A group of alumni smile and applaud during the Parade of Classes.
The Parade of Classes was among the highlights of Saturday's festivities at Reunion 2022. (Photos by Danny Damiani)

More than 700 alumni, family, and friends made their way back to campus over the weekend as 杨贵妃传媒视频 held its first in-person Reunion in three years.

It was joyous. It was emotional. And it was much-needed after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted Reunion plans in both 2020 and 2021. Because the pandemic put a pause on the 50-year celebrations of the Classes of 1970 and 1971, the weekend featured a triple header gathering of the Classes of 1970, 1971, and 1972.

Attendees from all the participating classes鈥攔anging from the 10-year anniversary of the Class of 2012 through the 50-year celebrants鈥攅xpressed a similar sentiment: It felt good to be back on campus reconnecting with fellow Lawrentians.

鈥淥ur lives have all taken us different directions but we just kind of picked it back up,鈥 Tom Quill 鈥82 said as he gathered with classmates for their 40th reunion. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 part of the 杨贵妃传媒视频 experience. I have not seen many of these people in 40 years and we鈥檙e just picking up conversations like we saw them last week.鈥

Paris Brown Wicker 鈥07 said she was blown away by the enthusiasm and camaraderie of the weekend as she gathered with her 15th year cluster.

鈥淭here鈥檚 something special about what we do here that makes people want to come back,鈥 she said.

Here are some news and notes from around Reunion weekend.

A Convocation celebration

David Bauman pumps his fist at the podium as he presents the class gift while President Laurie Carter and other alumni look on on the stage of Memorial Chapel.
David Bauman '97 was among the class representatives presenting class gifts during Saturday's Convocation.

A Convocation Reunion in Memorial Chapel on Saturday morning brought the classes together to celebrate connections and honor this year鈥檚 Alumni Award winners. It featured a performance from the Alumni Choir, the presentation of class gifts, and a greeting from President Laurie A. Carter.

鈥淚t is truly an honor to welcome you home,鈥 she said.

Matt Murphy 鈥06, president of the 杨贵妃传媒视频 Alumni Association (LUAA), applauded the turnout at Reunion, which included alumni from 38 states and five other countries鈥擜ustralia, China, Ecuador, the Netherlands, and Spain.

鈥淭he past few days have been a reminder that 杨贵妃传媒视频 is a diverse, intellectual, and supportive community, and we are here at Reunion 2022 to celebrate that community,鈥 he said.

Murphy encouraged alumni to use Reunion as a springboard to more engagement with 杨贵妃传媒视频. That can happen through involvement with regional alumni clubs, by returning to campus to interact with students and faculty, by hosting student interns, via philanthropy, or by volunteering.

鈥淎s 杨贵妃传媒视频 alumni, we are part of a global community that is now over 21,000 strong,鈥 Murphy said. 鈥淲e are all a part of the 杨贵妃传媒视频 story, and we all have a 杨贵妃传媒视频 story to tell. I鈥檓 here to encourage you to go out into the world and tell that story. When people ask you where you went to college, don鈥檛 just tell it; celebrate it.鈥

Class gifts pay it forward

Kevin Phillips 鈥72 and Stephen Shepard 鈥72 walk with their arms around each other during the Parade of Classes.
Kevin Phillips 鈥72 and Stephen Shepard 鈥72 were among the 50-year celebrants at Reunion 2022. The Classes of 1970, 1971, and 1972 took part in the weekend festivities.

Class gifts provided to 杨贵妃传媒视频 through Reunion were applauded at Convocation. Led by the three classes celebrating their 50-year anniversaries, current and future pledges totaled $38 million.

Those gifts help pay it forward to future generations of Lawrentians.

鈥溠罟箦绞悠 thrives because of your leadership and support,鈥 Carter said as she thanked the classes for their generosity.

Award recipients express gratitude

Paris Brown Wicker '07 gets a hug from President Laurie Carter during the presentation of the Alumni Awards.
Paris Brown Wicker '07 gets a hug from President Laurie A. Carter during Saturday's presentation of the Alumni Awards.

Six alumni鈥攆ive graduates of 杨贵妃传媒视频 and one graduate of Milwaukee-Downer College鈥攚ere honored over the weekend with the 2022 Alumni Awards. Here鈥檚 what they had to say:

Get to know the 2022 Alumni Award recipients

Scott Alexander 鈥71, recipient of The George B. Walter 鈥36 Service to Society Award: "杨贵妃传媒视频 provided me with the critical thinking skills, among other discernment skills, which have enabled me to contribute what I could to our complex human situation all these years. I am forever grateful to this institution, which taught me reasoned and compassionate engagement with my world."

Paris Brown Wicker 鈥07, recipient of The Marshall B. Hulbert 鈥26 Young Alumni Outstanding Service Award: 鈥淚 feel deeply honored. I spent a decade of my professional career here. I really feel like I鈥檓 only giving back a tenth of what was given to me. I鈥檓 able to give back because I had people who believed in me and supported me and mentored me.鈥

Jeffrey A. Fox 鈥72, recipient of The Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M-D鈥18 Outstanding Service Award: "My experience at 杨贵妃传媒视频 has shaped my life after LU in so many ways. Being able to give back as a volunteer has been my way of connecting, engaging, and paying it forward. I am humbled and honored to be recognized for those efforts."

