By Randy Pittenger (’80), president of the ACU Alumni Advisory Board from Belton

As ACU alumni, Homecoming is a special opportunity for us to return to reconnect with friends and relive wonderful memories of our time on campus.

For many of us, our time at ACU was among the most important and life changing periods of our lives. It’s where we discovered our passion for a career, where we were equipped for service and ministry, where we developed friendships that will last a lifetime and, perhaps, where we met our spouse and began our family.

Homecoming is a special time for us to return to visit with friends, professors and mentors, and to share the ACU experience with our families. Many of the activities of Homecoming are designed to help old friends reconnect, whether through club breakfasts or reunion year dinners. Other activities are designed for family fun, such as the carnival, parade and football game.

We can’t get enough of reliving the memories of special places during our time here as students. Moody Coliseum brings back wonderful memories of Chapel, Sing Song, concerts, athletics and intramurals. The “World Famous Bean” and Campus Center bring back memories of so many meals and laughs shared with friends, as well as way too many games of ping pong, pool or bowling in that basement. The library even brings back memories of “studying” and socializing – what a great place to meet and enjoy an evening. And, of course, the wonderful memories of life together in the dorms.

Just walking the campus brings back a flood of memories of people, events and even a few well-planned pranks, but mostly it brings back memories of the relationships we built during our time here.

Seeing changes on campus, such as the Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center and the Learning Studio in the transformed Brown Library, makes us proud of how innovative and exceptional our alma mater is and excited about the memories being made by the current students and those still to come.

Every time I come back, I’m amazed at how much can change yet still stay very much the same. Students are still finding their paths and developing life changing relationships.

ACU is a special place, filled with special memories and exciting opportunities. It’s a place we call home.