Pitt to Welcome Alumni and Friends Oct. 23-26 for Homecoming 2008

PITTSBURGH-The University of Pittsburgh will welcome alumni, students, and friends with a first-ever Welcome Back reception, a fireworks and laser show, Homecoming Extravaganza, a career-networking event, school reunions, theater performances, and the 3:30 p.m. Oct. 25 football game between the Pitt Panthers and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during Homecoming 2008, Oct. 23-26.

Homecoming festivities begin with a Legacy Laureate Leadership Panel Discussion from

2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 23 in Posvar Hall, 230 S. Bouquet St., Oakland, with this year's Legacy Laureates-alumni recognized for their outstanding personal and professional accomplishments-and Pitt alumni and student leaders participating. From 6 to 8 p.m., alumni will offer insights into their occupations at Pathway to Professions: A Career-Networking Event, to be held in Alumni Hall's Connolly Ballroom, 4227 Fifth Ave., Oakland.

New this year is the Welcome Back reception in the Cathedral of Learning Commons Room, 4200 Fifth Ave., from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 24, connecting Pitt alumni from decades past. The Nationality Rooms also will be open to visitors.

The free Pitt Program Council fireworks and laser show with explosions of color and music at 9:30 p.m. Oct. 24 from the closed-off Bigelow Boulevard between the Cathedral of Learning and William Pitt Union are an annual favorite. The night continues at the Homecoming Extravaganza at 10 p.m. in the William Pitt Union with Casino Night, music, and refreshments.

The African American Alumni Council (AAAC), in conjunction with Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg and Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Robert Hill, will host a by-invitation reception and program Oct. 24 followed by the opening of "Free at Last? Slavery in Pittsburgh in the 18th and 19th Centuries," an exhibition at the Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St., in Pittsburgh's Strip District. The AAAC Sankofa Awards presentation will take place during a fellowship brunch, Until We Meet Again, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Hilton Hotel's Duquesne Room, 600 Commonwealth Place, Downtown. The event honors members of the University community who have exhibited outstanding educational support and service to students of African descent. Other AAAC events include the Apple Seed Project in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, a board and advisory committee meeting, and a worship service. For more details about the AAAC events, visit www.alumni.pitt.edu/homecoming/AAAChomecoming2008.pdf.

The Homecoming football pregame festivities begin at 1 p.m. Oct. 25 at Heinz Field with the Pitt Panthers World's Largest Family Block Party on Art Rooney Avenue between Gates A and B, featuring a pregame live radio broadcast, games for children, and activities for families.

The Pitt Marching Band will lead the March to Victory parade, following Art Rooney Avenue into Heinz Field. The Homecoming Court will ride in the parade, and the king and queen will be crowned during halftime activities.

Additional Homecoming events include: the School of Law Reunion Weekend and reception, Swanson School of Engineering Homecoming reception, College of Business Administration/Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business "51+ Luncheon," School of Dental Medicine reception and tours, School of Education Fireworks Watch, School of Pharmacy Banana Split Party, and Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) and College of General Studies (CGS) 50th anniversary receptions.

Throughout Homecoming, Pitt Repertory Theatre will present "Clean House" by Sarah Ruhl, a runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize, and the Kuntu Repertory Theatre will perform "Diane's Heart Dries Out Still More," a classic play by the late Rob Penny.

For general information about Homecoming, call the Pitt Alumni Association at 412-624-8229 or 1-800-258-7488 or visit www.alumni.pitt.edu. For tickets to "Clean House," call 412-624-7529 or visit www.play.pitt.edu. For tickets to "Diane's Heart Dries Out Still More," call 412-624-7298 or visit www.kuntu.org. For ticket information for the football game, call

1-800-643-7488 or visit www.pittsburghpanthers.com.

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10/20/08/tmw