Several hundred guests were welcomed to campus for a beautiful weekend, October 18-20. Alumni returned to relive their great college memories and to see the changes that have blessed their alma mater over the last few months. The weekend schedule included the usual: a theatre department production, golf scramble, alumni reception, chapel, choir concert, Athletic Hall of Fame induction, basketball and volleyball games, and class reunions. This year, there were reunions for the classes of 1974, 1979, 1984, 1994, 2004, and 2014. This weekend also included:
- A ribbon cutting for the Tyler Phipps Wrestling Center, named in honor of former York wrestling student-athlete, Tyler Phipps (‘08).
- The dedication of the Nick DiToro Classroom in Hulitt Hall, honoring former York University faculty member Nick Ditoro ‘78 thanks to the generosity of his mentor, Don Millican and his wife Donna.
- An open house where visitors were able to tour all of the recent campus renovations at Hulitt Hall, ARC at Levitt (previously Levitt Library), the Freeman Center, Eckman Hall, and the newly opened EDGE of Innovation Lab, a space that provides students with the ability to utilize professional resources for their course projects or personal endeavors.
Friday’s Homecoming Golf Scramble was won by Caleb Connolly ‘13, Jordan Suter ‘14, Aaron Conyers ’15, and Michael Winquest. It was followed that evening by a reception for all alumni. The weekend also featured the York University Athletic Hall of Fame induction of Kenny Kaaiohelo ‘65, Nicole (Gates ‘16) Johnson, and Mason Held ‘19.
Archford Manduvi and Kenna TarnowskiHomecoming Chapel was a packed house as Lester Miller ‘00 led the singing, Tim Lewis ‘84 had the opening prayer, and Dr. Darrel Sears ‘01 gave the morning’s address. Chapel was followed by a moving performance by the York University Singers and a host of alumni joined students on the risers for the traditional closing songs.
Following the performance, Marquisette Bickford ‘84 was recognized with the Servant Leader Award, Grant ‘03 and Amanda (DeBerry ‘02) Rathe were recognized with the Young Alumni of the Year award, Rod Genrich ‘71 was recognized with the Alumnus of the Year award, and the Kinney-Leinen family was recognized with the Legacy Award.
During sets of a close women’s volleyball match in which they defeated Friends University 3-2, the York University Homecoming Court was introduced. Pictured above are this year's king and queen: Archford Manduvi and Kenna Tarnowski. Archford is from Harare, Zimbabwe, and pursuing his bachelor's in Biblical studies. Kenna is a psychology and Biblical studies major from Firestone, Colo. She is a senior on the women’s volleyball team.
Senior candidates for queen were Macey Truitt of Derby, Kan., Elizabeth Zaiger of Harlan, Iowa, and Kennedie Anderson of Tooele, Utah. King candidates were Tate Straatmann of Harding, Neb., Andrew Bennett of Hawthorne, N.J., and Jamie Watts of Oklahoma City, Okla. The attendants honored from the freshman class were Nora Chapman of Fort Smith, Ark. and Francisco Gouveia stepping in for Simao Mendes of Ilhavo, Portugal. The attendants honored from the sophomore class were Lilly Carr of Henderson, Neb. and Shawn Smith of Clovis, Calif. The attendants honored from the junior class were Reagan Branum of Spearfish, S.D. and Jaden Beske of Rhinelander, Wis.
Mark your calendars for Songfest, April 3-5, 2025.
See pictures from Homecoming 2024 here.