Autumn, in many parts of the country, provides a soundtrack of crunching leaves accompanying a seemingly brush-stroked backdrop of reds, yellows, browns, and crisp greens as the transition from summer to winter occurs. This change in setting and temperature—and boy did the temperature change quickly this year—also alerts us to some of the most creative and enjoyable festivals and celebrations held in our communities. This fall, Butler introduced me to a new celebration, and reminded me why an age-old holiday remains a personal favorite.  

Homecoming may adopt the natural colors of the changing leaves and graying sky as its background setting, but Butler Blue and white still dominated Oct. 27 – 29 as school pride elevated with each alum who arrived on campus. It was extra-special for me, as I had never attended a Homecoming event before. With the excitement of a child on Christmas morning, I wanted to soak up everything as fast as I could. 

There’s a vibe that starts building in the middle of the week and ramps up on Friday as friends gather from near and far to first get business taken care of. The semi-annual meetings of the Butler Alumni Board, the different College Advisory Boards, and the University Alumni Award Celebration are all critical aspects of evolving the University, but also include hugs, handshakes, laughs, and smiles shared by those who lived their best Butler days as an undergraduate and light up while reminiscing about their time. As the Dean of  CCOM, it was humbling to see our energizing and inspiring alumni everywhere. 

Our Friday CCOM Dean’s Advisory Board meeting is a gathering that is fast becoming a highlight for me each year. Roughly 15 members of the Board met for five hours—yes, we stopped for lunch—and talked about the future of the College of Communication, shared successes by our faculty and students, and pre-celebrated two CCOM alumni who would receive University-level awards later that night (more details on this later). The meeting was engaging, and I am grateful to our members for volunteering their time, talents, and expertise to advise us on our opportunities going forward. The Chair and Vice-Chair, Dan Cooreman ‘76 and Patricia Mays ‘93, deserve special recognition for their leadership of this insightful group.

The calling of the CCOM Grill (thanks, Mark and Dutch for getting it ready) meant the meetings were over and it was time to unwind. I cooked both meat and plant-based hot dogs for our alumni, faculty, and students outside Fairbanks Center. The weather could not have cooperated better, and it’s a new tradition I look forward to carrying forward into the years to come.

Later that evening many of us represented CCOM at the Butler Alumni Awards and were honored to watch all of the recipients be recognized, but especially the two CCOM alumni being honored.

Jacqueline Eckhardt ’13 received the Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award for her efforts as a young alumnus in giving back to Butler and the community through service. She was introduced during the awards by her long-time mentor and Butler professor, Bob Schultz. To help celebrate Jacqueline and her accomplishments to a larger audience, she joined me on the CCOM Dean’s Pawcast and, as always, represented Indianapolis well. 

CCOM’s second award winner was John Doyle ’74, who earned the Butler Medal, the highest honor the University can bestow on an alum. John is a special individual who is as caring as he is intelligent and inspiring. Upon receiving the award he praised the individuals who made a profound impact on his life. For all of John’s successes, and they are many, he remains humble and a seemingly peerless example of being a Butler Bulldog. It was an honor to be there with both Jacqueline and John for this very special evening to close out Friday.

A brisk Saturday morning welcomed the Homecoming celebration at its height, leading up to the football game, a 17 – 7 win by the Bulldogs over Valparaiso. The CCOM Tailgate tent, hosted by “Mr. 3 a.m. Email” himself, Professor Scott Bridge, was homebase for many alumni. Although the Indy Marathon prevented my attendance—no, I didn’t run it—I enjoyed hearing about the number of CCOM alumni who came to celebrate with one another. Finally, Saturday evening, I enjoyed watching the first men’s basketball exhibition game of the season with two amazing CCOM alumni, professional voice talent Amy Ulrich ‘98, who flew in from L.A., and Critical Communication and Media graduate, Kayla Long ’19.  Both Amy and Kayla are shining examples of CCOM and Butler success and generosity, and I was grateful to spend an evening learning from and laughing with them.

After such an amazing introduction to Homecoming done right and spending time with so many wonderful individuals, you might think I was due for a letdown heading into the new week. Not a chance!

Halloween is a holiday I have always loved, and much like Homecoming, it wasn’t treated like a one-day or just a weekend event. During October the faculty in Fairbanks were invited to decorate their doors and offices, with prizes, based on student voting, for the most creative, the scariest, and the spookiest. In the first year of this exercise in Fairbanks it went so well—I was really excited and thankful for those who contributed to our culture—that I created a Best in Show Dean’s Award. The decorating by Dr. Tatsiana Karaliova and Dr. Kristen Patrow of their offices was so fantastic that I needed to up my game from a recognition standpoint. A high bar has been set for next year. There was candy, creativity, and camaraderie, and I even got into the act by giving out candy across campus in costume (contrary to people saying I was the Michelin Man, I was the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from the Ghostbusters)! From Fairbanks to Dugan, Jordan to Atherton, and through Irwin Library, I handed out treats  to students, faculty, and staff wherever I found them.  

To say this week was fun would be an understatement! From Homecoming to Halloween, it was a spooktacular experience for this new Bulldog, and one that will haunt my dreams, in the best way imaginable, for a long time!