‘Eastern Celebrates’ Alumni at Annual Reunion Weekend

The class of 1969 leads the Alumni March to the Big Tent BBQ.

Graduate students are honored during the Hooding Ceremony.

Alumni, families and President Núñez gather for lunch in the Big Tent BBQ.

Hundreds of the Eastern community enjoy lunch.

The annual Young Alumni Bash commences at Blarney's.

Alumni, including the jubilee class of 1969, gather for a reception in the Student Center Cafe.

The annual Young Alumni Bash commences at Blarney's.

Hundreds of alumni converged on the Eastern Connecticut State University campus on May 17–18 for the 14^th annual Eastern Celebrates reunion weekend. The class of 1969 celebrated its 50^th reunion as graduates young and old partook in festivities on and off campus.

The weekend kicked off Friday night as graduates from the past 10 years gathered at Blarney’s for the annual Young Alumni Bash.

Saturday morning opened with a jubilee reception for the class of 1969 in the Student Center Café. President Elsa Núñez congratulated the jubilee class and gave them golden diplomas.

The morning continued with guided tours of campus, the newly reopened Communication Building and the Fine Arts Instructional Center—with a pitstop in the Art Gallery for an exhibition of student art work.

The festivities shifted focus midmorning to graduate students during their hooding ceremony, which celebrated soon-to-be graduates from master’s programs in accounting, organizational management and education.

Lunchtime gathered all patrons to the Big Tent Barbecue for a spread of all-American classics. The class of 1969 led a parade of generations of alumni in a march to the barbecue. With class banners in hand, they entered the tent to music and cheering families.

Classes from the 80s, 90s and 00s closed the celebration at Blarney’s with a reunion happy hour.