Providence, R.I.--More than 1,500 alumni with class years ending in '4 and '9 returned to Providence for Reunion Weekend 2009 on May 29-31. The turnout represented the highest attendance ever for a Reunion Weekend at PC.
Hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations, events kicked off on Friday when alumni took part in a round of golf at Cranston (R.I.) Country Club or a trip to Patriot Place in Foxboro, Mass.
Later in the day, storyteller Carol Mon '82 led "A Trip Down Memory Lane" with alumni and current students. The discussion focused on what it was like at PC "then" and what it is like "now." Also in the afternoon, alumni were offered trolley tours of the campus, which showcased the physical transformation that has taken place at PC in recent years.
At 4:30 p.m., 136 "Golden Friars" attended the Class of 1959's 50th Anniversary at a Mass celebrated by College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. '80. The Mass was followed by dinner. The Class of 1959 also celebrated raising more than $160,000 in cash and pledges in honor of its reunion year.
As a co-sponsor of WaterFire Providence, the PC National Alumni Association welcomed more than 675 alumni to a special reception downtown during the cultural event that features 100 bonfires on three rivers. Friday's events were closed out with "Disco at Waterplace," a young alumni event held at Waterplace Lounge in Providence.
Saturday's events began with a campus sightseeing tour led by members of the Friars Club. Throughout the morning, alumni also could attend several talks and presentations. The presentations ranged from "Family, Finance, and Philanthropy," which was delivered by National Alumni Association Board of Governors President Kathleen Ryan, Esq. '87, to an update of Friar athletics by Robert G. Driscoll, Jr., associate vice president/athletic director, and Head Men's Basketball Coach Keno Davis.
Other presentations were "The Origins and Founding of Providence College," which was presented by Dr. Donna T. McCaffrey '73G, '83Ph.D., '87G, PC professor of history, and "Rethinking Classroom Teaching and Learning: Learning Environments Suited to Tech-Savvy Students," presented by Dr. Marian Mattison, associate professor of social work, and Siobhan Ross-Humphries, coordinator of the College's Instructional Technology Development Program.
In addition to the presentations, alumni were offered a spinning class and the chance to work out in the Concannon Fitness Center.
BBQ attracts more than 1,000
From noon to 3:00 p.m., more than 1,000 alumni attended the traditional Reunion BBQ on the East Campus, where food, music, and children's activities were offered. Class photos were taken in front of the Smith Center for the Arts throughout the day, and alumni viewed memorabilia and photos from their classes in an exhibit in the John Bowab Studio Theatre.
At 6:00 p.m., nearly 130 members of the Class of 1984 celebrated their Silver Anniversary on the Dominic House lawn. The Class of 1984 also celebrated surpassing their reunion class fundraising goal of $200,000.
Saturday's events ended with "An Evening Under the Stars" with Father Shanley at Hendricken Field and a Young Alumni Celebration at McPhail's.
The weekend concluded on Sunday with the Reunion Mass at St. Dominic Chapel and a "Bon Voyage Brunch" in the Campus Ministry Center.
Robert F. Ferreira '83, assistant vice president for alumni relations, called Reunion Weekend a "huge success" and said it represented "a great opportunity for Friars of all ages to return to campus to celebrate some of the best years of their lives."
He added, "It was also a great opportunity for everyone to witness, firsthand, our transforming landscape, and to see how our campus answers to the needs of students today."
For photo galleries of Reunion Weekend 2009, go to the Alumni Web pages.
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