Grand Reunion Brings Alumni Together
By Kathryn Karasek
The university hosted the third Annual Grand Reunion Weekend at Santa Clara Oct. 6 through Oct. 9. Over 2,500 alumni, family and friends from all over the country celebrated their reunions. The entire weekend was full of activities for the alumni to engage in, but it was also a time for alumni to connect with the schools and the departments that were part of their educational experience.
Santa Clara did its best to make sure the trip was worth their while. As part of their centennial celebration, the School of Engineering kicked off the weekend by hosting Intel CEO Paul Otellini for the President's Speaker Series on Thursday. They continued the excitement with their Biggest Bash Ever on Saturday at the Refract House on campus.
The first big school-wide event, which took place on Saturday morning, was the 5K Bronco Run/Walk that boasted participants spanning the years from the class of 1951 to the class of 2015, and even some possible future Broncos came with their parents to enjoy the festivities.
Following the race was an alumni picnic with blow-up obstacle courses, a petting zoo and a live band. Alumni got the chance to relax in the beautiful fall weather, eat and enjoy time with friends who they may not have seen in a while. Mariel Caballero, class of 2002, was most excited to "see some of my sorority sisters from the class of '01." While she still lives in the area, getting back on campus is an exciting opportunity to see her old friends.
A.J. Riebli, class of 1991, shared similar sentiments. He was excited to be back on campus to see where it all started, praising the ethics requirement in the Core Curriculum and the University's focus on social justice. "The world is off its rocker," said Riebli, "but social justice is embedded in Santa Clara graduates, and that's a nice thing to have in such a time."
Riebli also brought another exciting idea to campus: a new Pixar animated short film. On the production crew for Pixar Animation Studios, Riebli demonstrated the strength of a Santa Clara degree, and was proud to bring an exclusive viewing of the new cartoon to campus for his old friends and current students to enjoy. The film will not be released for the general public until 2012.
There were also many people on campus that didn't graduate from Santa Clara, but still contributed to the campus community. Father Peter Pabst, S.J., was a resident minister back in the 1980s and returned to campus to "reconnect and see old friends." In addition he performed many marriage ceremonies for Santa Clara alumni. He enjoyed "checking in, seeing their kids and how they're doing. It's a great time to renew relationships."
The weekend continued with special lectures from many popular professors including economics Professor Mario Belotti, who spoke about the current economic state in America, and religion professor, Frederick Parrella, who spoke about religion versus spirituality. The returning alumni had a chance to hear from their old teachers without having to do any homework. To find out more about the Alumni Association contact the office or visit their website.
Contact Kathryn Karasek at mkarasek@scu.edu or at (408) 554-1918.