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30 movies featured at Newark Film Festival, Sept. 4-11

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Baltimore-area Hens invited to meet Ravens QB Joe Flacco

New Graduate Student Convocation set Wednesday

Center for Disabilities Studies' Artfest set Sept. 6

New Student Convocation to kick off fall semester Tuesday

Latino students networking program meets Tuesday

Fall Student Activities Night set Monday

SNL alumni Kevin Nealon, Jim Breuer to perform at Parents Weekend Sept. 26

Soledad O'Brien to keynote Latino Heritage event Sept. 18

UD Library Associates exhibition now on view

Childhood cancer symposium registrations due Sept. 5

UD choral ensembles announce auditions

Child care provider training courses slated

Late bloomers focus of Sept. 6 UDBG plant sale

Chicago Blue Hens invited to Aug. 30 Donna Summer concert

All fans invited to Aug. 30 UD vs. Maryland tailgate, game

'U.S. Space Vehicles' exhibit on display at library

Families of all students will reunite on campus Sept. 26-28

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Join UD’s football championship celebration Feb. 10

12:16 p.m., Feb. 6, 2004--The University of Delaware invites fans and friends of the 2003 NCAA Division I-AA national champion Fightin’ Blue Hens football team to a special celebration on Tuesday evening, Feb. 10, at the Bob Carpenter Sports/Convocation Center.

Fans are encouraged to come wearing blue and gold to show their true UD spirit.

The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Concessions and national championship souvenir items will be available, and fans can get championship items autographed by Fightin’ Blue Hens Head Coach K.C. Keeler and selected players in the Carpenter Club on the concourse after the celebration.

Adding to the spirited festivities will be the University of Delaware Marching Band, cheerleaders, the dance team and the nationally ranked mascot YoUDee. Recently, the cheerleaders finished sixth, the dance team finished fifth in their division championships held in Orlando. YoUDee was ranked third in the national mascot competition.

Mike Corey, sports director at WRDX-FM, The River 94.7 and the radio voice of the Hens, will be master of ceremonies.

Fans are encouraged to bring their cameras to get snapshots of members of the 2003 squad, who will be honored on stage during the celebration. A video that recaps the season and features outstanding individual accomplishments by team members will be shown.

Various trophies earned by the national champion Hens also will be displayed.

The Hens recently were honored by a special resolution passed by the Delaware General Assembly and signed by Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, who also hosted Coach Keeler and the team at Woodburn, the official governor’s residence in Dover.

Among those addressing the crowd will be Keeler, co-captains Mike Adams and Jason Nerys, All-American quarterback Andy Hall, UD President David P. Roselle, Sen. Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Minner and Newark Mayor Hal Godwin, who will read a special proclamation.

Parking at the Bob Carpenter Center will be free. In addition to the regular UD shuttle bus service to the Bob for students, UD Transit will run additional buses for students, beginning at 5 p.m. and 6:15 p.m, with pick-up points at the Perkins Student Center, Smith Hall Overpass, Pencader, Christiana Towers, Ray Street, Rodney/Dickinson Complex, Towne Court, University Courtyard Apartments and School Lane Apartments. Buses will return to the main campus from 8:30-10 p.m.

The 15-1 Hens set a school record for victories while enjoying one of the outstanding seasons in the annals of college football.

The national championship was UD’s sixth football title but its first since winning the 1979 NCAA Division II crown. Keeler, a 1981 UD graduate, was a linebacker on the 1979 team, which was led by College Football Hall of Fame Coach Tubby Raymond, who recently was honored by more than 600 fans at a special event in Wilmington on Saturday, Jan. 24. Former UD players attending the event included Coach Keeler and quarterbacks Jeff Komlo, Scott Brunner and Rich Gannon.

After winning their seventh Atlantic 10 Football Conference championship, the Hens swept through the Division I-AA playoffs, outscoring opponents by combined scores of 149-23.

UD rolled to wins over Southern Illinois, Northern Iowa and Wofford, and crushed Colgate 40-0 in the national title game played Dec. 19 at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.

After the championship game, the Hens were ranked No. 1 in the final Division I-AA polls, were named winners of the Lambert Cup as the top team in the East for the 18th time and were named Eastern College Athletic Conference Team of the Year for the 10th time.

The Hens also received the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association State Team of the Year award on Friday, Jan. 30, in Wilmington.

Sponsors of the Feb. 10 event include Comcast, DART, Seasons Pizza, the Downtown Newark Partnership, The News Journal and Verizon Wireless.

Article by Jerry Rhodes
Graphic by Keith Heckert

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