Wednesday, October 23, 2024
By: Kyle Niblett
Hours before the University of Florida football team soundly defeated the University of Kentucky by a score of 48-20 Saturday evening in The Swamp, the UF College of Design, Construction and Planning welcomed back hundreds of alumni for its annual alumni tailgate in the atrium of the newly minted Jonathan and Melanie Antevy Hall. The event was sponsored by Hawkins Construction, Inc. and Component Assembly Systems, Inc.
“It is always great coming back and catching up with old classmates and teachers,” said Alex De Martini, a two-time DCP graduate (BDES ’94, MBC ’96) and current vice president at Haskell.
Attendees congregated for an amazing spread catered by Sonny’s BBQ. Following a delicious lunch spread featuring pulled pork, wings, meatballs and sides, alumni and their families had fun playing lawn games and listening to music.
“We couldn’t have asked for better weather to welcome back our incredible alumni,” DCP Dean Chimay Anumba said. “It was wonderful catching up with so many of them and hearing about their continued success since graduation. The energy and joy of the day made for truly memorable moments, and we look forward to many more great times together in the future as we begin our march to the college’s Centennial.”
For Herman Fagley Jr., a 1973 graduate of the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management, his favorite weekend of the year as a Florida football season ticket holder is homecoming because of the tailgate.
“I have been coming to this event for many, many years, and always look forward to it,” he said. “I may not see a lot of people I graduated with nowadays, but the atmosphere is always family-friendly and fun.”
For more information on DCP Alumni events, follow the college on X, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
