Hawk Pride Shines at Hawktober Homecoming and Family Weekend

The sea of red on campus wasn't just the changing leaves. Hundreds of alumni, students, parents, families, and friends of the University gathered on campus to make this year's Hawktober Homecoming and Family Weekend a smashing success.

The fall weather provided the perfect backdrop as Hawks past, present, and future came together for old traditions, new connections, and just plain fun.

Friday kicked things off in style with a full slate of events surrounding the 50(ish) and 40th Reunions, culminating in the gala dinner with President Ward giving remarks. It was followed by one of Hawktober's most popular events: the return of The Pub, with food, drinks, and live music to round out the night.

Saturday featured perennial fan favorite Hawktoberfest taking over Alumni Plaza with student performances, games, food, and family fun. There were also campus tours, meet-and-greets, a pop-up exhibit featuring items from the University archives, gallery exhibits, and much more.

The weekend featured a number of special celebrations in honor of the 1996 men's soccer championship team, with a special luncheon and a halftime celebration at Al-Marzook Field Saturday evening. 1996 saw one of the most memorable seasons in the history of UHart's men's soccer program, with the team notching 17 regular season wins and winning the America East Regular Season Championship. They also became the first team in UHart history to make a run at NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. President Ward and Alicia Queally, assistant vice president for athletics and recreation, were on hand to honor the team's achievements before a crowd of cheering fans.

Spectators at Al-Marzook were rewarded Saturday with back-to-back men's and women's soccer shutouts against Wentworth Institute of Technology. The men's team notched a 3-0 win, the women's team 2-0. It was also a winning weekend for the men's golf team, who became Conference of New England champions at Blackledge Country Club in Hebron, Connecticut.

Sunday wrapped up the weekend with two Hawktober favorites. In the morning, runners and walkers traversed the campus in the Hartford Track & Field 5K. And in Gengras Student Union, music lovers were once again treated to delicious food and an amazing performance from Latanya Farrell M'97, M'98 in the annual Jazz Brunch.

All in all, Hawktober weekend was one for the books-we can't wait to do it again next year!