. Her talk will be webcast live; go to www.amherst.edu/go/webcast. .
Johnson Chapel

 

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Individual Counseling
Counselors/clinicians from the McLean Hospital Mental Health Program will be available for individual counseling for any alumni or students in the following rooms:
Group Study #1 A-31; Group Study #3 A-35; Group Study #4 A-32; Group Study #5 A-36
Frost Library, Lower Level

 

 

Reunion Planning Meetings (for Reunion Classes)

If you would like to be a part of making your Class's 2013 Reunion the best ever, stop by the class meeting to learn how you can help.

Please note: because of changes in the Homecoming schedule, the times and locations of some of these meetings have changed recently, and some meetings have been postponed to other dates TBA.

1958
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (postgame) Conway Classroom, Alumni Gymnasium

1963
Friday, 2 p.m., Morgan Room, Pontypool, 22 Snell Street

1968
Saturday, 4 p.m., Downstairs Conference Room, Pontypool, 22 Snell Street

1973
Saturday, 7:30 a.m., Game Room, Alumni House

1983
Saturday, 11 a.m., Chapin 204

2003
Saturday, 11 a.m., Chapin 201

 
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Beneski Museum of Natural History Open
See the description at 11 a.m. on Friday.
 

9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Mead Art Museum Open
See the description at 9 a.m. on Friday.

 
10 a.m.

Men’s Ice Hockey Alumni Game
Orr Rink

 
10 a.m.

Museum Tour: Reinventing Tokyo
Join faculty guest curator Samuel C. Morse, the Howard M. and Martha P. Mitchell Professor of the History of Art and Asian Languages and Civilizations, for a 30-minute tour of the special exhibition Reinventing Tokyo.Paintings, photographs, prints and textiles tell the story of Tokyo’s continual reinvention since its founding as Edo over 400 years ago.
Mead Art Museum

 

11 a.m.

Alumni Forum on Sexual Respect and Title IX
This forum will provide an opportunity to continue the dialogue among alumni in a moderated setting for those who wish to do so.
Cole Assembly Room, Converse Hall

 

11 a.m.

Amherst – Williams: The Biggest Little Rivalry
This NESN TV documentary, filmed on both campuses during the past year, airs one hour before kickoff.
Game Room, Alumni House 

 
11 a.m.

Women’s Soccer Opening Round
NCAA Championships
Amherst (Ranked 6th) vs. Lasell. Tickets will be available beginning at 9:30 a.m.: $6 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students with a valid ID, and $2 for children ages 3-12.
Hitchcock Field

 

11 a.m.

Museum Tour: The Last Ice Age
On this family tour, Fred Venne, museum educator, will take you on a journey back in time. You’ll have an opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the greatest mammals that roamed North America, learn about their habits and explore some of the possible reasons for their extinction. The tour will last about 40 minutes. Bring your cameras!
Beneski Museum

 

11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Homecoming BBQ
Stop by the Social Council tent to grab a free burger and hotdog and get decked out for the game!
Pratt Field near the Hitchcock Road Entrance

 

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Campus Challenge Takes On Hurricane Sandy
Campus Challenge volunteers will be accepting financial contributions to the American Red Cross and donations of needed supplies. A donation box for needed supplies will also be located at the entrance to Alumni Gymnasium throughout Homecoming Weekend. The supplies most needed include blankets, candles, flashlights, batteries, water, food, new socks, towels, printer paper, baby items (diapers, etc.), pet food, dining supplies (plates, cups, forks, bowls, spoons, etc.),  NEW winter wear (jackets, gloves, hats-- anything to keep folks warm -- but used clothing will not be accepted) and cleaning supplies (buckets, squeegees, mops, bleach masks, gloves for cleaning, tarps, garbage bags). Please consider helping if you can.  For more information, contact Paul Sorrentino, director of religious life, at pvsorrentino@amherst.edu or 413-362-9786.
Pratt Field

 

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The Emily Dickinson Museum Tours
See the description at 11 a.m. on Friday
. Tour schedule differs slightly on weekends.
Emily Dickinson Museum, 280 Main Street

 

11:45 a.m.

