This year, Cornell Homecoming is called “StayHomecoming” and will be held entirely online, though its spirit and theme of celebrating community remain intact – and as important as ever.

“Cornell Homecoming has long been about uniting our Big Red community,” said Michelle Vaeth ’98, associate vice president for alumni affairs. “This year, we will again bring together Cornellians from around the globe – virtually. All alumni, students and friends are invited to come together and celebrate the many ways Cornellians make the world a better place.”

Full information is available at the Homecoming site. Featured events:

• Dr. Anthony Fauci, M.D. ’66, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Kate Snow ’91 of NBC News will host “Cornell Promise: A commitment to learning from the COVID-19 pandemic” from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6. No registration is necessary; this event is open to all Cornellians. Fauci and Snow will discuss what we’ve learned from the pandemic, how it will impact the future of public health, and what is most important as we educate today’s Cornellians. Fauci also will respond to student questions from across Cornell’s campuses.
• President Martha E. Pollack will deliver the State of the University Address, followed by a keynote panel discussion, “Keeping the Promise: Stories from the Front Lines,” moderated by Eduardo Peñalver ’94, the Allan R. Tessler Dean and professor of law, beginning at 10:15 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9.
• A panel presentation, “Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Big Red Influence on the World,” will be moderated by Congressman Steve Israel, director of Cornell’s Institute of Politics and Global Affairs, at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. Israel will be joined by faculty from Cornell Law School, the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Human Ecology to discuss how late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54, who died Sept. 18, has influenced government, law, fashion and politics.
• Other events include a StayHomecoming Welcome and Big Red Battle of the Brains, Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. and a discussion, “Throwing Out the Playbook: Navigating Major Sports through a Pandemic” Saturday, Oct. 10, at noon.

Virtual versions of traditional Homecoming events such as the 5K run/walk, tailgates, happy hours, concerts and more are listed on the full schedule, as well as a wealth of online programming that can be watched at any time. Cornellians also can download a selection of digital swag, printable fun and family activities, and other supplemental material to celebrate StayHomecoming in style.

“There are so many ways that Cornellians can participate,” said Lauren Graham Garcia, associate director of Homecoming and special interest programs, “with inspiring panels, game shows, livestreams from campus, digital downloads and much more.”