Princeton Alumni Weekly | The Weekly Blog: Alumni News Archives

May 28, 2011

Princeton Reunions photos: Class of 2011

Our second gallery of P-rade photos from photographer John O’Neill ’13 features the event’s finale as the Class of 2011 makes its dash onto Poe Field (and into alumni-hood).

Send your short video clips and must-see photos from Reunions to pawvideo@princeton.edu. Your photos may appear in the July 7 issue of PAW or at PAW Online.

(Click any image to view as a slide show.)

May 28, 2011

Princeton Reunions photos: Class of 1986

Our first gallery of P-rade photos from photographer John O’Neill ’13 captures the Class of 1986 as it led the procession down Elm Drive in celebration of its 25th reunion.

Send your short video clips and must-see photos from Reunions to pawvideo@princeton.edu. Your photos may appear in the July 7 issue of PAW or at PAW Online.

(Click any image to view as a slide show.)

May 27, 2011

EcoReps aim for a cleaner, greener Reunions

EcoReps at Reunions 2010. (Courtesy EcoReps)

Decked out in neon green T-shirts and carrying placards to match, the handful of undergraduate EcoReps roving around the P-rade last year did not exactly blend into the crowd – and that was the point. By drawing attention, they were able to spread the word about their goal of increasing recycling at Reunions tents and along the P-rade route.

“We’re not crashing the party,” EcoReps leader Jennifer Yeh ’12 insisted, with a laugh, when she talked about the glowing shirts and signs. The students work closely with the University’s Office of Sustainability throughout the year, and reducing and recycling waste has been a primary focus of their efforts.

Continue reading EcoReps aim for a cleaner, greener Reunions…

May 26, 2011

UPDATE: The road to Reunions, 540 miles by bicycle

Don Carey '51, left, and Dennis Markatos-Soriano *08 on the East Coast Greenway May 26. Carey and his wife, Barbara, completed their 540-mile ride to Reunions. (Brett Tomlinson/PAW)

In the 2011 Reunions Guide, we told the story of Don Carey ’51 and his wife, Barbara, who were planning to ride their bikes from New Hampshire to Princeton for Reunions in May. This afternoon, just after 2 p.m., the Careys were all smiles when they arrived on campus with a few riding friends: Margaret McGlynn ’86 and her husband, Stoney Emshwiller, who flew in from California and rode to campus from New Brunswick, N.J.; Dennis Markatos-Soriano *08, executive director of the East Coast Greenway Alliance; and Andrew Besold, an East Coast Greenway volunteer.

The Careys averaged about 40 miles per day on their trip, which included a well-timed break to visit their daughter’s family in New York City. By stopping in New York, they ducked a stretch of rainy weather and made the final three days of their journey under mostly clear skies.

Below, more photos from today’s ride. (Click images to see captions and view as a slide show.)

May 26, 2011

Class of '76 service initiative finds its niche

When the Class of 1976 sponsored its first service-themed event in 2006 – a Reunions colloquium titled “Passion to Profession” – more than 100 people participated. According to Illa Brown ’76, the strong attendance and excitement in the room made organizers believe there was a chance to build on the class’s interest.

Brown and Mimi Murley ’76, with backing from classmates, founded Spirit of Service ’76, an initiative that has evolved and grown in the past five years, finding a niche in the areas of environmental and social entrepreneurship. Projects include a speaker series and a green business plan competition for undergraduates. Last year, Spirit of Service ’76 earned the Alumni Council Award for Community Service.

The project draws at least 90 volunteers and donors from the class each year, and according to Murley, the group’s neutrality has played a role in its broad appeal. “Though we may differ in our approaches, these issues affect us all and the future of our children,” she explained. “In an interesting way I also see it as an outgrowth of our stewardship and deepening compassion.”

Continue reading Class of '76 service initiative finds its niche…

May 25, 2011

Things to see and do: Reunions exhibits and performances

During Reunions, the Princeton University Art Museum continues its three-month exhibition of sculptures, collages, and other assemblages from German avant-garde artist Kurt Schwitters. It is the first overview of his work in the United States since his retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in 1985.

