Departments
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Week of 16 October 1998 |
Vol. II, No. 10 |
Feature Article
Homecoming and Family Weekend
From bungee jumping for kids to dinner dancing at the Ritz
By J. Nicole Long
Parents, current students, alumni, faculty and staff, and their respective families are invited to gather at the Warren Alpert Mall ("the BU Beach," behind Marsh Chapel) on Saturday, October 24, from 4 to 7 p.m. for the American Barbecue and Concert. More than 2,000 people are expected to attend.
"We want to offer a place where everyone associated with BU can celebrate as a community," says Michael Ciarlante, director of public information and one of many planners consumed with the logistics of getting the festivities off the ground.
Consistent with the barbecue's country fair theme, tickets for nonstudents are only $5, which will pay for a traditional menu -- hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken. Ice cream, peanuts, and cotton candy will be provided for free. Jugglers, clowns, and a swing band will offer entertainment.
In previous years, Homecoming and Parents Weekend were planned by separate departments. However, this year many people in the Office of the Vice President and Dean of Students and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations are working together to coordinate the events. Established activities, such as the Fun Run that benefits the Wellness Center, will still take place, but organizers have scheduled new, more family-oriented events as well.
To accommodate those with younger children, a Family Dinner at 808 Commonwealth Ave. on Friday, October 23, at 6:30 p.m. will offer an informal carnival atmosphere: kids can bungee jump and have their faces painted. Therefore, parents of young children will be able to include their children in dinner plans on Friday as well as at Saturday's barbecue.
However, on Saturday from 8 p.m. to midnight, there is a formal affair as well. Alumni, family, and students are invited to attend the King Center Dinner at the Ritz- Carlton. Former King Center directors will be honored at the dinner and dance, a celebration of the Center's 30th year.
The same evening, Stage Troupe, an undergraduate theater group, will perform A Chorus Line -- a musical chronicle of a group of dancers trying out for a Broadway production. This performance is a fundraiser for the Community Service Center and will be held in Morse Auditorium at 7 p.m.
For more information, call 617-353-3555, e-mail oocs@bu.edu, visit www.bu.edu/orientation, or see the Calender on page 10.