Jakob Eiseman, Editor-in-Chief

Header Image: La Salle University

“No matter how far Explorers travel they can always find their way back home.” “Explorers are never lost.” “Not all who wander are lost.” However you want to say it, it’s kind of our thing as La Salle Explorers, and never is there a time when that is more true than the annual Homecoming weekend. Every year, hundreds gather on La Salle’s campus to remember long-lasting memories from their time with the university and to celebrate the school’s culture. With the addition of Family Weekend to the mix, Homecoming weekend has become an overall great experience for our extended community. 

Starting on Friday evening we had the Alumni Awards Dinner where the Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia received the Signum Fidei Medal. The award which means “Sign of Faith” in English is awarded annually to the group which has made the most noteworthy contributions to humanitarian involvement. Diego Calderin ‘83 also received the John J. Finley Award which is given out annually to a La Salle alum who provided a great service to the university that year. In addition to these awards, 30 students were inducted into the Alpha Epsilon Alumni Honors Society. These awards served as an excuse for many alumni to gather and catch up, as well as to celebrate La Salle culture. Many alumni, even those from as recent as the class of 2020 made appearances in the Union ballroom and made the event one to remember.

La Salle University

Then, the Masque of La Salle made their return to theater production on Friday night with their production of “Mavericks.” The Masque’s dedication to theater even in spite of losing several of their shows to the pandemic era is inspiring, and the quality of stories written and created independently through the artistic mind of the students is inspiring. For a full writeup of the stories included in the Mavericks, please consider reading our preview from last week’s issue. 

Friday was already buzzing, but Saturday is when things really picked up with a double Explorer’s victory in the Tom Gola Arena. The women’s basketball team made a dramatic first impression at home, taking the game to overtime and coming out on top over the Rider Broncs. The team opened up the Family Weekend celebrations and the excitement never really stopped. The festival on the quad upped its game from previous years and provided a great place for families to meet up with La Salle students and celebrate. Then, the men’s basketball team had a great redemption from last Tuesday’s overtime loss, beating out UAlbany in a packed house filled with endearing Explorers fans. The energy in the crowd was electric, and streamers notwithstanding, it was a great reminder of what it’s like to be a Lasallian sports fan.

La Salle Alumni Association

The La Salle community has always been tight knit, and Homecoming is a great reason to reunite with alumni, old friends, family and everyone that we find important to us in this community. While this was the last Homecoming for many of us as students, the event has always been a major annual happening on campus, and we will be able to participate for years to come as alumni. Thank you to everyone who made Homecoming weekend special yet again.