Alumni are coming home again this year, but they may easily not recognize the place.

The Oct 2-4 Homecoming will be a celebration, but it will not offer the traditional activities and events of past years.

“I especially feel students are not getting the true college experience, and I’m working real hard to do some things that abide by all the guidelines but still give students some level of enjoyment and something to hopefully remember this year, said Darcy Brodmerkel, Director of Student Engagement. “Everyone will remember 2020 because of this [pandemic], but there are some other things that they can take from it and see some good in it,”

While the homecoming football game and tailgates will not be held, there will the annual talent show, which will be live streamed so students can watch from the safety of their dorms or homes.

Brodmerkel also worked with the cheerleaders to set up a theme week for students.

“I was going work with them to setup a homecoming theme week and each day doing something different as far as what students might wear to try to lift the spirits a little bit,” she said. “It might be a blue and gold day and whoever has the best outfit for that day would win a gift card. That is something we are looking at doing and the cheerleaders came in asking some questions and said that they were also looking to do it, so I wanted to try to work with them.”

Brodmerkel coordinated with Residence Life staffers to plan other creative activities that follow safety guidelines.

“I worked with Res life, and what we wanted to do is have some festivities going on out on the lawn so we can have social distancing and be outside,” Brodmerkel said.

There will also be a photo booth in which students to take pictures with each other – even if they’re incognito.

“I have a special photo booth where students were able to take picture with their friends as long as they were wearing masks. Rather than wearing all the crazy things that you can do with a photo booth, we will just have certain backdrops.”

Brodmerkel hopes the events helps spread positivity for students and others during these challenging times.

“I just want people’s spirits to be lifted because we tried to do something special for them,” she said. “Despite what our limitations are, we are still one big Misericordia community and one big family trying to get through a difficult time.”

Still, Brodmerkel hopes this is the only homecoming of this type. Regardless, staffers say they will continue to unite the students.

“I listen to the news, I listen to the medical professionals, and with what they are saying is that we can get through this and 2021 will be a totally different year and we will going back to doing things we know and things that we love,” Brodmerkel said. “If we did end up having to do something else, I would probably do the same as this year, only bigger and better in hopes that more people would participate.”

For Alumni students, registration for Homecoming is online at https://alumnievents.misericordia.edu/e/homecoming-2020