Friday, June 10, 2016

50th Reunion of the Class of 1966, Seattle Pacific College/University

 When I was a student at Seattle Pacific, it was a college, SPC, but now it is a university, SPU.  Although I still live near the same city where I went to college, I have had very little contact with my alma mater. I ignored the announcement of our 50th class reunion because I didn't really know anyone any more and didn't care to push myself to go. 

Then I heard from my college roommate, Joyce, with whom I roomed my junior and senior year. She was coming and wanted to get together. I had rediscovered Joyce a few years ago through the internet and had reached out to her via email. We got together a short time later when she visited Seattle from her home near Phoenix. 

Well, because she was coming, we arranged for me to pick her up at the airport on Thursday morning and we spent much of the day together.  That was yesterday. We had a lovely time together catching up. And I consented to attending the morning activities of the reunion on Friday morning. 

The program called for the members of the class of 1966 to be the honored guests at the traditional ivy cutting ceremony for this year's graduating class. Here we are, Joyce and I, along with fellow classmates.  

The professorial procession is always so colorful. 
 The new graduates ringed the "loop" in the center of the old campus and held a continuous strand if ivy, while dignitaries came along and snipped off a piece for each one.

Joyce and I remembered our ivy cutting as not being nearly so grand as today's was. 
Out of our class of about 360, there were only about 35 of us present. We posed on the steps of historic Peterson Hall for our photo. Tom was my camera man. 
All in all it was a good experience and I'm glad I made myself go. These are occasions that should be honored. 

Before lunch was served we slipped away. I had talked to anyone I could possibly remember, and Tom and I had a date up north in Everett. There was a garden art show to go to. 

That will be another post. 

17 comments:

  1. I'm glad it worked out for you to go! What fun!

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  2. Looks like a lovely occasion. I've never attended any of my class reunions. I've not really stayed in touch with any classmates. Also, I'm quite shy and find it somewhat painful to try to make small talk with folks I don't know well. How nice that your roommate was there to share this experience with you.

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  3. I also usually avoid these kinds of events but it is true, as you say here, that they can sometimes turn out to be meaningful experiences and worth the effort to attend. Very nice photos. By the way, I have been meaning to mention that I love your header photo at the top of your blog - wow!

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  4. I love the picture of the two of you looking very springy. What a nice thing to do! Glad you went and shared the experience with me. :-)

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  5. I love your jacket. Did you make that? It's beautiful!
    I just got the invitation to my 50th high school reunion. Zero interest in going. I went to one and found it excruciating.

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    1. Thanks for noticing my jacket! I did make it, and it was quite an accomplishment. It is the product of a one hour session I attended on how to make a quilted jacket over a sweatshirt. I bought the book, and fabric to go with the shell patterned material I had sitting in my project box. I cut and pieced and designed and included machine embroidery of shells using matching colors. I had fun but also sweated through the project, hoping when I finished that it would actually fit. I quilted to the sweatshirt lining with stitching in the ditch, for those of you who quilt. Then I used the scraps to make a the matching handbag.

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    2. I used to do a lot of sewing (clothing for me and my son, and theatrical costuming), and I noticed that jacket and matching handbag. That is quite an achievement. Well done, Linda!

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  6. Look at you! How cute! and you still have those dimples. Glad you decided to go. Our class reunion was last Saturday. I backed out and did not go. I love what you are wearing, in the picture with Joyce. It is very pretty.

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  7. its always good to celebrate your accomplishments in life! and get together with old chums...lol!

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  8. Reunions are not my thing. I missed my 50th high school reunion a few years ago because I'd just returned from a trip to Texas and was not interested enough to fly back to Texas for a high school reunion. You look great so you did a good job of being out of your comfort zone.

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  9. Good for you! I always avoid large gatherings when possible:)

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  10. So glad you went. I hate large groups too and I found the whole thing stressful yet I was so happy I went. There is something so special about that shared experience whether you remember the other attendees fondly or not.

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  11. I am glad you went. a once in a lifetime event.
    MB

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  12. How nice that you ended up going and even enjoying it. Sometimes I think bloggers are,by and large, introverts and dislike large gatherings. That jacket you made with matching bag? From someone who cannot sew.... amazing.

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  13. It's a pleasant surprise when you enjoy something that you weren't enthusiastic about.

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  14. I enjoyed my 50th class reunion, but it was high school not college. One classmate flew from Australia. I had known her since elementary school. So nice to see friends from long ago.

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  15. I'll join the chorus of praise for your beautiful jacket! Well done and good for you for making yourself go!

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