Another Queen’s University homecoming has come and gone.
The university-sanctioned events were well-attended this year, now that many pandemic measures have been dropped.
There were also nuisance parties declared, involving thousands of partygoers clogging streets in the university district.
Richardson Stadium was packed with people celebrating the return of Queen’s alumni.
“This year is the like the first year I guess it was like a big thing again, a lot of people came back,” said fifth-year student Mikhail D’Costa
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Some alumni, from as far back as 1957, made the trip back to Kingston for the occasion.
“Alumni parade around the arena is the high point of the week…. high point of the year and without it, reunion doesn’t exist,” said class of ’57 alum Jim Barber.
While Queen’s past grads were celebrated at the stadium, its future celebrated in the streets of the university district.
“Seeing it in person definitely puts it into a new perspective. You know, it’s not often that I can’t see through a crowd,” said second-year student Jordan Capello.
Members of the Alma Mater Society were handing out water and ensuring the partygoers stayed hydrated.
“It’s not about having unrealistic expectations but it’s about making sure that people can be as safe as possible, given that we want to provide that so that people can have a safe time and keep themselves as safe as possible,” said fifth-year student Emily Rolph.
In the aftermath of the party, volunteers were out to help clean up the neighbourhood.
“Today we are doing community cleanup that happens annually with my office as well, just to make sure that the community stays clean for a little bit for all the residents that are not part of the … festivities to enjoy what we are here to do,” added fourth year student Tiffany Li Wu.
Kingston paramedics assisted one person who was struck by a brick on Saturday, while Kingston police laid out multiple charges against alleged hosts of nuisance parties, each of which carried a $2,000 fine.
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