This weekend was my first ever Columbia University homecoming, and I am here to report on the highly favored, greatly anticipated, and significantly celebrated homecoming festivities. Please buckle up and join me in my reflections of this weekend, and feel free to answer my pressing questions in the comment section below. 

The Pre-Game Activities:

I want to wholeheartedly thank the Columbia University wrestling team for allowing my friends and I to squeeze our way into your tailgate tent for Italian subs and gatorades. I am thankful to have found a home in the wet oasis that was the Baker Athletic Complex parking lot. Seriously, thank you for your service. 

Now, I do have a question about the frat row darties. Can we all agree to bring our parents to next years’ Sig Ep darty? Because that would be way more interesting. 

I also was told the night before the game that the stadium was on 218th street. I am not sure where I thought the football field would be in the middle of Morningside Heights, Manhattan, but I certainly did not think that we’d be one frisbee’s toss away from Yonkers. Roar Lion, Roar, though!

The University of Pennsylvania’s Win Agenda Against Columbia University Football 

CU Lions and UPenn Quakers have had quite the dueling history when it comes to football. Do not ask me how or why I know this, but since 1920, Columbia and UPenn have been opponents over 90 times. Yet with Columbia’s 69 losses, 24 wins, and just 1 tie, the 2023 homecoming game versus UPenn was highly anticipated (kind of, sort of). 

The Actual Football Game That I Watched For One Quarter:

In the weeks leading up to homecoming, my family and I were oh-so-eager to demonstrate some good ol’-CU-Lions-school-spirit, so we decided to attend the game together as a family. 

As this is my first homecoming, I made sure to wear my boldest Columbia blue and come ready with my umbrella. 

I attended the game with my parents and brother, as well as the parents of my friends. Perhaps we were overly excited for our first game, but of course, we had to roll deep for our beloved CU Lions. 

Upon arrival, we soon realized that our seats would be drenched by the rain, so we purchased $5 ponchos and used our game-program as seat covers. My group of friends and I were all wearing our most trusted vintage Levi’s and we had to take drastic measures to ensure that our jeans avoided every drop of rain that fell upon us. 

The After-Game Activities

After a strong first quarter, but nearly freezing to our doom, my family, friends, and I decided to continue the party and tailgate at Mama’s Too Pizzeria between on 106 and Broadway. This was what made Homecoming and family weekend a 10/10 for me.

Images from homecoming via author