Pinning celebrates Emory's newest alumni

"The pin is nice, but we're here for the dessert."

No matter what the motivation for attending, the third-annual Sophomore Pinning Ceremony, November 15, was the event's largest, Gary Hauk 91PhD (left) was on hand to congraulate Emory's newest alumni and also dish out the tasty rewards. The cake design isn't random. It matches the look of the pins each of the sophomore's received to honor their accomplishment of completing two semesters at Emory, earning the right to be called "alumni."

Robert W. Woodruff 12C, perhaps Emory’s most well-known benefactor, spent two semesters as a student at Emory College at Oxford prior to the school’s move to Atlanta. After those two semesters, Woodruff left school voluntarily to learn a trade. It was the right choice, too; Woodruff eventually helped build The Coca-Cola Company into one of the world’s most well-known and successful brands.

Woodruff’s school days continue to resonate at Emory nearly a century after his matriculation ended. To honor Woodruff, Emory has long bestowed alumni status upon students who have completed two consecutive semesters at the University. What’s new is the ceremony that honors the sophomores who match Woodruff’s accomplishment.

On November 15, approximately 130 students, faculty, staff, and alumni celebrated the inauguration of Emory’s newest—and youngest—alumni at the third-annual Sophomore Pinning Ceremony in Cox Hall Ballroom.

To celebrate this latest wave of members, the Class of 2010 received commemorative alumni pins and listened to speeches welcoming them into the wonderful world of alumni. Speakers included Crystal Edmonson 95C, president-elect of the Emory Alumni Board; Gary Hauk 91PhD, vice president and deputy to the president; and Anna Altizer 08C and Samantha Ehrlich 10C, co-presidents of the Student Alumni Association (SAA).

The event was co-sponsored by the Emory Alumni Association (EAA) (of which the EAB and SAA are a part) and the Office of Residence Life and Housing. The pinning ceremony is a new tradition, having begun in March 2006. The second ceremony took place a year later. The third ceremony was the first to take place in the fall (an easier place schedule-wise since it immediately follows the students’ first two semesters on campus). Although new, the tradition has begun to take hold as the November ceremony was the largest in the event’s short history. The ceremony wrapped up with a catered feast, including a cake emblazoned with the face of the alumni pin.

“Our alumni introduce Emory to the world and bring the world to Emory,” Edmonson told the gathering. “We hope you too will maintain your lifelong connection with this University and be our ambassadors. Tell Emory’s story through your career successes, your service to your community, and your citizenship in the world.”—Cassie Young 07C