Last weekend, approximately 5,000 alumni and their families returned to Homewood for Alumni Weekend. A multitude of events were planned over the course of the weekend to bring together members of various graduated classes in an effort to evoke memories of their time at Hopkins.
Many different drivers motivated alumni to register for the weekend’s festivities.
“This was the third Alumni Weekend that I have attended,” Graham Ellis, a member of the Class of 2010, wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “I attended this year, like the others, primarily to see old friends.”
“I came back primarily to ... meet with my former advisor Dr. Matt Crenson, participate in the Hopkins Rugby alumni match and congregate at the chapter house of my fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi,” Daniel Teran, also a member of the Class of 2010, wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
On Friday afternoon, tours of the JHU Press, MSE Library, Brody Commons and Gilman Hall were offered in order to acquaint graduates with facilities on campus that have undergone renovation in recent years.
The evening continued with Rum and Reminisce, a rum tasting event held in Levering Hall. Franklin Knight, a Hopkins professor and rum connoisseur, imparted to attendees a bit of his expertise. The Blue Jay Bull and Oyster Roast followed, boasting quintessential Maryland delicacies, such as pit beef, oysters and cocktails. A trip to four different pubs in Fells Point was held for the 5- and ten-year reunion classes.
The Young Alumni Tent is annually located in the Bloomberg Courtyard, offering recent graduates the opportunity to reconnect with old friends over music, food and cocktails.
“I stopped by the Alumni Tent outside of Bloomberg, which was a good show, but I always feel somehow insulted at being charged admission,” Ellis wrote.
“To echo the sentiments of Mr. Ellis, I think it’s a crime that they charge esteemed alumni, who they rely on to fund the future growth of the university, to enter a tent and drink cheap beer. It feels more like a Bar Mitzvah than a gathering of world class academics, professionals and the like,” Teran wrote.
Saturday morning was full of events, like Admissions 101 for college-bound children of alumni, President & Deans’ Breakfast, and Jr. Jay’s Lacrosse Clinic. A Student Entrepreneur Alley and Market was held for student groups to publicize their ventures and sell their array of products.
Saturday afternoon’s Homecoming BBQ and Pre-Game Rally was a precursor to the Homecoming lacrosse game against Loyola.
On Saturday night, 668 people attended Hullabalooza. The event was held in a tent on the Decker Quad and featured a live band, cash bar and dessert.
On Sunday morning, the Johns Hopkins Club hosted the final event of the weekend, the Alumni Weekend Champagne Buffet Brunch.
While Alumni Weekend was full of official events, some alumni spent it in alternative ways.
“Most of the rest of the weekend I spent at the illustrious Johns Hopkins Rugby Football Club house,” Ellis wrote. “As an undergraduate rugby player, I lived in this tenement and am always happy to share a can of Baltimore’s finest with the undergraduates and partake in their general tom-foolery (or “weirdness,” as they refer to it today).”
Current students also saw some familiar faces.
“I was so happy to be able to welcome my cousins back for Alumni Weekend,” freshman Keely Herring said. “They graduated before I got here, so it was cool to show them around and hear about everything that has changed since they were students.”
“I really enjoyed Alumni Weekend,” freshman Leela Subramaniam said. “It was interesting to meet a few graduates and hear about what they decided to pursue after Hopkins and it gave campus a more lively dynamic.”
