Denison University's 87th Annual Homecoming festivities are being celebrated this weekend (Oct. 17-18) on the Granville campus. With the completion (or near completion) of the Campus Common and two new buildings -- the Burton D. Morgan Center and the Samson Talbot Hall of Biological Science -- the celebration's focus has moved to the top of the hill with the parade, Homecomers' lunch tent, and Kid Space activities all taking place on campus in new locations. Many events are open to community residents, including several that are planned especially for children.

The celebration begins at 11:45 a.m. on Friday with a dedication ceremony for the Burton D. Morgan Center and tours of it and the Samson Talbot Hall of Biological Science from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Tours will also be given from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

A Career Connections panel discussion will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday in Slayter Hall featuring George Bodenheimer '80, president of ABC Sports and ESPN; Chris Curtin '94, vice president of corporate synergy at The Walt Disney Company; and Susan Whiting '78, president and ceo of Nielsen Media Research. Kim Cromwell '81, principal of Cromwell Consulting, will moderate the discussion.

An open house at the Homestead, Denison's alternative housing option, is planned for 4:30 p.m. on Friday. At 6 p.m., the Varsity D Association Hall of Fame will induct new members and honor them at a reception at Mitchell Athletics Center. The 2003 Varsity D Hall of Fame Inductees are: Stan Kondracki '65, football; John T. Lennon '82, soccer; Barbara Van Horn Yocum '85, field hockey, swimming, and lacrosse; Ted Waite '85, track and field; and Tom Anderson '87, swimming. The evening's festivities conclude with a bonfire at 10 p.m. at the Barclay-Thomsen Field.

Saturday events kick off with a 5-K Fun Run/Walk which is open to everyone and is planned for 8 a.m. beginning at the east entrance to the Burton D. Morgan Center. A special screening ofBeyond the Gridiron, The Life and Times of Woody Hayes(Denison class of 1935) with an introduction by producer David Crouse '77 will be shown at 9:30 a.m. in Morgan Auditorium with a Q & A session to follow. A second show is set for 4 p.m. in Morgan Auditorium as well.

The numerous fun activities for kids will begin at 10 a.m. on the west end of the Academic Quad and will run through mid-afternoon. A fantastic Kid Space will be set up near the library and activities will include pumpkin carving (10 a.m.), a climbing wall and Blues Clues bouncer (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), rides in the Future Alumni golf cart limo in the parade (10:45 a.m.), and a Kids' Carnival (11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.) complete with games, face painting, pinatas, and more.

Denison's Top-of-the-Hill Parade will begin at 11 a.m. on the Academic Quad and will take advantage of the new traffic patterns and stay on top of the hill this year, following a route that will take it from one end of campus to the other. Floats, bands, students, alumni and future alumni will take part with lots of good vantage points across campus. Visitors will find the new parking garage is open and puts them at the heart of the day's events.

In addition, numerous athletic events will take place all day Saturday. Teams playing include: Alumni Swimming and Diving Meet, 10 a.m., Gregory Pool; Volleyball vs. Hiram College, 11 a.m., Livingston Gym; Women's Soccer vs. Oberlin College, 12 noon, Barclay-Thomsen Field; Field Hockey vs. Oberlin College, 12 noon, Women's Field Hockey Field; Big Red Football vs. Earlham College, 1 p.m., Deed's Field-Piper Stadium; Volleyball vs. Wittenberg University, 1 p.m., Livingston Gym; Men's Soccer vs. Oberlin College, 3 p.m., Barclay Thomsen Field; and the Alumni Soccer Game, celebrating 50 years as a varsity sport at Denison, at 6 p.m., also on Barclay-Thomsen Field. (Note: Denison's men's soccer team is currently ranked No. 2 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, Div. III, and is 13-0 this season.)

Besides men's soccer, two other long-lived Denison traditions -- the Hilltoppersa cappellasinging group and campus radio station WDUB-FM -- will come together this weekend to celebrate special anniversaries. The Hilltoppers will celebrate 25 years of singing by getting together to perform a special "Generations" concert set for 8 p.m. Saturday night in Swasey Chapel. Former WDUB announcers, DJs, newscasters, talk-radio hosts, station managers, producers and everyone behind the scenes will celebrate 50 years of broadcasting from the top of the hill.

The class of 1993 returns for a 10-year reunion and the class of 1998 for its five-year reunion on Saturday as well. They will celebrate with brunches on the Lamson Lodge lawns.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575