Vikings to gather at Homecoming and Family Weekend

Thousands of Vikings and fans of Vikings will gather at Augustana College to celebrate a joint Homecoming and Family Weekend this Friday through Sunday, Oct. 6-8.

Alumni are invited to celebrate at multiple events at this year’s 103rd Homecoming festivities, including QuadFest  — featuring food trucks, bounce houses and other family-friendly activities — from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the lower quad behind Old Main. Registration for Homecoming and Family Weekend events is available at augustana.edu/alumni/homecoming.

“From our annual Oktoberfest to reunion receptions and all sorts of events in between, we treasure the opportunity to connect with alumni and families who love Augustana College as much as we do,” said President Andrea Talentino.

Augustana will celebrate a range of alumni classes during Homecoming, including a Zero Year Reunion event for the Class of 2023. Ken Clauson '48 will be in attendance celebrating his 75th-year reunion. Family joining Clauson will include his daughter, 1972 Augie grad Elaine Clauson Hewes.

The Vikings football Homecoming game against Millikin kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday, with tickets available for purchase at the gates of Lindberg Stadium. Also Saturday, the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will host an alumni meet at the Anne Greve Lund Natatorium, Lindberg Center, at 10 a.m.

Other special events include Friday’s Latinx Unidos 30th Reunion Reception at the Casa Latina, followed by the organization’s Noche de Estrellas (A Night of Stars) gala in the Denkmann Memorial Building’s Wallenberg Hall on Saturday. 

Kelly Noack, director of alumni and parent relations, said the gala is Latinx Unidos’ signature event, connecting the current Latinx Unidos chapter with alumni from the past 30 years. More than 100 students and alumni are expected at the event that will include dancing and dinner.

At 10 a.m. Saturday the college will celebrate the Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts at a rededication to recognize the completion of $11.2 million in facility renovations. Improvements included enhanced rehearsal spaces, a multimedia laboratory with the latest technology, a music education suite, small performance space, student and faculty common areas, and a more welcoming front entrance with a student gathering area. 

“This reinvention of Bergendoff aligns with the college’s strategic initiative of facilitating transformative learning though integrated experiences,” said Kent Barnds, executive vice president of external relations. “We are thrilled to welcome alumni and families to campus to celebrate these important improvements that will serve current and future Augustana students,

This weekend will also include a Board of Trustees meeting and the Alumni Association Board of Directors meeting. On Friday, Kurt and Lynette Skow '87 Rasmussen and John ‘80 and Tammy Bissman ‘81 Murabito will be inducted into The Old Main Society, in recognition of achieving more than $1 million in lifetime giving to the college. Lynette Rasmussen is a past member of the college’s Board of Trustees  and John Murabito serves as the current chair.