Pioneer Spirit Comes to Life on Campus
Author(s)
Jon Stone
Media Relations Manager
Hundreds of alumni and parents return to DU for homecoming
With a mix of food, beer, award-winning authors and sports, homecoming and family weekend at DU offered a little something for everyone. About 800 people from the DU community made it back to campus last weekend to participate in the festivities.
“Homecoming really helps to bring the DU family together,” says Brandon Buzbee, associate vice chancellor of global networks. “Whether you are a parent, grandparent, a friend, or an alum, homecoming really helps facilitate meaningful engagement with the University.”
It was a big weekend for the DU hockey team, which hosted Boston University on Friday and Saturday nights. The Pioneers took down the second-ranked Terriers 4-3 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday. The big wins elevated the Pioneers to No. 6 in the country in the weekly national polls.
Before Friday night’s hockey game, DU hosted its first ever Oktoberfest. Hundreds of parents and alumni enjoyed German-American food and beer on the Driscoll Green. Two of the featured breweries were started by DU alums – 4 Noses Brewing and Two22 Brew.
Prior to Saturday night’s hockey game, the University hosted the annual Pio-Palooza and Taste of DU. The outdoor carnival featured lawn games, inflatable bounce houses, face painting, live music and, of course, a sampling of food from local restaurants, many of which were alumni-owned.
Also returning for homecoming this year was the author speaker series. Five best-selling and award-winning authors with close ties to the DU community read excerpts from their latest work, followed by a Q&A session and book signing.
Homecoming was also a big weekend for grand openings on campus. The University celebrated the opening of the engineering and computer science building and unveiled the Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging. Tours were provided on Friday and Saturday for anyone interested in seeing the new state-of-the-art facility.
“Seeing alumni around this weekend helps our students get a sense of what it means to build a lifelong relationship with the University,” Buzbee says. “Homecoming truly helps facilitate excitement around what's happening around DU.”
