The University of Hartford’s annual spirit/homecoming celebration Hawktober Week/Weekend took place throughout last week.
It kicked off Sunday, Oct. 11 and wrapped up on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Each night throughout the week, there was a different event for students to participate in, events such as a movie night on the village lawn, pumpkin carving, the UHart Cake Wars competition, the Nearly Naked Mile and a bonfire.
The event that kicked off everything was the Nearly Naked Mile on Sunday evening, sponsored by the Center for Community Service, Student Government Association (SGA) and Student Alumni Association (SAA).
Students who participated removed an article of clothing — or a few — to donate, and then ran or walked a mile.
SGA member Bryson Owens observed that “A good amount of people showed up and it was really awesome to see people freezin’ for a reason.”
Hawktober Week kicked off tonight with the Nearly Naked Mile! #UHart @UofHartford @UHartSAA @HartfordSGA pic.twitter.com/E6BaOLuKve
— The Informer (@UHartInformer) October 12, 2015
Another popular event was the UHart Cake Wars competition that took place in Commons on Tuesday night.
Teams of students competed to decorate the best cake with various edible embellishments, and the winners, from the women’s ultimate team, quite literally took the cake.
“The Cake Wars was really entertaining because you really saw people express their creativity through cakes,” Owens said.
Hawktober Week continued tonight with the #UHart Cake Wars! Here's this year's winners! #UHartTraditions pic.twitter.com/3RAHLi1Z1Z
— The Informer (@UHartInformer) October 14, 2015
Thursday night’s bonfire was an eagerly awaited event that drew in many students. The fire did take some time to ignite nicely, but everyone still had a great time waiting for the fire to really start.
Sophomore Alanna Calabro, also an SGA member, said, “The bonfire was amazing. The community of UHart really came together to support the first annual bonfire. There was great hot chocolate, cookies and an awesome DJ playing music.”
Students in attendance even described a spontaneous dance-off that took place while students hung out in the light of the fire.
“The bonfire was pretty chill, or should I say hot,” Owens remarked.
Midnight Mania is, of course, one of the highlights of Hawktober Week/Weekend.
Friday night saw an influx of students, parents, alumni and fans of the athletics teams in general fill the Sports Center. There were various games and student performances to get fans hyped up for the 2015–16 basketball season.
Student Laura Faria declared, “I especially enjoyed the performance by the UHa Steppaz.”
Saturday brought the annual Picnic on the Green that is always a huge attraction, especially for the families of students.
One of the final Hawktober Week/Weekend events was the Evening of Student Talent that took place Saturday night in the Lincoln Theater.
Groups such as Hawkapella, UHarmonies, L’Shir, HartAttack, the Gospel Choir, Fenomena, the UHA Steppaz and Stop Laughing Mom performed songs, dances and comedy acts.
As always, this event was a great experience that did a great job showcasing the abilities of many talented students on campus.
Hawktober Week/Weekend was the usual success. Students, parents and alumni alike seemed to have a great time at each and every event they attended.