Rutgers-Newark To Rekindle Homecoming on October 25 With Day of Fun and Scarlet Raider Spirit

Rutgers-Newark’s first homecoming in more than a decade, scheduled for October 25, will be a chance for alumni to renew their connections to the university–and to each other–and for the RU-N community to show its pride.

The day, which begins at 10 a.m. at Norman Samuels Plaza and runs until 5 p.m, will include music, dance, food trucks, family events, and a biergarten with alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. It culminates with  the Scarlet Raiders men's soccer team going up against New Jersey City University's Gothic Knights.

The day will highlight current students, including members of RU-N’s Greek organizations, who will compete in a Step and Stroll dance contest.  Campus tours led by students will allow visitors, alumni and their families to see today’s Rutgers University-Newark and all it has to offer. Homecoming admission is $15 and free for those under 21. To register and learn more about the event and activities, go here.

“Homecoming is a time to celebrate place, identity, and transformation,’’ said Rutgers-Newark Chancellor Tonya Smith-Jackson. “When our alumni, students, employees and the community join in the celebration, they too are being re-affirmed as part of a long tradition of excellence.”

Rutgers-Newark has more than 136,000 living alumni from all over the world, although many live in New Jersey and maintain ties with the city. Homecoming is a way to honor that legacy and explore how RU-N and the city of Newark have grown and evolved together.

“Our vision and mission focus on our anchor promise to the community, our research and scholarship, and our commitment to educating a diverse citizenry,’’ said Smith-Jackson. “This will be embodied through the many events we have planned. Alumni, especially those who have been away for some time, will experience the expansion of RU-N and our strategic partnerships with the surrounding community, region, state and beyond.”

The Rutgers University Foundation, in collaboration with university leadership, decided to reignite homecoming as a way to encourage alumni to return, and invite students, staff, faculty, and Newark residents to join them, said Brenda Quiñones-Cruz, the foundation’s Associate Director of Campus Relations for Rutgers-Newark.

Talib Morgan, Chair of the Rutgers University Alumni Association, who graduated from Rutgers-Newark in 1996, said the event was also a chance to let alumni know how they can get involved in shaping the future of the university.

“I want alums to feel like it’s a place where they can come back, give time and talent, be connected, and help lift up the current generation of students,’’ said Morgan, who also earned a Master’s degree from Rutgers Business School in1998.

Creating and strengthening bonds with alums will be an important part of Rutgers-Newark’s future, said Smith-Jackson. 

“We have committed to focusing more strongly on these alumni and providing them with a place to return and celebrate their accomplishments and each other,’’ she said. “We are now laser-focused on reaching out and reclaiming our RU-N Scarlet Raiders, especially as we seek to expand our presence and visibility in the world.”