Traveling 1,251 miles, one California University of Pennsylvania alumnus among many makes the journey back to the campus to celebrate homecoming. Graduates of Cal U made their way back to celebrate homecoming with their friends. 

Nathan Heinze, a graduate of Cal U, is making the long journey back to Cal U from Fort Worth, TX. The graduate moved to Texas after accepting a job with Fidelity Investments right out of college. During his time with Cal U, he became a brother of Sigma Tau Gamma a member of Habitat for Humanity. 

“ I am most excited to be back to see all of my brothers of Sig Tau. Anytime we’re all together crazy things are bound to happen, and stories will be made.” Heinze said. 

Heinze went on to talk about his past experiences with being involved with homecoming at Cal U, and remembers all of the fun he had helping to create the float, admitting to only watching the float being built from time to time. 

“ I expect about 30 or so of my close friends to be coming back for homecoming. We are lucky because we still have a few friends that are undergrads, and we will be staying with them. The morning of the homecoming parade on Saturday is always the most fun, especially watching the undergrads usually rush to finish the float.” Heinze Said. 

Along with Nathan Heinze will be his fiancé, Savanna Carroll, who was a Sister of Delta Zeta. 

“ I can’t wait to be back in Cal U, especially since we moved so far away. Coming back now means so much more since this is one of the few times we all get to see each other.” Carroll said. 

It has long since been a tradition for Cal U Greek life to come back to the university during homecoming weekend. Homecoming is something special to Greek life since they are rooted so heavily into the event. Greek life usually accounts for about six to seven different floats for the parade during the day. Joy Helsel, the director of Fraternity & Sorority life for the university oversees the process. 

“During homecoming the main goal in my eyes is to keep everyone safe, and obiding by the university standards and rules. I do want to see the organizations have a fun time, and enjoy their alumni being back, but just in a safe manner” Helsel said. 

Helsel has dealt with a great deal of situations involving homecoming. Helsel pointed out how alumni can sometimes have bit too much fun when they come back, and cause some trouble for the undergraduate members.  Helsel herself is a sister of the Sigma Kappa Sorority and enjoys the time when all of the other alumni come back.

“When I was a younger alumni all of my sisters would always come together at homecoming, and being a resident of the town California makes it easy to be here. Now there are for homecoming I volunteer during the day and help with prep work, and then make plans with a few sister later,” Helsel said.

Not all alumni like Heinze come from as far away as he does, Laura Cook, a sister of the Delta Zeta Sorority comes from a shorter distance away, Pittsburgh. With getting to live so close she does have the opportunity to see her Cal U friends more often than other alumni. 

“I do get to come back to Cal often, but homecoming is different because that is when I get to see friends that I have not seen in so long. There are even some people who I haven’t seen since last homecoming, which is crazy to me.” Cook said.