More than 500 alumni will return to St. Bonaventure University this weekend (June 16-18) as the university hosts its annual Alumni Reunion Weekend.
More than 500 alumni will return to St. Bonaventure University this weekend (June 16-18) as the university hosts its annual Alumni Reunion Weekend.
While all alumni are welcome to attend the festivities, the weekend is a special celebration for graduating classes going back in five-year increments, from the Class of 2018 to the 50-year Class of 1973.
“Reunion is a homecoming celebration that holds a special place in the hearts of all Bonnies, and we’re thrilled to again be welcoming our alumni back to campus,” said Lindsay Retchless, director of alumni engagement at the university. “We look forward to reconnecting with familiar faces, forging new connections, hearing incredible stories, and creating new memories as we gather to make this reunion an unforgettable experience for all.”
Alumni will arrive on campus Friday. The afternoon will feature campus tours, school open houses and other programming, followed by anniversary dinners for the 25th and 50th anniversary year classes, and happy hours and food trucks for the enjoyment of other classes.
Friday’s special event will be “The Perfect Panel,” a roundtable discussion at 2 p.m. in the Quick Center for the Arts theater featuring members of the 1967-68 men’s basketball team, which went unbeaten in the regular season. It's open to the public but will also be broadcast on the university’s streaming channel.
Saturday is filled with events and activities including additional academic open houses, a university update presentation by St. Bonaventure President Dr. Jeff Gingerich, the 2023 Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony, campus talks, tours and presentations.
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is set for 10:30 a.m. in the Quick Center for the Arts and is open to the public. It will be broadcast on the university’s streaming channel. Learn more about the inductees here.
Following a 5 p.m. alumni Mass in the University Chapel, a Reunion Celebration in Reilly Center Arena will feature food and dessert stations, class photos, live music, and recognition of the 2023 Alumni of the year, 1968 graduate Marianne (Letro) Laine and Class of 1973 member Dan Collins. Learn more about the alumni of the year.
Saturday will close with a Bona Bash featuring live bands under a tent on campus.
The weekend concludes Sunday morning with a farewell breakfast in the university’s Hickey Dining Hall.
Other than the basketball panel Friday and the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Reunion Weekend events are open only to alumni of St. Bonaventure University and their guests.
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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. St. Bonaventure was named the #5 regional university value in the North in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 college rankings edition.