By Rowena Lindsay, News Correspondent
This upcoming weekend is Homecoming weekend, dedicated to welcoming back all Northeastern alumni. There will be a wide range of athletic and cultural events happening across campus this weekend to bring the university community together.
Friday, Nov. 15
Homecoming weekend kicks off on Friday Nov. 15 with an event called NU@Noon, a lecture discussing how our society has changed since the 1960s. Topics such as racism, gender equality and ageism will be discussed as well as the positive and negative aspects of social movements. Northeastern sociology professor Jack Levin will give the lecture. Tickets are $30 and the event starts at noon in the Alumni Center.
At 4 p.m. on Friday, there will be a women’s volleyball game vs. James Madison University in the Cabot Center.
Later that night at 7 p.m., there will be a men’s hockey game vs. the University of New Hampshire in Matthews Arena. Tickets are free for students, $8 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under.
Prior to the hockey game, FanFest will be held in a tent next to Matthews Arena. There will be music, food and various other activities to get fans pumped up before the game. This event will last from 5 – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 16
The Student Alumni Association will be hosting a food drive from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Saturday at the Alumni Center. Students and alumni will be helping collect and package non-perishable food that will be donated to the Haley House, which provides healthy food options to underserved communities.
Also in the Alumni Center, there will be an Alumni Volunteer Reunion Lunch from 12 – 2 p.m. The lunch is provided by the Office of Alumni Relation and the Northeastern Fund to thank students, families and alumni for their volunteer work.
There will be a campus walking tour from 11:45 a.m.– 12:45 p.m. The tour departs from outside the Behrakis Science Center and will focus on how Northeastern has changed over the years. The tour will conclude at the Cabot Center in time for Empowerfest.
Empowerfest will be held in Cabot Center from 1 – 4 p.m. on Saturday, and will promote the launch of Northeastern’s Empower campaign. This event will include free food, giveaways, performances by student musical groups and lectures by faculty members. Although this event is free, advanced registration is requested, at northeastern.edu/empower/fest.
There will be a men’s basketball game vs. Central Connecticut at 4 p.m. in Cabot. Tickets are free for students, $8 for adults, and $4 for children under 12. Since seats in Cabot are limited, tickets should be bought ahead of time.
From 5 – 8 p.m., the Vibes on Columbus: A Homecoming Reception will be going on in the Alumni Center. This event is free and open to all alumni, friends and Husky Cornerstone Club members. The reception will include live music, hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. This event will highlight the first Thursday monthly series.
The Varsity Club’s Hall of Fame Induction will be held Saturday night with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. in the Curry Student Center Ballroom. There are six new inductees this year. Tickets are $50 and should be purchased ahead of time on the Northeastern Hall of Fame website.
This year’s homecoming comedian is Donald Glover, writer for “30 Rock,” actor on “Community,” and stand up comedian for Comedy Central. He will be doing an interactive Q&A performance at Matthews Arena at 8 p.m. Reggie Watts will open the show. Tickets are $12 for students and $20 for the public. Questions can be submitted via twitter using hashtag #gloveratnu.
There will be a Choral Society Alumni Reception, part of the Choral Society reunion weekend, at the Fenway Center from 8:30 – 10 p.m. Dinner will be served and there will be a cash bar.
Sunday, Nov. 17
The last day of homecoming will kick off with the Northeastern University Big Dog 5K. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., there will be a pre-race stretch at 10 a.m., and then the race will begin at 10:15 a.m. The race starts at Riverdale Park in Dedham and ends at the Northeastern satellite campus at 370 Common St., Dedham. This 3.1-mile race will be professionally timed, and there will be refreshments and prizes. Registration is $17 for Northeastern students and Dedham residents, $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under.
There will be another women’s volleyball game, this time vs. the College of William & Mary, at 1 p.m. in the Cabot Center.
The Choral Society will be holding a concert from 3 – 4:30 p.m. in Jordan Hall, at 30 Gainsborough St. The concert will include selections from various classical musicians and feature pianist Edwin Swanborn. Alumni and the Student Chorus will also be performing on stage. Tickets are $20 for alumni and Northeastern friends, $10 for current Northeastern parents and $5 for current Northeastern students.
There will be a post-concert Choral Society reception from 5 – 7 p.m. in the Fenway Center. Tickets are $40.
