Tufts' 150th anniversary homecoming will welcome a new president and pay tribute to the last one during an Athletic Department award ceremony and an extended halftime show.
At 7:30 p.m. tonight in Cohen Auditorium, former US secretary of energy and Tufts alumnus Bill Richardson will present President Emeritus John DiBiaggio with a 2001 Distinguished Achievement award. The award recognizes "extraordinary contributions to sports by individuals with New England and/or Tufts identities," according to the department.
Bill Gehling, Tufts' athletic director, said DiBiaggio immersed himself in Tufts' sports culture. "You'd find him mingling with the crowd at basketball games, talking with students while sipping coffee in the football press box," Gehling said. "He'd come out to practice to talk to our teams. He enjoyed being in our sports environment, and we're thanking him for that as much as for his work with the NCAA."
DiBiaggio was a member of the Knight Foundation's blue ribbon Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, which aimed to end abuses in college sports. He was also a board member of the NCAA Foundation.
Richardson played baseball for the Jumbos from 1968 to 1970 and was among the candidates considered for the University's presidency last year. "Richardson's role is to speak a little about John DiBiaggio," Gehling said, adding that DiBiaggio played a role in securing for Richardson his own NCAA award.
The ceremony will also honor nine Student-Athlete award winners.
During tomorrow's football game, the halftime ceremony will pay tribute to DiBiaggio and his wife, Nancy, and welcome the University's new president, Larry Bacow and his wife, Adele. Various alumni will be dressed as the school's founder, Charles Tufts, during the show to commemorate the University's sesquicentennial anniversary.
In previous years, the halftime ceremony was marked by the coronation of the homecoming king and queen. This year's revamped show was designed by Tufts University Spirit Coalition (TUSC) Co-Chair Shelly Gufert said.
"It's the 150th birthday of this school and the whole school year, the alumni and student organizations are working to help sponsor events that will boost spirit," she said. "It gives us a reason to go all out and celebrate and then, alumni give more money."
Raising money is an important part of homecoming - the annual event is one of the University's most intensive fundraising events.
The department of alumni relations expects a high turnout from a range of classes for the sesquicentennial. Although typically the largest number are members of the most recent class, Homecoming Saturday attracts alumni who graduated as early as 1942, according to Tom Williams, a senior alumni relations officer who is organized homecoming events.
"Fifty percent of the tailgaters village will probably be from the class of 1975 to the present," he added. "But it's amazing to see how many of the older alumni participate."
This year, the new president adds appeal. According to Director of Alumni Relations Tim Brooks, alumni are eager to meet Bacow.
Tufts' 4-1 record in football this season - and Tufts' opponent Amherst's 5-0 record - could also attract alumni to the game.
Bacow said he is excited to take part in his first homecoming. "I'm looking forward to homecoming because I want to understand and participate in Tufts' traditions," he said. "It should be a great day."
The game and awards ceremony are only two of those homecoming traditions. The celebrations began with Wednesday night's Pat McGee Band concert and last night's pep rally at Dewick. Members of the Programming Board distributed Jumbo-stamped megaphones, foam "number one" hands, glow necklaces, bottle openers, bandanas, and blue lollipops bearing the words "Amherst sucks."
The Amalgamates, Jackson Jills, and Beezlebubs will sing tonight in Goddard Chapel during their traditional homecoming show, with performances at 7 and 9:30 p.m.
The homecoming parade, which starts behind Miller Hall and progresses to the Captain's Gate, will begin tomorrow at noon. The game starts at 1:30 p.m. after a "Happy Birthday Tufts" celebration with cake at the "Jumbo tent" sponsored by the Alumni Association. A men's soccer game against Connecticut College will start on Kraft Field at 2 p.m.
For the first time, the floats and parade participants will be asked onto the field for the half-time show. "In years past, it's usually just the crowning of homecoming king and queen," Gufert said. "But this year the participants from the parade are being asked to come back and be a part of the ceremony to take a moment to honor DiBiaggio and Bacow."
