Williams ’70 50th Reunion

June 10-14, 2020     

Pre-Reunion Special Events

Reconnecting with Classmates

Help Wanted! Reunion, Events, Website

If you’ve decided to attend Reunion:

Dates:  Williams ’70’s 50th Reunion will be held June 10-14, 2020, in Williamstown, MA 01267.  See additional details immediately below this November, 2018 Reunion Update.

 

 

Update1
Reunion Update (November 2018) – Reunion Costs;   Spouse & Partner Outreach.

• Reunion Costs:  You Won’t Pay for My Drinks!
  

Based on your feedback and concerns, and thanks to the generosity of several classmates, all alcoholic beverages at our 50^th reunion will be privately funded. 

In other words, none of the reunion fees paid by you to cover our reunion costs will go towards alcohol.  

• New Spouse and Partner Outreach Committee Formed;  December 2018 Survey Planned
  

We also have established a Spouse and Partner Outreach Committee involving Kathy McCurdy ([email protected]) and Helen Moriyama ([email protected]).  

The purpose of this committee is to welcome and include spouses and partners in our reunion.  To that end, we will be surveying spouses and partners in early December about activities and events that would be of particular interest to this important group.  As always, we want our reunion to be inclusive and family friendly. 

details2

Reunion Details – Continued

June 10-14, 2020, is the weekend after Commencement (student graduation) weekend.  All of the ‘5 and ’10 Reunion classes also will attend. However, in 2020 we, Class of ’70, lead the Reunion march, and are first in the hearts of Williams alumni, faculty, staff and friends!  (This is to ensure that the march proceeds at a slow and steady pace….)

Description:  The 50th Reunion is a multi-day celebration for classmates, spouses and partners. The reunion includes faculty lectures, classmate-led seminars, festive meals, special entertainment, and the traditional alumni parade led by the 50th class.  In addition to formal events, half the fun at the Reunion involves informal visits, good conversation, and exploration of Williams and its surroundings.

There will also be bike riding, hikes, and excursions to local cultural venues of interest. We intend to make our reunion meaningful, enjoyable, and inclusive in addition to providing a variety of events that address the interests of all participants.

Events, Meals:  We’ll enjoy events and meals in campus venues both historic and new. 

Housing:  We’ll be headquartered in the Center for Development Economics (CDE) at the corner of Main and South Streets (former St. Anthony Hall). The CDE is a magnificent facility that presently is undergoing a multi-year renovation.  (Don’t worry:  It’ll be completed before 2020.)

Dorms, Hotels: Classmates who are interested in staying on-campus in a dorm room will have that option.  We’ll also secure room blocks in nearby hotels so you can make your plans early.

Cost and Other Information: The College substantially subsidizes the total cost of the event.   Additional information on costs and other items will be available and added to this web site as we get closer to the event, so please check back to this page periodically.  We will also send email blasts with details, and simultaneously update this page.

Updates, New Information, New Articles.  This page will be updated periodically as Reunion planning and pre-reunion events are organized.  Please also visit our News and Events page and this page often for new events and updated information.

50th Reunion Organization: Here is a contact list of all those involved in the Reunion organization.  Frequent contacts are:

50th Reunion Chair:  Halley Moriyama – [email protected]

Attending Reunion – Planning and Commitment List – Don Berens – [email protected].  If you plan to attend the 50th reunion, please let Don Berens know as he is keeping a tally for planning purposes. 

Reunion Web Site WebMaster – Ray Kimball – [email protected]

Please contact anyone on the contact list if you have any questions concerning the reunion or any reunion-related event.  Also, if you would like to help in planning and organizing the reunion, please contact the appropriate committee chair, or 

Reunion planning began right after our 45^th Reunion.  There will be many events taking place as a run up to our 50^th Reunion, including the Presidential Forum in 2018 and the Williams in Oxford trip in 2019.   As details unfold, they will be announced on the Upcoming Events page and also in the Reunion Details page. If you have any questions about the reunion or wish to help in the reunion planning, please contact Halley Moriyama, 50^th Reunion Chair at [email protected].

Learn below about the details of our 50^th reunion,  and see our News and Events page for planned events running up to the reunion.   

Help Wanted:  We also are looking for assistance with our big, interactive web site, and with reunion activities and events.  See our”’70 Help Wanted” Post, where you can respond or post a “Help Wanted” ad of your own, or contact [email protected] or [email protected] for details.

Let Us Know You’ll Be Attending 50th Reunion.  If you’ve already decided to attend the 50th reunion, please let Don Berens know ([email protected]) as he is keeping a tally for planning purposes.  Of course, formal registration will occur closer to the event when the College and Lou Buck send out the Reunion registration form(s), details TBA probably in 2019.

Reunion Suggestions?  Requests?  Contact [email protected] or see this website’s Forum Section where you can make suggestions and communicate with the various planning committees.

Why Attend?  Well, We Did a Survey

Why do alumni attend 50^th reunions?  The Class of ’67 took post-reunion survey of attendees immediately following their reunion of 130 classmates plus about 170 spouses, “significant others,” and friends.  

There seem to be two primary reasons to attend the 50th reunion:

1. Reconnect with classmates you know;
2. Reconnect with classmates you don’t know well but might like to see again.

There are other reasons, too –

3. reconnecting with the College,
4. visiting Williamstown, Mass., Vermont, New Hampshire, and/or Boston with your spouse or significant other on a nice June weekend in the Berkshires. 

Reconnecting with classmates you know and want to see are the two most important reasons alumni come to reunions.

In response, our Class has created a special “Reconnect By…” section, making it easier to find and interact with your classmates again.