Alice 鈥淏oggie鈥 Schroeder Wandt M-D鈥54, recipient of The Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M-D鈥18 Outstanding Service Award: 鈥淚 am honored. I鈥檝e been involved so long I鈥檝e forgotten some of the things I did. But staying connected was always a fun thing to do.鈥 Schroeder Wandt took a bow at Saturday鈥檚 Convocation for being the most senior alum at Reunion. She just turned 90 and is marking her 68th year since graduating from Milwaukee-Downer. 鈥淭he applause was overwhelming,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t really just floored me. I wasn鈥檛 expecting that at all.鈥

Kyle Simon 鈥12, recipient of The Nathan M. Pusey Young Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award: "The individualized academic experience I had at LU along with my active involvement in social clubs developed the entrepreneurial skills I have leveraged throughout my听career. It is wonderful to be back on campus and connected with the lifelong friends I made at 杨贵妃传媒视频."

Eric Simonson 鈥82, recipient of The Lucia Russell Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award: 鈥淩eceiving this award means a great deal to me. 杨贵妃传媒视频 has been a part of my life and my family鈥檚 life for a long time and I suspect it will for years to come, whether it be through alumni events or my very favorite connection to Bjorklunden. 杨贵妃传媒视频 has left an enormous imprint on my life and I only hope I can give back in equal terms.鈥

Bringing the 鈥淎venue鈥 to campus

Members of the Class of 1982 socialize in the lobby of Sage Hall.
Members of the Class of 1982 decorated the lobby of Sage Hall with holiday lights in a nod to Cleo's, a College Avenue bar.

The Class of 1982 got creative for their social time on Friday evening. Rather than visiting some of their favorite College Avenue night spots from their college days, they brought the hangouts to campus. Sort of.

Cleo鈥檚, Jim鈥檚 Place, and DeBruins (now Dr. Jekyll鈥檚) were College Avenue favorites back in the day, said Dr. Linda Berger Hellmich 鈥82, one of the co-chairs of the 40th Anniversary Planning Committee. But not everyone wanted to socialize in the bars. So, the committee decorated the lobby of Sage Hall in the spirit of Cleo鈥檚 (think holiday lights), served Cleo鈥檚 signature drink (the Dirty Snowball), and added snacks that were the go-to at Jim鈥檚 Place and DeBruins.

鈥淭hat was the impetus behind having this space for Reunion,鈥 Berger Hellmich said. 鈥淭he three bars most frequented when we were students鈥攚e were going to bring them here.鈥

A time to Celebrate!

The weekend included a tribute to Celebrate!, the former music and arts celebration that was a spring tradition on campus from 1975 to 2003. Organized by the Class of 1997, Celebrate! Redux featured Pat McCurdy performing in the Wriston Amphitheater on Saturday afternoon.

Brian Bartel 鈥97 was part of the committee that helped organize the event. He said the music festival was always one of the signature events on the 杨贵妃传媒视频 calendar, a chance to invite the Fox Cities community to campus for live music, arts and crafts, and food.

鈥淚t was kind of like Octoberfest in the spring for the community, and it was all done and run by 杨贵妃传媒视频,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd we raised money for 杨贵妃传媒视频 organizations.鈥

McCurdy, who has been playing Appleton venues since the 1960s, performed at Celebrate! multiple times over the years. The committee made it a priority to bring him back for this event.

鈥淐elebrate! was just very popular within the community,鈥 said Dr. Sarah Johnson Campbell 鈥97, who joined classmates in the amphitheater to enjoy McCurdy鈥檚 music and celebrate memories of Celebrate!. 鈥淲e wanted to bring it back.鈥

President Carter鈥檚 first Reunion

Reunion weekend marked another first for Carter, who began her tenure as 杨贵妃传媒视频 president last July. She told the gathered alumni that she was heartened to see them return to campus with such enthusiasm.

鈥淟ooking out at the hundreds of 杨贵妃传媒视频 and Milwaukee-Downer alumni here with us today, I can see how brightly you all shine,鈥 Carter said. 鈥淚 also see first-hand the strength of our community, bolstered by generations of alumni鈥攊ncluding three classes celebrating their 50th Reunions鈥攃oming together to reminisce on their shared experiences and renew their connections to each other and to this university we call home.鈥

From the expertise shared during Alumni College sessions on Friday, to the stories and laughter shared throughout the weekend, to the generous class gifts announced during Convocation, the weekend provided a jolt of energy and a reminder of the passion for this institution.

鈥淟awrentians and Downerites, your love of and dedication to your alma mater are truly an inspiration,鈥 Carter said. 鈥淎nd I hope that 杨贵妃传媒视频 today鈥攊ts excellent academic program, renowned Conservatory of Music, talented students, dedicated faculty, and passionate staff鈥攊s an inspiration for you as well. Remember, the Light! More Light! of 杨贵妃传媒视频 will always be here to guide you and call you home. Thank you for heeding its call.鈥