I just returned from a college reunion and will be helping to plan the next, so I’m looking for ideas. What did you like about your last college reunion? What fell flat? What would bring you back to campus? What would you like to do while there? Any and all ideas welcome!
How many were in attendance? I went to a big state Uni, so no reunions. But i do go to sorority reunions.
I went to a small-ish school (~3000 undergrads) and I attend reunion regularly. Things that work well: class dinner and afterwards a slide show put together from pics submitted prior to attending. Things that didn’t work well: casual class get-together with drinks & Karaoke. It could have worked well, but the music volume was so loud that conversations needed to be shouted (and different people - including the organizers - requested it be turned down throughout the evening with little affect.) Most of the activities had undergrad student ambassadors carrying class signs so that we could find our cohort at the large gatherings.
One of the things my school used to do that I wish it still did: prior to reunion, we were sent our Reunion Packet which included a double-sided page. On the first side, you’d list your contact info, family status (spousal data, # of kids, where they were attending school, etc) I recall being asked who I most wanted to see at Reunion. The back page was almost entirely blank. The first reunion year, I was sorely tempted to write (in large block letters) NO MORE ESSAY TESTS! But I left it blank instead. About a week before reunion, we’d receive a large book filled with responses. It was like getting letters from 300 friends. Sadly, we don’t do this any more.
We also used to gather for a class photo at some point during the weekend, but they stopped this practice too.
You might want to mention which year you’d like data for: activities desired by those attending their 40th year Reunion might differ from those attending their 10th.
I would have loved activity-based reunion-themed gatherings as well, e.g. band reunion, theatre reunion, etc.
Thanks for the responses. Small LAC. This year it was the 30th, so we’ll be planning for the 35th. For various reasons we weren’t able to do the planning we would have liked so we’re looking for ways to improve our attendance #'s, giving, and class events. The college did a great job so we don’t have complaints there. I like the idea of the pre-reunion packet. We had a Facebook page to get excitement brewing but we didn’t ask any explicit questions of those expected to attend.
For my small LAC we enjoy seeing the professors and administrators that are still around, either at the school or retired. They are frequently the most popular people in attendance.
Harvard puts out a big book of everyone’s five year autobiography/thoughts. I look forward to it every time it comes out.
One of the things that works best is if you are staying in dorms on campus is they ask if there’s anyone you’d like to room with or be housed near. It means even if someone isn’t a close friend, you are more likely to bump into them. Staying in the dorms is pretty popular.
If you have a dance, make sure the music is of the era. One year when the reunion mascot of dh’s class was the “Staying Alive” pose, they gave them 50’s music. That’s our parent’s music not ours!
They do a lot of seminars/group panels with alumni - some are very interesting, some less so. Some are geared to being useful (for example parenting quirky kids or doing estate planning). There’s usually sort of a talent show. Musicians will get together, a lot of the a capella groups perform. Sometimes they organize something silly, like trivia games or similar stuff.
There’s usually a room where artist types can display a portfolio or poster of their work.
A very popular event is the class survey. (Even if people don’t fill it out the (very large) room is overflowing for the presentation.) This gets sent out in advance of the reunion. Answers are anonymous. They ask about marital state, income, your major, your job, your religious beliefs, how often you have sex, whether your education was useful, party affiliation - you name it. Some of the results are posted on line if you Google.
Yes yes yes on “the book”. This makes it so easy to start conversations with folks. We have had great “time of life” panels of classmates on topics such as reinventing yourself for a a second career, to finding purpose post employment, etc. If these are early in the reunion, followed later by a gabbing activity (hike, biking, bocce, cooking class - but not a cocktail party -activity is key), people have fodder for conversation. I have become close to a couple classmates whom I didnt know well the first time round as a result of some intense discussions that were fueled by the content of those panel discussions.
People also seem to enjoy a couple classes (no tests!) by dynamic profs. Again, better earlier in the reunion as it may give folks something to talk about.
I think I went to the same school as Gardenstategal.
All her favorite features of her reunion were the same as mine! I really enjoy the class book, the class panel, and the no test classes.
^we did! @sue22, your alma mater does some cool projects with incoming frosh. I wonder if any could be scaled appropriately for a half day of communal volunteer work and if alums would be interested in that.
My reunion was this weekend. I didn’t go. I didn’t think it was worth 2 days and 600 miles of driving.The main events are an all-classes dinner Friday night, a picnic Saturday, and a class dinner on Saturday evening. There were a few seminars or classes, but they looked very dull. I like the idea of practical seminars and a class survey. I like the idea of some hands-on fun activities. They would be great ice breakers.
Thanks for all the feedback. We had a lot of good event-seminars, tours, a beer garden, half day mountain hike, reading by a well-known author, mimosa brunch, dancing, a fully-stocked class commons room, a dinner with slide show. lobster bake, parade. Our biggest challenge is getting people back to enjoy it all. I really like the idea of a half day of service in the community and I think I’ll suggest that as a possibility to the school. My school’s in a gritty mill town and when I was there no one spent much time in town. Now kids are doing all sorts of work within the community. One reunion offering was a walking tour of the town. I was so glad to see some of the changes evident in the downtown.
The book also sounds like a good idea. We’re trying to reconnect to alums who have become disconnected from the class. Some of our classmates are doing really interesting things.
There are those who enjoy reunions and those who don’t bother.
I will attend 40th and 50th for HS and medical schools. Big state U- no reason to go to any alumni doings. Actually thought a small core group of friends in our major would get together in 25 years but it never happened- we all moved on in our lives. My U’s grads tend to still have strong positive feelings for our school, but for as many reasons as there are graduates. So many diverse experiences.
I find those who stayed local after HS still get together, again, meaningless for those of us who moved away although I’m curious about people after 50 years.
My medical school has 5 year reunion tables at a yearly dinner where they try to get donations. The 25th year also gets a free next night dinner- my class members went to see each other and NOT to give money (it was funny how they tried to auction off a framed copy of the official freshman class photo- no interest). Hope I make it to 50 years- march at graduation and our special class doings on a separate weekend from those other 5 year weekends. I do enjoy the booklet put out by my class with all sorts of responses to questions about our lives. Interesting to see what happened to our young adult selves after leaving our common education.