- Sep 18, 2023
- 5 min read

Week of September 11, 2023

Good day, campus Friends,

Warm days and chilly nights on campus remind us that fall is near (the last day of summer is September 22--can you believe it?). A few campus updates from last week and this week regarding athletics, Homecoming, Westheimer Peace Symposium events, and the kick-off of Hispanic Heritage Month.

A Jam-packed Week of Wilmington College Homecoming Activities, Festivities, Competitions, and Events!

The coming week is Homecoming week, which means we are all knee-deep in preparations. The multi-day Homecoming schedule this year is jam-packed with activities and events including:

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st

Mud Volleyball, 4 p.m.
Pep Rally/Bonfire (SGA), 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd

6:00 pm Women’s Soccer Game | Williams Stadium

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd

10:00 a.m. Class of 1973 Emeriti Brunch and Medallion Ceremony, Alumni Awards, and Milestone Reunion for the Classes of 1973, 1983, 1993, 2003 & 2013 | The TOP *REGISTER HERE
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Family Friendly Activities | Collett Mall (across from Hermann Court)
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Peace Resource Center & Quaker Heritage Center Open
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Alumni Tent Open for Check-in | Collett Mall (across from Hermann Court)
11:00 a.m. - Athletic Hall of Fame Brunch | Boyd Cultural Arts Center, Kelly Center *Reservations Required
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Bookstore Open | Pyle Center
11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Food Truck Alley | Elm Street
11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. WC Tailgating | CSA Parking Lot
12:00 p.m. - Alumni Swim Meet | WC Natatorium (Hermann Court)
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Human Experience of Nuclear War Hosted by Tanya Maus | Peace Resource Center
2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Aggieville | Corner of Elm and College Streets
2:00 – 5:00 p.m. BSI Office of Diversity and Inclusion Alumni Reunion Tailgate | CSA Parking Lot
1:30 pm Men’s Soccer Game | Williams Stadium
3:00 p.m. Greek Bed Races | Withrow Circle
3:00 p.m. Arboretum Walking Tour with Brad Schwamberger ’83, Theme “It’s All Greek to Me” | Hazard Arboretum
7:00 p.m. Kickoff, WC Football vs. Capital | Williams Stadium

CONTACT: Steve Cukovecki, Director of Alumni and Family Engagement, steve_cukovecki@wilmington.edu

Big Quaker Wins in Advance of Homecoming Week

The Wilmington College Quakers offered strong performances across all athletic competitions this past weekend. Men's soccer captured a win against Hanover (1-0) to kick off the day Saturday. Women's soccer followed with a nail-biter against Maryville (Tenn.), but Ema Menges scored late in the game to pull a 1-0 win.

On the road, both the football and volleyball teams followed that trend. Football dominated Otterbein with a final score of 47-21. And in Meadville, PA, women's volleyball captured three sets to win against Fredonia to end the day.

Looking ahead, on Wednesday, September 20, men's soccer hits the road to face the Grizzlies at Franklin College, and both women's soccer and volleyball head to Mt. St. Joseph. On Friday, September 22, women's soccer meets the Anderson (Ind.) Ravens at Williams Stadium, game time 6:00 p.m.

Game day, Homecoming Saturday at Williams Stadium, men's soccer will take on the Battling Bishops from Ohio Wesleyan at 1:30 p.m. and pave the way for a fierce football match under the lights against the Capital University Comets, kickoff at 7:00 p.m.

Wilmington College's 33rd Annual Westheimer Peace Symposium Programming Continues this Week with Special Programming on "Peace and the Nature of War"

Two more oppportunities to engage in the event

The Westheimer Peace Symposium continues this week with its keynote program, a screening of the film, This Is Not a War Story, followed by a discussion featuring its director, Talia Lugacy, on Wednesday (Sept. 20), at 7 p.m. in the Murphy Theatre in downtown Wilmington. According to a recent press release by Randy Sarvis:

This is Not a War Story tracks a ragtag group of combat veterans in New York whose anti-war art, poetry and papermaking keep them together, despite the specter of their friend’s suicide and the ever-crystalizing fact that healing from war is sometimes an impossible mission.

Lugacy is a filmmaker, actor, and writer based in New York. She co-wrote and directed the feature film, Descent, starring Rosario Dawson, which premiered in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released theatrically by Warner Independent. Descent was championed by The New York Times as a Critic's Pick calling the film "...essential to see, a vividness never seen in an American film.”

Her second feature film, This is Not a War Story, was an NYFA Grant Recipient for 2020 and was shortlisted for Director’s Fortnight at Cannes before the COVID-19 year’s event was canceled. The film has since won the Audience Award at SF Indie and was a Spotlight title at Cinequest with universal praise from publications such as Film Threat, Hammer to Nail, and Screentology.

Lugacy is a full-time assistant professor of screen studies at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, The New School, in NYC. She was a member of the Actors Studio Playwrights & Directors Unit and began studying filmmaking at NYU Tisch at the age of 15. She has directed numerous short films, as well as environmental PSAs with Frack Action, Water Defense, Mark Ruffalo and Food & Water Watch.

The film will run from 7 to 9 p.m. followed by dialogue with the director from 9 to 10 p.m. The program is free of charge, but audience members are requested to pre-register.

The year's Symposium poses the questions:

How can veterans heal from violent and traumatic experiences carried out in a time of war?
How do soldiers experience the transition from the military environment to civilian life after experiencing traumatic events in war?
What is the responsibility of the state and society to help veterans reintegrate and resume emotionally healthy and stable lives?
Knowing the costs to soldiers and veterans, what is the state's and society's responsibility to prevent violent conflict?

In the Symposium's final event, Dr. Lucy Steinitz will address "Trauma-Sensitive Peacebuilding" on September 26, from noon to 1:30 p.m., in the T. Canby Jones Meetinghouse/Boyd Cultural Arts Center.

The Wilmington College alumna and member of the Board of Trustees will engage participants with a basic understanding of trauma and traumatic sensitivity, before shifting the discussion to how each of us can use our own strengths, knowledge and past experiences to move forward and build peace wherever we live.

The program is free and open to the public, however, pre-registration is requested at: https://library.wilmington.edu/westheimer2023/combat-trauma-healing.

Wilmington College Honors Hispanic Heritage Month

Painting of The Rock by the Latinx Student Association

Wilmington College kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) last week with piñatas at the TOP during lunch Friday followed by the painting of The Rock, sponsored by the Latinx Student Association. HHM takes place September 15 to October 15 every year as a time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive histories of the American Latinx community.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, beginning in 1968, Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) was originally observed as “Hispanic Heritage Week”, but it was later extended to a month in 1988. Since then, HHM has been celebrated nationwide through festivals, art shows, conferences, community gatherings, and much more.

Watch for HHM event updates on the Wilmington College App from members of the Latinx Student Association!