Reunion 2001 Is Open to Alumni, Staff, and Faculty

Ithaca College’s Reunion 2001 will offer alumni and their families, as well as staff and faculty members, a variety of activities and programs, including a keynote address from Deirdre Murphy ’80, who competed at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney on the Irish women’s cycling team. The festivities start on Thursday, May 30, and end Sunday, June 3.

"It’s important that alumni get a chance to reconnect and celebrate their Ithaca College experience," says Gretchen DeBolt, M.M. ’93, assistant director of alumni relations. "But we also extend an invitation to staff and faculty and friends of the College. In that sense, Reunion is for everyone."

Registration is required for housing, meals, and most activities. Requests for accommodations and activities will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Staff and faculty may register online at www.ithaca.edu/alumni or call the Office of Alumni Relations at 274-1393 to request a registration form.

Check-in will start on Thursday afternoon and continue through Saturday. In addition to lunch and dinner buffets, Friday events include a bicycle ride with Deirdre Murphy and President Peggy R. Williams, the eighth annual Butterfield Golf Tournament, and the popular Wine Expo on campus. Music professor Mary Arlin ’61 will lead a driving/walking tour of downtown Ithaca, giving insights into the College’s origins. Returning alumni will also have a chance to tour the James J. Whalen Center for Music, Center for Health Sciences, and Longview residential facility. A presentation by the School of Business focusing on the new M.B.A. program and current business trends will be hosted by Dean Bob Ullrich.

Saturday events include a memorial concert for Craig McHenry ’30, M.M. ’46, former professor and longtime dean of the School of Music, who passed away in January. The service will be a musical celebration of his life and his more than 50 years of service to the College. Also on Saturday keynote speaker Deirdre Murphy will give a talk on commitment. Other morning events include an open house in the Office of Career Services. The traditional picnic on the quad will take place at midday and will be followed by a variety of activities, including a Cayuga Lake cruise and tours of the music, health science and human performance, and compost facilities. Those interested in health sciences will have a chance to see how computers are enhancing physical therapy instruction.

Reunion’s capstone event --- the all-class banquet and awards ceremony --- will take place on Saturday evening. David Fleischer ’91, president of the alumni association board of directors, will honor four award recipients (see below). Taking their places as newly elected members of the board will be Susan DiPace ’74, senior manager of human resources for Nortel Networks; Latitia A. Greene ’87, former academic program counselor for the College’s Ithaca Opportunity Program; and Kelly M. Rohrer ’94, communications manager for Accenture. After the banquet alumni and their guests will be able to dance until midnight to the sound of the Hotfoot Club, a local swing band.

A detailed schedule of events for Reunion 2001 is available online.