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Alumni Events and Activities

Reunion Fever


Classmates Lisa Gugliotta, BA ’00, and Jon Zimmerman, BA ’00, with friend Denise Shrader, catch up at Blue Gin in Georgetown.

Rachel Kasmir

If the word “reunion” calls to mind sedate gatherings where classmates compare notes on spouses, careers, and expanding waistlines, then think again. When GW revived its reunion program in October during Colonials Weekend, it changed the way many Colonials think about alumni gatherings. With special events for the classes of 1955, 1980, 1995, and 2000—and more than 450 alumni and guests in attendance—the occasion was a great success. Former classmates came from far around the world, across the country, and nearby to enjoy the company and the many activities offered during Colonials Weekend.

Members of the class of 1980 gathered at 1957 E Street, the new home of the Elliott School of International Affairs and the geography department, and danced the night away to tunes from the ’70s and ’80s. The 10th reunion party for the class of 1995 also took place at 1957 E Street, on the top floor, with stunning views of several monuments. Meanwhile, more than 200 alumni and guests of the class of 2000 sipped martinis at Georgetown hot spot Blue Gin.

“Being able to keep in touch with your alma mater is important,” says Jon Zimmerman, BA ’00, who traveled from Seattle. Zimmerman attended the Colonials Weekend Kick-off Party Friday night, Colonials Village on Saturday afternoon, and the party at Blue Gin on Saturday evening. He met up with friends and says he was surprised to catch up with people he hadn’t expected to see. “The element of surprise in running in to people I knew in college but had lost touch with made the
evening worth it.”


David Cleary, BA ’95, MPA ’97, welcomes classmates to their reunion event.

Dave Scavone

David Cleary, BA ’95, MPA ’97, jumped into reunion planning early in the game. “The Office of Alumni Programs approached me nearly a year in advance. We met several times to talk about how to get alumni involved and ensure attendance at our reunion,” Cleary says. “It was fun helping the University figure out how to reconnect with our class, many of whom have not been in contact with GW since we graduated.” Although Cleary lives in the D.C. area, he enjoyed catching up with classmates he hadn’t seen in years and witnessing all of the changes on campus.

Deborah Baumel, BA ’80, says she enjoyed the 1980 class reunion at 1957 E Street. “The food was great and the setting was very relaxed.” Baumel is from a GW family: Her father taught at the GW Medical Center; all but one of her siblings attended GW; and her oldest daughter, Elizabeth, is a freshman studying computer science. Baumel, who lives in Rockville, Md., plans to attend Colonials Weekend next year as well when her husband, Sam Baumel, BA ’81, will celebrate his 25th reunion. “We networked to get friends to come to the Colonials Kick-Off Party on Friday night,” she says. “And we’ll reach out in the fall for the reunion. There will be a lot of people there, I’m sure.”

The 2005 class reunions were so successful that the Office of Alumni Programs has added an additional reunion year for 2006, the class of 1976, which will celebrate its 30th reunion. During the next few months, reunion chairs will contact classmates. So save the date of Oct. 21 for reunion celebrations in honor of the classes of 1956, 1976, 1981, 1996, and 2001. Reunion fever is mounting at GW, and there’s no telling where it will lead.

Colonials Weekend 2005

Alumni returned to GW Oct. 21 through 23 to participate in Colonials Weekend. People of all ages traveled from across the country and from overseas to enjoy festivities including Colonials Village, the Legacy Luncheon, reunion events, and deans’ receptions.


A GW family chats with Scott Mory (far right), executive director of alumni programs and annual giving, at the Legacy Luncheon. A perennial favorite, the luncheon brings together families with multiple generations of GW alumni and students.

The GW Office of Community Service booth at Colonials Village offers a mix of fall fun.

A student and GW Chess Club member challenges an alumnus in a friendly game.

Alumni gather at the Law School Dean’s Reception, which took place at the elegant Italian Embassy.

Photos by Dave Scavone

It’s Good to be GW Alumni

The George Washington Alumni Association and the Office of Alumni Programs have teamed up to bring alumni numerous benefits, including discounts on home and auto insurance, a course audit program that costs only a fraction of regular tuition fees, and an alumni credit card.

Alumni Travel Program

For the adventurer, this year’s Alumni Travel Program offers six different packages beginning in May. Alumni can tour Sicily, visit Ireland, Portugal, or Normandy, or cruise the passage of Lewis and Clark with other Colonials aboard an authentic reproduction of an 1800’s-era riverboat. Visit www.alumni.gwu.edu/educ/atravel.html for more information.

Alumni Course Audit Program

Learning is a lifelong process. GW makes this easy with its Alumni Course Audit Program, which allows alumni to attend, for a nominal fee, a wide array of the University’s courses on a not-for-credit basis. As well as expanding your mind, the program is a terrific way to keep up connections with former classmates and to the University. Visit www.gwu.edu/~alumni/educ/courseaudit.html for more information.

GW Credit Card

As the saying goes, “For everything else, there’s MasterCard.” GWAA and MBNA America provide alumni with the opportunity to support their alma mater while shopping. With the GWAA Platinum PlusSM MasterCard, a portion of every purchase goes to support GWAA programs and activities, at no extra cost to the cardholder. The annual percentage rate is competitive and there is no annual fee. For more information, or to apply, call MBNA at 1-800-523-7666.

Home Insurance

GW alumni may qualify for a special group discount on auto, home, and renter’s insurance through Group Savings Plus from Liberty Mutual. To learn more, visit www.libertymutual.com/lm/georgewuaa, or call 1-800-341-5389 for a no-obligation quote.

Club Quarters—A New Benefit for GW Alumni

Going out of town for business or pleasure? Club Quarters is a private chain of full-service hotels that caters to business-oriented consumers in a club-like setting. GW has arranged for alumni to take advantage of Club Quarters’ accommodations at a reasonable price—often as low as $52 per night, depending on the season and location. Club Quarters accommodations are located in many metropolitan areas, including Washington, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.

GW Alumni Online Community

There’s more. Be sure to visit the GW Online Community at www.alumni.gwu.edu. Special programs include a searchable online alumni directory, class notes, an e-mail forwarding service, and the Career Advisor Network, which enables alumni to mentor other alumni and students online. Be sure to visit today.

For more information on any of these benefit programs, please call the Office of Alumni Programs at 202-994-6435 or 1-800-ALUMNI7, or e-mail alumni@gwu.edu.



Julie Woodford

Celebrating GW Hoops

GW men’s basketball fans gathered at Alumni House for a pizza dinner before one of the final home games of the season. More than 80 fans enjoyed the “tailgater,” one of nearly 40 alumni events held to cheer on the Colonials during their outstanding season.

How Do I Become a...

For those whose dreams soar high—perhaps to outer space—GW’s Office of Alumni Programs offers the “How Do I Become A…” series, an opportunity to spend time with alumni in professions ranging from banker to baker to astronaut.


GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg accepts a GW banner flown in space on the shuttle Discovery by Charles Camarda, MS ’80, during NASA’s Return to Flight Mission in July.

Julie Woodford

Speakers last fall included Peyton Patterson, MBA ’83, one of the nation’s most powerful women in banking, and GW attendee Chuck Todd, a political insider and editor in chief of Hotline, a daily news briefing on American politics. Capping the fall season was astronaut Charlie Camarda, MS ’80, who presented the University with a GW banner he brought into space on the shuttle Discovery during NASA’s Return to Flight Mission in July.

The series switched gears in the winter, turning to topics of food and travel. Author Doug Morris, BBA ’83, MBA ’85, discussed the ins and outs of travel writing. Warren Brown, MPH ’98, JD ’98, discussed how he left the legal profession in 2000 to found CakeLove and LoveCafe, two popular spots for homemade treats in Washington. Brown also hosts the Food Network show Sugar Rush. In the future, Joseph Baca, JD ’64, former chief justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court, will speak in the series.

As GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg noted during the Camarda event, “Every day one picks up the paper, GW alumni are leading an organization or doing something others dream about.” Attending one of the “How Do I Become A…” events is an opportunity to learn about how your fellow alumni have realized their dreams—and perhaps to discover a way to realize your own.


Luther Rice Society Reception

Linda Rozanski, left, joins her daughter, Challen, a GW sophomore, at a reception for members of GW’s Luther Rice Society following the Kalb Report at the National Press Club in March. The society recognizes annual leadership giving.