Weeks turn into the first month, then two, as college life begins to take shape. This leads to October, when the leaves start to change and the wind gets colder, and homecoming buzz starts to spread.

Back in high school, homecoming did not mean much more than a school dance and alumni coming back. But this year looks and feels different; it means more because being on this campus marks the beginning of independent lives.

This campus becomes home, just as it has for generations before. Homecoming brings everyone back together, united in California.

Homecoming is Oct. 17-19. Historically, on Oct. 17, 1979, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed legislation creating the Department of Education. PennWest California, formerly California University of Pennsylvania, was founded in 1852. So, for roughly 127 years, this university stood without federal backing.

For freshmen, this information might seem useless, but to be able to attend a university that has resided in the highlands of Western Pennsylvania for as long as it has is quite an achievement.

Homecoming isn’t just a time for alumni and dances anymore; it is a time to look around and see the changes starting to take place.