Homecoming week has come to an end. From Sept. 24 to 30, Gophers fans participated in numerous homecoming traditions to celebrate future, current and past Gophers.
Throughout the week, the University of Minnesota Student Union and Activities hosted many events and brought families and friends together again.
The marching band has been preparing for this parade since Spat Camp, a 10-day training period just before the fall semester begins. Third-year mellophone player, Emma Hartman, recalled the practice leading up to the Homecoming Parade.
“We did the State Fair parade and mini-parade before all the football games,” Hartman said. “I think that’s been helping us prepare.”
Hartman loves homecoming because of the people she gets to see.
“[My favorite part is] probably just seems like all the families around,” Hartman said. “I love the alumni coming back for sure.”
The highlight of homecoming week for many students and alumni is the football game. Some alumni have been coming back since the stadium opened for the 2009 season.
Madison, Wisconsin. native James King went to the University of Wisconsin – Madison for his undergraduate degree before coming to the University for his graduate degree. He was proudly wearing a Wisconsin shirt.
King went to the game because his friends invited him. Though the loyalty lies with Wisconsin, King still attends the Gopher games.
“I am a Badger fan at heart, but I tell these guys, ‘Every time I wear a Wisconsin shirt to a Gopher game, the Gophers win,’” King said.
Though King has been to Gopher football games before, this was his first time tailgating.
“It’s a great environment, right? You know, seeing the tailgating that’s going on.” King said. “When I went to school here, the [Metro] dome had none of this. So, it’s just a fun environment.”
Over at another tailgate, Ben Millard and Kristy Spratt sat with their spouses and daughters. Millard and Spratt met in 2007 during their freshman year in Territorial Hall and have been best friends ever since.
“We’re now neighbors and we both have baby girls that are one and ten months old. So, we figured we’d start young and get them out at the tailgate,” Millard said. “Hopefully, in 18 years, she’ll be here too.”
Spratt is equally as enthusiastic about her family coming back to tailgate.
“Tailgating is one of my favorite pastimes, and so we hope that [my daughter] gets a great experience out of feeling this team camaraderie and fun,” Spratt said. “And just having a great time and making memories throughout her life doing this.”
Rick Dunn and his family and friends have also been tailgating since Huntington Bank Stadium opened. He is now the caretaker of a Gopher-themed ambulance, owned by Jerry Hurley. Hurley resides in Illinois, so he leaves the ambulance with Dunn’s family.
“We tailgated normally for a number of years, and then about 6 years ago, Jerry called us and said, ‘Look in your email, I have a surprise for you,’” Dunn said. “And, lo and behold, he had bought an old, decommissioned ambulance in Illinois and got paint and graphics done on it and we got to run it during the season for him.”
Not only is it “the perfect tailgating vehicle,” but it is also used to help out the community.
“It’s not just seven tailgates a year, it’s something more,” Dunn said. “We belong to a Kiwanis club in St. Anthony and last year we auctioned off a ride in the ambulance. We’ve used it as a fundraiser for community service.”
While family and friends gathered in the parking lots around Huntington Bank Stadium, homecoming royalty were being crowned in the McNamara Alumni Center. Apurva Balaji and Alex Robinson are this year’s homecoming royals.
The journey to be on the court included a nomination from someone else or an individual application, which led to an intensive interview process. The interviews involved around four students and three panelists with about ten questions in five different categories answered in rotation.
Robinson decided to apply because he knew people on the court last year and has been involved in many activities here. He has participated in Greek life, athletics and acapella.
“I felt that just made me a good representative of what it means to be a Gopher student,” Robinson said. “I just wanted to be able to represent the university and be involved in a grander way.”
The ten students on the court had volunteer requirements during homecoming week, including checking in students at the Student Union and Activities events.
“I spent so much time with them this week. I didn’t know any of them beforehand,” Robinson said. “I’m best friends with them all now.”
Robinson recalled that his favorite moment happened during the football game.
“A highlight was walking on the football field,” Robinson said. “The marching man did their thing, and then they split down the middle while they were still playing music, and then, we just walked in pairs down the 50-yard line.”
