The University of Colorado at Boulder's 2007 Homecoming festivities begin Thursday with a free Japanese Music and Dance recital at 7:30 p.m. in Grusin Music Hall and end Sunday with a community cleanup at several city locations.
"Buffs Around the World" is the theme for Homecoming 2007, owing to the reputation for travel by CU-Boulder's students, faculty and alumni. This year's parade will feature six grand marshals, four of them award-winning football players who went on to successful careers in the NFL, and two professors chosen by the student body as the best teachers on campus.
Professors Janet DeGrazia and Brett King are both 2007 Teacher Recognition Award Recipients, one of the only faculty awards given by students. DeGrazia, a senior instructor and associate chair of chemical and biological engineering, is a CU-Boulder alumnus and has received a number of other teaching awards. King is a senior lecturer in psychology and a two-time recipient of the award, which he received first in 2005.
Deon Figures, Kanavis McGhee, Matt Russell and Alfred Williams round out the contingent of parade royalty. Figures was a first-team All-American at CU, winner of the Jim Thorpe Award and first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. McGhee was a three-time All-Big Eight performer and a second-round pick by the New York Giants.
Russell, a first-team All-American at CU, won the Butkus Award and was a fourth-round choice by the Detroit Lions. Williams was a two-time All-American, CU's first Butkus Award winner and a first-round selection by the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Homecoming parade begins Friday at 5:15 p.m. on the Hill and will feature a number of floats from CU residence halls, student groups, Greek organizations and the community-at-large.
A pep rally with Coach Dan Hawkins, athletes, the Pep Band, cheerleaders and Chip will follow the parade at about 5:45 p.m. A free concert featuring Tea Leaf Green begins at Farrand Field at 7 p.m. and a free comedy show, with Comedy Works, will begin at the University Memorial Center, room 235, at 10 p.m.
Athletic contests include Friday's home soccer match with Texas Tech at Prentup Field at 4 p.m. and Saturday's 11:30 kickoff against the Oklahoma Sooners at 11:30 p.m. at Folsom Field. Astronaut Steve Swanson, a CU alumnus and former Colorado resident, will present a commemorative CU flag at halftime. The flag flew with Swanson on the Atlantis space shuttle last June.
Schedule of Events
Thursday, September 27
Japanese Music and Dance Recital 7:30 p.m. Grusin Music Hall
Free and Open to the Public
Friday, September 28th
CU Soccer vs. Texas Tech 4 p.m. Prentup Field (Colorado & 33rd)
Annual Parade Featuring 5:15pm University Hill Area
Grand Marshals Professor Brett King and
Professor Janet DeGrazia, Alfred Williams,
Kanavis McGhee, Matt Russell, Deon Figures
Pep Rally with Coach Dan Hawkins 5:45 p.m. University Hill-13th Street
CU coaches, athletes, pep band, cheerleaders,
and Chip
Awards Ceremony follows parade
FREE Outdoor Concert- with Tea Leaf Green 7 p.m. Farrand Field
sponsored by Program Council:
FREE University Orchestra Performance 7:30 p.m. Macky Auditorium
FREE Comedy Show with ComedyWorks 10 p.m. UMC 235
Sponsored by the UMC and CU Late Night
Saturday, September 29th
The Herd and Alumni Association 9:30 a.m. Benson Earth Sciences Field
Pre-Game Party
CU Football vs. Oklahoma 11:30 a.m. Folsom Field
Tickets still available 303-49-BUFFS
Sunday, September 30th
Colorado Creed Community Clean-up 11 a.m. Various Locations On-campus and The Hill
To volunteer, email creed@colorado.edu Meet at the UMC Fountain
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