Homecoming Weekend

Homecoming Weekend is a big deal at Queen's. Each year, alumni from 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. years ago come back for the weekend to meet up with old classmates, check out the changes to campus, donate a little money (or so the school hopes!), and relive their college days. This past weekend was Mike's 5-year homecoming for his MBA (class of 2003), so we went back to meet up with a few of his old friends.

A big part of the weekend is the football game (CFL version, this is Canada, after all). This weekend it was Queen's (in yellow) vs. the University of Western Ontario (in white). Queen's won, of course! :)
During half-time, all the classes that are celebrating a reunion year go down on the field and walk the track that goes around the field... preceeded by the traditional rush of gentian violet-dyed engineers onto the field, where they compete for space with the Queen's Bands half-time show.

purple people in the middle, Queen's (pipe) Bands marching in on the left

On the Saturday night, the now traditional Aberdeen Street Party takes place. Aberdeen Street is about 3 blocks long and is right in the heart of the Student Ghetto (read: a neighbourhood of old, poorly maintained student houses right next to campus). The ghetto has always had street parties, but over the last few years the homecoming party has become notorious - so much so that students from all over Ontario and Quebec come down to take part.

This year's party had an estimated 6,500 'students' in attendance. These photos were taken around 11pm or so, as we did the obligatory trek through the madding crowd - the whole 3-block street was jammed!

The weekend was great - such a good way to de-stress what with all the madness going on around here.  And it was great to see Steve and Gord again.

See y'all again in 5 years!  :)