Sarah Pherson, left, gives Tommie a Homecoming hug with Christina Haubrich.

The Scroll: First Homecoming as an Alumna

Krissy Schoenfelder

Alumni old and young returned to campus Oct. 13 for Homecoming. Braving the light rain, thousands of Tommies cheered the football team to a 37-0 victory over the Bethel Royals to remain undefeated in the MIAC. I caught up with Sarah Pherson after her first Homecoming since graduating in 2009.

This is your first time back in three years. Why haven't you come back before?

It was hard to find time with school. I figured this was the time to come back. I wanted to check out how much campus has changed since graduation! Plus I was excited for the UST-Bethel matchup. I always loved going to Tommie football when I was a student, and considering their records I thought it would be a great game.

You’ve gone back to school … congratulations! Where are you?

I’m a full-time law student at Hamline. I am a 2L and expect to graduate in May 2014.

What did you study as an undergrad?

I have a B.A. in public relations and political science, so law school was a natural next step. Unfortunately, it keeps me so busy I haven’t had much time to come back to UST.

Now that you’ve made it back, what was your favorite part?

It was fun to see how different the campus is and to reminisce about Homecoming festivities while I was a UST student.

Getting decked out, head to toe, in purple and heading to the game.

What Homecoming events did you attend? Was there anything you were especially surprised by?

I attended the festivities on the Quad and the game. I know it’s not the Taste of Saints anymore, but the festivities on the quad were really fun. Initially it didn’t even seem that different. As an undergrad, I always liked Taste of Saints, because it was a simple and fun way to get student organizations involved, but if there had been a few more booths and vendors it would have been hard to tell the difference. Plus, they were handing out lots of free Tommie swag this year, and that is always fun!

Did you stay for the whole game – right through the rain?

We stayed until about the beginning of the fourth quarter. Considering the UST blowout, we thought it was time to pack it in.

Now that you’ve made it back to campus, will you be returning for Homecoming 2013?

Absolutely! It was great reconnecting not only with friends but also with campus and the Tommie community. I also want to start getting involved with other alumni events. The Young Alumni service project this summer sounded great. I’m definitely going to try to join in on the next one.

(Readers: Did you make it to any Homecoming events? Tell us your favorite part of the day in the comments section.)