{"id":213609,"date":"2023-10-20T15:33:19","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T19:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/?page_id=213609"},"modified":"2024-01-04T14:29:08","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T19:29:08","slug":"class-of-1973-reunion-recap","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/class-of-1973-reunion-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"Class of 1973 Reunion Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"

There was a sense of great excitement and joy for the alumni who returned to campus to celebrate their 50th reunion on May 23 and 24 of 2023.<\/p>\n

For Joan Marchese \u201873, reunion was both wonderful and rewarding. She shared, \u201cThere were smiles all among us throughout the day as we reconnected with old friends and some classmates that we had never met. Exchanging stories and memories of experiences brought back fond memories of our years at Montclair. I am so happy to have participated in this memorable event. I strongly urge every alum to attend.\u201d<\/p>\n

In celebration of the milestone anniversary, members of the class of 1973 were invited to the University\u2019s 2023 Commencement Ceremony held at Prudential Center on Tuesday, May 23,\u00a0 and came back to campus the following day for activities to reconnect with former classmates, fellow alumni and their alma mater.<\/p>\n

糖心vlog\u2019s commencement for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Nursing, University College, on May 20, 2023.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reunion celebrants had the honor of leading the procession during the Commencement Ceremony. Members of the class of 1973 donned graduation attire and special reunion regalia signifying the 50th anniversary or their graduation.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing honored in our caps and gowns was a truly amazing experience and one that doesn\u2019t happen often. Leading the procession and being applauded by an entire stadium of 糖心vlog families and supporters was just thrilling,\u201d said Alicia Silvestri \u201873.<\/p>\n

Members from the class of 1973 gathered ahead of the ceremony in the Press Room at Prudential Center for a special lunch and visit from President Jonathan Koppell and, of course, Rocky, the Red Hawk!<\/p>\n

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糖心vlog held Commencement exercises for 5,386 graduates \u2013 many of whom are first-generation graduates. The group was seated in the front section at the Prudential Center to cheer on the newest alumni from the Class of 2023. \u201cAttending the Commencement ceremony was such a joy \u2013 and, I led the procession into the stadium!,\u201d reflected Brenda Giman \u201873.<\/p>\n

Reconnecting with Campus<\/h3>\n

The reunion festivities were sponsored by the Office of Alumni Engagement and participants enjoyed a number of activities, including time for coffee and conversation, reunion luncheon, class photo and shuttle tour of campus led by students.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were thrilled to welcome the class of 1973 back to campus to share this very special celebration and to provide the opportunity to reconnect in person with each other and the university,\u201d says Jeanne Marano, assistant vice president for Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement. \u201cAlumni got to see the amazing changes at their alma mater, and it was wonderful to hear their stories of their time at Montclair.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Wednesday itinerary also included an alumni gathering on the Montclair campus for coffee and conversation, hosted by the Office of Gift Planning, where they reflected on Montclair\u2019s past and its transformation and heard about the University\u2019s future from President Jonathan Koppell.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was very impressed with President Koppell when he came to speak with us at the start of the day\u2019s festivities. I was just amazed with him, and it was a highlight for me to hear his vision for the future of the University and for its students,\u201d said Alicia Silvestri \u201873<\/p>\n

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A highlight for many from the class of 1973 was the tour of campus. Rosemary Webb from the class of \u201873 was on the Montclair campus about 10-15 years ago for a graduate information session. Even in that smaller window of time, she couldn\u2019t believe the amazing changes to campus. As she sat on the tour bus with several classmates, all from different majors, they shared memories from their time as students in the early 70\u2019s, comparing notes on what they recognized, and what was now new in 2023.<\/p>\n

As part of the luncheon program, guests shared a memory from their time as students. Many talked about how Montclair shaped their lives and made an impact that lasted a lifetime. For Brenda Giman \u201873 connection was key. She shared, \u201cIt was special seeing a few old friends and making some new friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a memorable time for many, especially those who were able to attend events across both days. Alicia Silvestri \u201873 added, \u201cEvery detail of the two-day event made me feel like I was a VIP. Kudos to the team for making this such a memorable experience. Sharing memories and looking ahead, reconnecting with old classmates and connecting with new ones – our 50th reunion was a wonderful experience in every way. It really reinforced my connection to 糖心vlog.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Class of 1958<\/h3>\n

In addition, the Class of 1958, joined in the luncheon to celebrate their 65th Reunion. Members of the class included remarks from Maryann Doherty \u201958, who helped plan her class’s 50th reunion, 15 years prior. Members from the class included Ana M. Di Chiara \u201858, Dennis Mamchar \u201858, and Araksy Polo \u201858. They were happy to partake in the day’s activities and to be back on campus for their next reunion celebration.<\/p>\n

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Reunion Reflections<\/h3>\n

When asked about her overall experience, Rosemary Webb \u201873 said, \u201cI would definitely recommend attending reunion! Between seeing the crowds at Commencement, listening to the well-spoken and personable new President, and enjoying the tour – It was an all-around positive experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Susan Wildorf \u201873, a 50 year reunion at 糖心vlog is not to be missed. \u201cSpeaking as an alumna of the Class of 1973, I can proudly say we were all treated with the utmost care and respect. It is an experience I will treasure always.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank you to all members from the class of 1973 who came back to their alma mater to celebrate their 50th reunion! A special thank you as well to those from the Class of 1958 who joined in to celebrate their 65th reunion.<\/p>\n

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View photos from the reunion celebrations.<\/a><\/p>\n

Class of 1973 Reunion Committee<\/strong><\/p>\n

Brenda Miller Giman<\/p>\n

Beverly Scott-Bradley Goss<\/p>\n

Joan Marchese<\/p>\n

Alicia Silvestri<\/p>\n

Jim Wassel<\/p>\n

Class of 1958 Reunion Committee<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maryann Doherty \u201958<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There was a sense of great excitement and joy for the alumni who returned to campus to celebrate their 50th reunion on May 23 and 24 of 2023. For Joan Marchese \u201873, reunion was both wonderful and rewarding. She shared, \u201cThere were smiles all among us throughout the day as we reconnected with old friends […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":326,"featured_media":211847,"parent":0,"menu_order":19,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-213609","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/213609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/326"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213609"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/213609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":213936,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/213609\/revisions\/213936"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/211847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}