BU welcomes alumni to its first Winterfest tomorrow
Festivities to include hockey, film and gospel singers
Boston University’s first Winterfest Alumni Weekend, which will take place this Saturday and Sunday, promises to deliver more than great food and entertainment; weather forecasters are predicting unseasonably hospitable weather, with tempatures rising into the 50s.
Until 2004, BU traditionally held an annual “Homecoming Weekend” for parents and alumni. This year, a special weekend for parents was held in October, and a new alumni event, Winterfest, is scheduled for Saturday, January 21, and Sunday, January 22.
“We’re very excited about it,” says Meg Umlas, executive director of alumni relations. She says she expects Winterfest to become an annual alumni weekend.
A wide variety of entertainment awaits participants throughout the weekend. Student and alumni teams will create ice sculptures on Saturday afternoon. Sporting events include a Terrier men’s hockey game against Merrimack College Saturday evening and a men’s basketball game against the University of Vermont Sunday afternoon. There will be a screening at 2 p.m. Saturday of the inspirational movie Miracle, about the 1980 Olympic gold medal winning U.S. hockey team, four of whose members were BU alums, including captain Mike Eruzione (SED’77). Children can take advantage of an adult-supervised activity room Saturday afternoon, where they can play games, hear stories, and have their faces painted. Ice skating and hot chocolate are available for both adults and children at Walter Brown Arena on Sunday morning.
The School of Theology hosts a Gospel Extravaganza at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Tsai Performance Center. It features national recording artist and Boston native Freda Battle and the Temple Worshippers and A7, as well as performances by the University’s own Inner Strength Gospel Choir and Seminary Singers.
In addition, alumni and their families have the opportunity to attend many lectures and panel discussions during the weekend. Mystery writers Linda Barnes (CFA’71), Jan Brogan (COM’79), and Dana Cameron (CAS’87) will hold a panel discussion with author Jenny B. White, a CAS associate professor of anthropology. A lecture on the health benefits of drinking wine will be followed by a wine tasting. Louis Lataif (SMG’61, Hon.’90), dean of the School of Management and former president of Ford Europe, will discuss corporate ethics in America.
Tickets are still available for most events. Check the Winterfest Web site to register, to read the schedule or check availability at the Hall of Fame Dinner, the Taste of Boston with President Robert Brown, or other events. Information is also available at the Office of Alumni Relations, 617-353-9511, open until 5 p.m. on Friday. Registered participants may attend some lectures and panel discussions free of cost.