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Golden Homecoming memories

How good is your memory of Homecomings past? No matter what decade you attended Laurier, you may remember one of these golden moments:

students pose with the gold cup in 1957

1950s – You’d be gathering up your fellow alumni, making sure they make it out to the class reunion. The incentive? Winning the famous Gold Cup. The coveted prize went to the class with the largest turnout at their celebration.

miss lutheran seminary is crowned at homecoming 1967

1960s – Your keen bouffant or beehive could earn you the title of Miss Waterloo Lutheran University. Check out Gwen Mitges (standing) who was Miss Waterloo Lutheran University 1966. Here she is crowning Kath Burrows, Miss Waterloo Lutheran University 1967. 

rush performs to a small crowd outside at Waterloo campus

1970s – You’d be gathering in the quad to catch Rush – the pre-Neal Peart incarnation. The year was 1973 and Rush had yet to release its first album – Geddy Lee was on vocals and bass, Alex Lifeson on guitar and John Rutsey on drums. The band spent their early years honing their skills on the local bar and high school-college dance circuits before going on to sell more than 40 million albums worldwide.

tuffy knight poses with football player in 1984

1980s – You’ll remember the final season of a football coaching legend. The year was 1983 – Tuffy Knight’s last as the Golden Hawks head coach. Knight coached at Laurier from 1965 to 1983. At the time of his retirement, he was the winningest coach in Canadian university football history. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2007. Here he is in 1984, his first year of retirement, presenting the "Tuffy Knight Player of the Game Award" to Golden Hawk player Nolan Duke.

fred nichols nervously exchanges a handshake with the golden hawk mascot

1990s – You’d be getting hyped by a Golden Hawk mascot that looked like this. Also, Fred Nichols (another Laurier celebrity) was only a third of the way through his tenure as Dean of Students.

Budweiser truck is parked on the stadium field at homecoming

2000s – You’ll remember tailgating outside the stadium, waiting for the big football game to start and the Budweiser Big Rig truck. This photo is from 2005, the 77th annual homecoming and "The Battle of Waterloo" – the game against the University of Waterloo Warriors. The Golden Hawks defeated the Warriors 49 to 4.

DJ Junaid Ali spins music while onlookers dance in the quad at Waterloo campus

Present day – You’d know one of the best Waterloo Homecoming events happens first thing on Saturday at the pancake breakfast – DJ’d by Junaid Ali (BBA ’15). Be sure not to miss Homecoming 2017, taking place Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 in Waterloo and Oct. 20 in Brantford.

Homecoming Photo Contest: Share your favourite Homecoming moments for a chance to win a $500 VIP Homecoming 2017 package, including hotel stay. Visit the Laurier Alumni Facebook or Instagram page for details on how to enter.

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