Howard & Ken do Homecomming...
Combining Homecoming and Reunion Weekends was a great idea!
Howard & Ken do Homecomming...
Combining Homecoming and Reunion Weekends was a great idea!
For Howard ('72, Newhouse and A&S) this was his 35th reunion. For Ken ('75, Newhouse) it wasn't a reunion year, but as president of the Stumptown Orange, he figured it was a good time to see campus (only his third such visit since graduation) and meet the staff at the Office of Alumni Relations.
This was the first time that the university decided to celebrate homecoming and reunions simultaneously. By all appearances, it was a good decision — the campus was thick with alums from Oct. 11 - 14, not to mention students heading off to class. The Office of Alumni Relations planned a full schedule of events, ranging from concerts, films and tours to lectures and receptions. Homecoming events included a campus parade as well as the football game and a pep rally and barbecue on the Quad.
It should come as no surprise that Ken had his somewhat trusty camera with him. He's put together a few collections of shots which you are free to puruse. Click on the thumbnail photos below to go to the albums. For recent grads these will be pretty routine but for those a tad longer in the tooth, they may make you feel nostalgic (or just plain old!).
CAMPUS TOUR |
"NEW"HOUSE |
HOMECOMING |
CAMPUS ART |
M STREET |
BEYOND CAMPUS |
So, what did we think of homecoming? Here's what Howard had to say...
"I thought the idea of combining reunion and homecoming
was splendid. The last reunion I went to, in 1997,
was poorly organized and sparsely attended. This one
was so much better.
"I met or saw people from the
classes of 1937 through 2007. Everyone was friendly
and obviously enjoying the moment. The students,
shuttle staff, and especially the SU alumni office
people were fantastic — polite, helpful, and courteous
. The hospitality center at the Goldstein Alumni
building was a terrific idea; it was a great place to
relax, have a snack or drink, and meet people you
might not have run into otherwise.
"The campus tours
were an excellent idea, as were the Friday classes for
alums. I went to my first Carrier Dome event, and
even though we lost, I still had a wonderful time.
The wine and cheese reception was another wonderful
event and gave everyone the opportunity to connect
with members of our own and other classes.
"Our class
of '72 luncheon was well done, and we had the bonus of
having David Bennett, esteemed professor, address us.
I also got to attend the donors' pre-game buffet at
Schine, which I heard is an annual event.
"I can't
wait to go back again — I may even go before my next
official reunion in 2012!"
It's hard for Ken to top those comments. But let me go "first person" and add a few observations...
I found that there was plenty to do even though it wasn't a reunion year for me. This was my first Homecoming or Alumni weekend and it was a lot of fun. The Alumni Relations staff went above and beyond to make everyone feel at home. My hat's off to them, especially Scott Setek, who oversees alumni club relations, and these two folks:
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Joe helps our club with the StumptownOrange.org Website. Sherry is our main point of contact for event coordination and general information. They both help mightily in getting out club e-mails to the 1100 alums in the area. They're part of the Stumptown Orange team and I'm thankful for their efforts!
Since I didn't have a lot of class reunion events to attend, I walked around campus and M Street a lot, visited some of my old hangouts, including Newhouse, WAER, Mt. Olympus, the Varsity and Skytop (which is turning into its own satelite campus). I also went to an alumni lecture by S.U. music professor Stephen Meyer on "Mozart and the Myth of Don Juan" which was enjoyable.
I also watched the homecoming parade and went to the Friday night pep rally and bonfire (I'm not sure if I ever did that during my years on campus!). I also got over to Drumlins to play a round of golf, something that I never got around to during my four years on campus.
Being from that period where dinosaurs roamed the campus, I have to admit that the Schine Student Center left me wondering how we ever managed without one when I was a student. And, as Howard said, the Goldstein Alumni Center is a great facility — their doughnuts and cider couldn't be beat!
I had occasion to reconnect with Dr. Larry Myers (a broadcasting professor of mine) and several acquaintances who were students a couple of years ahead of me. I never encountered another Class of '75er, but that wasn't a big deal. And, lest I forget, Howard and I did a "buddy" number at several points during the weekend!
I spent part of a day in the city itself, pursuing one of my hobbies, good beer and food. Like the Schine Center, I can only wish we had Dinosaur BBQ and Armory Square (Syracuse's version of the Pearl District) back in the day!
The photos in the albums higher up on this page will give you a taste of what it's like in Syracuse these days, but regardless of whether it's a reunion year for you or not, I'd heartily recommend taking a trip back to campus sometime!