On a cool Friday night, the giant tent on Tempel Green was abuzz with excitement. Students and families gathered near the stage at the center with bright eyes and excited smiles as Fall Weekend 2023 officially kicked off with an electric performance by Conn’s seven, yes, seven, a cappella groups. Their performances, featuring music from artists like Lorde to Frank Sinatra, received thunderous applause as the blue lights of the tent swept over the crowd. The energy was infectious and, as the final note of the evening was sung, it became clear: Fall Weekend was here.
A long-running tradition at Conn, Fall Weekend is an annual event for students, families, and alums to come together to support the college, attend festive seasonal events, and engage with the community. This year it was held from Oct. 6–8. The campus was uncharacteristically lively that Saturday morning as about 1,500 family members and alums made their way to the weekend events.
Saturday afternoon saw one of the most highly anticipated events of Fall Weekend: Harvestfest. For a few hours, Tempel Green transformed into a bustling marketplace featuring dozens of campus clubs selling a wide variety of art, club merchandise, and jewelry. Of course, there were also plenty of camel-related items to stock up on. Harvestfest acts as a major fundraiser for clubs, and looking at the crowds surrounding each booth and arms full of items, it seems that this year was nothing short of a success.
It was certainly not a slow weekend for supporters of the College’s fine and performing arts as they showed up in numbers to the several concerts, performances, and exhibits offered. The cast of Ophelia Run Amok, written and directed by Kenny Prestininzi, tackled a dramatic reimagining of Hamlet. All four performances were sold out. The Prism Music performance featured the Wind and Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra, and Connecticut College Singers performing in front of a spirited crowd in Evans Hall.
A highlight of Fall Weekend for many was cheering on several of Conn’s varsity sports teams. Saturday was jam-packed for athletes and fans as soccer, volleyball, field hockey, and sailing all took on opponents. Fans sporting foam fingers could be seen lolling around Freeman Field as the Women’s Soccer team took on No. 7 ranked Williams College. The team brought the crowd to their feet when they won their first conference match of the season 2-0. Fall Weekend also marked the 50th Anniversary of Women’s Volleyball and Men’s Soccer at Conn and the 40th anniversary of Women’s Soccer.
This time of year encourages the entire campus community to come together and support achievements, and this year was no different. The weekend called for celebration as various organizations on campus reached impressive milestones. Among them was Unity House, celebrating 50 years of community building. Unity House’s Race and Ethnicity Programs are part of the College’s Division of Institutional Equity and Inclusion, supporting underrepresented students and mentoring the community on relevant cultural topics.
Community members also gathered to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment with an alum panel present. Originally established in 1993, GNCE calls on students and faculty to address environmental issues and promote sustainability in the community. During the celebration, the Alum Achievement Award was posthumously awarded to Helen Fricke Mathieson ‘52, who was involved in founding the center in the 90s. Keri Krasnoff ‘24, a member of the GNCE, said this event was a “great way to see the legacy of the center” and that she felt “proud to be a part of the [GNCE].”
The campus also welcomed former White House and State Department official Joey Trapasso ‘87 to speak on the importance of being what he calls an “ordinary hero” in your community. In his talk, he emphasized looking for small changes you can make to have a lasting impact in your community. He finished his speech with a call to action, urging students to involve themselves in public service, which, he said, “gives you a chance to drive real change on issues you care about.”
Under a canopy of changing leaves, students proudly showed their friends and families around campus, enjoying all that the fall season at Conn has to offer. From historic celebrations to impressive performances, the power of community was indeed on display this fall weekend.
Go Camels! :)