Homecoming for some people might come with thoughts of football games, late night parties and parades.  

However, Homecoming means so much more for many people. It is a chance to celebrate our history and the people who have been in our shoes before us.

Starting Friday, hotels are going to be packed with alumni coming back to their school and more tailgating than students have seen or will see again for the rest of the year.  

But, these people aren’t coming back just to tailgate or watch the game. They are here to celebrate their past.  

That attitude is what the theme for this month’s In Focus section is all about: a throwback to celebrate and inform people young and old about the history of our school.  

For those who don’t know what In Focus is, it is a special section that comes out once a month. The stories all revolve around one central theme and aim to dig deeper about that subject. 

The throwback is the first for the year. The BG News has been working hard to put this first issue out and I’m looking forward to the future ones to come. 

I have learned much from investigating these stories and I’m sure the students and alumni will find news of their own.

When attending the University, we learn more than career preparation. It’s a place to grow and make memories, which all the alumni that are coming back for Homecoming have done.  

From the history of our iconic symbols like the mascots and school colors to the seal and fight songs, our University is rich with history and memories that alumni have used to pave the way for current students.

It is up to us to carry on these traditions and continue the history of the University. It defines us as students now and the things we do in the school with the time we have will pave the way for future generations.

So I encourage the students of the University to go and talk with some of the people that come to celebrate with us. They were in our shoes once and they loved our school enough to come back. The memories and advice they have could be invaluable.

And to the alumni that come back: welcome. Thank you for picking up a copy of The BG News. 

Hopefully you can enjoy our stories and they will bring back memories. I also encourage you to reach out to the students who are here now. They may be from a different generation, but you both share a common bond by being at the University. Besides, you might even be able to learn a thing or two yourself about how the school has changed.

This section is for the Falcon die-hard fans from the past, present and future, and to highlight our past and how that is affecting what is happening even now. My home is that people can learn from this In Focus, but more importantly realize that the alumni and students have more in common than they think.