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| Vol. 19, No. 7 | Oct. 14, 1999 |
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| Vol. 19, No. 7 | Oct. 14, 1999 |
The last Homecoming Weekend of the century opens in grand fashion Friday, Oct. 15, with the fifth annual Homecoming Carnival, scheduled from 2-5 p.m. on Harrington Beach. Midnight Mania follows late Friday night in The Bob, and Saturday will dawn to many special events, including the traditional Homecoming football game when the Fightin' Blue Hens take on Lehigh University's Mountain Hawks.
The Homecoming Carnival, with special events and activities sponsored by a variety of student organizations, will include 47 attractions this year, ranging from a moon bounce to Sumo Bellies--inflatable sumo wrestling suits for students to wear and "wrestle" in.
"Dining services will have lots of food, and there are several activities planned around fall themes like pumpkin painting," Noel Hart, coordinator of Greek Affairs, whose office coordinates the carnival, said.
A highlight of the carnival will be the announcement of new Spirit Ambassadors, men and women students who are among the best, brightest and most spirited on campus. Those selected to this elite group act as University representatives at official UD events throughout the year.
The Fightin' Blue Hen mascot YoUDee, the UD Marching Band, the cheerleaders and the dance team also are an integral part of the carnival, helping to keep spirits high, Hart said.
Later on Friday, from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., Midnight Mania, the traditional start of the season for men's and women's basketball, will be held at The Bob. Admission is free. The first official practice for the 1999-2000 teams includes a formal introduction of players, shooting contests for fans against coaches Mike Brey and Tina Martin and a performance by the band Regular Size Monster.
Most events scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 16, are planned around the 1 p.m. football game in Delaware Stadium where UD's new tailgating policies will be enforced. Students who tailgate past the start of the game may face failure-to-comply charges. Sanctions up to and including suspension are possible for this violation of the Code of Conduct. Students also can be charged with Code of Conduct violations for possession and underage consumption of alcohol.
The decision to strictly enforce the long-standing tailgating policy is part of the University's goal of providing a safe and enjoyable experience for all visitors. Last year, 23 tailgaters--not all of them students--had to be transported to the hospital for alcohol poisoning and, for the first time in years, there were complaints from fans whose automobiles were damaged by tailgaters.
Other Homecoming events include:
On Friday, Oct. 15--A men's soccer game against the University of Maine at 3:30 p.m. at the David M. Nelson Athletic Complex; presentation ceremonies for the Presidential Citation of Outstanding Achievement at 4 p.m. in Mitchell Hall; and a dinner banquet for members of the Class of 1954 at the Christiana Hilton. The University Gallery in Old College will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and ice skating will be available in the Fred Rust Ice Arena from 8-10 p.m.
On Saturday, Oct. 16--Events prior to the game include Greek tailgating in Greek Row, behind the hockey field, and special alumni and college tailgating in Reunion Row, just north of the stadium. Along Reunion Row, catered lunches and beverages will be available beginning at 11 a.m.. There will be special reunion tents for the Classes of 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994 and 1999.
Five of UD's colleges also will have tents on Reunion Row, opening at 11 a.m., for alumni and friends.
Additional pre-game tailgate parties will be held for alumni cheerleaders, football lettermen and physical therapy alumni. Delta Tau Delta will have a Reunion Row tent.
The fun continues after the game when alumni and friends are invited to stop by the Delaware Field House for the traditional Goalpost Party. Admission is free and live music will be provided.
Members of the Class of 1949 will meet for their 50th anniversary reunion in the Bob Carpenter Center at 5:30 p.m.; the Fred Rust Ice Arena will be open for ice skating from 8-10 p.m.; and the Center for Black Culture will host the annual Homecoming Step Show at 6 p.m. in Mitchell Hall, with hosts Def Comedy Jam and BET Comic View comedian "Talent." Doors will open at 5 p.m., and an after-party will follow in Multipurpose Rooms A, B and C of the Trabant University Center.
Other Saturday events include the Homecoming 5K run/walk that begins at 9 a.m. on Creek Road in Newark and an open house by the Career Services Center planned from 10 a.m. to noon. The Department of Art Gallery will present selected works by visual communications alumni from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 102 of Recitation Hall; the Mineralogical Museum in Penny Hall will be open for tours from 1-4 p.m.; and the exhibit in the University Gallery, "One Small Step: Exploring America's Adventures in Space, 1959-1999," will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Old College.
Homecoming activities wind down on Sunday, Oct. 17, with a women's field hockey game against Hofstra University at noon in Rullo Stadium and a men's soccer game against the University of New Hampshire at 1 p.m. in the Delaware Mini-Stadium. Ice skating is available from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, and nursing alumni from the classes of 1974 and 1979 will meet at the Blue and Gold Club at 10:30 a.m.
For more information on Homecoming events, call the Office of Alumni and University Relations at 831-2341. For football ticket information, call UD1-HENS.
-Beth Thomas
Photo by John Chabalko
