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With exactly two weeks left until homecoming weekend officially kicks off, the Alumni Association, student organizations and many others across campus are preparing for the festivities to begin. A full list of events, times and locations is available at , but we’ve pulled out a few highlights from the schedule to help you prepare for the long weekend.

Thursday, Oct. 13

Although there are planned Oct. 8–15, homecoming weekend officially kicks off with Blue Block Party at Toby’s Plaza in Uptown on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. All members of the campus community are invited out for food, music, entertainment and more.

Friday, Oct. 14

More fun follows with Friday’s Showcase of the Stars, celebrating the artistic side of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø students, and Kelvin Smith Library’s 20th anniversary open house, featuring activities, refreshments, prizes and the former senior vice president for research and development at Parker Brothers. In addition, the Alumni Association will honor six ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø alumni during Friday’s Homecoming Luncheon:

• Fred Gray (LAW '54, HON '92), a civil rights lawyer who played significant roles in four landmark Supreme Court decisions and represented Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.;
• Morton Mandel (HON ’07, CWR ’13), a self-made billionaire and philanthropist who completed his ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø undergraduate degree after 74 years of work;
• Tshilidzi Marwala (CWR ’95), the deputy vice chancellor of research and innovation at the University of Johannesburg who has been published in The Economist, New Scientist and Time magazines;
• Donald Foster (ADL ‘50) honored for his commitment to the university, as well as a statewide organization serving troubled children and their families;
• Nancy Fink (WRC ‘73), an alumna active in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area; and
• Aleksandra V. Rachitskaya, MD, a physician-scientist at the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute and a member of one of the few surgical teams to give sight to those who have lost their vision.

Also on Friday, a Grab-and-Go Wellness Breakfast will be available at the Wolstein Research Building, and afternoon refreshments will be served at Adelbert Hall. Friday evening features the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Pride Dessert Reception and a Shabbat dinner.

Saturday, Oct. 15

On Saturday, show off your Spartan pride as you enjoy the parade (), the tailgate party and the homecoming football game. This year, Saturday is made even more special when, immediately following the parade, university dignitaries lead the dedication of the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Residence Hall. Also on Saturday, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences marks its 100th birthday with a block party featuring food trucks, music and more.

Throughout the Weekend

If you are interested in exploring ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, consider touring the campus aboard Lolly the Trolley, going on a guided tour of the Cleveland Museum of Art, donning a hard hat for a sneak peek at the expanding Linsalata Alumni Center, dropping in at the Dittrick Museum of Medical History open house, getting inspired through a visit to the renowned Sears think[box] or stopping by Studio A during a tour of the campus radio station, WRUW. Plus, there are numerous lectures offered during the weekend including:

• "Diversity ThinkForum: Activism Then and Now - An Intergenerational Dialogue";
• "Student Panel of Studying Abroad";
• "Women Leaders of Today and Tomorrow";
• "Entrepreneurship, Tech and Innovation";
• "Creative Culture for Sustainable Value"; and
• "Can Nutrition Reverse Cardiovascular Disease - Fact or Fiction?"

If you want to get involved behind the scenes, event organizers always appreciate the help of These are just a few of the highlights for this year’s homecoming celebration. See a list of all activities at . The full student schedule is available at  . Pre-registration is required for some events, so be sure to register today.