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It was early, 9 a.m. on Friday, but not too early for 51�Թ��� alumni to jump into a discussion about beliefs and explore the question: Does God exist?
It seems that some things, like an evocative classroom discussion with a faculty member, never change at 51�Թ���.
Associate professor of philosophy David Dudrick led the conversation during the Reunion College event, one of dozens held during the weekend as some 2,000 alumni returned to campus.

Alumni returned for the chance to engage in classroom discussion, share memories with families, friends, and classmates, and hobnob ’till the early morning hours under the colorful tents on Whitnall Field.
In the Little Hall classroom, Dudrick set up his discussion by talking about beliefs, and the difference between those that are true and those that are reasonable.
Thomas Aquinas and Richard Dawkins entered the conversation, and alumni peppered Dudrick with thoughtful questions.
“I wish I could say we’ll pick this up in class on Tuesday,” Dudrick joked at the session’s end.

The All-Class Parade is held Saturday morning as part of the weekend Reunion activities. SEE MORE PHOTOS . (Photo by Susan Kahn)

Later Friday, a group of alumni veterans from the Class of ’43 discussed “How My WWII Experiences Influenced My Life.” The panel was organized by Noel Rubinton and moderated by Andy Rotter, Charles A. Dana Professor of history.
“World War II changed the world’s moral compass, and it changed individual lives in unprecedented ways,” Rotter said.
Peter Peyser, a U.S. Army private with the 1st Infantry Division, landed on “D-Day plus 90” and took part in the Battle of the Bulge. He served several terms in the New York State House of Representatives in the 1970s and 1980s.

Jim Hoel, an Air Corps bombardier, was shot down in his B-26 and held as a prisoner in the Netherlands until the end of the war. He spent a long career in television advertising sales and then in real estate.
Ed Schell was a Naval gunnery officer who took part in D-Day as well as the attack on Okinawa. He served on the USS Quincy when it helped transport President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference in 1944. His career was in the textile industry.
Rubinton said the idea for the panel discussion originated through the process of creating a Class of 1943 WWII memoirs book. Many members of the class contributed their own stories to the collection, which was produced last year. (A video of the Reunion event is available .)
Other Reunion College sessions involved intellectual diversity at 51�Թ���, presentations by filmmakers Joe Berlinger ’83 and Chris Paine ’83, and a talk by Dick Cheshire ’58 about global leadership.
On Saturday, four alumni offered tips on leading a balanced life. Jocelyn Donat ’88 was moderator with panelists Kathy Burns ’73, Doug Chiarello ’98, and Amy Hargrave-Leo ’03.
Discussion points included the importance of setting aside time for your marriage by spending alone time with your spouse, accepting that life is not perfect but it will all work out, and being involved in the community.
“Community connections are so important in life,” stressed Burns, who calls herself a late bloomer for having twin daughters at the age of 44. “Get more involved, because the more things you are involved in, the more of a support system you have for you and your family,” she advised.

Bruce Selleck ’71, Harold Orville Whitnall Professor of geology, leads a campus tour as part of one of the many Reunion College events. The tour ended at the Ho Science Center. (Photo by Susan Kahn). SEE MORE PHOTOS