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Alley 'Cats For the Wildcat faithful like Catherine Horan (GMu71, G83), game-day excitement during football season builds well before kickoff. For them the fun starts with the tailgate parties — whether they're parking lot cookouts or alumni tent gatherings — near Ryan Field. "The pageantry and hoopla surrounding the game are everything to me," Horan says. "It's a great time for me to relax and meet with friends." This season the Northwestern Alumni Association is teaming up with the Athletic Department to host Wildcat Alley, a series of pregame parties that offer food, fun and entertainment to alumni and the general public attending Northwestern football games. Wildcat Alley, located at Wells Field in Rocky Miller Park (at Isabella Street and Ashland Avenue), expands on the NAA's tent parties of recent years by adding music, children's games and the opportunity to mingle with coaches from a variety of varsity teams. Season ticket holder Diane Murray (N88, GM95) looks forward to the fun in store for her young daughters, Emily, Jillian and Maura O'Connor, all fans since birth. "It's going to be great because I've been bringing them to the alumni tent for years, and they've grown up watching the band, the cheerleaders and Willie the Wildcat," she says. "They'll love it!" However, the alumni pregame parties are not limited to home football games. Those making the trip to enemy territory can join Northwestern athletic director Rick Taylor, the spirit squad and Willie for a series of brunches, a long-established tradition, on or near the opposing team's campus. The away activities are sponsored by NAA and regional alumni clubs. Whether it's home or away, George Sengstock (McC60), who attends as many Wildcat games as possible with his 17-year-old daughter, Katie, enjoys the "tremendous spirit" generated by the NAA game-day parties. For the latest on Wildcat Alley, check the NAA Web site, www.alumni.northwestern.edu. — Michele Hogan
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