The Art Museum also features three exhibitions drawn largely from University collections: “The Tōkaidō Road: 19th- and 20th-Century Journeys through Japanese Prints”; “Lasting Impressions of the Grand Tour: Giuseppe Vasi’s Rome”; and “When Men and Mountains Meet: China as Land and People.”

A selection of visual works by students in the Lewis Center for the Arts are on display at two sites: the Lucas Gallery (185 Nassau Street) and the James S. Hall Memorial Gallery (Butler College, lower level between Building A and Bogle Hall).

Continue reading Things to see and do: Reunions exhibits and performances…

May 23, 2011

Society of the Claw: An honor revived

When Adam Sorensen ’01 began researching past traditions for the Alumni Council’s Committee on Reunions (COR), he hoped to find a link to the deep history and customs of Princeton that he so admired.

An example of the original gold-mounted tiger claw, left, and the new Society of the Claw pin. (Photos courtesy Adam Sorensen '01)

Sorensen, who has chaired the COR since fall 2008, was reading William Selden ’34’s book Going Back: The Uniqueness of Reunions and P-rades at Princeton University when he found just what he had in mind: the Society of the Claw, an organization tied to Reunions but lost over time.

Founded by the Class of 1894 around 1912, the Society of the Claw had a short but notable life. Members, who pledged to attend Reunions for one year, five years, or for their lifetimes, received a gold-mounted tiger’s claw (1,000 genuine tiger claws were imported from India) and certificate. Some high-profile honoraries (including Andrew Carnegie and Woodrow Wilson 1879) also were elected to the society for “rendering exceptional service to Princeton.”

Continue reading Society of the Claw: An honor revived…

May 20, 2011

Reunions 2011: Memorable costumes from the last five years

In preparation for Reunions 2011, The Weekly Blog combed through PAW’s photo archives for some of our favorite P-rade gear in recent years. If you can think of a memorable costume that is missing from our list, add it below in the comments.

	2006: The Class of 1991 – Paw’m Beach The rainy weather at Reunions meant that ’91’s floppy hats spent more time shedding showers than blocking rays, but the class’s bright colors provided a summertime splash on a gray May weekend.
	2007: The Class of 1987 – Planet ’87, Paws in Space Blasting off in orange-and-black jumpsuits, complete with mission patches, the class celebrated Reunions in style – and drew record numbers for a 20th reunion.
	2008: The Class of 1963 - Viva Princeton Most classes limit their adornments after the 25th reunion, but ’63’s Elvis capes, sideburns, and glasses were welcome additions for this 45th-reunion contingent.
	2009: The Class of 2004 – ’04 Pleads the Fifth Taking the leap from tiger stripes to prison stripes, the fifth-reunion class made a cameo on Princeton’s most-wanted list.
	2010: The Class of 1990 – Keepin’ it Rio at Old Nassau The 20th reunion’s Brazilian Carnival theme featured festive feathers and a healthy dose of samba. Photos: Beverly Schaefer (2006, 2009); Frank Wojchiechowski (2007); Brett Tomlinson (2008); Katherine Federici Greenwood (2010).

May 16, 2011

Goin' back, by bicycle

Don Carey '51 and his wife, Barbara. (Courtesy Don Carey '51)

Don Carey ’51 and his wife, Barbara, were not outdoors enthusiasts until they moved to New Hampshire in the early 1970s. But in the last 40 years, they’ve more than made up for lost time.

The Careys discovered a healthy appetite for adventure, climbing all of the 4,000-foot peaks in New England, hiking trails in England and Africa, running the New York City Marathon together at age 70, and biking back to Princeton Reunions three times, most recently in 2001.

The first three rides to Old Nassau drew little fanfare, but when the couple decided to make the trip again this year, the East Coast Greenway Alliance invited all alumni to follow their example. “I guess when you get to be 81 or 82,” Carey said, “people pay more attention.”

It also helps to have an alumni connection: Dennis Markatos-Soriano *08, who studied climate and energy policy at the Woodrow Wilson School, is the executive director of the East Coast Greenway Alliance, which is working develop a trail system that links the major cities of the eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida.

