Every year, hundreds of volunteers partner with the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) to choreograph every aspect of their class reunions. Reunioning classmates come home to Harvard to celebrate—enjoying camaraderie at a variety of social events around campus. They come to contemplate—engaging in intellectually stimulating programs featuring faculty, classmates, and University leaders. And they come to commemorate—rekindling their class spirit during some of Harvard's most treasured traditions, from Commencement to Radcliffe Day.
Reunion volunteers from several classes shared their thoughts about the reunion experience and why they choose to volunteer.
[To learn more about how you can get involved with your class reunion effort, contact College Alumni Programs at collegereunions_haa@harvard.edu or 617-496-7001.]
Tracy "Ty" Moore II AB '06
Concentration: Classics
House: Dunster
Favorite class: "Tacitus" and "Psychology of Leadership"
Favorite restaurant: Bertucci's
Favorite Harvard spot: Weeks Footbridge
Favorite class tradition: Our slogan: "The legendary Harvard Class of 2006 rolls mad deep...but we can always roll deeper!"
Reunion volunteer roles: Committee member, chair of the 10th Reunion talent show committee, co-chair of the 2006 road trip to the 5th Reunion
When and why did you start volunteering for your class reunions?
I got involved in 2010 while planning my 5th Reunion because Harvard has left an indelible positive impact on my life. Volunteering for my reunion allowed me to reconnect with classmates and create yet another exciting Harvard experience that we'd all remember.
What are your favorite reunion moments?
Hands down, seeing and catching up with numerous members of my class, especially those whom I haven't seen for a very long time. I love hearing about their personal journeys, successes, and visions for the future, as well as meeting their families.
What is your proudest achievement as a reunion volunteer?
Pulling off the cross-country road trip to the 5th Reunion, which involved hundreds of members of our class getting together in numerous cities all over the U.S., from San Francisco to Boston. I attended almost all of the pre-reunion events during the three weeks leading up to our reunion and even saw some classmates who were not be able to make it to our 5th.
For classmates who have never attended a reunion, why should they come and what should they expect?
It's really awesome to catch up with the classmates you already know, as well as those you've never met before. You'll be blown away by your classmates' journeys, stories, and accomplishments. Come to be inspired and energized by the impact Harvard is having on the world through your classmates, as well as to have a tremendous amount of fun on campus. You'll be amazed by the phenomenal collective energy, and you'll leave with additional lifelong connections.
Why should your classmates consider volunteering? How can they get involved?
You should absolutely consider volunteering so that you can play a pivotal role in curating an exceptional experience for you and your classmates to remember for years to come. You get the opportunity to reconnect with some classmates in advance of the reunion, flex your creativity muscles, and reflect on what Harvard really means to you. You can get involved by reaching out to your class secretary and/or reunion co-chairs. Go Crimson!
Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine AB '92, MPP '96
Concentration: Government
House: Currier
Favorite class: "Beethoven's Symphonies"
Favorite restaurant: Henrietta's Table
Favorite Harvard spot: Widener Library Steps
Favorite class tradition: Scorpion bowls at the Kong
Reunion volunteer roles: Co-chair of both the program and gift committees for the 20th and 25th Reunions
When and why did you start volunteering for your class reunions?
I was "voluntold" by my classmate Gabrielle Burton to co-chair the 20th Reunion with her, and I couldn't refuse! Co-chairing my 20th Reunion was the beginning of my love of volunteering for Harvard in a variety of ways.
What are your favorite reunion moments?
The talent shows that showcase everyone in the class. I find it amazing how people have evolved over the past 25 years, and I am humbled by how willing people are to share their true selves through their art, their work, and their stories.
What is your proudest achievement as a reunion volunteer?
Seeing the smiles on my classmates' faces when they reconnect with people they haven't seen in years, or the joy they experience in meeting someone new and hitting it off. I also love that we are able to raise money as a class to fund the College's priorities. Looking back, I find myself incredibly grateful to have benefited from the generosity of alumni who came before me. I feel blessed to be able to give back and do the same—not only for current undergraduates but also for future Harvard students.
For classmates who have never attended a reunion, why should they come and what should they expect?
I believe that life is all about great experiences and remarkable people, and at Harvard we have the best of both. So I encourage classmates to come back with open minds and open to experience our Harvard community and the Harvard College of today with new eyes. If you have any hesitations about coming back, you should call me! I will make sure you have a great reunion experience.
Why should your classmates consider volunteering? How can they get involved?
Because it's fun, especially with respect to reconnecting with friends old and new. Moreover, there is nothing better than being an organizer or doing something as a contributor and leader. My co-chair and I are happy to integrate anyone who wants to be a part of our reunion committee. To get involved with the Harvard College Fund or to get involved in reunion planning, contact me at geraldineacuna@hotmail.com or my co-chair Gabrielle Burton at gcb@fivesistersproductions.com.
Learn more about your 25th Reunion today!
Susan Israel AB '81, MArch '86
Concentration: History: 20th-Century China
House: Lowell
Favorite class: "Three Empires" with Joseph Fletcher Jr.
Favorite restaurant: Bartley's
Favorite Harvard spot: Sanders Theatre
Favorite class tradition: "Glimpses" at Reunion (short talks by classmates about their lives)
Reunion volunteer roles: Co-chair for three reunions (5th, 10th, and 35th) and committee member for all
When and why did you start volunteering for your class reunions?
