This coming weekend the University will host its first ever Homecoming Weekend. This event, geared towards alumni, includes many activities hosted by diverse areas of the University. Rodney Mondor, assistant dean of student life, characterizes this event as a great collaborative effort. The event is being sponsored to attract more alumni support.
Director of Alumni Relations Betty Huntley said, “the alumni have been quite generous.” Currently there are 28,000 active alumni. Mondor said, “this is a big pull [for alumni]. I’ve found that people don’t feel connected after they’ve left…we need to figure out what works to pull that in.”
The event is being hosted in Gorham. One of the goals is to promote the different developments within the University including the John Mitchell expansion project. Tours of the biosciences building as well as the John Mitchell Center will be given. Though Mondor said a lot of the support comes from alumni, this effort is intended to increase the giving.
Huntley said every school within the University participated in some way, either contributing time or money to the weekend The weekend, which begins this coming Thursday, hosts a multitude of events.
The Gorham Events Board booked a hypnotist on Thursday night, alumnus Rick Charette will play Saturday and an alumni baseball game will be held Saturday afternoon. The Homecoming will function simultaneously as the family/friends weekend for Gorham residents. Many areas of the University will be represented including athletics which hosts their Hall of Fame induction Saturday evening. There will also be an art gallery reception as well as a concert by the concert band.
“It’s something we’ve been talking about for quite some time,” said Huntley of the newly formed homecoming.
Christy McKinnon can be contacted at [email protected]