Homecoming: Reunited and It Feels so Good!

Reunited and it feels so good!

Reflecting on 50 years of coming home to Trent

Thousands of alumni, students, rowers and community members donned their green and white to take part in the 50th Homecoming Weekend and Head of the Trent Regatta (HOTR)—a highlight in the alumni calendar, and the opportunity to bask in nostalgia, see old friends, and enjoy a day of university (and college) pride.

“Homecoming is a unique and fun opportunity for people to reconnect,” says Maile Loweth Reeves ’79, chair of the Trent University Alumni Association (TUAA) Homecoming Committee. “There is something really special about Trent, and the Symons Campus is especially stunning in the fall. There is such a strong sense of camaraderie during homecoming.”

This year’s celebration, the first in-person event in three years, included a festival stage with live musical performances by bands such as I, the Mountain—proud Trent alumni—as well as busker-style entertainers, campus tours, Varsity games and, of course, rowing. Alumni also had exclusive access to the Céilie where Trent retiree Rod MacDonald and Michael Martyn ’90 entertained the crowds.

Special events at this year’s Homecoming included the kick-off of Otonabee College’s 50th anniversary, the dedication and unveiling of the Prendiville Music Room at Lady Eaton College, an exclusive Anishinaabe Art

Tour in Peter Gzowski College, and aptly, Champlain College’s screening of The Novice movie, filmed right here at Trent! Traill College held their annual scarving ceremony, where alumni of Traill and Peter Robinson College introduced new students to the downtown college.

“There really was a variety of things happening around the campus,” says Danielle Britton, alumni engagement and services coordinator. “You could drop in for a live show, catch a race or Varsity game, or go on a self-guided campus tour.”

No oar-dinary regatta

The first HOTR regatta was organized in 1971 by Chris Leach ’70, founder of the Trent University Rowing Club. Over the years, the head-race regatta, now hosted by the Peterborough Rowing Club, has grown to become the region’s premier fall rowing event, attracting thousands of athletes from across Ontario, Québec, and the northern United States. It is also the only university homecoming event in Canada that revolves around rowing, and has become a huge economic boon to Peterborough and the Kawarthas.

The course for the race has remained relatively unchanged since 1971—a scenic, spectator-friendly route up the Trent-Severn canal and into the Otonabee River, passing Bata

Janet Molson ’90 and Roxanne Vis ’90 Langton House, 1972-’78 Mike Keuken ’87 and Blair Trembley ’87

Library and crossing the finish line just beyond the Faryon Bridge.

“Being able to sit and watch the races, standing on the bridge and looking down as the boats go by is a fantastic experience,” says former TUAA council member, Steve Robertson ‘93, who has attended (and volunteered at) almost every Homecoming and Head of the Trent since he started at the University.

“There is a general sense of excitement and school pride. It really is a very positive, pleasurable experience for anyone who attends.”

A history steeped in tradition, founded on friendship

Trent University’s Homecoming—and the Head of the Trent regatta—has been celebrated on the weekend before Thanksgiving since 1972. Since then, around 20,000 alumni have returned to Trent to cheer on varsity and alumni teams, visit their old haunts and attend alumni events. They’ve also enjoyed perks, such as exclusive access to the Céilie, giveaways and the latest in alumni and college merchandise. And, of course, they’ve collected their annually-designed, quintessential HOTR mugs.

For most, however, what brings them back year after year isn’t the phenomenal line-up of entertainment and activities, it is the opportunity to reconnect with old friends.

“I think many people, especially more recent graduates, are attracted by the renewal and affirmation of vivid friendships made during their student years,” explains former TUAA president

and former member of Trent’s board of governors, John Butcher ’67, who has attended almost every Homecoming event since 1972.

“I formed 50-year bonds at Trent that my friends and I try hard to maintain and nurture. This is not about sentiment and nostalgia, but rather connection and continuity, a sense of shared experiences that serves as a strong foundation for relationships that grow and mature as we age.”

“I was fortunate to meet some of the closest people in my life when I was at Trent, and I maintain a relationship with them to this day,” adds Steve, who shared his 2022 Homecoming experience with his partner, a fellow Trent alum. “Being able to share our Homecoming and time at Trent now, after being good friends for close to 30 years, is very special to me. It’s not just going with your partner, it’s being able to experience it with your best friend as well.”

Musician Sara Shahrazi

New opportunities to connect

“Adding the virtual programs is a wonderful new direction,” says Maile. “COVID forced our hand and we couldn’t hold an in-person event for the last two years. Virtual events, like the College Challenge, are a brilliant way to engage alumni all around the world in Homecoming. And people loved it! They were dragging out their mugs and yearbooks, and stories and pictures, and sharing everything online. It didn’t matter if you were in

Trent Councillors Mike Nolan ’69, Doug Reid ’67, Jennifer Oades ’76

Mark Langdon ’83, Tyler Palamar ’92, Laura Walton ’91, Doug Freeman ’86, Jamie Hobgood ’92

Tim Hughes and Dawn Kuisma ’87

John and Kathy Kanis ’75, Sarah Duff ’72

Peterborough or in Budapest, you were able to participate.”

For many alumni, Homecoming 2022 was the first opportunity since the pandemic to visit the Symons Campus and to connect with current students.

“Just strolling around campus (both at the river and downtown) is nice. There is always something new to see,” adds John. “The Bata Library remains a very interesting building, as it is continually being reshaped and repurposed in response to new learning styles and primary resources.

The new Student Centre is terrific and wandering in and out of the colleges and teaching facilities always turns up something interesting.”

Whether you attended in person or online, the 50th Anniversary Homecoming 2022 was a reunion of note.

For information on Homecoming 2023, keep an eye on mycommunity. trentu.ca/homecoming.

Kathy Ross ‘85 with baby David, Dinesh Ross ’86, Graeme Ross ’86, Scott Carter ’86, Andrew Homer ’86, Lesley Cassidy ’87

Diamond Dave