Food, Family and Fun
Over three days of spectacular autumn weather, Conn welcomed close to 1,600 family members and friends to campus to celebrate a joyous Fall Weekend, marking one of the first large in-person events held at the College since the onset of the pandemic.
The weekend kicked off with Friday evening’s traditional A Cappella Showcase, attended by a full house and featuring rousing performances under the lights in the tent on Tempel Green. On Saturday morning, a group of 27 students presented the results of research completed during summer ’21 funded internships and answered questions from an engaged crowd. Topics ranged from archival research on Native American and African American life in New London's early history to transforming academic concepts into movement as a teaching tool in K-12 public education.
Also on Saturday, President Katherine Bergeron delivered the annual State of the College address, highlighting the positive momentum at the College and thanking the entire Camel community for their help in successfully navigating recent challenges. “You know the expression: “It takes a village.” Well, it took the entire Camel village—students, staff, faculty, parents, trustees and alumni—to get us to today. And here we are, fully in-person and enjoying Fall Weekend on our beautiful campus for the first time in two years. That is why I am so glad to have this opportunity to be with you this morning, to tell you about the state of our College in this second year of the pandemic.”
During Saturday afternoon, two Fall Weekend favorites, Harvestfest and Pumpkins & Pooches, drew enthusiastic crowds who browsed Camel-themed merchandise on sale to support student clubs and organizations and took polaroids with canine family members in front of an autumn-themed backdrop.
Adding to the upbeat mood across campus, Camel athletic teams did not disappoint. A large crowd cheered as men’s and women’s soccer won over strong Middlebury teams, the men handing the 6th-ranked Panthers their first loss this season. On the waterfront, the coed sailing team won the Sister Ester regatta. Camels were also victorious in volleyball over Bates, and off campus, the men’s cross country team finished sixth among 41 schools in the College Brown 8k Race at Lehigh's prestigious Paul Short Run.
To cap off the weekend on Sunday, both men’s and women’s soccer teams defeated Williams College, a fitting end to a weekend of fun, food and family in a picture-perfect setting.
