Alumni and student athlete contestants compete in the Big Red Battle of the Brains.

StayHomecoming 2020 brings Big Red spirit online

Thousands of alumni, parents, students and friends from around the globe participated in StayHomecoming week events Oct. 6-10, an entirely online event for the first time.

The Trustee Council Annual Meeting (TCAM) was also held online during StayHomecoming week, with many events open to all alumni.

Alumni and students alike said that while the virtual programming for TCAM and StayHomecoming wasn’t exactly the same as a typical in-person celebration, the events did inspire Big Red spirit and provided opportunities to network, learn and have some fun.

“Despite having to hold TCAM in a physically distant manner, we were able to offer content and interactions amongst Cornell stakeholders that were intellectually stimulating and further the mission of Council,” said Praveen Anumolu ’01, M.Eng. ’03, TCAM Planning Committee chair. “I think the week was extremely successful. I expect going forward we will find ways to incorporate remote participation to in-person events to get the best of both worlds.”

StayHomecoming week kicked off Oct. 6, as thousands tuned in to hear directly from Dr. Anthony Fauci M.D. ’66 and NBC News’ Kate Snow ’91. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, discussed vaccine trials and what he’s most hopeful about, and answered student questions. Many attendees expressed gratitude and pride that Fauci and Snow have been able to represent Cornell to the wider public on such an important topic.

Other events included a virtual reading of “The Bluest Eye,” the 1970 debut novel by the late Toni Morrison, M.A. ’55, and a recap of events honoring the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54.

Read the full story of StayHomecoming on the Alumni Affairs and Development website.

Kaitlin Provost is a writer for Alumni Affairs and Development.

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