This week marks one of the most anticipated events on the Marquette calendar: Marquette’s Reunion + Homecoming, featuring the Block Party on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. in Westowne Square.
Sarah Burkhart, the executive director of the Alumni Association, said the Block Party is an annual tradition of the Reunion + Homecoming week.
The Block Party started out as an event during the Reunion weekend for alumni, but when Marquette combined Homecoming and Reunion weekend in 2017, Burkhart expressed how (Marquette and the Alumni Association) decided to make the event a Homecoming event as well.
“We wanted to be sure we kept this tradition going for our alumni and also wanted to enhance the experience for our students by adding activities that they would be interested in,” Burkhart said in an email.
The Block Party will feature food, entertainment and events including rock climbing. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will also be making appearances to sign autographs.
Marquette’s Near West Side Partners will provide food, featuring on-campus partners as well as restaurants throughout the near west side. Students and those connected to Marquette can get a taste of the Milwaukee community through food.
The Block Party is also looking to continue the tradition of bringing everyone together. Donya Robinson, a sophomore in the Diedrich College of Communication, said she attended the Block Party last year and appreciated not only the free giveaways but the opportunity for new experiences.
“As a freshman, I wanted to attend all Homecoming events to add to my freshman year experience. I heard all the fun from my dorm room window — I lived in Cobeen — so I decided to just walk on over,” Robinson said.
For Robinson, last year’s Block Party did not disappoint. She said she especially enjoyed how the Block Party really exuded a sense of community on Marquette’s campus, especially for the student body.
With students who enjoyed the event last year hoping to return this year for another fun Block Party, there are also new students excited to experience their first Homecoming and Block Party.
Nicholas Collins, a freshman in the College of Engineering, said he is really excited for Homecoming weekend, especially to see what the campus environment is like with the students and the alumni. Most of all, he expressed his excitement for the Block Party.
“I just kind of want to check it out, I really like getting involved on campus and seeing a bunch of different things, so the Block Party seems like a really interesting opportunity…plus there’s some food there which I’m really looking forward to,” Collins said.
