Homecoming & Family Weekend on deck for Oct. 6-8

Mercyhurst University’s Homecoming & Family Weekend celebration takes place Oct. 6-8, combining traditional activities like the alumni tailgate, annual bonfire, and department and team gatherings, with new offerings like a Campus Green Tour, AIM 15-year anniversary get-together, and a Hospitality Management panel discussion.

Among Friday’s activities are the AIM Alumni Gathering at 5 p.m. in the Waterford Room, Happy Hour at the Roost, 7 p.m., Bonfire behind Old Main at 8:15 p.m., and Comedian Johnathan Burns at Walker Recital Hall, 9:15 p.m.

The celebration continues Saturday as tailgates jumpstart the 2 p.m. football game at Saxon Stadium where the Lakers meet Slippery Rock. The Family Weekend Tailgate takes place in Grotto Commons starting at noon, while the Alumni Tailgate is set for 12:30 p.m. in the Saxon Stadium parking lot.   

Other highlights of the day include the Carpe Diem Lecture Series with Dr. Chris Magoc on “Historic Preservation of the Mercyhurst Built Environment,” Zurn 214, 10 a.m.; and Dr. Chris Mansour on “Guarding the Digital Frontier: Protecting Your Cyber World in the Modern Age,” Zurn 214, 11 a.m.

A presentation on “The State of the Hospitality Industry 2023 and Beyond” by Hospitality alumni Tony Prusak ’90, Paul Reynolds ’93, and Rick Yarosz ’90, takes place at 11 a.m. in the Marriott Café.

Following at noon in The Roost is the unveiling of the David Catalano ’90 Memorial Plaque, hosted by friends and fellow Hospitality majors Prusak and Yarosz, who also organized the David Catalano ’90 Student Travel Scholarship. The scholarship benefits Hospitality students by sponsoring their travel to various hotel and restaurant events, including internships, restaurant shows, industry trade shows, and beverage management conferences. Catalano died in 2020 from breast cancer. He was 53.

Throughout the afternoon, Mercyhurst will host sports contests, academic gatherings, and a Family Weekend Carnival at 2:30 p.m. in Munson Plaza.

The event-filled weekend concludes with Sunday Brunch at 7 a.m. in Grotto Commons, followed later in the day by Mass at 5 p.m. in Christ the King Chapel.

For a complete schedule of events and further details, visit mercyhurst.edu/homecoming.