Markatos-Soriano said that the group encourages people to think of cycling “not only as recreation, but transportation as well.” Longer trips like the journey from New Hampshire to Princeton can help to raise awareness of other cycling options, like biking to work.

The idea of a reunion-themed cycling initiative seems to be generating some interest, said Markatos-Soriano, who plans to ride with a small group of cyclists from New Brunswick, N.J., to Princeton on May 26. “As an alum, I’d love for Princeton to be a pioneer,” he said.

Continue reading Goin' back, by bicycle…

May 13, 2011

Inside Princeton's closet of stripes, patterns, and plaids

Bob Rodgers '56 has been working to add jackets to the Princetoniana Committee's collection. (Brett Tomlinson/PAW)

In a Princeton warehouse just across Route 1, behind a doorway marked “Do Not Enter,” a trove of Reunions garb compresses a full P-rade of colors into two neatly arranged coat racks. Stripes, plaids, patterns, and logos represent classes that span more than a century, from 1904’s Reunions blazer to 2010’s beer jacket. It is the archival equivalent of that closet space alumni reserve for their favorite orange-and-black gear.

The collection, managed by Bob Rodgers ’56 and the Alumni Council’s Princetoniana Committee, includes blazers and jackets from nearly 50 classes and the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni. The committee also draws on the personal collection of Kirk Unruh ’70, the University’s recording secretary, to produce an annual exhibit of Reunions costumes in display cases on the 100 level of Frist Campus Center.

This year, John Wriedt ’85, a local architect and Princetoniana fan, is designing the Reunions exhibit. He plans to spotlight some of the collection’s beer jackets, from the days when designs were stenciled on the backs of plain white denim coats. The designs are quite clever, Wriedt says, but “the stories behind the stencil are often very interesting as well.”

Continue reading Inside Princeton's closet of stripes, patterns, and plaids…

May 12, 2011

Remembering Charles McPhee '85

Earlier this week, the Princeton Alumni Weekly received news that Charles McPhee ’85, the syndicated radio host known as “The Dream Doctor,” had died at age 49, after a five-year battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease). Memorial services will be held May 21 in McPhee’s hometown, Potomac, Md.

PAW readers who did not know McPhee personally may remember his story from two items in the magazine: a 2005 profile, in which he explained the Princeton roots of his interest in “dreamology”; and an essay he wrote two years later, shortly after being diagnosed with ALS. In the latter, McPhee began by recalling a troubling dream about going blind, recounted the difficult emotions that accompanied his diagnosis, and finished with a touching, hopeful passage about the future:

“Despite this grim prognosis, the tidal waves of emotion and panic that first accompanied my diagnosis have retreated. Today I am buoyed along in the currents of a quick-moving river; as they say, you’re never more alive than when you’re standing next to death. I realize I have entered a new community — the vast legions of people living with illness, cancer and other bad diagnoses — and I am hardly alone. Most dramatic is my liberation from the illusion of time — that there always will be more time to see a friend, to repair a marriage, to spend with a child, to develop a hobby, or to concentrate on one’s spiritual life. There will not always be more time, even for those who are healthy. I have learned that in death’s mirror, the magic and beauty of life truly are illuminated. My days are rich and full, spent with family, friends, and colleagues. I am still working, but yesterday I bought my daughter a training tricycle a few months early. Her long legs can’t touch the pedals yet, but they will soon. It feels good not to be blind.”

Click here to read the rest of McPhee’s essay at PAW Online.

May 11, 2011

Where are we? PAW's May 11 photo contest

The “Where are we?” contest returns to test your knowledge of campus architecture. Through July, The Weekly Blog will post a new contest on the publication date of each printed edition of the Princeton Alumni Weekly.

Today’s image features a common sight (bicycle racks) near the entrance to a relatively new addition to the campus. Where are we? Post your answer on PAW’s Facebook page or e-mail it to PAW. The first correct response will earn a Princeton-themed prize. (Past winners are not eligible for the prize.)

Update: Melissa Campbell ’05 and Osei Kwakye ’09 correctly identified the Friend Center. Melissa was the first to respond, so she wins our prize. Check below for the full image.

Continue reading Where are we? PAW's May 11 photo contest…

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