Welcome, autumn. It’s nice to have you back.

Autumn in general and October in particular are typically highlighted on our campus by Homecoming … its energy, pageantry and tradition. And rightfully so.

It’s that time of year when even Mother Nature is a Huskies fan as fall foliage drapes our landscape in school colors, with some red and orange thrown in for good measure. That’s fall … even for this Californian.

The morning air becomes crisp. The sunset lowers and settles nicely over Carver Hall. Classes are in full swing and exams are starting. The Celebrity Artist Series is underway, and we’re full speed ahead in our athletics schedule. This built-up energy — our Husky Spirit — hits center stage with Homecoming.

This year, Oct. 12 to 14, we’re celebrating superheroes. That alone should make the parade floats a must-see. Our Grand Marshall, for the second time because of his outstanding and long-standing contributions to BU and our students, is Professor Emeritus Chang-Shub Roh.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of our geography and geosciences department, which it will be celebrating with two events during Homecoming weekend.

Five alumni from four different decades, in different careers and career stages, will be discussing life after Bloomsburg on Friday, Oct. 12, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Hartline Science Center room 122. This alumni panel will certainly give our current students a chance to hear first-hand the value of a geography and geology degree.

Then on Saturday, Oct. 13, current majors will be giving tours of Hartline from 9 to 11:30 a.m., as well as showcasing a display of current student-faculty collaborative research.

A precursor to Homecoming and a new tradition is the second annual Zeigler Institute for Professional Development Business Conference, which comes to campus Oct. 11 and 12. The conference is a Homecoming all to itself as it draws nearly 50 highly successful business alumni back to campus.

These BU graduates, many of whom are CEOs, Wall Street executives and partners in accounting firms:

• lead workshops for current business students
• discuss their respective careers
• offer advice on interviewing, networking and how students can advance themselves in the business world. 

This is a perfect example of school pride – alumni giving back, investing their time to connect with the next generation of leaders here on campus. ZIPD isn’t the lone example. I’ve seen many occasions at past Homecomings where an alumnus offers encouragement and advice with an arm over the shoulder of a current student. In essence, this connection is the epitome of Husky Pride.