U of I welcomes alumni back to campus during Homecoming Weekend

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The University of Illinois celebrated Homecoming all of last week and over the weekend. It celebrates the return of alumni, students and the traditions tying them together.

Just ask Christine Bingham. She’s back on campus after graduating with two degrees from the U of I in 1988 and 1994.

“It’s been fun to come back, relive traditions, go the football games and come back to the Homecoming and see everything in the parade,” Bingham said. “And yes, it is a lot of fun.”

Crowds of people came to watch the parade circle around Memorial Stadium ahead of the orange and blue’s Saturday homecoming game. Brent and Gail Lewis brought their kids to the festivities for the first time.

“It definitely adds to the community feel,” Gail said. “We’re very excited to see the marching band because we have a son who loves the drums, and so we’re like, ‘Oh, another opportunity for him to see cool stuff.'”

The Marching Illini are always a staple of an Illini celebration.

“I mean, all the people coming back here are the friends that I’ve seen that are graduating, coming back and see us march in the parade, and then also marching with them in the alumni band,” said MI sophomore Robby Boucher. “It’s just really fun.”

And leading the parade from Fourth and Kirby to Memorial Stadium was a familiar face: WCIA’s own Jennifer Roscoe as the Grand Marshal.

Excitement, perhaps best described with three letters: I-L-L.

Homecoming Weekend wrapped up with the Fighting Illini football team defeating Central Michigan on Saturday.

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