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Homecoming Weekend 2022

This year’s homecoming theme was “Milestones and Memories.” Milestones included 25 years of women’s golf and women’s soccer, 50 years of Title IX in the United States, 50 years of the Kent Student Center, and 100 years of Greek life and football. 

From Friday, Sept. 30 to Sunday, Oct. 2, Kent State alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and community members donned blue and gold and took part in long-standing traditions.

Here are some highlights from Homecoming Weekend 2022:

Homecoming International Celebration (Sept. 30, 5–7 p.m.)

The Homecoming International Celebration is one of two signature events the Office of International Student Affairs facilitates each year. The celebration gives international students an opportunity to showcase their home countries and their culture. Attendees visit different countries via a “passport,” taste food from around the world and watch cultural performances.

Homecoming Kickoff and Fireworks (Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m.)

The celebration began at Hometown Bank Plaza in downtown Kent with music, food and fireworks. Attendees met the 2022 Kent Campus Homecoming Court.

Bowman Cup 5K Race and 1-Mile Fun Run (Oct. 1, 8 a.m.)

The annual race began at the university’s Warren Student Recreation and Wellness Center. The race, named after former Kent State President George Bowman, is a chip-timed race that allows participants to enjoy the scenic route through the Kent Campus and its surrounding community.

Homecoming Parade (Oct. 1, 10:30 a.m.)

The parade began at the corner of Midway Drive and Main Street and traveled west on Main into downtown Kent. It featured floats, Kent State and local high school marching bands, the homecoming court, university colleges and departments, Kent State cheerleaders and athletes, student organizations, local officials and more. For those who couldn’t make it back to campus, a livestream of the parade was available.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Title IX in the United States, 37 former women student-athletes served as this year’s Homecoming Parade grand marshals.

Kiss on the K (Oct. 1, noon–12:30 p.m.)

Kent State couples celebrated the place that brought them together by gathering on the K at Risman Plaza (in front of the Kent Student Center) and kissing when the bell rang at 12:30 p.m.

Dedication of the E. Timothy Moore Student Multicultural Center (Oct. 1, 12:45 p.m.)

Kent State dedicated the E. Timothy Moore Student Multicultural Center on the second floor of the Kent Student Center during homecoming weekend. The renaming of the center was made possible through a donation from a former student, D’Andra Mull, BA ’02, PhD, to honor the memory and legacy of , BFA ’73, MA ’77, MFA ’83.

Moore was Associate Dean Emeritus for Advising and Undergraduate Student Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences (1998–2010) and Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Pan-African Studies (1974–2010). During his time at Kent State, Moore served as president (1971) and minister of art for Black United Students. He died Feb. 1, 2021, and Kent State has established a scholarship in his honor.

Flash Nation and Alumni Chapters Tailgates (Oct. 1, 1:30 p.m.)

Before the football game, fans met in the west parking lot outside Dix Stadium for the Flash Nation and Alumni Chapters Tailgates. They enjoyed food, fun and festivities for the whole family—and the first 1,000 fans to visit received a Kent State stadium bag.

Homecoming Football Game (Oct. 1, 3:30 p.m.)

Kent State Golden Flashes took on the Ohio University Bobcats for their first Mid-American Conference East Division game of the season and came out with a 31-24 victory. The Homecoming Court was recognized at the game and Kent State’s 2022 Homecoming Royalty was announced at halftime.

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