Written by: Sidney Wiles (snw003@marietta.edu)
For over one hundred years, Marietta has created a campus full of memories and traditions that time could never erase. Instead, they continue to grow with fresh faces that become part of the Marietta legacy with the support of the long blue line.
This past weekend, Marietta College welcomed back Alumni to celebrate and reminisce on younger days. With a packed schedule, alumni and current students never had a dull moment with events like munchies on the mall, award ceremonies, tailgates, and of course, the homecoming game, where alumni passed down the crown to seniors that encapsulate what it means to be a student at Marietta College.
The week leading up to the homecoming, eleven students represented organizations they worked alongside during their time at Marietta. Each student participated in a variety of competitions to earn points and to bring the campus together.
Sarah Irwin represented the education department and was crowned Marietta’s 2026 homecoming queen.
“Homecoming is important because it not only ties alumni into the current student programming, but it also just brings a sense of community back to Marietta College. I think they market that very well. No matter where you come from, what background you have, what major you were or are, you can have a sense of community on and off campus” said Irwin.
Last year, student Breanna Herrick was also crowned homecoming queen while representing the education department. Irwin believes this was just one reason she was inspired to represent the department and enter the race.
“Obviously the education department is not the wealthiest. We are actually going into a career knowing we aren’t going to make much money. We are going into it for the experience rather than the personal outcome. I wanted to see just how much I could advocate for a department because we are small but mighty. Bri won last year so, I kind of wanted to see if I could double dip and get that rolling to see how many years so we can just showcase how strong this department can be as a unit. We might not come from much, but we can show off a lot.”
Homecoming at Marietta is more than a gathering. It’s the celebration of the community that was built from nothing. This tradition is an opportunity to acknowledge all of the departments that might get overlooked, and all the names that became part of this long-lasting foundation. This year might have been a milestone, but next year will be just as good.
Edited by: Rebecca Straits (rjs006@marietta.edu)
