Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
June 05, 2003
Alumni Weekend 2003 celebrates Mac legacy, campus traditions
The University of Guelph's annual Alumni Weekend will be held June 20 to 22 and feature numerous celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Macdonald Institute.
The weekend kicks off with a special event Friday at 10:30 a.m. in Creelman Hall to unveil the design of a Macdonald Institute commemorative stamp being issued by Canada Post. At noon Friday, the Mac-Facs Alumni Association will hold its annual seminar series with lunch in the Whippletree, followed by afternoon sessions focused on research initiatives in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences (CSAHS). At 7:30 p.m., Alun Joseph, CSAHS dean, hosts a book event in the University Club to launch a new history of Macdonald Institute written by Prof. Jamie Snell, chair of the Department of History. Macdonald Institute: Remembering the Past, Embracing the Future provides valuable insights into the education of women in Ontario during the 20th century as it chronicles the evolution of Mac Institute into a world-respected co-educational college.
On Saturday, a Mac Institute heritage event at 2:30 p.m. will include the opening of a refurbished meeting room in the Macdonald Institute building, to be called the Alumni Heritage Room. An outdoor garden will be dedicated to turn-of-the-century women's advocate Adelaide Hunter Hoodless. Founder of the Women's Institutes in Ontario, Hoodless also helped convince Montreal philanthropist Sir William Macdonald to fund construction of Macdonald Institute and the Macdonald Hall dormitory in 1903. The buildings will be open for tours from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
In keeping with this year's Alumni Weekend theme of "Celebrating Traditions," a Mac-FACS gala on Saturday evening will capture the spirit of earlier Conversat and Mac dances. The event begins with a 5:30 p.m. reception in the University Centre courtyard, followed by dinner in Peter Clark Hall and dancing to the Royal City Big Band.
In addition to the Mac 100 events, Alumni Weekend will host almost 50 class reunions and the traditional President's Luncheon, which includes the golden anniversary celebration for 1953 graduates and presentation of the U of G Alumni Association (UGAA) Awards of Excellence. The luncheon will be held Saturday in the Gryphon Dome, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
At 3 p.m. Saturday there will be a ribbon-cutting at the alumni concourse in U of G's new classroom complex. The alumni association made a leadership gift of $500,000 to The Campaign for the University of Guelph to support the classroom project. The event will also include the UGAA annual general meeting, a wine-and-cheese reception and presentation of the leadership awards to student groups. This year's recipients are the Central Student Association Bike Centre, the Anishnabeg Students Association, the WISTEM (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) project, the English 6691 Class Project and the Centre for International Programs. Saturday evening, the classes of 1978 will celebrate 25 years since graduation at the Silver Anniversary Dinner. The Alumni Pub, open to all graduates, will also be held that night in the Brass Taps.
Constituent alumni associations will also hold annual meetings during Alumni Weekend, and the Alumni-in-Action volunteer group will host an ongoing hospitality room in Alumni House. For a listing of class reunions and registration details, visit http://www.alumni.uoguelph.ca/news.htm or contact Jennifer Brett, manager of events and communications, at (519) 824-4120, Ext. 53540 or jbrett@uoguelph.ca. Registration is required to attend events on campus during the weekend.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 53338, or Rachelle Cooper, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982.
