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������ý Marching Band to Offer Concert Via Livestream October 3

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, two upcoming university-community events hosted by ������ý will be celebrated through technology, with several events free and open to the community.

While the traditional football games and the Homecoming parade will not take place due to the pandemic, there are several virtual sessions planned for both events that are open to community members. Online preregistration is required for most sessions.

The Family Weekend schedule and registration information is available online. The page also has several videos about life at ������ý.

Virtual events for Family Weekend, scheduled for September 24 through September 27, begins with “Are You an ������ý Tradition Keeper?” on September 24 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. This online session will bring together ������ý Legacy Alumni parents, current students, and members of the Alumni and Friends team to discuss some of ������ý's most tried and true traditions, while connecting with members of the ������ý family. Prizes will be available. Presenters are Mary Morgan, assistant vice president, ������ý Alumni and Friends; Sara Barnett Lawer, director, Alumni Relations, Office of Alumni and Friends; and Nicole Bukoksy, associate director, Office of Alumni and Friends.

Additional virtual events planned for September 26 include “Mapping Your ������ý Career Game Plan,” presented by Tammy Manko, director, and Kelsey Thompson, assistant director, ������ý Career and Professional Development Center, from 11:00 a.m. to noon; “Can they really say that? Free Speech, Hate Speech, and the Obligations of Public Universities,” presented by Adam Jones, director of the ������ý Office of Community Standards and Student Support, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.; “Fraternity and Sorority Life at ������ý,” presented by Betsy Sarneso, director of Greek Life, with several members of ������ý fraternities and sororities, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Family Weekend events also include an ������ý Family Photo contest. Students and family members are asked to show their Crimson and Gray #������ýproud photos by tagging ������ý on social media channels using #������ýFamilyWeekend or commenting on ������ý's Facebook post to enter to win. Winners will be randomly selected.

On September 25, ������ý Residence Director Tori Campbell will showcase student life on campus on ������ý's Instagram channel. STATIC, ������ý's major event programming board, is virtually hosting “Live at ������ý: An Evening with Issa Rae,” on September 24 at 8:00 p.m. for students, and a Netflix & Chill event, the movie The Photograph, for students and families on September 25 at 8:00 p.m. More information is available on the .

������ý will celebrate virtual Homecoming this year with a “Spirit Week” October 4–11. The ������ý Marching Band will kick off events on October 3 at 3:00 p.m. with a concert in Miller Stadium. Due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, tickets are limited to guests of band members, but the event will be livestreamed; information about the livestream will be posted on the ������ý Homecoming website. The concert will include recognition of senior band members.

While pandemic conditions prevent the traditional Homecoming parade, video footage of past parades will be shown on ������ý social media channels on October 10 at 10:00 a.m., the same time the cannon would have started the parade on Philadelphia Street. This video montage, set to the music of the ������ý Marching Band, will revisit parades held during the last 50 years.

The virtual parade will be followed by a virtual “Coach's Show Special: ������ý Homecoming” starting at 2:00 p.m. The show will feature “the voice of ������ý Football” Jack Benedict and former ������ý football coach Frank Cignetti discussing the 2005 ������ý-Slippery Rock Homecoming game. The two also will discuss some of the ������ý players who participated in this ������ý victory. Immediately following “Coach Talk,” the 2005 game will air in its entirety, with a halftime performance by the 2020 ������ý Marching Band from its October 3 concert.

To help alumni and friends celebrate virtual Homecoming and show their ������ý spirit at any time, the ������ý Office of Alumni and Friends is offering “Homecoming in a Box.” It includes an ������ý t-shirt, mug, pennant, pompom, and additional ������ý memorabilia. The box is available by pre-order for $40 plus shipping; ordering information is available at the .

A number of alumni organized Zoom sessions are available for Spirit Week, including “Mimosas & Masterpieces: ������ý Paint with a Twist;” sessions with the ������ý Alumni Association Board of Directors; and affinity group reunion Zoom breakout rooms. All of these events require preregistration.

The full schedule and registration details for Homecoming events are available at the ������ý Homecoming website.