All-alumni band N’est Pas — featuring Chip Esten ’87, star of “Nashville” and “Outer Banks” — will kick off William & Mary’s 2022 Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, scheduled for Oct. 6-9.
Esten and his bandmates Clem Cheng ’86, John “Rocker” Hendrickson ’88, Chris “Nike” Neikirk ’88, Art “RT” Schmalz ’88 and Dennis Whelan ’87 (with special appearances by Jeff Williams ’88 and Cory DeAngelo ’90) will set the tone for the weekend when they perform during Friday Night Fest, scheduled for 8 p.m. on Oct. 7.
Alumni, parents, students, family and friends are expected to converge on campus for the weekend, which offers multiple opportunities for them to reconnect and celebrate the many ways they make William & Mary their own. Online registration ends Sept. 30, but on-site registration will also be available.
On Saturday morning, a Presidential Conversation at 10:30 a.m. in the Sadler Center’s Commonwealth Auditorium will explore the role of the media in democracy in the U.S. and around the globe. Alumni journalists David Culver ’09, correspondent for CNN; Brendan Hoffman ’02, freelance photojournalist based in Ukraine; Valerie Hopkins ’10, international correspondent for the New York Times; and Weijia Jiang ’05, senior White House correspondent for CBS News, will speak with President Katherine A. Rowe on issues including how the media can encourage diversity of voices and freedom of expression in this polarized environment.
Later that day, the W&M community will gather to cheer on the W&M football team as it takes on the University of Delaware Blue Hens at 3:30 p.m. in Zable Stadium. A Homecoming Tailgate will be held in the Sunken Garden at noon, and affinity and identity group will host tailgates on the Alumni House Lawn, hosted by the Crim Dell Association (LGBTQ alumni), the Hulon Willis Association (alumni of Black and African descent), Latinx Alumni, Asian-Pacific Islander-Middle Eastern Alumni and the Society of 1918 (women’s giving society). New this year is a student showcase highlighting W&M’s talented student groups.
Homecoming Grand Marshals Bill Armbruster ’57 and Betty-Wright Armbruster ’58 will lead the crowd on a Green & Gold Walk with the W&M cheer, twirler and dance squads at 2:30 p.m. before the football game, where the Armbrusters will be honored for their many years of devotion to William & Mary. They have been attending Homecoming and other W&M events for more than 60 years and are longtime supporters of W&M Athletics and the W&M Alumni Association.
Alumni from class years ending in twos and sevens will celebrate their fifth through 45th Reunions on Saturday night, with special additional celebrations planned for the Young Guarde (alumni within 10 years of graduation) and the classes of 2020-2022. Also that evening, the university will host its Saturday Night Bash in the Sunken Garden.
Additional events during the weekend include a military and veterans breakfast with special guest speaker Lt. Gen. Maria R. Gervais, deputy commanding general and chief of staff for U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command; a brunch for The Olde Guarde (alumni who graduated 50 years ago or more); and a 50th anniversary celebration of The Order of the White Jacket.
Details on these and additional events are available on the W&M Homecoming & Reunion Weekend website.
Staff, University News & Media