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Homecoming weekend 

By Karen Herland

It was a time of renewing old friendships and forming new ones. Homecoming kicked off with the 19th annual Shuffle on Sept. 19 and kept building steam.
Sunday’s Family Fair Day attracted more than twice as many people (1 600) as last year’s inaugural event. The Loyola campus was overrun by families enjoying burgers and hot dogs served by the provost and deans while being entertained by a variety of circus acrobats, magicians and puppet show artists.

The entire day was broadcast live on Q92 FM. Announcer Jeremy Zafran interviewed new President Judith Woodsworth along with alumni athletes Sylvain Girard (former Stinger and Montreal Alouettes player) and Otis Grant, former WBO middleweight boxing champion.

Contests and games filled the day. Kids made their own t-shirts and ice-cream and the Ecomuseum featured snakes, birds and salamanders.
Meanwhile, alumni chapters elsewhere got in on the action. On Sept. 24, the Toronto Chapter’s evening at the Tarragon Theatre was sold out and Shanghai hosted a Networking Alumni Dinner.

On Saturday, September 20, a crowd of more than 4 500 people attended the Stingers Homecoming football game. The 2008 Sports Hall of Fame inductees were introduced to the crowd. Although the home team’s stands were packed with supportive fans, the Laval Rouge et Or took the game. Engineering student Jean-Noël Brugneaux won a tuition waiver at the event.

The Sept 25 Abitibi-Consolidated lecture features Doctors Without Borders past president, James Orbinski, addressing Global Health and Humanitarianism. Pre-registrants have spoken for all the seats in the H-110 lecture hall. Orbinski’s recently published book An Imperfect Offering is specially priced at the bookstore during Homecoming week.

For more on the Hall of Fame Sports Banquet, click here. For Shuffle photos, and more information, click here.