Trustees and alumni descended onto the Hill this weekend, decked out in Halloween costumes and blue face paint for Homecoming weekend, to celebrate Tufts' sesquicentennial.
After months of preparation, the weekend was marked with century-old traditions and acclamation for the University's new president.
President Larry Bacow found himself surrounded by returning alumni and the University Trustees, some of whom met the new president for the first time. Bacow and his wife Adele Fleet Bacow were introduced to the Tufts community during the football game's half-time show.
At half-time, with Jumbos ahead 10 to 7 and spirit high among fans, seniors and former TCU senators Michele Shelton and Dan Zandman, were named homecoming king and queen. Tufts' newfirst lady, Fleet Bacow, and former first lady Nancy DiBiaggio crowned the pair in what has become a time-honored tradition.
"It's exciting to be representing the school in front of the alumni and students and parents," Shelton said on being named queen. "It is quite an honor."
The Class of 1952, the 100th class to graduate from Tufts, was recognized for their generous support of the University. Their 50th "gold" reunion takes place this May, and representatives of the class will be honored then.
This year's homecoming was marked by a dramatic increase in participating graduate students from the Fletcher School, who were co-sponsored by the International Club, the Brazilian Club, and the Association of Latin American Students. An estimated 350 students attended a Fiesta Latina in Dewick, which featured live meringue and salsa music Saturday night.
"Dewick was transformed into a dance hall, it was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work," said Fletcher student Daniel Ades, who helped organize the event. "We tried to get Fletcher and undergraduates together."
The homecoming celebrations began early last week, with student organizations building floats for Saturday's parade and welcoming back alumni as early as last weekend's Head of the Charles crew races. Wednesday night's rock show featured the Pat McGee band and Thursday's pep rally in Dewick officially kicked off the weekend.
The Inter-Greek Council hosted its annual Block Party on Friday afternoon, but in a different location from years past. Students heading to Friday afternoon classes found the academic quad filled with music, cotton candy, and carnival games. Later that night, the Amalgamates, the Beelzebubs, and the Jackson Jills held their annual homecoming a capella show in Goddard Chapel.
But athletics generally lures most of the alum, and the Ellis Oval stands were nearly filled during the football game. Attendance at the men's soccer game was also higher than normal. This year's games were noticeably fewer than those in past years, however, as only two teams played during homecoming.
Many teams and other student organizations used the weekend to reconnect with alumni. A special tent in Tailgaters' Village featured tables from different student organizations, and the men's lacrosse team sold concessions to fundraise.
The lacrosse team held a game against alumni to introduce some of the younger players to the graduates. "We scrimmaged with the alumni like we do every year. It was a fun game and we had our annual barbecue after," men's rugby player Rich Nightingale said. "It is nice for the rookies to meet some of the older guys."
But for some undergraduates, watching athletics and seeing alumni were secondary to partying. Even before noon, undergraduates swarmed Tailgater's Village and fraternity parties.
"I think it was great that during homecoming everyone showed Tufts spirit," said sophomore Ross Icyda. "I think the parties were a bi-product of it."
