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More From Your Alumni Association Reap the rewards of keeping in touch New site can keep you connected Alumni news in brief Take the next step For information on how you can get more involved, contact the association at (740) 593-4300 or alumni@ohio.edu. One of these staff members will be happy to help you: Mike Worley or Jennifer Heisey for chapters Judith Johnson for societies and travel Tiffany Boles for special events and corporate partnerships.   Write to us! Care to comment on an Ohio Today story? Or share a memory about your days on campus? Then drop us a letter to the editor. Here's how: E-mail Send e-mail to ohiotoday@ohio.edu By regular mail Letters Ohio Today 102 Scott Quad Ohio University Athens, OH 45701-2979 Fax Fax letters to (740) 593-1887 Letters to the editor may be edited for space and style

By Katie Fitzgerald and Sarah Welch Once that coveted diploma is in hand, most Ohio University graduates leave Athens. But many keep college memories and the University close to heart. So it's no wonder that many choose to remain active in alumni chapters and societies, participate in University-sponsored events and take advantage of travel opportunities offered through the alumni association. "One of (the University's) greatest assets is its alumni," says Linda Litter, AA '81, of Chillicothe, who with her husband, Bob Litter, BSCO '54, has remained involved with the University by serving on advisory committees and traveling with fellow alumni. "This summer we will be going on our third trip," Linda Litter says, noting a June trek they're taking to Ireland. Their previous trips have been to Russia and another region of Ireland. "We not only travel with friends from school, but we get to meet other people who graduated from the University in different years. So you get to tour with new friends." For many, a trip to Athens for Homecoming or the Black Alumni Reunion is a nice getaway. Janice Pae, AB '60, and her husband, James, are Homecoming regulars. They'll be back for the festivities this year from Oct. 11 through 13. "We always make it a point to talk with everyone in advance and arrange to meet with folks," she says. "And we always like to see campus. It just gets more beautiful every year." Lisa Marie Miree, BSJ '97 and MA '00, of Cincinnati, returned for the Black Alumni Reunion in May 2001, and that fall the reigning Miss Black USA accepted an invitation to sing the national anthem at Homecoming. "I remain active because of many of the special events held at the University," she says. "I am a product of the University. I feel it's important to give back." At the Black Alumni Reunion, held every three years, participants hear campus updates, tour new facilities, interact with students, catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Miree also stays in touch through her graduate program because she feels a responsibility to share her experiences with current students. "There's a certain pride you can take in going to the University," she says. For alumni who can't easily return to campus, chapters organized by geographic location are a convenient way to stay in touch. Sixty chapters connect alumni across the globe. Todd Beekman, BSEE '00, is co-chair of the Austin, Texas, Chapter. "Alumni chapters give people the opportunity to expand their network from their usual circle of friends and colleagues," Beekman says. "I feel that is one of the strongest benefits of the chapter. I have been able to make close friends and establish professional connections that I know can only help my future." The chapter, which has about 50 members, recently hosted a group of Ohio University business majors for four days, taking them around Austin and to companies where alumni work, such as Motorola and Dell. One recent social gathering pulled together Ohio University alumni and their counterparts from Marshall University to watch the Ohio vs. Marshall football game at a local sports bar. Societies of Alumni and Friends, organized by college, school or special interest, assist campus staff with various initiatives and provide valuable insight on programming. Pete Couladis, AB '75, of Athens, is president of the Marching Band Society of Alumni and Friends. "The most enjoyable thing is renewing friendships with people I haven't seen in 30 years," he says. The group's keystone event comes each Homecoming when alumni march in the parade and participate in the football game's halftime show. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the modern Marching 110; the society plans a Homecoming banquet for alumni and past and present band directors. Katie Fitzgerald, BSJ '03, and Sarah Welch, BSJ '03, are student writers for University Communications and Marketing.