Calling all University of Alberta alumni, every single last one of them! The post-secondary institution is putting together the final details for its annual edition of camaraderie called the Alumni Weekend, although it’s set to take five days.
Organizers are calling the celebration a good long chance to have a lot of fun and reconnect with all of your old university buddies.
“It’s important for all of us to stay connected to our classmates, our friends that we made in university. Those are some of the greatest lifelong relationships we can have,” explained St. Albert’s Sean Price, the executive director of the Alumni Association. “Alumni Weekend facilitates that here at the university so that we can also reconnect our alumni to the institution.”
He estimates that the province’s largest post-secondary educational institution has 250,000 alumni.
The action-packed five-day event starts off with the Alumni Recognition Awards ceremony, a champagne gala event to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of several notable graduates.
Among the other events to be held include numerous tours of U of A buildings, sites, and collections. You can check out the rooftop observatory or experience RATT just like back in the day. Still remember those cinnamon buns from the Tuck Shop? They’re back too.
There’s also a 50th anniversary convocation for the class of 1963, a citywide Green and Gold Day for everyone to show their U of A pride on their sleeves, a free concert, a free movie screening, speakers and many other special happenings.
Glenn Stowkowy, also of St. Albert, is the current president of the Alumni Council. He added that fostering the alumni also helps current students to feel like they’re a part of a larger family too.
“Not only are there the opportunities for current alumni to provide mentorship, I believe that alumni offer the current students the realistic vision for career opportunities and to realize the importance of enhanced education in the development of our local and global community.”
It helps all of us if we can be better representatives of the university and to help increase recognition and appreciation of its role. Given the importance that post-secondary education has for Edmonton and Alberta, Canada and the world, it is important that it remain a prominent focus for alumni and the public as a whole.
For more information about the Alumni Weekend 2013 or any other alumni news or events, call the Office of Alumni Affairs at 780-492-3324 or visit alumni.ualberta.ca.
