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October 2004
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| ALUMNI
NEWS
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Alumni Reconnect, Celebrate Another Successful Homecoming & Reunion Weekend
The
weekend of events had many highlights, but one of the toppers was definitely
the Silent Auction at the All-Alumni Gala at the Grand Hyatt on Saturday
night, Oct. 16. More than 30 auction items – most of which were
successfully requested by and donated to the Student Alumni Association
(SAA) - were sold, raising $3,195 toward the Alumni Scholarship Fund and
future activities of the SAA. Among the items up for grabs: tickets for
several local theatre, opera and the ballet performances; signed copies
of several books by alumni authors; a spa day; basketballs “The students worked really hard on this project and did a first-class job,” says Laura Swanstom Reece, CAS/MA ’02, assistant director of Alumni Programs. “Their goal was to raise $3,000, and they surpassed it. I am so proud of all the Student Alumni Association members. Part of the funds raised will allow them to create marketing materials, host new events with students and alumni, and send members to an important annual conference."
The School of Communication held a new event this year, called “Back to Class,” which enabled alumni to see some of their favorite professors while taking mini-classes focused on several hot topics of today. Nearly 40 alumni participated in the classes, and SOC Dean Larry Kirkman hosted a wine and cheese reception afterwards so everyone could catch up some more outside of the classroom. “The alums were really excited to be able to reconnect with some of their favorite professors and learn something new,” said Christi Boyes, assistant director of development for SOC.
“I thought both acceptance speeches were great,” said Colleen Lenaghan, CAS/BA ’04, now a current student at the Washington College of Law. “It was so inspirational to hear how they directly attributed their success in life to their experiences at AU.” After the awards ceremony and four-course catered dinner, comedian Mo Rocca entertained the crowd with jokes about presidents and their pets, and the musical group Mixed Company kept some enthusiastic alums busy on the dance floor. For those who agree it’s never too early to start planning for next year, Homecoming & Reunion 2005 is scheduled for October 21-23. Mark your calendar and remind your friends of the old phrase that rings so true: “the more the merrier!”
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“We
are very proud we had more than 950 alumni come back this year for the
weekend’s events,” says Vanessa Yost, director of Alumni Programs.
This number breaks last year's - and all previous Homecoming & Reunion
attendance records, says Yost, who has now planned four successful consecutive
Homecoming weekends at AU. 
autographed
by the 2004 men's and women's teams; and gift certificates for dinner
at a variety of D.C. area restaurants, including Lebanese Taverna, Cafe
Deluxe, and Maggianos. The highest bid was a tie between two nights at
the Ritz Carlton, Washington, D.C., and two Spirit Airline Tickets. Each
went to two lucky alumni bidders for $400. 
Other
highlights of the weekend included a 5k race around campus run by several
hundred early-rising faculty, staff, students, and alumni; a family barbecue
started off with a Homecoming Parade led by President and Mrs. Ladner;
and two interesting panels - one on the upcoming presidential election
featuring AU faculty; and another led by best-selling alumni authors Mike
Carroll, SPA/BA ’94, and Jamie Morris, CAS/BA ’96
(shown with Librarian Patricia Wand).
The
All-Alumni Gala was the centerpiece of the weekend, with more than 350
attendees. Dr. Ladner and Alumni Board President Carey Earle,
SOC/BA ’88 (pictured right), presented alumni awards to