News

With sunny skies and summerlike temps, this year’s Homecoming Reunion Weekend September 26-27 was a picture-perfect celebration of Raider spirit. Families gathered on campus Friday afternoon for the annual Parents’ Association carnival, complete with free cotton candy and popcorn, food trucks, inflatables and temporary tattoos. Meanwhile, Raider fans split their time among the Mac McCarty Athletic Center, Skokie Playfields and the Nielsen Tennis Center to cheer on athletes at home games before the evening wrapped up with the annual bonfire on the baseball field.

PHOTO GALLERY: HOMECOMING HIGHLIGHTS
 
Students and teachers kicked off the weekend’s festivities with a pep rally at the end of the school day on Friday, where each of the fall sports teams were introduced and celebrated as they performed choreographed dances and participated in some friendly competitions, including a hula hoop toss and a pie eating contest. 

Close to 200 alumni traveled from as far away as China to reconnect with former classmates, faculty and staff. Alumni from across the decades were represented, from the Class of 1950 celebrating their 75th reunion to the Class of 2020 marking their fifth, with the Class of 1980 bringing in the largest turnout among reunion classes ending in 5s and 0s. 

Various formal and informal reunion class dinners and gatherings were held off campus, and alumni and their guests were invited to a Friday evening reception with current and former faculty and staff on campus in the Hall Library, allowing former classmates to gather and reminisce about their younger years. 
 
On Saturday, alumni, parents of alumni and former faculty gathered in the auditorium for a program that included an update from Head of School Tom Flemma, a panel discussion with current students and the Francis R. Stanton ’27 presentation to Patricia Ostrom Kohnen ’60, a trailblazer in STEM and an inspiring example of lifelong learning and service. The Stanton recognition is given each year to an alum whose life work exemplifies the school’s motto, “Live and Serve.” The program also recognized members of the Jay Bach Iron Raiders Society — alumni who participated in 12 consecutive seasons of athletics during upper school. 

For the first time this year, there was also an all-class alumni luncheon, followed by a “Live and Serve” project on campus where alumni and their families made 100 lunches for The Love Fridge Chicago and Evanston.

Throughout the weekend, guests also had the chance to view the latest exhibition in the John Almquist Gallery, a community photography show entitled “So Close and Yet So Far,” featuring only images that are extremely near or extremely distant. As in past years, the Little Raiders field hockey and soccer clinics on Saturday morning gave children aged 4 and up an opportunity to learn the basics of the games from NSCD players and coaches; and new this year, a Little Raiders flag football clinic was added. 

Homecoming weekend featured plenty of on-court and on-field action as Raiders showcased their determination and team spirit. Friday’s volleyball teams brought energy and excitement, with the varsity squad earning a 2-0 win and the junior varsity team notching a 2-0 victory as well. Field hockey and tennis teams battled hard against strong opponents, demonstrating grit and resilience. On Saturday, Raiders continued to shine, with both JV and varsity volleyball sweeping MCC Academy, and the JV field hockey team posting a 3-0 win. 

To see more photos from Homecoming Reunion Weekend, visit the Homecoming page on Vidigami, where you’ll find albums for each of the events throughout the weekend.