Students, alumni come out for Homecoming game, fireworks

The weekend’s homecoming extravaganza came with some wins and some losses for Pitt students…. The weekend’s homecoming extravaganza came with some wins and some losses for Pitt students. Pitt football lost to Rutgers, Michael Long and Kristyn Stewart won king and queen and Casino Night gamblers took their chances.

Pitt Program Council hosted Casino Night in the William Pitt Union on Friday, following the group’s annual fireworks and laser show.

More than 3,000 spectators were surrounded by light as fireworks boomed above Hillman Library and shot off of the Cathedral while laser lights beamed across Bigelow Boulevard.

The sounds of everything from David Bowie to Beyonce accompanied the fireworks’ blasts, leading to dancing by bundled-up alumni, students and their families.

While the rain cleared up for the 9:30 p.m. show, the temperature below 40 degrees remained. The cold weather didn’t stop senior Eric Burnett from making it to his fourth year of homecoming fireworks.

“That right there,” he said, pausing to point at the laser image of a panther projected onto the Cathedral, “is why I come to fireworks every year.”

The laser panther, a crowd favorite, traditionally makes its appearance at the show. This year, a technical difficulty led to its image floating next to the Cathedral. The problem was resolved, and the panther was shown crawling up the building in under a minute, causing cheers throughout the crowd.

“I’m a senior, and this is what I’m going to miss,” Burnett said. “I was almost tearing up. I’m just nostalgic like that.”

The appearance of the panther concluded the show, and spectators made their way past dozens of blue and gold balloons into the William Pitt Union for Casino Night.

The Assembly Room was transformed into a casino, with professional dealers working blackjack and craps tables.

Those who attended gambled for raffle tickets. Prizes like DVD sets, an iPod and a flat screen television were given out at around 11 p.m.

Sophomore Pete Crispino didn’t leave his blackjack table all night, getting on his feet to yell at the high and low points of his game.

“Casino Night was awesome,” Crispino said. “I had so much fun, and I dominated.”

All of the tables were surrounded by groups of people, waiting to get in on the action.

“There is not an empty seat in the house,” PPC Special Events Director Roger Whyte said.

He said the event was a success and displayed all the hard work that goes into Homecoming, the planning of which started at the beginning of the semester.

Other activities filled the rest of the Union with students, families and alumni who got caricature drawings, wore balloon animal hats and watched elaborately dressed circus performers balance on stilts and perform magic.

Pitt alumna Christina Debski said she has come back for Homecoming every year since she graduated in 1995. She wore a jacket with a PPC logo on it and hugged people with whom she used to work on Homecoming events.

“Come back and give back, that’s the point,” Debski said.

Alumni and students united again in the tailgating lots and at the Alumni Association’s tent during Saturday’s pre-game festivities.

The tent displayed the work of Pitt organizations to give alumni a look at current student life, amongst music, games and moon bounces.

The Pitt Marching Band’s March to Victory parade down Art Rooney Avenue into Heinz Field signaled the approach of the 5:45 p.m. kickoff.

Despite the parade’s victory theme, the Panthers lost to Rutgers with a final score of 20-10.

The packed student section was a sea of flying gold pompoms, which were placed on each seat before the game.

“Win or lose, I still love the Panthers,” senior Adam Ellsworth said over the cheers of blue-and-gold-covered students.