WVU Homecoming marks 150 years of alumni engagement and special moments

Candidates for the West Virginia University 2023 Homecoming Court are vying for the title of Homecoming Royalty. They are, starting from the left in the back row, Malia Richardson, Lauren Byrnside, Romeo Mitchell Jr., Kaleigh Papez. In front of them are Addison Wallace, Caitlin Newton and Olivia Quarrick, followed by Caroline Johnson, Sarah Hollen and Olivia Suazo. (WVU Photo/Derek Artimez)

Mountaineers will reconnect in Morgantown this weekend (Oct. 20-22) to celebrate past moments and create new memories while marking the 150th anniversary of the West Virginia University Alumni Association during Homecoming.

Story by Tami Allen, Internal and Student Communications Manager
WVU Photos

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

“Homecoming 2023 is a special moment for the Alumni Association as we celebrate our 150th year in service to our alma mater and the alumni of WVU,”  Kevin Berry , vice president of Alumni Relations, said. “We are excited to commemorate this historic milestone while also creating experiences that provide our students, alumni and the entire WVU community with new Mountaineer moments and memories they will cherish for many years to come.”

Events include the annual Homecoming Parade beginning at 6 p.m. Friday (Oct. 20) on High Street, featuring  WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design alumna Farai Simoyi as the grand marshal and the other recipients of the  Homecoming and Alumni Service Awards.

The University will also name two students “Homecoming Royalty” during a halftime ceremony at the football game against Oklahoma State University Saturday (Oct. 21) at  Milan Puskar Stadium.  Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN.

This year’s  Homecoming Court candidates, all seniors, include Lauren Byrnside, a  dental hygiene major from Madison; Sarah Hollen, a  psychology major from Buckhannon; Caroline Johnson, an  industrial engineering major from Hurricane; Romeo Mitchell Jr., a  biomedical engineering major from Orlando, Florida; Caitlin Newton, a  coaching and performance science major from Wayland, Massachusetts; Kaleigh Papez, a  human and health performance major from Morgantown; Olivia Quarrick, an  exercise physiology major with an emphasis in health professions from Morgantown; Malia Richardson, an industrial engineering major minoring in  communication studies from Morgantown; Olivia Suazo, a  corporate finance and valuation major minoring in  entrepreneurship from Ellicott City, Maryland; and Addison Wallace, an  elementary education major from Haymarket, Virginia.

Students can vote for Homecoming Royalty from their electronic devices on  WVUEngage from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 17) and Wednesday (Oct. 18).

A special Homecoming edition of  Mountaineer Friday starts at 10 a.m. Friday (Oct. 20) outside the Downtown Bookstore with special deals on WVU gear, games, music, food and opportunities to meet University coaches.

Other key events include:

The Alumni Association will host pop-up truck events from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday (Oct. 18) at Health Sciences, Thursday (Oct. 19) on the Evansdale Campus and during Mountaineer Friday (Oct. 20) on the Downtown Campus offering giveaways, pepperoni rolls and more.

The  Center for Fraternal Values and Leadership and the WVU Alumni Association will induct new members into the  2023 Greek Alumni Hall of Fame during a ceremony at 2 p.m. Friday (Oct. 20) in the Mountainlair Ballrooms.

Alumni, friends and family are invited to stop by for a  Homecoming photo in front of the  Mountainlair from 3-5 p.m. Friday (Oct. 20).

The  Center for Black Culture and  Black Alumni Association will host  “For the Culture Tailgate and Fish Fry” beginning at 12:30 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 21) in the Gold Lot.

The WVU Alumni Association was created in 1873, and since 1910, the University has welcomed alumni, students and community members to come together in the fall for festivities across campus. The tradition of Homecoming weekend started in 1921 and has been observed annually since 1930 with the exceptions of during the Great Depression and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Find more Homecoming 2023 information, including the full schedule of events.

---