Monday, August 24, 2009
Prairie Village, Kan. — The pep band was playing the fight song and the fans were cheering as Mangino approached the microphone. For J.J. Wenrich, 2000 Kansas graduate from Overland Park, it was just like old times during football season.
Friday night at Corinth Square in Prairie Village, the Athletics Department and the Alumni Association hosted a preseason football rally for fans and alumni. Wenrich, his wife and two sons were at the event to relive the excitement of Kansas football.
Alumni Events Coming Up
Home Football Fridays:
11a.m. to 1 p.m.
September 4
Adams Alumni Center
Free Food for KU Students
KU Spirit Reunion:
September 4-6, various events
Tours, Tailgating and Receptions for Alumni
(See alumni Web site for full details)
“I grew up going to games, and we’re trying to get back as often as we can,” Wenrich said. “I have a lot of good memories and we’d love to make [the rally] a tradition for our family.”
As Wenrich’s two sons jumped their way through the inflatable obstacle course, he said he hoped that they would also go to Kansas some day. He said this was the first time he and his wife would be taking their sons to the football games and he planned to share his Kansas memories with them.
Across the parking lot, burgers grilled and Alumni Association members like Dana Blair reminisced over a free meal. Blair is from Olathe, graduated from Kansas in 1967 and comes to alumni events as often as he can.
“We like to come out and see what Mangino has to say about our team,” Blair said. “I think we’re going to be very good this year.”
Blair said he and his wife tried to go to all of the football games and said he got back to campus as often as he could. Blair said he was confident that Mangino and the football team would go back to another bowl game this season and he looked forward to watching them win again.
The giant inflatable Jayhawk, free giveaways and live music at events such as the rally wouldn’t be possible without the partnership of the Alumni Association and Kansas Athletics, said Joy Maxwell, assistant director of the Kansas City programs for the Alumni Association. She said the Alumni Association lived for football season by hosting watch parties, tailgates and reunions during the season each year. Maxwell organized this year’s rally, which had more than 5,000 attendees.
“Our goal at the Alumni Association is to connect alums back to the school they love,” Maxwell said. “We’re out in full force during football season.”
Maxwell said the Alumni Association hosted events for alums and their families at home and away games. She said they encouraged Jayhawks of all ages to come to these events and be a part of the Kansas family. For current students there is a Student Alumni Association led by Stefani Gerson, coordinator of student programs for the Alumni Association.
“We try to give students in SAA a taste of what’s it’s going to be like as alumni,” Gerson said. “We have student leaders who work with the Alumni Center to bring events to campus.”
Gerson said football season and back to school was a great time for students to join SAA. She said there were many perks, such as free meals for members on Fridays during football season to get students ready for the game.
— —Edited by Amanda Thompson
Homecoming week lures back alumni
Homecoming week is about more than football, floats and corndogs. The University ...
Players, alumni compete in lacrosse game
Match brings together current and former team members for competition and reunion.
All-day event aims to close gender gap
The Battle of the Sexes: KU Leadership Academy, a day-long event that ...
KU Alumni Association continues to connect students ...
The KU Alumni Association works to connect alumni with students and the ...
KU Football Kickoff at Corinth Square
Chancellor, Mangino set to attend Football Kickoff in Prairie Village.
Border Showdown rivalry helps community
Food drive competition between Kansas and Missouri allows a positive outlet for ...
Gridiron Club struggles to meet financial goal
Construction cannot begin until the $34 million goal is reached.
Food, friends and drinks make tailgaiting central ...
Alumni to be given special seating for Homecoming game against Texas Tech
Alumni Center sponsors cookout
Homecoming Steering Committee plans several events during homecoming week.
Pep rally ready to boost spirit
Either coach Mark Mangino or cornerback Aqib Talib will speak at the ...
Homecoming events encourage artistic expression
This year’s homecoming events promote inclusion and expression among students and alumini.
Editorial: Search for new football coach begins
How Mangino's replacement interacted with players in the past will be an ...
Football schools improve basketball programs
Athletics Department hopes to follow the lead of other schools and make ...
Music tradition 38 years strong
The Aumni Band returns every year to preform with the Marchng Jayhawks.
Fans keep tailgating despite construction
The construction of the new Anderson Family Football Complex has caused some ...
The Morning Brew
Todd Reesing doesn’t shy away from his love of dance, and Mangino ...
Leaving a lasting legacy
As Hemenway prepares to retire, he and others look back at how ...
Preserving Douglas County’s prairies
University students and scientists brave prairies to collect seeds for preservation efforts.
'Homecoming’ has different meanings
Some other countries have events similar to homecoming when alumni return to ...
Baby Jay dances at the Statehouse
The University was represented Wednesday in Topeka by 20 organizations, Baby Jay ...
Know your Student Senate candidates
Learn more about the candidates for Student Senate
Students celebrate Chinese new year
Student group hosts event to ring in the traditional Chinese holiday.
Political event lures students with pepperoni
New York Post correspondent will share his experiences over pizza today.
Robert Eaton will serve as Grand Marshal
Eaton used to be the CEO of the Chrysler Corporation and graduated ...
For Bechard, coaching is a family affair
Volleyball coach Ray Bechard has coached through winning seasons and personal losses.
KU alumni find watch sites far away
Bars from Miami to New York find themselves host to Jayhawk sports ...
Real life storm chasers
Students and professionals use skills and equipment to follow severe weather.
Alumni play different roles now at University
Former students have returned to the University not just for homecoming, but ...
Championship parade takes over downtown
Basketball players and coaches, the Marching Band, Chancellor Hemenway and fans from ...
Students are fifth generation in family to ...
Three students follow family traditions as far back as the beginning of ...
Football fields to be hidden by trees
Public viewing areas near stadium lead to trees around practice fields. Team ...
First come, first served
Voting open for traditions T-shirts
The contest is modeled after Notre Dame’s yearly shirt, which students and ...
SUA sees drop in sales of discount ...
Disappointing sales figures for an optional campus fee have left SUA puzzled.
School of Medicine celebrates centennial at alumni ...
Homecoming opens up to include greeks and ...
The Rock Chalk Road Trip theme is expected to be more popular ...
'R-h-i-n-o-c-e-r-o-s' spells victory
Annie Harrigan, Prairie Village junior, won the Student Union Activities' spelling bee ...
Reunion goes on despite cancelled race
Ex.C.E.L. award given during Homecoming
One male and one female student receive the award for outstanding academic ...
Brownback appoints three new Regents
Campus reacts to new Regents appointment.
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID