Grand Reunion News Blog

The Grand Reunion schedule is now available!  We are pleased to present a slate of events that we are sure you will enjoy.  In an effort to not only convey how excited we are, but also to give you an inside look into what will be happening during the weekend, this blog will feature a spotlight on a particular event each week leading up to Grand Reunion.

No matter when you graduated from Santa Clara, the campus that you will see in October is markedly different from the one whose beauty you once enjoyed for four years. 

As soon as you enter campus via Palm Drive, you will see the construction of the new Patricia A. and Stephen C. Schott Admission and Enrollment Services Building.  This structure will bring together Admissions, Financial Aid, the Office of the Registrar and the Bursar’s Office under one roof, in a more visible area of campus, to better welcome prospective students and serve current ones.

Some of you will chuckle to yourselves as you walk across the landscaped surface of what is now called the Alameda Mall, recalling how you once had to dodge cars to traverse from one side of campus to the other, like a game of Frogger. 

Others, on your way to visit Benson or Swig, may pass by the Commons on Kennedy Mall and say, “Hey, that’s new!”, and then scratch your heads, wondering what is up with the grass on top of the building.  Constructed to demonstrate sustainable design, this common area features many environmentally friendly concepts, including a living roof, which helps lower energy costs, and natural insulation made of straw bales and blue jeans.

Over the years, many of you have lamented the loss of the Graham Pool, looking back fondly on days spent poolside between classes and on weekends.  Well, when you arrive on campus in October, you may be surprised by the absence of the entire Graham complex, which was recently torn down to make way for a new residence hall that will be open for occupancy in the fall of 2012.  “New Graham” will have a quad as part of its design and will be built as one complete unit, although it will retain the “neighborhood” feel that made such an impact on decades of Santa Clara students.

One other notable new building is the Harrington Learning Commons, which is home to the Orradre Library and Sobrato Technology Center.  Built in 2008, this learning hub is a must see for all Santa Clara alumni: It contains a cafe, conference rooms, various labs, and lots of study areas.  You will surely be fascinated by the automated retrieval system as it grabs a requested book destined for a student’s exploration.

The Grand Reunion offers you a golden opportunity to reacquaint yourself with Santa Clara’s campus, which continues to grow and change in an effort to provide students with the best experience possible.  There is much more for you to see, including the new Paul L. Locatelli, S.J. Student Activities Center, the Sullivan Aquatic Center, and even the newly renovated Donohoe Alumni House.  So sign-up for one of the tours that are being offered during the weekend – There are ones that will take you around campus as well as dedicated tours of the Harrington Learning Commons – and fall in love with Santa Clara all over again.

Go Broncos!

We have been hard at work on the Grand Reunion schedule, and we are extremely excited about the slate of events that will be available to all alumni this fall!  Keep an eye on your mail and inboxes: Invitations will be mailed out within the next couple of weeks, and registration will open very soon.

Go Broncos! 

There is a noticeable spark in the air this week as Santa Clara University’s class of 2011 prepares to leave the campus they have called home for the past four years and enter into what those of us in the know call “the real world”.  The Alumni Association is proud to welcome the newest members of the alumni family and congratulates all graduates on a job well done.

There will, no doubt, be a few Bronco parents among the well-wishers in the stands this weekend gazing proudly at their sons and daughters while reminiscing about their own graduation from SCU.  This intergenerational relationship with SCU is an excellent expression of the institution’s impact on its alumni: Their love for Santa Clara is so deep that they wanted their children to experience it for themselves.  And so, on graduation day, these moms, dads, and grads celebrate the impact of Santa Clara’s legacy on their lives.

These families will have another opportunity to rejoice in October during the Grand Reunion Weekend, a celebration of the enduring bonds that exist between classmates and the university.  These links were created by a common experience that is also dynamic and unique to each class, and the graduating class is the newest testament to the value and importance of a Santa Clara education.  We hope to see these families back on campus in the fall, blessing us with their presence and honoring the university with their commitment to its legacy of competence, conscience, and compassion.

Go Broncos!
 

Now that you have circled the dates of the Grand Reunion on your calendar (October 6-9, in case you could use another reminder), we’re sure you’re thinking, “What now?”  Well, we would like to offer you three easy ways in which you can help build some buzz around the Grand Reunion Weekend and start reconnecting with your classmates before October:

1) Let everyone know that you’re planning to attend
We know the Grand Reunion is not for a few months, but it’s never too early to let your classmates know that you’ll be on campus in the fall.  Visit your class website to fill out a quick form and add your name to the list.  Who knows?  Maybe seeing your name will help nudge a classmate off the fence who’s not sure about attending, and they’ll be able to thank you in person in October!

2) Submit a class note
Take some time to update your class on what you’ve been up to these past few days, months, or years by submitting a note to the Santa Clara Magazine via your class website.  You can also share your favorite Santa Clara memory (that's appropriate for public consumption, of course)!  Any note you submit will only appear online unless you grant permission for the magazine to include it in the print publication.

3) Send in photos for the slide show
The Saturday night class dinner has traditionally included a slide show of photos from your time at SCU all the way up until the present.  Help us put one together in which the same group of 5 friends doesn't show up over and over (much to their delight)!  Muriel Isaac in the Alumni Office is collecting photos until August 15^th; please email .jpg files to her at misaac@scu.edu, or send her prints via mail at the following address:

SCU Alumni Association
ATTN: Muriel Isaac
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053-1450

Please note that due to anticipated volume, all prints sent to Muriel for scanning will not be returned until after the reunion.

Thanks in advance for your help in truly making this a GRAND Reunion.

Go Broncos!

In mid-December, we sent "save the date" magnets to all reunion-year alumni.  Hopefully, your magnet is now proudly displayed on your refrigerator.  If you didn't receive one, then we need your current address.  You can update your contact information by e-mailing the Alumni Office at alumupdate@scu.edu, and we'll make sure that you receive a magnet and don't miss out on future reunion news.

Go Broncos!

Does your class year end in a 1 or a 6?  If so, the date for your reunion weekend has been set.  The Alumni Association will welcome the classes of 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976,1981,1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, and 2011 back to the Mission campus on October 6-9, 2011.  We look forward to seeing you there.