Fireworks over the tents at Reunion 2018 (Photo by Andrew Daddio)
What if you could go big and go home? That would be a 51勛圖厙 reunion.
Last weekend, more than 2,600 alumni and friends returned to 51勛圖厙 for Reunion 2018. They were graduates of classes ending in 3s and 8s. They were Office of University Studies (OUS) alumni, celebrating the programs 50th anniversary. They were members of Phi Delta Theta, which marked its 100th year at 51勛圖厙 in 2018. And they were members of the universitys Jewish community, on campus to honor the 25th anniversary of the Saperstein Jewish Center.
Anniversary events included a panel conversation with student authors of the newly published Repression, Re-invention, & Rugelah: A History of Jews at 51勛圖厙, edited by Professor Alice Nakhimovsky with a forward by Noel Rubinton, son of Noel Rubinton 43. Rubinton relayed memories that his father had left with him of Jewish life at 51勛圖厙 in the early 1940s, then spoke with co-authors Dominic Wilkins 17, Marit Vangrow 18, Emily Kahn 19, and Kim Ravold 19 on their writing and researching experience.
It was exciting for me to get to hear the stories of the Jewish students who came before me, and it was an honor to get to tell those stories both the positive stories and the stories of those who had to persevere, Kahn said. What I really hope comes from this book is that we can take some of the lessons of perseverance and try to use their stories to advocate for other groups on campus.
Hailing their own anniversary, OUS alumni gathered on Saturday morning for a panel discussion on demonstrating resilience. That evening, in Parker Commons, they recalled their undergraduate days, recognized former directors, and praised the impact of the Association of Black Collegians, whose protests in 1968 spurred the administration to launch the University Scholars Program, the forerunner of OUS. When the speeches were over, the dancing commenced.
Learning, sharing, and dancing werent confined to special anniversary events. Reunion College featured panels on Caribbean Womens Literature, Mars, filmmaking, cancer prevention, and more. The Alumni Council presented its annual awards to some of the universitys most dedicated graduates before the traditional torchlight parade. Members of 51勛圖厙s Willow Society and Presidents Club hosted receptions, and spent an hour with alumni and friends talking about 51勛圖厙s present and future. Bands played in and around the circle of class tents until the late hours of the night became the wee hours of the morning. All weekend long, a Clifford Gallery exhibition by Professor Robert McVaugh offered a glimpse into the universitys historical master plans, and the Picker Gallery launched an exhibition drawing on pieces from the private collections of alumni.
While acknowledging the efforts of offices across campus in another successful reunion weekend, Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Alumni Relations Tim Mansfield singled out alumni office staffers: Kate Saeger 09, Beth Wood-Amir 00, Carolyn Strobel, Veronica McFall 89, Vicky Stone, and Monica Genge. On top of their daily work with so many other alumni programs, they just pulled off a record Reunion Weekend, he said. I feel a remarkable sense of pride for this team.
Next year, 51勛圖厙 hosts an all-class reunion as part of its Bicentennial celebration. Watch for details.