Gearing up for the new school year
As Lehigh’s reputation grows, we continue to accept only the top candidates of the graduating high school classes. This year’s acceptance rate was 39 percent. Of the incoming students, 167 are legacies, almost 22 percent are of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and 33 are from outside the United States. The value of a Lehigh degree also continues to rise. Not a single day goes by that I am not proud to be a member of the Lehigh family and I hope that no matter where you live, you feel the same.
Many things have changed on campus over the years, but our long-standing traditions remain. On Saturday, Aug. 26 in Grace Hall, the Class of 1960 will formally adopt the Class of 2010 at the First-Year Student Rally. This marks the 60th time a class from 50 years prior has presented its class colors to an incoming class. Don’t miss out on the fun. Be there to meet the new students, march in the parade, sing the Alma Mater and let your Lehigh pride shine! For more information, contact Colleen Griggs ’99, director of student and young alumni programming.
There’s also a lot of buzz surrounding Alice Gast’s arrival on campus as our new president. Her first day is Aug. 1. With all of our special events, traditions and pride, she will learn a lot about what it means to “be Lehigh” before the first week of classes even begins! Keep an eye on upcoming editions of the Lehigh Alumni Connection for all the latest news about Dr. Gast, and be sure to watch for the Fall issue of the Alumni Bulletin in which the Lehigh family formally welcomes Dr. Gast as our 13th president. If you would like to share your memories of Greg Farrington or your thoughts about Dr. Gast’s arrival with your fellow alumni, send us a postcard or an e-mail and we will share as many as is possible in a future issue of the Lehigh Alumni Connection.
Now let’s talk about sports, one of my favorite topics. Although this game can’t be that hard because it takes place on the gridiron, not in the pool! For all those football fans out there, the Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp has arrived, and the Birds will be at Lehigh until Aug. 16. It is the 11th year that the Eagles have traveled to our beautiful Goodman Campus, which they say is one of the most popular training sites in the entire NFL! For a detailed schedule, click here.
Mark your calendars
As Lehigh’s newest family members, the Class of 2010, eagerly await the beginning of their new adventure on South Mountain, area club officers are hosting Sendoff events throughout August to offer a warm welcome and provide answers to all those first-year student questions. Be a part of the celebration! Visit our Class of 2010 Sendoff Events page, register for the sendoff in your town, and enjoy an afternoon of fun, food, and drink as our incoming students get to know you, each other, and most importantly, what it means to be Lehigh!
A Brush Up series began for young alumni on June 15, when Augustine Ripa, chair of the Theatre Department, presented Love and Lust: Shakespeare's Sonnets You NEVER Learned in College to an attentive crowd of more than 50 “students.” The “Brush Up” series is created especially with young alumni in mind and highlights the young, fun and provocative aspects of the arts. Each event in the series includes a cocktail reception, a presentation by a special guest, and time for Q&A.
The next Brush Up is on Aug. 17, with Paul Chou, professor of music and director of the Lehigh University Philharmonic Orchestra, presenting How To Listen To Music Like People Who Really Know Music. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be served from 6:30-7:15 p.m., followed by the presentation. Looking ahead, Ricardo Viera, director/curator of the Lehigh University Art Galleries, will present How Much Do You Have to Know to Invest in Art? on Oct. 4, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. If you have any suggestions for future Brush Up topics, please e-mail your ideas to Nancy Merritt, assistant director of student and young alumni programming.
Alumni Weekend (featuring the famous Young Alumni Reunion will take place on Oct. 20-21. Join us for events on Friday night at local restaurants, tailgates on Saturday morning followed by football vs. Bucknell at 1 p.m., and then all kinds of events on campus Saturday night. Your class officers are always looking for new ideas and volunteers to lend a helping hand. If you’re interested, contact Janet Tucker or Nancy Merritt.
Your Alumni Association is hard at work creating programs and planning events to keep you Connected, Engaged and Involved with Lehigh and with each other for the rest of your life! If you are interested in forming a group or getting involved in any way, don’t be shy. Send me an e-mail or call the office at (610) 758-3135. I look forward to hearing what you have to say. In the meantime, stay cool and enjoy the rest of your summer!
Chris Marshall '88
Alumni Director
July 2006
Posted on:
Sunday, July 23, 2006
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