It’s May again and that means it’s time for a favorite College tradition – ReUnion. More than 1,200 visitors are expected on campus for Union’s annual celebration of its graduates Friday, May 19 – Sunday, May 21.
“ReUnion is the time of year when we welcome alumni back home to remember the friends they met, the professors they learned from and the many life experiences they cherished,” said Marna S. Redding, director of Alumni & Parent Engagement. “Reconnecting and remembering – and making new memories – that’s what ReUnion is all about.”
Highlights of ReUnion 2017 include all the perennial favorites, like the Alumni Parade (10:30 a.m., Saturday), the family picnic and kids carnival (noon, Saturday), and the fireworks display (9 p.m., Saturday). In addition, this year’s schedule offers some very special events, most notably a groundbreaking ceremony for the Science and Engineering Center.
Help us celebrate this monumental moment Friday, May 19 at 1 p.m. (Alexander Lane, Bailey Hall). President Stephen C. Ainlay and the Board of Trustees will be on hand as the (symbolic) first shovels of dirt are moved for the $100 million renovation and expansion. The project, the largest and most ambitious in Union’s history, will transform the Science and Engineering Center. Once completed it will rank among the finest undergraduate science and engineering facilities in the country.
Among the other highlights are:
- Dr. Laurie Mintz ’82 (Thursday, 5:30 p.m.) signs and discusses her new book, Becoming Cliterate, which was recently lauded by The New York Times. She will also talk about how her time at Union prepared her for her career.
- Phi Beta Kappa 200th Anniversary Reception (Friday, 4 p.m.): Gather with PBK alumni and faculty near a commemorative exhibit in Schaffer Library.
- Multicultural/LGBTQIA ReUnion Reception (Friday, 5:30 p.m.): Join us as we recognize the committed efforts of individuals and organizations that have helped foster diversity and inclusion within the Union community and beyond. We invite all alumni, students, faculty, family and administrators to celebrate. There will be food, slideshows and performances by student groups.
- Union’s Changing Campus: An Overview (Saturday, 2 p.m.): Learn about recent campus improvements, including Visual Arts, Science & Engineering, and projects on the horizon in Athletics. Enjoy an overview of the projects and then visit the Feigenbaum Center for Visual Arts, Messa Rink, and Wold. Hear from faculty and those involved with each project at each site
- Photographer Nancy Borowick ’07 (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.) signs and discusses her new book, The Family Imprint (The Cancer Family Book). An intimate portrait of the author’s family as her parents underwent parallel treatments for stage-four cancer, it enriches the larger story Borowick has been telling for years in Cancer Family Ongoing. This photography project has been published nationally and internationally, receiving awards and recognition on both stages.
Also at ReUnion, the Alumni Council will present Alumni Gold Medals to Drena Webster Root ’87 (technical director, MGH Fireman Vascular Center); Jason Oshins ’87 (Law Offices of Jason Oshins, CNN commentator); and Nick Famulare ’92 (senior director of development, Union College). Charles Steckler, professor of theater and resident scenic designer, will receive the Faculty Meritorious Service Award.