Alumni turnout for Homecoming which traditionally stands around 3,000 is expected to increase this year due to the historic nature of College President Jim Yong Kim's first year on campus, according to Diana Lawrence, director of communications for the Office of Alumni Relations.
"We usually have about 3,000 alumni, but this year we're expecting a few more because it's Jim Kim's first historical Dartmouth Night speech and his first parade," Lawrence said.
Before the bonfire, Kim will give his first Dartmouth Night speech, a tradition that dates back over 100 years.
The Office of Alumni Relations will also host several alumni mini-reunions each day of Homecoming some of which will be attended by Kim according to a schedule of events provided by Lawrence. Kim will be a special guest at the Dartmouth Asian Pacific American Alumni Association Homecoming art show, Lawrence added.
Fraternities will also host events for alumni throughout the weekend. This year marks the centennial of the Dartmouth chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Sig Ep is expecting at least 60 alumni on campus and will hold a reception on Friday and a banquet on Saturday, according to president Eric Schwager '10.
"Fraternity in the truest sense of the word signifies a brotherhood that does not end upon graduation," Schwager said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. "As a result, it is important for both alumni and undergraduates to embrace this rare opportunity and strengthen our bonds. Also, given current attitudes towards the Greek system at Dartmouth, it is important for Sig Ep alumni as well as the entire campus to see that every fraternity, and particularly ours, can be a positive force at our college."
The College has seen increased debate surrounding the role of the Greek system in recent weeks.
Recently returned Zeta Psi fraternity is also expecting a strong showing of alumni support at Homecoming. According to alumni chair T. Clark Weymouth '79, 50 to 60 alumni have already said they were planning on visiting the house, which was reinstated after a two-year "dark period" this fall. The house has been undergoing major renovations in preparation for its full return.
"There is a lot of excitement a lot of alums are excited to see the new house," Weymouth said. "We are going to have a walkthrough and recognition of people who worked hard to bring the house back."
Weymouth said that Homecoming will be a "good chance for [Zeta Psi alums] who haven't been around to reconnect."
He said he expects alumni from as far away as Los Angeles at the event.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity will also host an alumni event after the Homecoming football game tomorrow, according to SAE president James Watson '10. The fraternity is expecting a particularly high turnout from the class of 1957, according to Watson.
"[One of SAE's house] trustees is a member of the class of 1957 and a class officer so he stays in touch with the '57s," Watson said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth.
Watson is a member of The Dartmouth Senior Business Staff.
The Hill Winds Society will also host several student-alumni events this weekend, including a Dartmouth College Fund luncheon that Kim plans to attend and a pre-Bonfire tent, according to Harris-Koizumi.
The organization will also hold a panel Friday with the class of 1946, at which three students with different backgrounds and interests on campus will speak about their Dartmouth experiences.
"The whole idea of Hill Winds is that we are sort of the face of the undergraduate community," he said. "We have the panels to promote student-alumni interaction and to help alumni better understand student life."
Bridgette Taylor contributed to the reporting of this article.
