hen we imagine Vassar reunions, we picture meandering along the pathways getting to and from the many events across campus, stopping by the Quad for refreshments and games, catching up with friends under Vassar’s beautiful trees, and, most of all, donning class regalia to march joyously across campus for the annual Reunion parade.

But torrential rains and severe thunderstorms washed over the campus during Reunion weekend, June 5–8. Phones buzzed several times a day with emergency weather alerts, urging alums to take shelter inside. That didn’t seem to dampen spirits, though.

“It was a terrific weekend, and there were benefits to being forced to shelter in place during the Saturday afternoon wild thunderstorms,” says Eric Marcus ’80. “I re-met an acquaintance from the Class of ’81 who is on the AAVC Board, Heller An [Shapiro], and we wound up trapped in Rocky 200 for an extended period while the dramatic thunderstorms blew through. We had a wide-ranging, very personal conversation.” Quite a few alums reported similar encounters.

Class programming emphasized the creativity and vitality of 1975 alums. Emily Kelting, who helped to organize their Artist and Author Showcase, says the response to their call to action had been “overwhelming.” Twenty-five artists and authors displayed and spoke about their work during a reception in Davison, highlighting everything from ceramic arts to photography, from journalistic publications to novels. Kelting says it all goes to show that “in our 70s, we are still going strong. And in these stressful times, we’re making the point that art nourishes our souls.”

Two classical musicians—Neely and classmate George Litterst ’75—organized the musicale that featured alums from the classes of 1985, 1990, 2000, and 2020, in addition to members of the Class of 1975. Via Zoom, the group also thanked and entertained Rowland Winton Evans ’75, a musician whose recent $28 million donation will rename the campus’s Bridge for Laboratory Sciences, subsidize the cost of individual instrument lessons for students, and help support the Music Department’s annual concert programming, as well as support the Vassar Fund.

Other highlights included Saturday morning’s Hour with the President in the Chapel. There, President Elizabeth Bradley expressed appreciation to alums and supporters of Vassar and urged them to stay engaged and informed amid national challenges to higher education. Federal directives that threaten DEI initiatives, academic freedom, federal funding, college endowments, and the immigration status of international students were concerns mentioned, but Bradley told the audience that engagement is key. She and other Vassar officials, she reported, have been strengthening the College’s presence in DC and building bipartisan relationships to advocate for higher education. Bradley also affirmed Vassar’s commitment to engaged pluralism and peaceful protest.

The parade is typically held after the president’s hour, but due to approaching thunderstorms, it was canceled, and alums remained in the Chapel for Celebrate Vassar—where classes report on and celebrate Reunion giving and the Alumnae/i Association of Vassar College (AAVC) holds its annual meeting. The event opened with alums dancing in the aisles as their classes were called. The 50th reunion class, 1975, joyously moved their hips to the sounds of their selected serenade song, “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge, and the class of 1970, which had missed out on their serenade in 2000, boogied down to “Respect” by Aretha Franklin.

Later, the proceedings were punctuated by protesters who objected to the continuing violence in Gaza and urged the College to divest from any investments relating to military weapons and equipment. But despite the interruptions, Vassar Fund Chair Kat Mills Polys ’93 was able to announce a grand total of nearly $70 million in Reunion gifts, including the $28 million donation from Rowland Evans.

During a luncheon in Alumnae House after Celebrate Vassar, the AAVC bestowed the 2025 Outstanding Faculty Award upon Ronald D. Patkus, Head of Special Collections and College Historian, and Adjunct Associate Professor of History on the Frederick Weyerhaeuser Chair, citing his efforts to make Special Collections holdings more accessible in a variety of ways.

Throughout the weekend, there were also class dinners, a reception honoring donors, campus tours, and a joyous all-class dance party. Vassar closed out the weekend on Sunday with a touching memorial service in the Chapel honoring alums who had passed since the last Reunion.

Jedlicka says she’s thankful to all those who helped the weekend come together. “All of the class volunteers that I worked with over the last year to make this weekend special for their classmates were amazing. The creativity, dedication, care, and thoughtfulness to make this weekend meaningful always takes my breath away. I am beyond grateful to work with such a great group of alums.” —Elizabeth Randolph