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Perhaps it was the change from the West College patio, after many years, to the Chancellor Green courtyard that was a bad omen. Or maybe it was just the fickle late spring New Jersey weather. At any rate, Saturday’s 1971 Reunion lunch was at the mercy of the elements. Not long after the food was laid out and people had begun to arrive, what started as a few drops turned into a deluge, sending classmates, spouses, children and guests scurrying for the indoor protection of neighboring Chancellor Green (much updated since our day) and a leisurely (and dry) lunch prior to the P-rade.
But that was the worst of it.
The rest of the day was essentially gray, but dry, and the P-rade went off with umbrellas needed mainly for decoration. 71ers gathered and mingled at the P-rade site and later at the cocktail reception and dinner. More than 40 classmates – some with graduating or undergraduate children – showed up at some point during the event, ably coordinated by Reunions chair GARY WALSH and vice chair JACK HITTSON.
Others seen at some point during the reunion (and apologies to anyone missed!): LEWIS, RICKERSON, HOLLINGSWORTH, J. MARSHALL, MIMS, BROWER, HIGGINS, BAGDIS, GUMINSKI, HESS, FLOWERMAN, SNOW, ARIGONI, PIKE, LEPORE, PITNEY, MAZO, SENCHESHAK, McGINNIS, CORCORAN, OLLWERTHER, DI FIDELE, CHAMBERLAIN, D. WILLIAMS, R. WILLIAMS, TEGARDEN, SUNG, ARBISSER, McCARTER, CHARAPKO, LOWENSTEIN, LINDSEY, PFLAUMER, BOYLE, EPSTEIN, LERNER, WAI, LEVINE, BLACKBURN, BOEHM, HOLOCZYK.
A highlight was the class dinner, which this year took us to different rooms at Prospect. The evening reception at Prospect was terrific, and held in the room adjacent to the terrace, where some people sat out on a warm night with a view of the gardens – punctuated once again by a performance by Shere Khan, a very fine campus a capella group. The dinner than followed took place in the main dining room at Prospect (some have called it “the fishbowl”) with its glass walls all around. We managed to more or less fill that room, with close to 60 people.
Speaking of 60, Gary intimated that there may be some special celebration at next year’s reunion to coincide with many of the class reaching that magic number. More details will follow next year.
The dinner closed with some poignant remarks by Class President BILL LEWIS, who remarked on his recent struggles with prostate cancer and the connection with members of the 1971 “family” – in particular, MARK MAZO – with helping him find the best medical opinions and support during his successful battle with the disease.
-- Jeff Marshall ’71
Secretary and PR Czar
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