Homecoming at Cedarville connects generations of students

By Megan Deets

People lined the streets around Cedarville’s campus for Saturday morning’s Homecoming Parade. The crowd buzzed with excitement as the parade was about to begin. Children, professors and alumni young and old joined together to celebrate.

The entire parade displayed the bond that Cedarville creates. From the Greek-lettered organizations to the sports teams to the nursing association, the groups walked down the streets as one.

“There’s a unified stance that we have,” Amory Davis, a senior Language Arts Education major, said. “We have a common community as students and members of the university.”

Each float and every group walking demonstrated this unique community. All of these organizations function as miniature communities within a larger one. They have different purposes and perspectives, but Cedarville provides them with a common bond.

Miranda Blosser, a sophomore Nursing major, has been able to connect with her dad through their shared Cedarville experience.

Her dad, Dan Blosser, graduated from Cedarville in 2001, also from the nursing program. 

“It’s fun cause as I have experiences here, I can imagine him being here and having similar experiences,” Blosser said. 

During Homecoming, Blosser and her family explored classrooms in the Engineering and Science Center (ENS), and her dad pointed out where he had classes during his college years. 

One of the benefits of Homecoming is that alumni like Blosser’s dad are able to reminisce about their time at Cedarville. 

“It’s a way for [alumni] to see that traditions are carrying on and that the university is still flourishing,” Davis said. 

The Homecoming Worship Celebration also gave alumni the opportunity to look back. The theme of the event was chapel music through Cedarville’s history, and it was led by five alumni and one current student. 

The Jeremiah Chapel is usually filled with college students, but on Saturday night, it held families and people of all ages.

The musicians emphasized God’s goodness to every generation as they sang songs spanning decades of time. The music ranged from contemporary worship to traditional hymns to 90s praise medleys.

“It was really cool to hear songs that my parents were like, ‘Oh, yeah, I remember this song!’” Blosser said. “Even though I didn’t know it, they were really enjoying it, and I think it brought back memories for them.”

Some of the musicians also recalled memories of their time at Cedarville. One worship leader shared his personal testimony of how Cedarville helped to transform his battle with depression. 

As part of the event, one of the worship leaders read from Psalm 100, which says in verse five, “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

Homecoming reminds many people of God’s constant faithfulness. While they may be from different generations, students both past and present share in experiencing the Lord’s steadfast love through their time at Cedarville. 

Megan Deets is a sophomore Professional Writing and Information Design student. She loves to listen to music, go on walks and spend time with her friends and family.