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It’s reunion time for the ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ University Golden Flashes family. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ celebrated Homecoming 2021 with a week of activities and events leading up to the Oct. 2 Homecoming Parade and Homecoming football game. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and the community were invited to take part in one of the university’s long-standing traditions, which returned to campus this year.

In addition to the classic Homecoming traditions, ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ introduced new activities and events for the entire community to enjoy, including the Homecoming Kickoff celebration that was followed by fireworks on the evening of Oct. 1.

Class of 2020 Commencement

Among those returning to campus were members of the Class of 2020, who were invited to come back to campus for a historic, in-person commencement ceremony dedicated to the class during Homecoming. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual commencement ceremonies were held for the Class of 2020 with a promise to the graduating students that they would be invited back to campus for commencement when it was deemed safe to do so. 

¾«¶«Ó°Òµcommencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 took place at 1 p.m. on Oct. 1 at Manchester Field. At this ceremony, all Class of 2020 graduates crossed the stage and had their name announced. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ 600 members of the Class of 2020 participated in this special ceremony.

Groundbreaking for the Aeronautics and Engineering Building Addition

Members of the ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ community and the general public were invited to a groundbreaking ceremony for the addition to the Aeronautics and Engineering Building, home of the College of Aeronautics and Engineering. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµgroundbreaking took place at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 1 at the Aeronautics and Engineering Building, which is located at 1400 Lefton Esplanade on the Kent Campus. Building tours and refreshments immediately followed the program. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµbuilding addition supports the college’s enrollment growth by expanding the state-of-the-art facility.

Homecoming Kickoff and Fireworks

At 6 p.m. on Oct. 1, ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ presented the Homecoming Kickoff, a new celebration to start Homecoming Weekend, with food, music and fun on the lawn by ¾«¶«Ó°ÒµJohn Elliott Center for Architecture and Environmental Design along the Lefton Esplanade. Attendees could meet the 2021 Kent Campus Homecoming Court, ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Director of Athletics Randale L. Richmond and ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ President Todd Diacon. There was  a free Homecoming T-shirt giveaway while supplies last.

At 7 p.m. on Oct. 1 following the Homecoming Kickoff, ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ invited everyone to go downtown to enjoy fireworks. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµbest location to view the fireworks show was downtown by the West Main Street bridge. Test shots went off at 7 p.m. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµfireworks show began at dusk.

Bowman Cup 5K Walk/Run

¾«¶«Ó°Òµmorning of Homecoming kicked off with the annual Bowman Cup 5K Walk/Run at 8 a.m. on Oct. 2 at the university’s Warren Student Recreation and Wellness Center. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµrace, named after fedora-loving former ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ President George Bowman, is a chip-timed race. A virtual walk/race was also available.

Homecoming Parade

¾«¶«Ó°ÒµHomecoming Parade began at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 2 on the corner of Midway Drive and Main Street, traveling west on Main Street into downtown Kent. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµparade featured floats, ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ and local high school marching bands, the Homecoming Court, university colleges and departments, ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ cheerleaders and athletes, student organizations, local officials and more. ¾«¶«Ó°ÒµClass of 2020 served as this year’s Homecoming Parade Grand Marshals. For those who couldn't make it to campus, a virtual parade livestream with the university president was available.

Kiss on the K

Couples who feel that ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ played an important role in their relationship gathered on the K at Risman Plaza (in front of the Kent Student Center) at noon on Oct. 2 for a special Homecoming tradition called Kiss on the K. All couples kissed on the K when the bell rings at 12:30 p.m. 

Dedication of Unity Walkway at Manchester Field

At 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 2, the university held a dedication for the new Unity Walkway at Manchester Field. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµintroduction of the Integrated Greek Council (IGC) plots, recognizing the university’s culturally based fraternities and sororities currently at ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ, serves to celebrate the rich tradition between the university and nation, allowing history to be on display for generations to come. 

Tailgates and Homecoming Football Game

Starting at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 2 before the football game, alumni and students tailgated at Dix Stadium on their own or attend the Flash Nation tailgate. Then at 3:30 p.m, the Homecoming football game featured the ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Golden Flashes taking on Mid-American Conference East Division foe the Bowling Green State University Falcons. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµgame was ¾«¶«Ó°Òµâ€™s first conference game of the season. ¾«¶«Ó°ÒµHomecoming Court was recognized at the game, and ¾«¶«Ó°Òµâ€™s 2021 Homecoming Royalty was also announced and crowned at halftime.

¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Homecoming 2021

For more information about ¾«¶«Ó°Òµâ€™s 2021 Homecoming and a full schedule of events, visit www.kent.edu/homecoming.
 

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Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595