Despite a damp start to the weekend, the weather cleared for a picture-perfect Saturday as approximately 1,350 alumni and their families came to campus to celebrate their reunions during Alumni Weekend 2017, May 26 to 28. Highlights included the annual Parade of Classes, Alumni Collection in the Scott Outdoor Amphitheater featuring news executive Barbara Stubbs Cochran ’67, and a state of the College update from President Valerie Smith, accompanied by a screening of the Changing Lives, Changing the World short film.

During Collection, Alumni Council presented special awards to recognize alumni for their service to the College, their communities, and their fields. This year’s honorees were Stephen Lloyd ’57, winner of the Joseph B. Shane Alumni Service Award; Panayiotis Andreou Ellinas ’87, who received the Arabella Carter Community Service Award; and Kathleen Malley-Morrison ’62, winner of the Eugene Lang ’38 Impact Award.

Throughout the weekend, alumni gathered for lively discussions, faculty lectures, and performances. Of particular note were two informative sessions on sustainability, one hosted by the Office of Sustainability and the other, "Moving Beyond Confrontation to Consensus," sponsored by the Class of '67. On Friday night, Assistant Professor of Linguistics Jamie Thomas spoke on the shifting language of identity while the Classes of 1967, 1977, and 1982 enjoyed musical performances by their classmates. Saturday began with opportunities for alumni to learn more about alumni affinity networks and ended with the All-Alumni Parrish Beach Party, featuring DJ Alan Sama ’97.