Trinity College’s Reunion Weekend saw more than 1,000 alumni and their families return to Hartford June 6–9 to spend time ’neath the elms. Through a tremendous shared effort by staff and alumni volunteers, Trinity was transformed into a center of activity for alumni from the classes ending in 4s and 9s and their families.
A festive white tent on the Main Quad served as a gathering place all weekend. Campus was abuzz with the sounds of alumni reuniting with old friends, playing lawn games, and enjoying countless activities and get-togethers centered on reconnecting with fellow Bantams.
From young alumni of the Class of 2014 to seasoned Reunion attendees from the Class of 1954, all enjoyed class events and all-Reunion festivities, including the Saturday night dance party. Each class had its own slate of activities, including visits to the Wadsworth Atheneum and bar trivia in Vernon Social. In addition, alumni were able to mingle with Bantams of different generations at events including the LGBTQ+ and Friends Reception, the Alumni Row and 50th Henley Anniversary Celebration at the Trinity Boathouse, and “A Conversation with the President,” featuring Trinity President Joanne Berger-Sweeney and Eric Estes ’91, the incoming president of the newly renamed Trinity College Alumni Association.
A special event this year, a panel discussion titled “The Dangers of Fake News: How to Detect It and How to Debunk It,” included three distinguished alumni and one Trinity parent from the journalism industry. Bill Marimow ’69, vice president of strategic development for The Philadelphia Inquirer; Steve Chawkins ’69, retired newspaper reporter, columnist, and editor; Andrew Julien P’19, vice president and editor of The Hartford Courant; and Helen Ubiñas M’09, columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, addressed current issues surrounding journalism from a variety of perspectives. The panel shared fake news stories from the hilarious to the horrendous, and Marimow, the panel moderator and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, cautioned the audience to “read broadly, read deeply, and read skeptically.”
The Half-Century Club celebrations marked the enduring commitment that alumni celebrating their 50th Reunion have to one another and to Trinity. The Class of 1969 raised more than $2.5 million for the college and exceeded Reunion records for yearbook submissions, sharing their stories of life since graduating from Trinity. The Class of 1969 also set a new record for 50th Reunion attendance with 93 classmates registered and on campus.
Attendees shared a proud moment by honoring several outstanding alumni at Reunion Convocation, where together they celebrated the incredible impact their peers have had on their alma mater and on the world.
Alumni honorees were:
The Eigenbrodt Cup
Michael D. Loberg ’69, P’00
Paul E. Raether ’68 Alumni Achievement Award
Erik Bloomquist ’14
Alumni Medal for Excellence
Donna F. Haghighat ’89
Frank Kirkpatrick ’64
Douglas M. Macdonald ’89
Danae Goldberg McKenzie ’09
The Gary McQuaid Award
Rhoden Monrose ’09
The Kathleen O’Connor Boelhouwer ’85 Alumni Initiative Award
Crisanne M. Colgan M’74
Outstanding Class Secretary Award
Alden R. Gordon ’69
To read more about each of the honorees, click here. Each award winner has had an impressive trajectory following graduation—and, as Berger-Sweeney noted, “Those individuals stand as symbols of the amazing achievements and vitality of the entire Trinity Family.”
With the attendant celebration, reconnection, and reminiscing, Reunion was once again a reminder of the lasting power of connections made at Trinity College and the impressive accomplishments of its alumni.
See the Reunion 2019 photos on Flickr here.