Recognition of Our Military Veterans
and Presentation of the Colors
On this Veterans Day weekend, we would like to celebrate and thank all those who have served our country. All veterans on both sides of the field are invited to come to the front of the stands to join in the singing of the National Anthem by the Amherst College Choral Society, led by Jeremy Koo ’12. The Honor Guard from the UMASS Air Force ROTC Detachment 370 will present the colors.
Pratt Field

 

Noon

Football vs. Williams
The Amherst College Choral Society, led by Jeremy Koo ’12.will sing the National Anthem. All military veterans are invited to join the singing groups in front of the bleachers.

Pratt Field and the Neuhoff-Lumley Track, home to the Jeffs since 1891, will undergo a complete renovation, and a new field house will be built. Construction begins immediately after this Homecoming game. To mark the occasion, all former football captains will join the current captains on the field for the coin toss. Amherst captains should assemble near the Ostendarp Rock, Williams captains at the west end of the field near their stands.

Homecoming seating is first-come, first-served. No tents may be placed on the field without the permission of Alumni and Parent Programs: call (413) 542-2313.  Pratt Field opens at 8 a.m. for parking. No oversize vehicles--such as recreational vehicles, motor homes or campers--are allowed inside Pratt Field. No kegs are allowed on the field, and no alcohol, banners or signs are allowed in the stands. Homecoming programs and registration information will be available at the Registration Tent at the field. Can't make it to the game? Watch the telecast at a location near you! The game will be available on the Amherst website beginning at 3 p.m. EST.
Pratt Field

 

Half Time

Clash of the Classes

trophy

Defend your class honor! Join in this unusual twist on the traditional face-off between odd- and even-year classes. Be the first group to keep your 10-foot beach ball in the air all the way from the 50-yard-line to the goal! President Biddy Martin will blow the starting whistle. (Canceled in the case of heavy rain.)
50-Yard Line on Pratt Field

Amherst Songs Sing-Along
Following the Clash of the Classes, join us at the 50th Reunion tent to sing some of the old favorites.
50th Reunion Tent

 
1:30 p.m.

Women’s Soccer Opening Round:
NCAA Championships
Union (NY) vs. Brandeis. Tickets will be available beginning at 9:30 a.m.: $6 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students with a valid ID, and $2 for children ages 3-12.
Hitchcock Field

 
 Postgame

Historic Photo
All athletes who competed on Pratt Field or Neuhoff-Lumley Track are invited to participate in a group photo to be taken on the field 10 minutes after the conclusion of the football game. Be sure to bring your family and friends as you join us on the field for this historic photo!
Pratt Field

 

Postgame (3:30 pm.)

Zumbye Alumni Reception
Canfield Lounge, Kirby Theater

 

Postgame –
5:30 p.m.

Homecoming Fest 2012
Come celebrate the events of the day and your return to Amherst. Student jazz combos will set the mood as you enjoy a complimentary buffet. Alumni with all levels of musical experience are welcome to sit in; for more information, contact Bruce Diehl, director of jazz performance, at bpdiehl@amherst.edu or (413) 542-8308. Games and treats for the kids also will be provided. This event is sponsored by Alumni and Parent Programs to thank you for your support at Homecoming and throughout the year.
Alumni Gymnasium, Coolidge Cage

 
 3 p.m.

Women's Rugby Alumni Reunion
All alumnae are invited to join us as we celebrate the triumphant years of women's rugby with current and past members. Food, entertainment, and lovely rugby company shall be provided.
Porter House

 
 4 – 6 p.m.

WAMH Tour, Open House and a Chance to DJ
The Amherst College radio station, WAMH, will have open air time from 4 to 6 p.m. Alumni of the radio station are welcome to come by the station to tour our location on the second floor of the Keefe Campus Center and broadcast over the air with their families and friends. Our music library will be open for perusing, but alumni are welcome to bring their own favorites—the station is equipped to play CDs, MP3s and vinyl.
WAMH Studio, Keefe Campus Center

 
5 p.m.

Catholic Mass
Chapin Chapel

 
5 – 6 p.m.

