Variety of Homecoming Activities Unite College Community

Pennsylvania College of Technology's Homecoming brought together hundreds of alumni and students during a variety of events at the college's facilities.

The weekend's theme, "Connecting the Pieces: Past and Present Unite," embodied the institution's long history, dating from the introduction of adult-education classes offered at Williamsport High School to the 20th anniversary of the college's affiliation with The Pennsylvania State University.

The Oct. 8-11 events included home soccer and volleyball matches, during which each team posted wins, a Homecoming dance, tailgating events, a performance by comedian Jeff Ross at the Community Arts Center, a car show sponsored by student government and Sigma Nu, and several student contests.

Among the highlights was a reunion for graduates of Williamsport Technical Institute, Penn College's earliest predecessor. Nearly 70 alumni, representing graduating classes from the 1930s to the 1960s, and a few of their faculty members, attended the event, during which they toured campus and took in a retrospective exhibit in The Gallery at Penn College.

The exhibit, titled "Were You There? The Evolution of a College Campus," comprises a collection of photographs and artifacts from the Penn College Archives that represent the institutions' rich history, touching on life during the days of W.T.I., Williamsport Area Community College and today's Penn College campus culture.

Former student ambassadors also gathered, sharing reminiscences during a reunion lunch with recently retired director of admissions Chet Schuman. Student ambassadors act as liaisons between the college and prospective and current students, their families, guests, alumni, and other members of the college community.

Thirty years' worth of paramedic graduates reunited for an anniversary celebration of the program that began at Williamsport Hospital and Medical Center graduating its first class in 1979 and later moved to Penn College. More than 70 paramedic alumni and their guests celebrated with presentations by Steven Johnson, president of Susquehanna Health; Davie Jane Gilmour, president of Penn College; Chuck Stutzman, retired administrative director for prehospital services/emergency preparedness at Susquehanna Health and a member of the first graduating class; and Mark A. Trueman, alumnus and director of the paramedic program.

The Homecoming Court raised nearly $900 for the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship Fund through king and queen balloting. The top three fundraisers were the Penn College Construction Association, the Architecture Club and the Early Educators Club. Stephanie N. Woite and Brian D. West, both representing the Penn College Construction Association, were named king and queen.

Penn College also awarded Outstanding Varsity Athletic Alumni Awards to Bobby String and Becky J. Shaner.

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