View Homecoming Highlight Photos
Paige Leuthold and Danae Sallis, 2014 alums of SMWC, return to The Woods for Homecoming 2015.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) alums clicked their heels together, saying “There’s no place like … SMWC.” Over 200 faculty, staff, alums, students, friends and family gathered for Homecoming 2015, which carried the theme, “There’s No Place Like Home.”
Dottie King, Ph.D., president of SMWC, gave the official welcome at Homecoming, saying “I hope the day is special to you. I hope you have fun. Because there really is no place like home.”
For one alum, the click of her heels took her on a plane that traveled 2,200 miles back to The Woods.
“It’s like coming back home,” said Danae Sallis, 2014 alum. “I moved to California, and it’s completely different being around people you don’t know. It’s good to be home.”
Paige Leuthold, fellow 2014 grad, of Lafayette, Ind., was glad that her best friend made the long trip home, saying, “It’s hard when we all live so far apart, and this is a perfect opportunity for all of us to see each.”
Kathleen Parr, 1979 SMWC alum, and Diane Carver Brentlinger, 1970 SMWC alum, hosted a “ham” radio event as part of the Wabash Valley Amateur Radio Association.
The day provided a variety of events for Pomeroys to enjoy including SMWC soccer and volleyball games, Beer & Brat Tent complete with DJ and caricature drawings, Kid’s Zone tent, tractor rides, equestrian demonstrations, Chorale and Madrigals concert and more.
Kathleen Parr, 1979 SMWC alum, and Diane Carver Brentlinger, 1970 SMWC alum, hosted a “ham” radio event as part of the Wabash Valley Amateur Radio Association. The operators broadcasted from Homecoming and communicated about the College’s 175th celebration year with radio enthusiasts in 16 states.
Attendees also had the opportunity to explore the underground crypt and tunnels on the Bats & Rats Tour with the Sisters of Providence, which led them below the Church of the Immaculate Conception to the crypt, then through the underground tunnel that connects the Church to Owens Hall.
The night concluded with a new event, the Pomeroy Dance Marathon, the brain-child of two current SMWC students – Mikayla Metheny and Haylie Davenport – who were looking for a fun way to encourage philanthropy among students and alums, while raising money for the Woods Fund.
“The event was incredibly important to me because my passion for this school is unreal, and I simply wanted to do my part to help and leave my mark!” states SMWC senior criminology major, Metheny. “Because of other Pomeroys and kind donors before me, I am able to benefit from the Woods Fund, and I want future generations to benefit as well because I know how incredibly important and helpful it is!”
The goal is for this newfound tradition to continue in years to come. SMWC senior accounting major, Davenport states, “I thought it was a very successful event! We had so much positive feedback and support from the moment we started promoting the event. We know what we can do better in the future and what things we can keep the same. This event has made me feel even more of a special connection to SMWC and my fellow Pomeroys.”
The weekend concluded with the Rose-Wood Couples brunch. Rose-Wood couples are Pomeroys who married Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT) alums. These couples joined Woods’ President Dottie King and RHIT President Jim Conwell to finish out Homecoming Weekend for a special Rose-Wood Brunch, a relatively new tradition for both institutions. For the past few years, SMWC and RHIT have shared the same date for Homecoming.