Black Alumni Reunion set for May
By Jason Papp

Bill Graham

Alumni sing at a gathering during the 1998 Black Alumni Reunion on campus.

Camaraderie. Sentimental stories. Reconnecting with friends you haven’t seen in years. Meeting new friends with ideas that could change your life. These are just a few of the benefits alumni will experience at the 2001 Black Alumni Reunion Weekend, May 18-20.

“Every three years, I look forward to the Black Alumni Reunion,” says Stacey Brinkley, BBA ’87 and MED ’92, associate director of admissions at Ohio University. “I thoroughly enjoy hanging out with folks and reminiscing. The weekend is wonderful from beginning to end.”

The last Black Alumni Reunion, held in 1998, drew more than 600 alumni from around the country.

Festivities this year will begin Friday, May 18, with a “Stone Soul Cookout” and an evening mixer at which alumni can catch up with old friends and meet new ones.

Activities on Saturday, May 19, will afford time to meet with students as well as any family members of alumni attending Ohio University. The afternoon will feature a University update and tours of the newly renovated Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium, which is named for the University’s first male and female black graduates, the African American Alumni Heritage Wall and the new Lindley Cultural Center. The Black Alumni Dinner on Saturday evening will be followed by student and staff performances in Memorial Auditorium. The fun will continue with an after-hours concert and dancing. The weekend will conclude with a farewell breakfast Sunday morning.

“The 2001 Black Alumni Reunion will offer Ohio University’s more than 3,000 African-American alumni the opportunity to reconnect and learn about the nature of today’s Ohio University experience,” says Ralph Amos, assistant vice president and executive director of alumni relations. “Whether you have visited campus often or you haven’t returned since the day you graduated, this reunion weekend will provide an enjoyable experience for everyone.”

An introductory letter already has been sent, and registration materials will be mailed soon. For details, contact the Alumni Association at alumni@ohio.edu or (740) 593-4300.

Jason Papp, BSS ’01, is the Alumni Association’s marketing student assistant.