The curtain has closed on “Puttin’ on the ‘Berg,” Alumni Weekend 2017. Nearly 500 alumni and guests – the most in recent years -- returned to campus last weekend to experience “everything old is new again.”
“We had great participation from reunion classes and those who continue to come back year after year after year,” said Ashley Helmstetter, executive director of Alumni Engagement and Major Gifts. “We are always so happy to see them, but it warms my heart to welcome other alumni who are not in reunion classes returning in greater numbers each year.”
The Alumni Weekend of today is not like the Alumni Weekend of yesterday – although many of the long-standing and beloved traditions remain, Helmstetter said. “We have worked hard to create more opportunities for alumni to connect not only with their classmates but with their friends from other years, maybe those in athletics or Greek groups.”
And it seems there’s always a surprise in the making. This year, there were two: a fun and entertaining performance by Harold’s Warehouse, the classic rock band comprised of ’72 classmates (and one from ’73) and presentation of the Outstanding Alumni Award to outgoing Alumni Council President Kim Newman, MAE ’90.
Alumni Weekend kicked off Thursday night with the annual Heritage Society Dinner to recognize and thank donors who have remembered Heidelberg in their estate plans. This year, 12 new members received their Heritage Society pins. A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Trustee Distinguished Service Award to Sondra Gerhardt Libman, ’67, who concluded her tenure as board chair this weekend.
Friday, 24 members of the golden anniversary Class of 1967 were inducted into the Medallion Club and enjoyed musical entertainment by alumni twin sisters Brittany ’13 and Brianne (Cook) Avsec, ’13, MAC ’16.
Saturday’s luncheon was held under a large tent on the Campus Center lawn because Seiberling Gymnasium is closed for renovations. That was the perfect lead-in to remarks by President Rob Huntington.
“We love to create messes,” he said as he outlined the work being done in Seiberling as well as in Hoernemann Refectory and the rebuilding of the famed T-Bridge on Rebecca Street. All of the projects will add value and impact to the student experience.
“Number one on our agenda is to improve the academic experience,” Huntington said. “We are investing more in people to serve our students ever better and more successfully.”
To that end, he highlighted the success of ACCE – the Academic Comprehensive Campaign for Excellence – which has surpassed $55 million in cash, pledges and planned gifts over its five years to support faculty, infrastructure and facilities.
Huntington expressed delight and appreciation for the reunion giving efforts of the Class of ’67, who presented their 50th reunion check for more than $2.5 million to the university. The Class of ’62 presented their reunion giving check of more than $400,000 to add to their 50th reunion gift, and the class of '57 did the same, in the amount of $62,000.
Heidelberg presented alumni awards to an awesome group of individuals and one family. In addition to Kim Newman, this year’s award recipients were: Rebecca (Denton) Shope, ‘03, the Young Alumni Achievement Award; Ken Fruscella, ’84, the Service Award; Barbara Cliffe-Miller, ’81, the Career Excellence Award; and the Leiner-Bage Family, the Legacy Family Award.