Amherst Women’s Network:An Envisioning Meeting for All
Questions and concerns about gender relations at Amherst College have permeated the last few weeks’ dialogues about sexual respect and sexual violence at our institution. Join alumni and students as we attempt to envision an organized effort of college and social resources to better serve women, and those who stand with women, at the college and through the alumni network. All genders are welcome and encouraged to attend. Questions? Contact Meghna Sridhar ’14 (msridhar14@amherst.edu) or Tania de Sousa Dias ’13 (tdesousadias13@amherst.edu). Alumni contact: Amanda Villarreal ’12 (avillarreal17@gmail.com.)
Friedmann Room, Keefe Campus Center

 

7 p.m.

Harlem Renaissance
Streets to Spotlights: Roads Paved of Gold

The Black Students Union cordially invites you to attend their annual Harlem Renaissance. Please contact Talia Plummer at bsu@amherst.edu with your name, class year, email address and names of guests for reservations. Formal attire.
Alumni Gymnasium

 

7:30 p.m.

Jazz Ensemble Performance
The Jazz Ensemble will perform music of Robert Owen Williams '91, Les Hooper, Matt Harris, Fred Sturm, Leah Pilzer, and more. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for senior citizens and children under 12 and free for Five College students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the Alumni House during registration and will be available at the door one hour before the performance begins.
Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center

 

8 p.m.

YES
A Senior Thesis in Playwriting and Performance

At the tender age of 6, a girl forced her parents to make a morbid yet charming promise: Should she die before they did, she wanted a big, loud, spirited gospel choir at her funeral. Fifteen years later, still inexplicably adamant about that childhood promise and the power of a lively, theatrical ensemble, she imagines a world where her parents have already made that wish come true. Backed up by an ensemble of kindred spirits, Reilly Horan '13 explores the need for indulging weird impulses, being more theatrical in everyday life and validating one another. Join her and her friends for a whirlwind tour of childhood and a vibrant reimagining of adult life's mundanities.
Holden Theater

 

9:30 p.m.

Choral Society Concert
The Concert Choir, Women’s Chorus and Men’s Glee Club, directed by Mallorie Chernin and Assistant Director Jeremy Koo ’12, and the Madrigal Singers, directed by Angelina Gomez ’14 and Lester Hu ’13, will perform a wide range of music, including works by Brahms, Ticheli, Smetana, Persichetti and many more. Also highlighted are Irish songs by The Wailin’ Jennys and Fergus O’Farrell. The program will end with traditional Amherst College songs. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for senior citizens and children under 12 and free for Five College students with ID. Tickets may be reserved by email to mchernin@amherst.edu or phone at (413) 542-2484. They can be picked up at the Alumni House during registration or in the lobby on the night of the concert, where tickets will also be on sale until sold out.
Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center

 

10 p.m.

Zumbye Alumni Reception Part II
Join current Zumbyes for refreshments and music.
Basement of Coolidge Hall

 

Sunday, November 11

11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Beneski Museum of Natural History Open
See the description at 11 a.m. on Friday.
 
9 a.m. – midnight Mead Art Museum Open
See the description at 9 a.m. on Friday.
 
Noon

Women’s Ice Hockey Alumni Game
Orr Rink

 
1 p.m.

The Hermenia T. Gardner Bi Semester Christian Worship
A service with the Rev. Timothy L. Jones ’05E preaching. A soul food dinner will follow. For further information, contact the Rev. Paul Sorrentino at pvsorrentino@amherst.edu or (413) 542-8149.
Chapin Chapel

 
1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer Second Round NCAA Championships
Amherst vs. winner of (Dickinson vs. Westfield State University). Tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students with a valid ID, and $2 for children ages 3-12.
Hitchcock Field

 
1 – 4 p.m.

Individual Counseling
Counselors/clinicians from the McLean Hospital Mental Health Program will be available for individual counseling for any alumni or students in the following rooms:
Group Study #1 A-31; Group Study #3 A-35; Group Study #4 A-32; Group Study #5 A-36
Frost Library, Lower Level

 
 1:30 p.m.

Women’s Soccer Second Round NCAA Championships
Winner game #1 vs. Winner game #2. Tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students with a valid ID, and $2 for children ages 3-12.
Hitchcock Field

 
 3 p.m.

Women's Rugby Alumni Reunion
All alumnae are invited to join us as we celebrate the triumphant years of women's rugby with current and past members. Food, entertainment, and lovely rugby company shall be provided.
Porter House