Just as students have returned to campus for fall term, alumni activities are picking up! Registrations for Homecoming were way up this year, and we all enjoyed a wonderful weekend of reconnection. I am told that many returning reunion groups gathered in person for the first time in over a decade as a result of COVID-19鈥檚 impact. I trust these alumni enjoyed the traditional Homecoming offerings, such as the football game and the parade to Richardson Stadium, while perhaps also finding new facets of the alumni experience to enjoy. Of course, there was something for everyone 鈥 the fall harvest on Agnes Benidickson Field is a lovely offering for young families and it was great to see so many enjoying its sense of community. There were also lots of new offerings this year 鈥 the new Arts and Science 鈥淔orever Young鈥 celebration on the Friday evening being one of them.
And, this year, the return to campus held special significance for alumni and students alike, as the John Deutsch University Centre has finally reopened. The excitement of our community members rediscovering and reinhabiting the space is palpable (and for good reason, as noted in Rector Niki Boytchuk-Hale鈥檚 excellent essay in this issue)! I hope that alumni re-exploring the JDUC over Homecoming were delighted at how the space has been reimagined for modern student needs, while staying true to the charm and character of the building they remember. While some may have found themselves disappointed that certain parts of the building are unrecognizable or even gone forever (RIP Underground), I find a good antidote when these feelings bubble up is to spend time with a current student excitedly and proudly showing off the new space. It opens my mind to how changes at Queen鈥檚 are not the travesty I sometimes initially feel at the knee-jerk reaction phase.
It is indeed an incredible challenge to reimagine space and place for modern needs while staying true to what makes Queen鈥檚 Queen鈥檚. In fact, it might be 鈥渢he鈥 question of our times, especially given the rapid pace of societal change. As I have seen through conversations with my fellow alumni about the university鈥檚 proposed Bicentennial Vision, it is clear that there is apprehension around how the university will define its long-term ambitions and the strategies it will employ to get there. Change can be scary, and it can be hard! However, our alumni can play an important role in supporting the university in times of uncertainty and change, and I hope that in offering our alumni support, we can all do our best to centre the needs of current and future students and also keep an open mind.
