Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: News

This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the Old Gold homecoming tradition at DePauw. Like many aspects of DePauw tradition and culture, however, Old Gold weekend has not been spared from the changes that occured over the course of a century.

Initially established to calm the rivalry between freshman and sophomore students through supervised inter-class competitions, Old Gold evolved into a homecoming ceremony. Now, it has become an all-class alumni reunion with programming and events in addition to the football game. Executive Vice President Neal Abraham said the events are meant to encourage interaction between students and alumni.

"It is a chance to mix alumni recognition with student, faculty and staff member recognition," Abraham said. "When alumni come back in June there are no students here. Recognition in front of only alumni in June is a great thing, but it is equally great to recognize [alumni] with students, faculty and staff back on campus."

Abraham said that although Old Gold weekend attracts fewer alumni than Monon weekend, the scope of Old Gold weekend has broadened to include more than just recognizing alumni accomplishments and watching a football game.

"Old Gold is an opportunity for many scholarship donors and recipients to meet as well," Abraham said. "So many good things are happening over Old Gold weekend that don't happen ... or can't happen during alumni weekend or Monon weekend. This [weekend] is more than a football game."

In the past, Old Gold weekend kicked off with a chapel service, though more recently the weekend has been preceded by meetings of DePauw's alumni, trustee and visitor boards. This year is no different.

"I would say that Old Gold weekend is helpful because it is the one time that all of the boards [alumni, visitors and trustees] are on campus along with students," said graduate member of the Board of Trutees Mike Stanek '06. "It gives the boards a good opportunity to interact with students and with each other."

Stanek noted that as the host for the weekend, the alumni board is in charge of coordinating the alumni dinner along with the award ceremonies and building dedications including the Green Center for the Performing Arts and the Prindle Institute for Ethics.

The most recent addition to the Old Gold tradition, however, is the student-organized parade, coordinated this year by senior Rachel Clapper of the school spirit committee.

"Many different organizations have floats in the parade," Clapper said. "From greek organizations to various philanthropy groups on campus, this year we have 12 to 13 participants."

After only three years, Clapper said that the parade, themed "Let it be Old Gold" in a Beatles motif, has only grown in popularity. Bottoms will lead the parade with DePauw's pep band and cheerleaders. The parade will start at noon on Saturday in the parking lot behind Rector Village and travel down Hanna Street toward Blackstock Stadium.

Friday

• 1-7 p.m. • Registration | Place: Union Building, Lounge
• 4 p.m. • Dedication of the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics • A reception will follow. | Place: Ethics Center, Auditorium
• 5:30 p.m. • Men's Soccer vs. Austin | Place: Boswell Field
• 6 p.m. • Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards Reception | Place: Walden Inn, Student Social Center Galleria
• 6:30 p.m. • Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards Banquet | Place: Walden Inn, Student Social Center | Awards: Old Gold Goblet - Theodore "Tim" M. Solso '69, Young Alumni Award - Travis S. Nelson '93, Citizenship and Voluntary Service - Thomas R. Schuck '72, Creative and Performing Arts - Willis "Bing" Davis '59, Management and Entrepreneurship - Angela Hicks Bowman '95, Media - John Frost Bridge '42 (dec.), Professional Achievement - J. Wallace Nichols '89
• 7:30 p.m. • Women's Soccer vs. Austin | Place: Boswell Field
• 7:30-8:30 p.m. • DePauw New Music Ensemble: Replacing Music • Music replaced out of the concert hall, into the outdoors. Works for ensemble by Andriessen, Rzewski and Riley. | Place: Green Center, Entrance

Saturday

• 8 a.m.-Noon • Registration | Place: Union Building, Lounge
* 9 a.m. • Washington C. DePauw Society and Scholarship/Grant Benefactors and Recipients Breakfast | Place: Union Building, Ballroom (by invitation only)
* 9 a.m.-noon • Archives Open House | Place: Roy O. West Library, Archives (second floor)
• 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. • Old Gold Brunch | Place: Walden Inn, Student Social Center
• 11 a.m. • Volleyball vs. Millikin | Place: Lilly Center
• Noon • Field Hockey vs. Centre | Place: McKeen Field
• 1 p.m. • Football vs. Austin | Place: Blackstock Stadium
• 3:30 p.m. • Volleyball vs. Mount St. Joseph | Place: Lilly Centerª
• 3:30-5 p.m. • Living Unit Open Houses • After the football game, you're invited to go back to your living unit for a reception and open house during this time. Check the listing of open houses and events at registration, or on the Web site.
• 7 p.m. • Women's Soccer vs. Wheaton (Ill.) | Place: Boswell Field

Sunday

• 11 a.m. • Field Hockey vs. Sewanee | Place: McKeen Field
• 1 p.m. • Men's soccer vs. Colorado College | Place: Boswell Field
• 2:30 p.m. • DePauw Theatre production: Medieval Tales • Directed by Andrew Hayes. A collection of short works from the late medieval/early renaissance period, this assortment of tales explores the medieval world and captures the humor, daily concerns and lifetime dreams of a continent and culture on the cusp of a multifaceted explosion. | Place: Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church
• 3 p.m. • DePauw Jazz Ensemble • Randy Salman, director | Place: Green Center, Kresge Auditorium

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools