Students, faculty, staff encouraged to participate in Gala Week

Marty Burns, director of alumni activities at the Purdue Alumni Association, said Gala Week is April 8-10, which is Saturday, Sunday and Monday. In past years, it was held Friday through Sunday.

The change accomplishes two things, she said. By moving the bulk of the activities to Sunday and Monday, it will enable alumni to attend Gala Week events without missing out on their school and organization honors and dinners, many of which are on Saturday. And by moving the class parade to a Monday instead of a Sunday, it will make it easier for current students, faculty and staff to participate.

"It's always wonderful to see all the members from past years come back to campus for this Purdue tradition, but we'd love to have broader participation," she said. "We hope that by moving Gala Week into a workweek, more students, faculty and staff will be able to attend."

Gala Week is held the same weekend as Spring Fest, which this year will be April 8-9.

"Now alumni won't have to make a choice whether to attend their school event or Gala Week events," she said. "They can come back to campus and make a whole weekend out of it."

Gala Week this year will honor the Class of 1956. The weekend will kick off Saturday, April 8, with a variety of college and organization alumni activities. From noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, alumni can tour the Dick and Sandy Dauch Alumni Center at 403 W. Wood St.

At 12:30 p.m. Sunday, a reception and luncheon will honor the 50-year Class of 1956, as well as the classes of 1951, 1946, 1941, 1936, 1931 and 1926. All alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago are invited. Tickets are $25 a person, and reservations are required.

The Class of 1956 also will be honored at a reception and dinner at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Shively Stadium Club at Ross-Ade Pavilion. Tickets are $49 a person. Reservations are required.

Monday will feature the class parade, which will be held at 10:30 a.m. Alumni will assemble by class year between Stewart Center and the Purdue Memorial Union. A member of each class holds a flag signifying their class's graduating year for the march to John Purdue's grave, where Purdue President Martin C. Jischke leads a brief memorial service.

Other events planned Monday include a loyalty luncheon, a Class of 1956 photograph session and a tour of campus.

"We look forward to celebrating the 50th class reunion with the class of 1956," said Purdue Alumni Association executive director Todd Coleman. "It is our hope that Purdue students, faculty and administration will assist us in welcoming these loyal alumni back to campus."

Burns said Gala Week is especially important to alumni who have graduated a half-century or more ago. She said class identity is a meaningful concept to these older alumni because the average class size was about 1,800 and the campus itself was a lot smaller, allowing for more interaction between students.

"We have a lot of alumni who come back for their 50-year reunion who haven't been to campus in 50 years," she said. "They are amazed at the number of people that are on campus, as well as all of the buildings that exist now that didn't then."

Today, she said, students identify less with their class members and more with the groups they belong to. But she hopes that by having the class parade on a Monday, more students will be made aware of this tradition and will want to return to campus to be a part of it after they graduate.

A complete listing of Gala Week events and information on how to register can be found at the Purdue Alumni Association Web site.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Sources: Marty Burns, (765) 494-5181, mjburns@purdue.edu

Todd Coleman, (765) 494-5179, toddcoleman@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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