Saturday, June 6
7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Another Morning River Run
Meet in Front of Science Center
Did you miss yesterday’s classmate run? Then join today for another relaxed run along the Charles. All paces welcome! Dan Lieberman will again be your run leader.
8:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Check-in at Headquarters
Cabot Library, Science Center
Please come to headquarters to check in when you arrive on campus. You will receive your name badge, favor, additional Reunion materials, and your House/dorm room key and assignment, if you are staying on campus. Luggage storage is available on-site. Learn more and pre-purchase your luggage storage here.
8:00 a.m.
Breakfast
NW Labs Atrium
9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
Classmate Panels/ Workshops Session I
North West Labs (Atrium, NW Cafe, CR 108, 104, 105, 127, 129)
Hear about what our classmates are doing and thinking about on a variety of different topics of current interest in a dozen panels and participatory workshops in two sessions.
- Stories from Behind the Camera: A Showcase of Work by Classmates in Film and TV (Room B101): Classmates working in film and TV present clips of their work and share what draws them to different stories in an entertaining and enlightening session of viewing and conversation.
- The Ivory Tower Under Siege: Challenge and Change in Higher Education (Rom B104): Between the impact of governmental funding cuts to increased public scrutiny of what higher education “should” be doing, universities have never been under such tremendous pressure to conform to external demands. Classmates from different sectors of academia comment on the state of higher education and their concerns for the future of the same.
- Updating Your Linked In: Starting New Jobs (or Careers) in Your 60s (Room B105): In the past few years, a number of our classmates have “rewired” professionally, taking on new opportunities, either by choice or starting over when their prior positions went away. Hear about what the upsides and challenges of such job changes have been.
- Older and Wiser: Board Service for Non-Profits (Room B108): A discussion on how to make a difference in your own backyard through board service on issues ranging from education, health, media and the arts.
- Pivot from the Public Sector: Personal Stories of Public Upheaval (Room B127): The recent downsizing at various federal agencies has upended the public service careers of several of our classmates. Come hear their personal stories of where this has left their life’s work and how they’ve found meaning in the aftermath in other contexts.
- The Open Nest: Living with Children at Home Beyond Adulthood (Room B129): Our kids have grown up but are oftentimes still cycling in and out of our homes. How do we re-set our relationships with our children who are no longer children? And how do we balance our own needs with those of loved ones? Join in a conversation on what happens when the “empty” nest never quite empties or when parents need to remain in their children’s lives.
10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Classmate Panels/ Workshops Session II
North West Labs (Atrium, NW Café, CR 108, 104, 105, 127, 129)
Hear about what our classmates are doing and thinking about on a variety of different topics of current interest in a dozen panels and participatory workshops in two sessions.
- That’s Entertainment: Making Films and Television in a Time of Change (Room B101): Between the rise of streamers, prolonged strikes by writers and actors, growing concerns on the role AI will play in entertainment, and the increasing sequals in films, work in Film and Television has never been more challenging. Find out from classmates about obstacles in the entertainment field and thoughts on where the industry is headed.
- The Supreme Court and We the People: Reflections on the State of the Constitution and the Rule of Law (Room B104): Join a broad-ranging conversation on recent landmark Supreme Court rulings and their implications for the rule of law and the future of American democracy.
- Points of Light: Making the World a Better Place (Room B105): Hear from classmates about how direct engagement with their communities is making a difference for others.
- Why Not?: Surprising Yourself by Trying Something New (Room B108): Hear about how turning 60 or the approach of retirement has inspired classmates to try out new things or revisit things put aside years ago, be it writing and producing a Surrealist musical, founding a cannabis lifestyle brand focusing on mothers, bouncing off the walls with parkour and pursuit of other interests.
- Do We Want to Live Forever?: The Science, Ethics and Reality of Extending Our Healthspan (Room B127): Ours is an era obsessed with “hacking” aging through biotech, pharmaceuticals and extreme optimization. But how much of this aligns with how our bodies actually age? Join a conversation that pits evolutionary realities of the human body against cutting-edge medical innovation while not losing sight of the philosophical questions of what makes a longer life actually worth living.
- Brave New World: The Good and Bad of AI Across the Professions (Room B129): From business and education to law and medicine, generative AI is reshaping how we work. Classmates on this interdisciplinary panel will share how AI is transforming their professions, highlighting the opportunities it unlocks and the problems it unleashes. Join the discussion on how to harness AI’s benefits while managing its dangers.
12:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Field Day Class Luncheon
Science Center Plaza Tent
Come join your classmates for a BBQ lunch with an open beer and wine bar and yard games. After you eat, head into Harvard Yard for more games and activities with the other Reunion classes. Suggested dress code is casual. See you there, rain or shine!
12:00 - 12:30 p.m.
Kickoff Meeting for ClassACT86
North West Labs 101
In response to the present state of our world, have you thought, “I wish I could do something?” Then join other like-minded classmates to learn about a new classmate-led initiative ClassACT HR86 (Harvard-Radcliffe Class of 1986 Achieving Change Together). Hear from the organizers about this multi-year project that aims to provide opportunities for classmates to engage meaningfully and share thoughts about causes we care about while capitalizing on our collective skills and experiences to make a difference. Join us to explore how we can turn your energy and ideas into something meaningful, impactful and fun.
2:30 - 3:45 p.m.
Classmate Panels / Workshops
North West Labs (Atrium, NW Café, CR 108, 104, 105, 127, 129)
Join our classmates in exploring a host of different topics on where we are in our personal and professional lives through different panels and participatory workshops.
- WORKSHOP: Designing Your Retirement Plan (Room B101) (NOTE: Runs to 4 PM): Still trying to figure out how your career, retirement, volunteer activities, family, friends and travel all fit together? Ready to shake things up? In this hands-on workshop led by classmate Matthew Temple, Senior Director of Alumni Career & Professional Development for the Kellogg School of Management, we’ll use design thinking mindsets like radical collaboration, reframing and bias towards action to create three Odyssey Plans for the next five years in 15 minutes. Come write your next chapter!
- A Crisis of Trust: Public Health, Science and Society in a Polarized Age (Room B104): The COVID-19 Pandemic and subsequent political shifts have fractured the public’s relationship with the medical establishment. Join in a conversation on how much of the erosion of trust is due to political misinformation versus how public health institutions have failed to communicate effectively with a skeptical public.
- For Good: Building the Next Chapter of Your Career with a Purpose-Driven Mission (Room B105): Join a conversation with classmates who have built purpose-driven careers – whether by leaving for-profit roles to lead nonprofits, launching social enterprises, or using business and leadership skills to make a meaningful difference in the world. The panel will also explore how to build the next chapter of your career around mission, impact, and values at different stages of professional life.
- Old Dogs Learning New Tricks: Returning to School in Your 60’s (Room B108): Whether seeking to further one’s profession, finding some balance for one’s day job or seeking out new challenges in retirement, hear from classmates who have recently gone back to school and what it’s like to be a student again at our age.
- Me, Myself and I: Navigating the Single Life in One’s 60’s (Room B127): Whether it’s for reasons within or beyond our control, many of us find ourselves entering our third acts solo. Join your classmates for a funny, honest, uplifting and informative look at what it means to be single in your sixties, and how we can build community to support and sustain us.
- Then They Came for Me: Life in the New ICE Age (Room B129): Join a conversation with classmates on the front lines of the surge in immigration arrests and mass deportations to hear stories, strategies and implications for us all.
- The Long Goodbye: Dealing with Dementia (Café): An increasing number of us have struggled in recent years to help loved ones suffering from dementia while others fear what lies ahead both for our families and ourselves. Hear from classmates who have been living with “the long goodbye” and about the positive directions in which research in the field is headed, despite the frustrating pace of advancement.
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
The Space Architect Film Screening
Science Center Hall C
Screening of The Space Architect, a documentary honoring our late classmate, Constance Adams, the visionary NASA architect who reimagined how humans might live beyond Earth, followed by a post-screening conversation with our classmates who developed the film, Rebecca Carpenter, director, and Michael Hirschorn, producer, moderated by Yule Caise.
5:30 p.m.
Class Photo
Widener Library Steps, no signage permitted*
7:00 - 11:00 p.m.
Class Dinner and Dance Party
Annenberg Hall
Come as you are! All sartorial choices welcome. The assignment is ease and comfort!
9:00 - 11:00 p.m.
Classmate Coffee House
Queen's Head Pub - basement of Annenberg Hall
Need a dance break? Make your way downstairs to hear classmates sing, play and present while sipping coffee. Black turtlenecks and ironic facial hair optional.
