OXFORD, Miss. – A record crowd attended the Black Alumni and Family Reunion at the University of Mississippi this past weekend.
“It
was absolutely fantastic,” said Josh Davis, assistant director of
alumni affairs. “More than 350 alumni registered, and many of them
brought their families. It was our largest crowd ever.”
UM
Alumni Association President Rose Flenorl said, “It was amazing to see
how many alums had children who have graduated from Ole Miss or are
currently attending Ole Miss. Many brought their high school children
with them to learn more about attending college at Ole Miss. It is a
compliment to Ole Miss that alums … want their children to attend
their university.”
Held every three years, the weekend gathering has routinely drawn up to 150 alumni.
“I
enjoyed the hugs, embraces and loud screams as people reunited,”
Flenorl said. “Some (alumni) had been away for 30 years. Others have
come to every reunion. It was emotional to see people reconnecting.”
One
of the best-attended events of the weekend was a Friday panel
discussion about African-American student activism and history at Ole
Miss during the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s.
“It provided alumni with an opportunity to share feelings, some hurtful things of the past, that had been suppressed,” Davis said. “It was cathartic, and now their question is, ‘Where do we go from here?'”
Increased attendance may also be linked to suggestions from alumni for making the reunion more enjoyable, such as making the event more family-oriented and including peer-nominated awards. Activities also included a career fair, panel discussions, a Greek show, nightly entertainment and campus tours.
“Our new facility, the Inn at Ole Miss, was a huge hit, as was the addition of the awards banquet,” Davis said. “Alums were impressed with the professionalism of the banquet and the awards ceremony.”
Recipients of the new awards for achievement and service are Dorothye (Dottie) Quaye Chapman Reed of Atlanta, Robert M. Walker of Jackson, Nate Wayne of Duluth, Ga., Tina Mabry of Los Angeles and Edith H. Kelly-Green of Memphis. All were recognized during halftime of Saturday’s Ole Miss-Mississippi State basketball game.
“What I enjoyed most about this reunion was the sharing of the history of those who traveled the road before us,” said Flenorl of the awards. “We honored the trailblazers who made our journey easier. We paid our respects and said, ‘Thank you.'”
While the black experience on campus is less than 50 years old, the university is starting to see children and even grandchildren of black alumni graduate from UM, said Thomas Wallace, assistant to the provost.
These family legacies reveal the level of pride they have for the institution, Wallace said.
“The changes that have taken place and the progress you see here at Ole Miss have enabled us to truly become one of America’s great public universities,” he said. “It’s important that we continue to hold on to that momentum.”