Reunions, Family Fun and Hockey Highlight the Weekend

Homecoming 2014
Alumni, students, staff and faculty gathered at the Hawkey Way carnival for Homecoming festivities. Photo by Meghan Moore.

11/12/2014
By Julia Gavin

Thousands of past, present and future River Hawks (and Chiefs, Techs and Terriers) flocked to campus for Homecoming 2014, the largest alumni event in the school’s history.

A full slate of activities welcomed alumni and their families back to campus including reunions, live music, family fun and athletic events. The highlight for many, Hawkey Way at the Tsongas Center, brought a carnival of fun to the weekend, entertaining thousands of community members before the River Hawks beat Michigan State on the ice.

“It’s nice to see the school doing things on such a high level and I’m happy to be part of it,” says Barry Chiorello '76, who drove six hours from New Jersey for homecoming. He spent the weekend with his college roommate, one of several Lowell Technological Institute/University of Lowell friends he sees regularly. “I made new connections at the school, toured some of the new buildings on campus, which are spectacular, and watched the hockey game with fellow alum John Cogan, whom I met just that day.”

Director of the Office of Alumni Relations Heather Makrez ’06, ’08 says Chiorello’s excitement was shared across campus.

“The weekend was the true Division I homecoming we hoped to give our alumni, faculty, staff and students,” says Makrez. “Our alumni host committee, with 47 alumni from 27 class years, really took ownership of the weekend and contributed to its energy and success. We also could not have done it without the sponsorship and support of our community partners, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union and Circle Health.”

Relive the homecoming fun and tag your friends in our photo album