Know your Aggie Homecoming facts?
By Neil Freese and Arezou Rezvani
1) In 1971, Homecoming at UC Davis…
- Was canceled because of the Vietnam War.
- Drew its largest crowd ever.
- Featured the first-ever appearance of Gunrock, the university's current mascot.
- Consisted of a football game but no festivities.
Show me the answer »
Answer: d
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, UC Davis faced many of the same challenges as other American universities during the Vietnam era, including heightened student activism and a widespread rejection within the student body of some long-standing traditions. In 1971, the ASUCD Executive Committee did not appoint a Homecoming chair and, as a result, the festivities were never planned. It was the first time in the university's history that Homecoming festivities were not celebrated, although a football game was indeed played.
2) The annual bonfire, held on the eve of Homecoming…
- Is the largest celebration of its kind on the West Coast.
- Is for students only.
- Is coordinated by the Aggie Pack and will feature appearances by the Spirit Squad and the Band-uh!
- Uses only cedar wood.
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Answer: c
The annual bonfire is an Aggie Pack event and is open to students, staff, parents, faculty, alumni and the Davis community. Members of the Aggie football team will be in attendance, and the Spirit Squad and the Band-uh! will perform. It may not be the largest bonfire on the West Coast, but it is the only bonfire of the year on the UC Davis campus.
3) Pajamarino was first organized…
- By ASUCD as a way to pump up morale before the Homecoming football game.
- By a group of alumni who sought fanfare for their return to campus.
- By a group of students looking for a good time.
- By the university's chancellor, who aimed to draw publicity to the campus by creating an unorthodox tradition.
Show me the answer »
Answer: c
The first pajama rally, as the event was then known, dates back to 1912, when a group of students snuck out of their dorm rooms in the middle of the night to greet returning alumni at the Davis train station. The rally became a tradition, which eventually came to include a performance from the Band-uh! and milk and cookies for alumni.
4) This year's Golden Society Reunion will honor…
- All UC Davis alumni.
- UC Davis' top athletes from the past 50 years.
- Alumni who graduated in 1956 or earlier.
- UC Davis researchers who have spent 50 or more years with the university.
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Answer: c
The Golden Society Reunion is sponsored by the Cal Aggie Alumni Association and honors UC Davis alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago. That means that this year's celebration, which will be held following the Aggies-Southern Utah football game, will be open to all alumni from the class of 1956 and earlier.
5) This year's Homecoming football game will be…
- The first in UC Davis' brand-new multi-purpose stadium.
- The final Homecoming football game at Toomey Field.
- The 1,000th football game in UC Davis history.
- The first Homecoming football game to be played in the evening.
Show me the answer »
Answer: b
This year's Homecoming football game will be the last played at Toomey Field, which has served as UC Davis' home field for 57 years. Next year, the Aggies will play their home games in a brand-new multi-purpose stadium on the west side of campus, near the Schaal Aquatic Center.
Neil Freese (class of '02) is the staff writer and editor for the California Aggie Alumni Association. Student Arezou Rezvani (class of '08), who is majoring in political science and French, is the publications assistant for CAAA.
