There Will Never Be a Better Homecoming
Written by Doug Goodnough
There will never be a better Homecoming.
That is what entered my mind when I had a chance to catch my breath after a glorious weekend of celebration at Hillsdale College.
Let me explain.
For years, I envisioned a reunion that would reunite many of my Chargers baseball teammates. But, for various reasons, even some good ones, it never seemed to materialize. Life happens, and before you know it, 20 or so years pass.
However, when I learned my teammate, Troy Salvior, ’90, was being inducted into the Hillsdale College Athletic Hall of Fame this year, the light bulb clicked: This is the opportunity.
Of course, as a member of the Alumni Office, I had a built-in advantage in making this baseball reunion happen. And you better believe I took full advantage. Months of phone calls, texts, social media posts, and in-person cajoling paid big dividends. A total of 14 former Chargers from our era made it back to honor and support Troy during his special night. We even pulled in a few “extras,” including our former pitching coach Dave Neher, legendary retired trainer Paul Beachler, and former basketballer Jerry Tharp, ’91, who were all close to our team.
And once we were together, it was hard to believe that we had been apart. I think we were all a little surprised that such a large group of teammates were back together. But once that initial surprise waned, it was a magical moment for our group. As we gathered for the customary group picture with Troy before and after the ceremony, all the memories flooded back as to why my (our) Hillsdale College experience was so special. I hope my teammates had the same experience.
My wish is to have everyone who graduated from Hillsdale have that kind of moment. Our office does its best to provide the staging for those special moments to happen. From Homecoming to the emerging White & Blue Weekend to the 50/60-Year Reunion, those are just some of many potential opportunities for alumni to reunite and celebrate their friendships and Hillsdale College.
With our office reinstituting the Class Ambassador Program in early 2024, it will provide alumni yet another opportunity to become their own one-person reunion committee. But we can’t do it all.
You don’t have to be an ambassador or a member of the Alumni Office to make a reunion happen. A little persistence, planning, and persuasion can go a long way. Take it from someone who waited for more than two decades to experience that moment: you don’t want to wait any longer.
There will never be a better Homecoming.
Hopefully, many other alumni will be saying that in the years to come.
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in October 2023