William Paterson University Celebrates Homecoming 2013 Weekend September 28-29

A carnival, football game, and tailgating event are among the festivities.

A carnival, football game, and tailgating event are among the festivities as the William Paterson University Alumni Association celebrates Homecoming 2013 by welcoming alumni back to the campus on Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29.

Saturday’s events begin with a Homecoming carnival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the practice field on campus. Alumni and their families are invited to join in some old-fashioned fun, including amusements, game booths, popcorn, and cotton candy. Admission is free.

Alumni are invited to bring friends, fire up the grills, and join fellow alumni for a tailgating event in conjunction with the football game. Tailgating will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Lot 5, Row C.   

The Pioneer Football Team squares off against SUNY-Maritime at 1 p.m.  in Wightman Stadium. Admission is $8; $5 for alumni with a membership card, seniors, children under 12, visiting school’s students with I.D., and William Paterson faculty and staff; and free for William Paterson students with I.D.

Other sports on tap include a men’s soccer match at 6 p.m. in Pioneer Soccer Park against Richard Stockton College. Admission is free.

To cap the day, the University’s Department of Physics will host a free lecture and stargazing event, “Life in the Universe,” at 8 p.m. in Science East 2064.  Jason Kendall, an adjunct professor of astronomy, will discuss new discoveries about the solar system, followed, weather permitting, by the opportunity to view the heavens through the University’s telescopes.

Homecoming 2013 continues on Sunday with the Alumni Association Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at 11:30 a.m. in the University Commons Ballroom on campus. Six individuals and one team will become the newest members of the Hall of Fame when they are inducted: James Crowder ’99 (swimming/diving), Kareen Moon ’10 (football), Debra Morrow ’76 (field hockey), Art Raidy, coach (swimming/diving), Sheri Glenn Wachenheim ’93 (swimming/diving), and Nancy Sharkey Wilson ’85 (tennis) will be enshrined, along with the 1959 national-championship baseball team. Tickets for the ceremony and brunch are $27, $20 for William Paterson students and children under 18.

Alumni can celebrate the talents of 28 William Paterson University alumni artists showcased in an alumni exhibition currently on view in the Power Art Center Gallery, 25 Power Ave, Wayne. A closing reception for the exhibition will be held on Sunday, September 29 from 2 to 4 p.m.

The University’s field hockey team will take on Gwynedd-Mercy College at 5 p.m. in Wightman Stadium.  The weekend concludes with a concert, the Official Blues Brothers Revue, at 7 p.m. in Shea Center.  Tickets are $35 orchestra, $25 loge.

Homecoming 2013 is sponsored by Liberty Mutual. For additional information about Homecoming events, call the University’s Alumni Association at 973-720-2175.