(OT) Reunion

[Beeeej]

15th is never the most popular Reunion.  5th is about the novelty; 10th is about meeting spouses and babies.  After that, it's often tougher to justify and/or manage getting away until a "big" one like 25th.

Beeeej

[jeh25]

[Q]Beeeej Wrote:
  5th is about the novelty
[/q]

"I'm still in grad school. How about you?"

"Oh, you're a resident at Mass General? And your husband is a broker. And you just make an offer on a condo in back bay? So I guess you're buying, eh?"

[billhoward]

[Thought I answered already; appears not.] Yes, I'm going to reunion. First time ever without the family. I really wanted the boys to see Cornell in hopes they'll consider it 5 and 8 years hence if by some miracle Cornell admits kids with the same kind of grades that got me in a generation ago. There’s no legacy option on Gwen’s side since she went to Smith; I never thought about that as a potential downside when I popped the question 20 years ago. For the boys, between "moving on" (no longer “graduation”) days from their elementary and middle schools and lax/soccer/hockey games and parties at country clubs and tennis clubs hosted by girls who may be 13 but look 17 [who saw that scary cover story in tne NY Times magazine last week about teenage, ah, "friends with benefits"?], they decided they're rather be home.

I've been fortunate to have a dozen Cornell friends I've stayed close with and reunion is a chance to keep up with the ones we're not physically close to, plus see a wider group I know from class or alumni activities. Plus I want to see the new Cornell Daily Sun building, see how silted up Beebe Lake has become, see if Uris Hall has finally rusted to the purple it was supposed to 25 years ago, see why the trees along the main roadways haven't grown very big in a generation of attempting to replace the old elms (or have they), see what shape the old fraternity house is in (actually, one can imagine), and gawk at all the new buildings on campus as if I was an ancient alum.

One regret is that there's no reunion that brings back a group of adjacent classes so you could see the classes two ahead and two behind you. That would work nicely if reunion always centered on your class but not if you were, say, the outlier among a five-year bloc of classes.

We may come back for Cornell Adult University. It’s pretty good and not that expensive (compared to what other vacations cost or compared to what Cornell costs in-season for students). If only all the professors were that entertaining all the time.

I can’t believe there’s no live Internet connections (at reunion) in the dorms. I asked and was told you can use the computing centers. Sheesh! Just like undergrad days, having to trudge onto campus to use computers, only at least this time around there’s no risk of dropping card desks in the snow.

[Greg Berge]

[Q]jeh25 Wrote:

 [Q2]Beeeej Wrote:
  5th is about the novelty
[/Q]
"I'm still in grad school. How about you?"

"Oh, you're a resident at Mass General? And your husband is a broker. And you just make an offer on a condo in back bay? So I guess you're buying, eh?"



[/q]

For my 20th I'm planning on being Ambassador to Norway or a poor but honest performance artist in Morocco.

Use your imagination.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

I've been to Morocco.  There's no such thing as a poor but honest performance artist there.

[Scott Kominkiewicz]

Thanks for the good advice.  What about clothes (men's and women's)?  Do I need a dress shirt, tie, red blazer and straw hat?

[DisplacedCornellian]

[Q]Scott Kominkiewicz Wrote:

 Thanks for the good advice.  What about clothes (men's and women's)?  Do I need a dress shirt, tie, red blazer and straw hat?[/q]

You could go wearing all crimson and walk around with a very confused look as to why everybody is wearing red ;-)

[billhoward]

[Q]Scott Kominkiewicz Wrote:

 Thanks for the good advice.  What about clothes (men's and women's)?  Do I need a dress shirt, tie, red blazer and straw hat?[/q]

Gosh, it's been, what five years since I was at reunion. (Come to think of it, it must have been.)

I believe the class officers often wear slacks, a blazer, a shirt, maybe a tie. Plus some others. This for the Saturday night dinner only. Others wear slacks, maybe even shorts, and a golf shirt. I always go for the safe route which is slacks, dress or single color golf shirt, and a blazer that can always be draped over the back of the chair if you're too formal. And if you're really nervous, roll up a tie and put it in the blazer pocket.

Everything else is casual dress or at most business casual.

Weather is supposed to be good.

[David Harding]

[Q]Scott Kominkiewicz Wrote:
What about clothes (men's and women's)?  Do I need a dress shirt, tie, red blazer and straw hat?[/q]

Bill's right.  The only event for which any kind of dress up is expected is typically the Saturday evening class dinner.  A sports jacket is fine, but you can up the ante if you enjoy dressing up.  Or slack off if you really don't want to go that far.  Check this example:  http://classof72.alumni.cornell.edu/images/30thclass.JPG  This was our class picture before Saturday dinner two years ago.  Saturday lunch is the other popular time for the class photos.  More photos to give you a flavor of the attire: http://classof72.alumni.cornell.edu/reunion.html

Essentially everywhere else is very informal.  A lot of the action is outside.  You may well want a hat for sun protection.  Red is always in style, but is far from universal.  In the photos, note the big buttons that everyone is wearing.  In addition to being useful as name tags, those are your tickets for riding busses and, even more importantly for many, your entry passes to the evening tent parties (beer included).  In choosing clothes, don't wear a flimsy top that will be shredded by the button's weight.

Your class reunion organizers will probably have included some sort of wearing apparel in the package.  One year class of '72 got sweat shirts, another year baseball caps.  In 2002 we got fleece jackets with our class logo.  You can see them in some of the photos.  This is entirely at the option of the class.  It helps pick out classmates in a multi-generational crowd.

You used to see a lot more special outfits.  In the 1930's many of the classes, especially the women, decided that they would remove some of the social pressure imposed by the economy and define a class outfit that everyone could make and wear.  No one could use the excuse for not coming of not being able to afford a ritzy outfit.  The older the class, the more likely they are to continue this, but the class souveniers I mentioned are an echo of that tradition.  Also, the older the class, the less inhibited they seem to be about wearing corny outfits, like red and white striped blazers, things that most of us wouldn't wear outside a hockey rink.

By the way, if you were in the band, bring your instrument.  If you were in the Glee Club, bring your voice.

And repeating earlier advice, sample the events, but also take time to relax and wander around.  Also, remember that you'll be in a dorm with shared facilities and all that implies about hauling around your soap, toothbrush, and so on.

Also, see if you can buttonhole someone and get a straight answer on possible changes at Lynah.  We're expecting a full report on the whole affair.

-Dave Harding '72

[Scott Kominkiewicz]

Awesome advice from everyone, thanks.  Bringing a fan was definitely the best contribution.  

I couldn't get any scoop on the future of Lynah, although I did have the fortunate opportunity to meet and talk with Coach Schafer.  

Perhaps I can provide more detail about Reunion tomorrow or another day.  Old timers like me need a few days to recuperate from such fun.

[billhoward]

Reunion was excellent. Our class did a great job planning. Seems like the others did, too. But mostly it's the weather. Four glorious days. Not too hot, not too humid, no rain -- a first ever for our class (1974) reunions. (A friend down the block ran the Princeton 20th last year and he nailed the planning and then got hosed by a weekend of consisent rainfall.) I was the one who recommended bringing a fan. It was so nice I didn't need it.

Unbelievable but U Halls are (is?) finally tumbling down. The replacement is far better looking. As to whether it's going to seamlessly blend with the original West Campus architecture ... what's the line about, A doctor can always plant his mistakes. An architect can only plant vines."

Lehman continues to amaze. All Cornell's recent previous presidents are (I'm exaggerating a bit) tall, patrician, distinguished, hint of British lilt, the kind central casting would send to play the president of Harvard in a made-for-TV movie. Now comes this bespectacled munchkin (at least in comparison) who when he steps to the podium has to pull the mikes down a good six inches ... but if you listen to his ideas and to his thoughtfulness in small group conversations, he is an amazing choice to run Cornell.

I went to the sports breakfast Sat at 8 am becuase the alternative was to sit in on a group discussion with Cornell faculty of Kafka's "The Trial," the common reading text give to all incoming freshman. Talk about deja vu all over again: A Saturday 8 am class covering a dry but important work you haven't yet read as of the night before. Sheesh.
 
I talked with Mike Schafer briefly. I mentioned how nice the Everblades tournament was for fans. He nodded and mentioned how it looks from the players' POV: You haven't been practicing much for a couple weeks, most players are home to see family for Christmas, then you get back to Ithaca, fly to Florida, and play a tournament against high-caliber competition. And here I was thinking the players got to spend a week in the sun before the tournament and what a great recruiting tool it has to be. I still say it beats playing a tourament in Syracuse. Especially when you win. No, I didn't ask him about the building plans.

Andy Noel a couple times mentioned that this is one of the best times ever for Cornell sports with back to back years of Cornell teams winning 7 followed by 7 Ivy championships, either unprcedented or rarely before matching in Cornell history.

Richie Moran is still part of the sports scene and he is still a bundle of energy. He's doing great things to develop Irish national lacrosse. He mentioned something I didn't know (I think he said this seriously, not tongue in cheek), that in the early 20th Century Ireland dropped emphasis on most any sport where the British also competed and now Ireland is trying to rebuild and create a new sports history. One of the things Lehman tells students among the seven things they should do while at Cornell is to spend an hour in the presence of sheer greatness. He was referring for instance to rare manuscripts in Olin Library (which now has the campus' hottest coffee bar - talk about branching out) but I think that can fairly be applied to someone like Moran and if he continues his current trajectory, Shafer.

[CUlater 89]

To continue the "on-topic" news, I went by Lynah during reunion, Saturday PM.  Three players were out front, pedaling on stationary bikes, enjoying the weather and flexing for women.  I wandered into the locker room.  The stereo was blasting some heavy metal music.  I haven't been in there since Schafer took over, so I immediately noticed that every locker had a trophy won by past Cornell teams above it (including the ones that had been on display in the hockey office in the past).  All needed shining however. I noticed that Knoepfli sits between Cam Abbott and Mark McCutcheon, both of whom I've heard are considered potential captains down the road.  Many of the players had memorabilia from their past teams in their lockers.

Construction at Schoellkopf House ins underway, with asbestos removal signs everywhere (although Terry Cullen was hosting a Sprint Football reception in his office).  Varsity football has temporarily relocated to the press box.

I heard that the freshman hockey class (now sophomores) is a very close group and will be working out together in Ithaca this summer.  Pegoraro is still in Schafer's doghouse (I didn't get a specific reason, although he screwed up Schafer's plan to get some offense from the third line this past season).  I heard about Mazz possibly leaving  Harvard (old news now), and that the money in juniors is very good (compares favorably with top college programs).

[billhoward]

[Q] To continue the "on-topic" news, I went by Lynah during reunion, Saturday PM.  Three players were out front, pedaling on stationary bikes, enjoying the weather and flexing for women.  [/q]

Saw them, too. They looked in pretty good shape. I hope the women were impressed; I was, and they're not even my type.

I guess nowadays there is no true off-season for hockey, only a time when there aren't any games scheduled. I wonder if anyone from the sixties or seventies recalls players doing serious conditioning year-round.

[Greg]

From talking to people of that era, the main conditioning at any point during the year consisted of the elbow bend.

[Rosey]

[Q]Greg Wrote:

 From talking to people of that era, the main conditioning at any point during the year consisted of the elbow bend.[/q]

You mean the aluminum curl? :-)

Cheers,
Kyle