Last weekend, Saint Louis University students, faculty and staff
came out in record-breaking numbers to help celebrate Homecoming
weekend. From the opening comedian Thursday night to the final
alumni brunches Sunday morning, it was a weekend that had something
to offer for everyone.

“In total, there were over 2,300 people on campus for the
weekend,” said Meg Connolly, Associate Director for Alumni
Relations. “We were very excited by the turnout–it looks to be our
largest ever.”

The schedule for Homecoming was slightly different this year.
Jake Baisch, co-chair for the Homecoming committee said, “We
decided to take it down from a full week of smaller events to a few
days of larger events.”

Thursday night kicked off the weekend’s festivities with a
homecoming court pageant, in which nominees were put on the spot as
students were given the chance to grill their potential kings and
queens. Immediately following the Pageant were Black Entertainment
Television comedians Redbone and Double D.

Both students and alumni were treated with musical entertainment
Friday night. Alumni attended the Swingin’ SLU Concert and Tastes
of St. Louis in the Quad, where they listened to Vargas Swing and
Dr. Zhivegas as they were able to dine on a wide range of favorites
St. Louis foods, like Fitz’s Root Beer, Pasta House Co. and Ted
Drewes. Meanwhile, SLU students enjoyed a Student Government
Association barbecue in Koenig Plaza followed by the pop-punk
sounds of Piebald and Dashboard Confessional.

On Saturday, alumni and their families were invited to
participate in the Billiken 5K Run, tour the new Busch Student
Center or take advantage of the family fun area in the Quad, which
had game booths and a children’s bounce house. Those who felt up to
the challenge participated in the annual alumni soccer game before
sitting back to watch SLU’s men’s soccer team take on the
University of South Florida.

Everyone on campus was invited to enjoy what has become a
tradition on SLU’s campus, the golf cart parade. Under the theme of
“Meet Me in St. Louis” it was the fraternity Beta Theta Pi’s
Carousel Cart that was awarded the honor of first place.Following
the parade, families, colleges, fraternities and clubs threw a
variety of tailgate parties before watching SLU defeat USF 2-1 in
overtime. With a crowd of 5,591 fans, this year’s homecoming game
drew the second largest crowd ever at Hermann Stadium.

At halftime the Homecoming Court was brought onto the field and
introduced to the crowd. The Homecoming Queen of the Class of 1953
who was celebrating her Golden 50th reunion, then helped crown
Billy Brennan and Megan Kinney, both of Alphi Phi Omega, homecoming
king and queen of 2003.

The highlight of the night, and really of the weekend, was the
spectacular halftime show. During which fireworks were set off from
the roof of Compton Garage for more than ten minutes.

The final weekend events were the alumni Mass on Sunday morning,
which was followed by alumni brunches: The golden Billiken brunch
for those who graduated in 1953 or earlier, and Brunch with the
Billiken for all other alumni.

“We are very grateful for the support of all of the students,
including the Student Activities Board and the Student Alumni
Association,” Connolly said. “We are also especially grateful to
all the individual students who made our alumni feel so welcome all
weekend long. You make such a positive difference in the experience
of our returning alumni.”