While many Penn students and alumni will be cheering for the Quakers during this weekend's athletic events, this year's Homecoming will add much more to the festivities.
This Homecoming -- the University's 50th -- features a wide variety of alternative activities in addition to the more traditional sporting events.
Amy Garawitz, the associate director of Classes & Reunions at Alumni Relations, said that they had "worked very hard to give more options to Homecoming Weekend this year."
"We, of course, hope that everyone goes to the game," she added. "But we want to have more options to connect the alumni to the intellectual community and not just the social aspects of life."
These "50 Reasons to Come Home to Penn" bring the cultural aspects of Penn to light. The Institute of Contemporary Art will offer free tours and admission to alumni this weekend. The Museum of Archeology and Anthropology and the Arthur Ross Gallery have featured exhibits for the weekend.
The University will also offer an architectural walking tour of campus, in addition to open houses in each of the University's 13 college houses.
A post-game reception featuring photographs of Franklin Field taken over the past 50 years, will be held at the E. Craig Sweeten Alumni House.
An emphasis on diversity is included in many other events. The ICA's exhibit of Mexican artist Damian Ortega was enabled in part by the Latin American Alumni Association. The opening of the Carriage House, the new LGBT Center, will also be celebrated this weekend, supported by many of the minority groups and minority alumni associations on campus.
However, this year's activities will feature an intellectual side of Penn, something that had not been highlighted in the past. Garawitz noted that "it was time" to change the Homecoming Weekend schedule.
"We've received a lot of interest by alumni in having us highlight some of the best parts on campus," she said. "We want to help the alums better understand the Penn of today."
Events such as "Talking with Penn Professors" will allow alumni to interact with and learn more about the current University faculty.
In addition to the traditional alumni social events -- including the third Old Guard Luncheon at the Inn at Penn, and the Red and Blue Rendezvous, a social for young alumni -- speakers will highlight the opportunities for alumni. A lecture entitled "The Next Chapter" will seek to aid senior alumni looking towards retirement.
"We're really hoping that alumni will take the opportunity to come to campus and take advantage of some of the resources we have here," Garawitz said. "We definitely want to make it accessible to everyone."
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