The university is preparing a broth of nostalgia. Tossing a few vital ingredients into a four-day melting pot: rambunctious memories of strolling down court street and punctuated silences at the sight of almost-forgotten images at the Alden Library; OU is hosting the 2016 Black Alumni Reunion.
Konneker Alumni Center and the Black Alumni Reunion Planning Committee is partnering with various departments in the university to present the triennial event. The meet is scheduled to start on Thursday with the reception at 5 p.m. at Pepsi Tailgreat Park and will finish off with a bittersweet coffee hour where the alumni will reminisce over steaming cups of brew.
Konneker recognizes the value of reunions, Dawn Werry, senior director of external relations at the Ohio Alumni Association, said. The organization tries to bring together graduates with common interest rather than inviting an entire class of alumni. Werry said it adds a token of familiarity to the whole initiative and helps them cater better.
“No one knows everyone they are graduating with,” she said. “Instead of doing decade reunions, bringing together smaller groups seems to resonate better.”
Werry understands that re-adjusting to campus life can take some time. The association, to aid the alumni, is turning Baker University Center into an intermediate destination, which will help the guests keep track of the events and request support if needed.
“We want to have a permanent spot where guests can come and pick up their registration materials and get re-acclimated quickly,” she said.
Jennifer Bowie, director of Advancement Communications and Marketing at OU, said the array of events makes this aim easier to reach. The list consists of an archives display in the Mahn Center on the 5th floor of Alden Library and a reunion gala in Baker University Center Ballroom, among many others.
The archives display in Alden Library is set up by Bill Kimok, the lden archivist and records manager, and Miriam Intrator, the special collections librarian at the Mahn Center. While Kimok is in charge of handpicking significant photos, Intrator sifts through prose and poetry to showcase rare books commemorating black history in the university.
“When [alumni] see their photographs,” Kimok said. “They remember what they were doing in those moments ... It’s special.”
Festivities like the Variety Show and the Student Alumni Networking Lunch will further accentuate the bond between OU graduates and current students, Katrina Heilmeier, the associate director of Campus Relations at the Alumni Association, said. It presents the students with an opportunity to interact with and gain advice from the guests.
“The fact that the alumni are willing to come back and share their experience with [students] is amazing,” she said. “They were in their shoes, maybe not that long ago or maybe a long time ago.”
As Saturday comes to a close, Baker Ballroom will host the illustrious black-tie gala. The Triennial Black Alumni Reunion Gala will be celebrating Ohio University's African American heritage with the Trailblazer award sponsored by the Ebony Bobcat Network and the Diversity and Inclusion Medal of Excellence by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion. Werry said the late Rex Crawley and president Roderick McDavis will be awarded the honors respectively.
“I always look forward to reunions,” Bowie, an alumna, said. “As people get further and further from the college experience it’s our duty to provide them with opportunities to reconnect and reflect.”