I first became involved in alumni activities right after graduation through the Radcliffe College Alumnae Association (RCAA) recent grads committee. I immediately made new friends whom I didn't know in college, and I realized that this was a large community of interesting, smart, and fun people that I could be part of for my entire life. That idea was exciting, especially after graduating and wondering how I could hold onto some of what I loved about being at Harvard. Every time I was asked to volunteer, I always said yes because I knew that I would expand this wonderful group of interesting friends and by volunteering I could help grow this community as well.
What are your favorite reunion moments?
The unexpected deeply personal conversations, even with people I didn't know before. But I also love seeing old friends, and feeling like I'm young again and everything is possible.
What is your proudest achievement as a reunion volunteer?
Getting a 40 percent increase over the past record for classmate attendance at a 35th Reunion. Supporting that effort was a class-wide subsidy and anonymous full subsidies, and we were very fortunate to have such generous and caring classmates on our gift committee to make that happen. This turnout was due to hard work by my wonderful co-chairs and the reunion committee; it was a team effort.
For classmates who have never attended a reunion, why should they come and what should they expect?
You will be surprised by the generosity of spirit, sharing, and love at a reunion once people start to open up. My Harvard class is the most interesting and fun group of people I know, and I always have a great time with them. Over the years, they have become one of the most enriching parts of my life.
Why should your classmates consider volunteering? How can they get involved?
Because it's fun and a great break from "real life." You will make close friends and be part of an ever-widening circle of classmates and alumni. You can get involved with your class reunion committee or just plan an event for your class; ask your class secretary who to contact. You also can become active with your local Harvard Club, join a Shared Interest Group (SIG), or find an HAA event to attend.
Tom Black AB '66
Concentration: History
House: Dunster
Favorite class: Music 1
Favorite restaurant: The Bick
Favorite Harvard spot: Dillon Field House
Favorite class tradition: Did we have any? Maybe I just wasn't invited!
Reunion volunteer roles: Member of reunion committees from the 25th to the present
When and why did you start volunteering for your class reunions?
I've been the class secretary since before my 10th Reunion. Among other things, I serve as a touchstone for my classmates who want to post news about their lives, find other classmates, or make suggestions for how the HAA can better serve the alumni community. The class is a wonderfully diverse community, and my providing some small service allows me to feel a stronger bond with it.
What are your favorite reunion moments?
Socializing with classmates and their spouses—a thoroughly intelligent, active, and stimulating activity.
What is your proudest achievement as a reunion volunteer?
I help to put the Red Book together, which is always greeted with thanks and gratitude. Also, before our 20th and 25th Reunions, I created and published a class newsletter to help drum up enthusiasm.
For classmates who have never attended a reunion, why should they come and what should they expect?
This isn't about reliving college days; it's about staying in contact with classmates, even the ones you didn't know back then. A reunion attendee can expect what I've described in my favorite reunion moment above, in addition to the reunion program itself wherein we get to learn new things and think about issues that we don't encounter in our daily lives.
Why should your classmates consider volunteering? How can they get involved?
It's not heavy lifting, it's a lot of fun, and it's an opportunity to serve the community. How to get involved? Just stick up your hand; we are always looking for more input, more hands on deck.
Ann Giese Porter AB '62
Concentration: Fine Arts
House: Holmes Hall
Favorite class: Benjamin Rowland's "Art and Architecture of India"
Favorite restaurant: Chez Jean then, Harvest now
Favorite Harvard spot: The Fogg
Favorite class tradition: Monthly lunches with my Radcliffe classmates, annual spring potluck dinners with my Boston-area Harvard and Radcliffe classmates and their spouses
Reunion volunteer roles: Co-chair of 10th, 20th, and 30th Radcliffe Reunions, and 50th and 55th Harvard & Radcliffe Reunions
When and why did you get start volunteering for your class reunions?
A year before our 10th Radcliffe Reunion, my classmate Cecily Morse, at that time an acquaintance rather than a close friend, asked me to be her reunion co-chair. We decided to start a tradition of intimacy and sharing, rather than one of recounting our achievements or of feeling badly that some of us—many of us housewives and moms—had so few to report. We realized that we and many of our classmates were in existential, sometimes painful, crises. We went to work, some of us got divorced; we all felt the need to explore this array of new roles and possibilities.
We designed that reunion and most subsequent ones around class speakers and small breakout groups. It sounds pretty obvious now, but at the time, we all felt that we were inventing the wheel. Cecily and I also invented a deep friendship that has lasted these 45 years. This friendship, and others like it, is one of the greatest gifts I have received from Harvard and Radcliffe.
What are your favorite reunion moments?
My favorite reunion moment is in this picture, or in one of many over the years. It shows me with three classmates—Nancy Boghossian Keeler, Liza Molodovsky, and Suzanne Young Murray—all of whom I met the first day I entered Holmes Hall as a freshman.
What is your proudest achievement as a reunion volunteer?
Starting a tradition at our Radcliffe reunions: afternoons spent sharing the most important concerns of our lives.
For classmates who have never attended a reunion, why should they come and what should they expect?
Because they will always be welcomed with kindness and because they will have fun. You will have the rather comforting feeling of being with a group of people who, while having led a rich variety of lives, are oddly just like you: same age, same stage, same constellation of sorrows and joys.
Why should your classmates consider volunteering? How can they get involved?
Because many of us think it's fun. If you want to help, just let us know!