Reunion graduates to new format

Aaaaaahhhhh… that is me breathing a sigh of relief. It is mid-June, Reunion is over, and our year is coming to a close. It’s a good feeling to be “done.” But as all of you know, you’re never really done. You’re just in different stages of “getting ready.” That’s called life, and on it goes.
More than 1,500 alumni, family, and friends came back to Recapture the Magic at our big year-end event, Reunion. A little rain dampened things on Friday, but by Saturday, we had nice weather and just about everyone had a good time reconnecting with old friends.
Remember to mark your calendar now for Reunion 2007 on May 18-19. That’s right … May 2007 (not June). We’re moving it up two weeks to bridge Reunion weekend with the Commencement activities that take place on May 20-21. With this new format, alumni will have the opportunity to mingle with graduating seniors and our current students will get to see first-hand what we mean when we say Lehigh for Life!
Also mark your calendar for this fall’s Alumni Weekend (featuring the famous Young Alumni Reunion) that will take place on October 20-21. Join us for events on Friday night at local restaurants, tailgates on Saturday, football vs. Bucknell at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and then all kinds of events on campus Saturday night. Keep an eye on the alumni Web site for more information.
A few events to consider in the summer months…
A new Brush Up series for young alumni kicked off on June 15, when Augustine Ripa, chair of the theatre department, presented Love and Lust: Shakespeare's Sonnets You NEVER Learned in College. The “Brush Up” series was created especially with young alumni in mind and highlights the young, fun, and provocative aspects of the arts. Each event in the series begins at 8 p.m. and includes a cocktail reception, a presentation by a special guest, and time for questions and answers.
The next Brush Up is on Aug. 17 with Paul Chou, professor of music and director of the Lehigh University Philharmonic Orchestra, presenting What You Need to Know about Classical Music to Impress Absolutely Everyone. If you have any suggestions for further Brush Up topics, please send your ideas to Nancy Merritt, assistant director of student and young alumni programs.
The annual Freshman Sendoffs take place in August across the country in areas where large groups of students were admitted to the Lehigh family. Join your area club officers and other fellow alumni for an afternoon of fun, food, and drink as you welcome the class of 2010 and send them off to South Mountain. Information on locations and how to register will be available online beginning June 23.
Other activities happening in your region might include picnics, happy hours, a baseball game, a dinner cruise, and much more. Look for e-mails from your area club or check out the events calendar.
Whatever you do or wherever you may roam this summer, send us a postcard or drop us a line to share with your classmates in the Class Notes section of the Alumni Bulletin.
Here’s to summer…
Chris Marshall '88
Alumni Director
June 2006