Buildings on campus might have changed since 1978, but Frank Dean, a Syracuse University alumnus of that year, said the school spirit has remained the same.

‘When I went here, the Dome did not exist,’ Dean said. ‘The football games were played in Archbold Stadium, an outdoor stadium where the bleachers were made out of cement. It’s interesting to see how campus life has changed.’

Dean was one of 1,400 alumni who attended this year’s Homecoming weekend to watch the football game, take in a comedy show and attend a number of other reunion activities.

‘I think the weekend went very well,’ said Ellen King, executive director of alumni relations. ‘Alum from various classes reunited this weekend, and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.’

King said even with the rain and wind at the start of the weekend, alumni presence on campus was impressive.

‘The bad weather only affected attendance slightly on Thursday and Friday,’ King said. ‘By Friday evening, we saw big turnouts to all of our events.’

Although this year’s Homecoming weekend events schedule remained similar to those of previous years, there were a few minor changes made. The Dome hosted an NBA preseason game Friday night, and there was a comedy show with television actor Damon Wayans on Saturday night.

Dean, the 1978 alumnus, attends Homecoming weekend every year to reunite with old friends and relive his college memories.

‘I love getting back to the campus and seeing so many of my old friends,’ Dean said. ‘I visit all of my old favorite places and explore new additions to SU, too.’

Dean said he was most eager to attend SU football’s Homecoming game in the Carrier Dome. SU lost the game 45-14 against the University of Pittsburgh.

Yoanna McDowell, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she thinks this year’s Homecoming weekend was very successful. She said she enjoyed the DanceWorks showcase that took place Thursday night in Goldstein Auditorium.

‘The performance was great. I really enjoyed it,’ McDowell said. ‘There was a great connection between classic and modern music in the performances. And it was nice to see some alumni there, too.’

McDowell enjoyed seeing all of the alumni who were on campus throughout the weekend.

‘Regardless of the weather, I think there was a good turnout, and it was great to see the older alumni walking around campus and reminiscing,’ McDowell said. ‘All in all, it was a good weekend, even with the football game.’

adhitzle@syr.edu

 

Published on October 17, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Alexandra: adhitzle@syr.edu | @LexieHitzler