Dogs…carnival rides…dogs…ribbon cutting ceremonies…dogs…Alumni Awards…did we mention dogs? All that means Homecoming season at UMBC!

So grab your pumpkin spiced latte and a nice warm blanket as we dive into the events that make October such a fun month for current, past, and future Retrievers. Since we promised you dogs, we’ll start off with the evergreen puppy parade! 

Homecoming is the obvious place for different graduating classes to meet up, but it’s so much more special when that fellow Retriever is your relative! We also love the dedication future Retrievers have years before they even apply.

At UMBC, Homecoming isn’t confined to one weekend, we celebrate the festivities with as many events as possible, including our 31st annual Alumni Award ceremony, complete with the Surgeon General, Jerome Adams ’97, M4, biochemistry & molecular biology and psychology,  lifting his daughter onto the stage in this magical photo.

Another special guest on campus meant that students and alumni spent an evening with Trevor Noah, who brought his usual wit along with a more serious side to talk about about his personal narrative and give advice on how students can best tackle college before taking their next steps.

And some more good dogs and other animals, because we know why you’re really here.

The carnival rides Retrievers have come to love and expect took up most of Erickson field, and nearby, alumni-owned businesses set up their wares.

Other notable events we celebrated as a community included the ribbon cutting for the new Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building, attended by a few familiar faces. After the DNA double helix was cut, people gathered to listen to Grit-X, three engaging talks by some of UMBC’s brightest minds.

The alumni community gathered across campus to reconnect and make new memories. A small collection of photos below showcase the spirit filled days of UMBC Homecoming. See a more comprehensive look at all the events here.

And to close it out, the annual bonfire lit up the night. Rendered here by UMBC’s Commonvision.

 

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Happy Motion Monday! Check out this piece from Noah. Be sure to attend the Bonfire THIS Friday! See all the great Homecoming events at homecoming.umbc.edu #UMBC #UMBCart #cvmotionmondays #UMBCLife

A post shared by commonvision (@commonvision) on Sep 30, 2019 at 8:47am PDT

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All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 and Arionna Gonsalves ’19.