Rutgers Homecoming 2008 Welcomes Alumni and Community

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – “Rock the Block” is the theme for Rutgers Homecoming 2008, Oct. 17 to 19, featuring a new event that welcomes the entire community to the annual festivities. Buccleuch Park will be the site for this year’s family-oriented kickoff festival Friday, Oct. 17, from 3 to 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The Buccleuch Park event will feature live music by local band The Nerds, local food vendors, carnival-type games, inflatable rides, and performances by Rutgers student groups, including the cheer and dance teams. Members of the Rutgers football team and the marching band are also scheduled to appear. Fireworks will begin at 7 p.m., followed by Disney’s animated film, WALL-E, shown on a jumbo outdoor screen.

Prior to the kickoff event that day, several academic departments will hold open houses from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to display the latest research and facilities. For a complete list of the departments and locations, visit http://Ralumni.com/homecoming. Admissions tours for junior and senior high school students interested in learning more about Rutgers will precede the Buccleuch Park event. Advance registration is required for the two-hour bus tour, which meets in the multipurpose room of the Busch Campus Center at 10 a.m. The day will conclude with MidKnight Madness, featuring the Rutgers men’s basketball team, at 9:30 p.m. in the College Avenue Gym.

Traditional Homecoming 2008 events will begin Saturday, Oct. 18. Huddle with the Faculty: Gameday Seminars, which starts three hours prior to kickoff, provides thought-provoking lectures by Rutgers’ leading faculty. Advance registration is required. Scarlet Square, located on the E-fields on Busch Campus, will open three hours prior to kickoff. The event features giveaways, live music, food, and the Kids’ Zone, an interactive playground.

Festivities will conclude on Sunday, Oct. 19, with an outing on the Rutgers Golf Course, starting at 9 a.m. Participants have chances to win prizes at every par-three hole, including a new car. For more information and to register, contact Mike Rutkowski at 732-932-7490, ext. 229.

Additional Homecoming 2008 events on Saturday include:

•     Campus construction showcase – an exhibit of Rutgers’ latest construction projects. The tour will start at 9 a.m. and meets in Winants Hall, Old Queen’s Campus. Pre-registration requested.

•     Historical walking tours of College Avenue Campus start at 10 a.m. and begin at Winants Hall. Pre-registration required.

•     Alumni and friends game-watch party – Those without game tickets can watch Rutgers take on University of Connecticut in the Livingston Recreation Center. This free event offers food, games, and inflatable rides for children. Pre-registered guests will receive a gift.

Rutgers-Newark’s homecoming celebration was scheduled for Sept. 24 through 27, while Rutgers-Camden will hold a Hollywood-themed homecoming on Oct. 11.

For more information or to register for Rutgers Homecoming 2008 activities, go online to the Homecoming 2008 website or call 732-932-7061.