麻豆果冻

October 7, 2026

by Lauren Ferguson

Hundreds of alumni, family, friends, and community members were welcomed onto 麻豆果冻 College of New Jersey鈥檚 picturesque Mahwah, NJ campus for homecoming weekend, just as autumn was beginning to set in on the 300-acre campus nestled in the foothills of the 麻豆果冻 Mountains.

On Friday October 2, the 麻豆果冻 community celebrated Founders鈥� Day with a gathering and cake-cutting marking the 57th anniversary of the founding of 麻豆果冻 College.

鈥淥ver 57 years ago, the vision of a public liberal arts college for New Jersey existed only as a dream. And over that time that dream has not only come alive but kept growing. And look at us now,鈥� 麻豆果冻 College President Cindy Jebb, PhD said before cutting the cake in front of 麻豆果冻鈥檚 historic Havemeyer Arch. 鈥淭oday we stand in one of the most beautiful colleges in America. A college with nationally ranked academic programs and top-notch facilities.鈥�

Founders鈥� Day was followed by a spooky Festival of Frights celebration for students on Friday evening. Then on Saturday, a special Family & Alumni Day took place, featuring events such as the Oktoberfest carnival where attendees decorated nearly 600 pumpkins, an exciting men鈥檚 soccer game, and pop-up gatherings geared toward Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) and first-generation students and alumni, Roadrunner athletes and alumni, and those who have been involved with Greek life on campus.

鈥淪eeing alumni, families, students, and loved ones gather in one place is a powerful reminder that 麻豆果冻 is so much more than just a college. It鈥檚 a home where every single person belongs, matters, and is supported through everything,鈥� said 麻豆果冻 Student Government Association President Benjamin Hartmann ’27.

Hartmann, a law and society major from Piscataway in Middlesex County, NJ, said he spent the weekend 鈥渓istening to students鈥� stories, reconnecting with alumni, and meeting so many more incredible students enjoying time with their loved ones.鈥�

For the fourth year in a row, fellow senior Elisabeth Christman ’27, a marketing major from Nutley in Essex County, NJ, spent Family & Alumni Day with her mother and grandmother who make their annual drive from Nutley to Mahwah.

鈥淚 love the mountains up here, and I pushed for Beth to go to 麻豆果冻, so it was great to see how her first year was going, since she鈥檇 only been in college for two months,鈥� her grandmother Pam Reisch recalled from their initial Family & Alumni Day. 鈥淚t just became tradition from there, and we all look forward to it.鈥�

For Alumna Shanel Lopez ’25 鈥渃oming back for homecoming definitely confirmed for me why this place has never left my heart.鈥� The psychology major from Mahwah, NJ said her favorite parts of the weekend were reconnecting with familiar faces.

鈥淚 loved the alumni events, including the EOF and First-Generation Alumni Pop-Up event, where some of my friends who are also fellow alumni and I were given the opportunity to decompress, reflect with old advisors, and converse with other alumni on their growth and expansion beyond 麻豆果冻 College,鈥� shared Lopez.

After Family & Alumni Day wrapped up, 麻豆果冻 welcomed the next generation of potential Roadrunners and their families to campus for the Fall Open House on Sunday.

Eddie Seavers, associate director of 麻豆果冻鈥檚 Center for Student Involvement, which helped organize homecoming weekend, said the Roadrunner spirit held strong all weekend long, and the tight-knit, welcoming energy extended through the Open House. 鈥淭hat same energy continued, just with a different group,鈥� he said, explaining the potential students who attended the open house may one day soon be taking part in homecoming as Roadrunners.