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ParentsLeadership MattersGiving to Emory
Reunion brings lots of class(es) to Homecoming
From left, Mary Rahmes 82C, Ed Cloaninger 91Ox 93C, Wendy Nadel 82C, and Audrey Cohen Sherwyn 82B, seen here at the All-Alumni Picnic on the Quadrangle, were four of the more than 4,500 attendees at Emory Homecoming Weekend, September 28–30.
To those members of the Emory community who skipped Emory Homecoming Weekend, September 28–30 … well, you missed a pretty good party.
From the Homecoming’s men’s lacrosse game against Clemson (a 10-8 loss, though the more than 500 rabid fans didn’t seem to mind), to the Everclear concert (still rocking several years past their 1990s peak, again, the fans—mostly students—didn’t seem to mind), to more sedate fare like award ceremonies honoring distinguished alumni from Emory College, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, and Goizueta Business School, Emory Homecoming Weekend provided something for everyone. With more the 4,500 attendees over the weekend, there were lots of everyones.
“We’re completely thrilled with the Homecoming turnout this year,” said Gloria Grevas, assistant director for reunions with the Emory Alumni Association (EAA). The EAA, Division of Campus Life, and Student Programming Council partnered to pull off this year’s celebration. Grevas began planning for Homecoming 2007 not long after the 2006 event ended in late October. Three weeks after the alumni went home this year, huge charts and tables tracking Homecoming attendance and other statistics are still taped to her office walls. And Grevas already has started working to bring the next batch of reunion classes back to campus for the next Homecoming, September 25–28, 2008.
“It’s great that so many people attended, but what’s more important is that they enjoyed themselves,” Grevas said. “Just listening to the stories alumni would tell while they were catching up with classmates was worth all the work.”
Anchoring this year’s Homecoming activities were nine class reunions, a dramatic expansion from the previous standard of three reunions. Undergraduate classes at five- year intervals (2002, 1997, 1992, and so on) came back to campus to reminisce and reconnect.
“Our class reunion was wonderful,” said Lee Kramer 97C, president of the Philadelphia Chapter of Emory Alumni, on campus for his 10-Year Reunion. “The event went really smoothly; those who attended really enjoyed themselves, and it was great to reconnect with classmates. There was tremendous attention to detail. It was a memorable experience.”
Each reunion had its own character. Music harkening back to senior years played a major role in the atmosphere. The classes took time to bond in other ways, as well. For instance, to celebrate their 25-Year Reunion, the Class of 1982 announced a campaign to create a $1 million endowed “Class of 1982 Scholarship.” The goal is to raise all the funds in time for the Class of 1982’s 30-Year Reunion in 2012. (For good measure, many of the attendees were decked out in silver … to honor the class’ silver anniversary).
For the first time, Homecoming featured interest group reunions. Ad Hoc Productions, Emory’s musical theater organization, held a 40-year reunion. Residence Life and The Emory Wheel also invited alumni back to campus and many accepted.
“The blending of generations was great,” said Michele Fox 76C, who, with husband George 66C 69L, was heavily involved the Ad Hoc reunion, which brought together alumni and students. “It blows me away that something that began 40 years ago is still going strong without anything behind it but the students,” she said.
The changing campus, as evidenced by the many residence halls of the past that no longer exist, was a significant subject of discussion among the ResLife alumni. With The Emory Wheel alumni, the changes were in the newspaper’s offices, which remain on the fifth floor of the Dobbs Center, although not much else is the same.
“That’s where the light boards were,” more than one alumnus noted, indicating the far wall of the paper’s storage areas. Stories of wax paste-ups and Exacto knives (tools of newspaper designers gone by), the smell of fixer and hazards of the darkroom (from the days before digital photos) quickly followed. The current Wheel staffers just listened in wonder.
While there were many opportunities for attendees to find activities tailored specifically to them (like reunions), Homecoming also provided ample chance to mix with a wide variety of people.
The all-alumni picnic on the Quadrangle, which took place Saturday, September 29, brought together generations of alumni—many of whom brought their children, adding a youthful and energetic vibe to the entire endeavor.
While human activity was certainly the core of the weekend, bricks and mortar got their day in the sun as well. Ground was broken for Emory’s new psychology building. The mass of attendees were spilling out from under the tent for the event, which also included a nice eulogy for Gil-Thom (the dearly departed Gilbert and Thompson residence halls the new building will replace).
Newly completed structures, such as the School of Medicine building and the new Turman Hall freshman residence made the official debuts and hosted many guests for tours.—Eric Rangus
Emory Homecoming Weekend 2007
Class of 1992 Reunion
Class of 1997 Reunion
