{"id":428,"date":"2016-07-12T09:42:45","date_gmt":"2016-07-12T13:42:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aig.alumni.virginia.edu\/cdaa-college-topics\/?p=428"},"modified":"2016-07-12T09:43:19","modified_gmt":"2016-07-12T13:43:19","slug":"weekend-reunions-unite-alums-continue-to-grow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aig.uvaalumni.org\/cdaa-college-topics\/2016\/07\/12\/weekend-reunions-unite-alums-continue-to-grow\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekend Reunions Unite Alums, Continue to Grow"},"content":{"rendered":"

On November 12, Cavalier Daily <\/em> members, both past and present, will gather at the CD offices, marking the thirteenth year of the Cavalier Daily Alumni Association November Weekend Reunion. The open house at the offices will evolve into a tailgate, held in prime spots directly in front of Alumni Hall. From there, the group will split: some off to the football game, some to explore old haunts on Grounds, while some remain at the tailgate. They will all regroup later at Charlottesville\u2019s popular Escafe restaurant, where they will share drinks and dinner and catch up on the past year, while regaling each other with stories of past CD events and memories. <\/p>\n

Former Cavalier Daily<\/em> Editor-in-Chief Steve Wells (Col. \u201973) began these Weekend Reunions in 2004 as a private event, requesting that his classmates and fellow CD members join him at a tailgate and football game in November. The event started as a group of 15 to 18, and the number in attendance quickly rose through the years. Last year marked the largest crowd yet, with numbers into the 60s. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs I was getting older, I realized the importance of reconnecting with the people from the past that meant a lot to [me],\u201d Wells says. Inspired by a move from L.A. to the east coast in 2000, Wells states, \u201cI wanted to reconnect to the University and to a lot of the people at the CD.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wells\u2019 dedication to connecting with generations of past and current CD members shines through this event, as he has worked steadfastly to find the best possible location for the tailgates and the post-game reunion dinners. Over the years, he searched for a location that could manage the large number of attendees, while having enough flexibility to allow for movement and mingling. Wells finally found what the group needed at Escafe with owner Todd Howard. Wells states, \u201cWe have worked together to perfect it over the years \u2013 better and better, smoother and smoother,\u201d adding, \u201cWe have loved the ambiance.\u201d <\/p>\n

Currently, the format at the restaurant allows attendees to come in over a period time, have drinks and hor d’oeuvres, mingle, and then choose their seating arrangements at their own discretion. This allows each individual to \u201cdefine their own experience,\u201d according to Wells: Seating is not constrained by graduation year, position held at the CD, or time of showing up at the restaurant. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt totally morphed into an event that was so much more conducive to the enjoyment of the people who came,\u201d Wells says. <\/p>\n

In addition to Wells\u2019 work on the event logistics, he has spread word of the reunion far beyond his own peers and colleagues at the CD. As a result,the reunion is now known among nearly all years of CD membership. <\/p>\n

Darlene Wood (Col. \u201976) is a regular attendee at the Weekend Reunions, having not missed one since 2008. Wood learned about the event via email, after the event morphed from a private gathering into being open to all CD members. Each year, she is heartened to see the event grow. \u201cI look at the email list [for the event] and I am glad to see more and more people on it,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

Wood, who served both as an Assistant Features Editor and a Technical Assistant in her two years with the CD, appreciates the Reunions as a way to catch up with her CD colleagues. \u201cIt is such a pleasure to be with these guys,\u201d Wood says. \u201cThe Editors-in-Chief that I looked up to [while at the CD] are all there. I did something right in my life to be here!\u201d <\/p>\n

Wood sees these events as a way to mark the progress of the paper, to witness how it has evolved through the years until today. \u201cI think it\u2019s hilarious,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen I first came [to the CD offices] on the first day, it was only the third year of [the University] accepting women, and the first year that it was fifty-fifty men and women. The women that were editors came in to work in dresses, heels, stockings, pearls \u2013 the whole work. Even that year, though, things really started changing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kip Coons (Col. \u201976) has also not missed a Reunion since 2008. He lauds these events as a unique way to share experiences in a way that cuts across all years. \u201cAt a class reunion, you just see your class,\u201d he explains. \u201cWith this format, everyone in all years is invited to come back\u2026 There is a good turnout from all decades.\u201d <\/p>\n

Coons, who served as Sports Editor, believes that these Reunions are a good way to tap into the collective wisdom of years of journalism experience. \u201cA lot of things we did have changed,\u201d he says. \u201cThe changes in technology \u2013 we were using stone knives and bear skins to put [out the paper] compared to today! But a lot of the issues we faced are the same as now. Access, working with sources, funding, things like that \u2013 it\u2019s just part of the industry. But they are lessons worth sharing: how we solved them, and how they should now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having been involved in the journalism field during a period of turbulence, with the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War, Coons reflects that the \u201cbusy time for news\u201d had a significant impact on the number of people joining and remaining in the field. \u201cThere was a serious visibility of the craft at that time,\u201d he says. Today, he says, the relationships he formed during this period remain as special as they once were. <\/p>\n

Former Editor-in-Chief Jason Ally (Col. \u201912), who has attended every Reunion since his attendance as a Managing Board member in 2011, represents the growing number of recent graduates in attendance at these events. In addition to being an event to reconnect with colleagues and peers, Ally views these Reunions as a way to encourage meaningful and substantive aid for The Cavalier Daily<\/em>. <\/p>\n

\u201c[Attendees] are in fields professionally relevant to the current CD staff,\u201d Ally explains. \u201cThere are all sorts of alumni in fields like journalism, marketing, finance, digital media \u2013 these are all things we can leverage for the CD in an impactful way.\u201d Ally says these events allow current staff members to benefit from the collective knowledge and generosity of past members. <\/p>\n

In addition to providing support and experience to the CD, Ally, like Coons, appreciates these events as a way to witness the similarities over the generations of CD members. \u201cIt\u2019s funny to reminisce [with other attendees],\u201d he says. \u201cThe same storylines that [members] dealt with before are still relevant today\u2026 There is commonality even though so many years have passed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wells lauds Ally and former Editor-in-Chief and current CDAA President Matt Cameron (Col. \u201913) for helping the Reunions reach a crowd of recently graduated attendees. According to Wells, this has allowed for an increase in outreach for CD alums, both in number and in smoothness of operation. According to Wells, the \u201cmechanics have now become second nature.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the scale of the Reunions continues to grow, the heart of the event remains Wells\u2019 desire to ensure the continued interconnectedness of CD members through the generations. <\/p>\n

\u201cI have never been happier, work-wise, than when I was with the CD,\u201d he says. \u201cI have never been with an organization that meant as much to me \u2013 and still does. It is a really special place.\u201d <\/p>\n

Individuals interested in attending the upcoming November Weekend Reunion should reach out to Steve Wells at ( youngwells@earthlink.net ) to receive information about tickets and scheduling.<\/p>\n