KEANmag
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Kean Homecoming 2016 weekend welcome hundreds of alumni
and their families, and thousands more students and guests, to the
campus from September 30 through October 2 to celebrate this
year’s “Once Upon a Time” theme with football, tailgates, reunions
and special events.
Kean students kicked off the weekend with a festive pep rally and
performances in Harwood Arena on Friday, September 30, while
alumni from Kean’s sororities and fraternities got the weekend
started with an All-Greek Reunion the same evening in the new
North Avenue Academic Building.
Rain threatened to dampen spirits for Saturday’s football game and
festivities, but Cougar Pride persevered and brought thousands to
Alumni Stadium and the surrounding venues for a day of fun, games,
art and reminiscing. Children’s activities and rides were combined
with carnival food and games, as well as the band Lifespeed, in one
location this year, making it easier for families and friends to sample
a bit of everything available. Kean Art Walk, a new Homecoming
feature, made its debut this year providing local and Kean University
artists with an opportunity to display and sell their amazing works
of art.
“We really had a great turnout and everyone who came talked about
what a great day it was,” said Ed Esposito, president of the Kean
Alumni Association. “The graduates of this university are really proud
of their affiliation with Kean; they love to come back and be a part of
the place.”
In nearby Alumni Stadium, the Kean Cougar Football team
challenged Frostburg State on the gridiron. Kean fans cheered the
players on, but the team unfortunately came up short this year and
Frostburg went home with a win. The halftime events, however,
were true showstoppers, including performances by the Malcolm
X Shabazz Marching Band, the Kean Dance Troupe, the crowning of
the Homecoming court, and the much anticipated “Semester on Us”
giveaway for one lucky Kean student.
“When you get Kean students and Kean alumni together for a
celebration, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen,” President Dawood
Farahi said of the weekend long events. “Kean will always be home
for many of our students and graduates. It’s wonderful to welcome
them back for Homecoming.”
