Bulletin News

06/28/2016 

Hundreds of alumni and friends will enjoy class get-togethers, parties and other activities on campus and at the Lynne Parks ’68 SUNY Cortland Alumni House from Thursday, July 7, through Sunday, July 10, during Alumni Reunion 2016.

“Reunion is a great time to show off the best of SUNY Cortland,” said Erin Boylan, associate director of alumni engagement. ”We have so many alumni returning that are fierce supporters of the College.  It is a wonderful occasion to thank them and showcase the best of our program and campus enhancements.”

As always, all alumni are welcome at Reunion, regardless of class year. Featured groups include the Half Century Club, comprised of alumni who graduated more than 50 years ago; the Classes of 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971 and 1991; sisters of Sigma Phi Delta sorority, brothers of Lambda Phi Delta fraternity and Media Clubs, encompassing The Dragon Chronicle/The Press/The Hilltop Press, WSUC-FM/WCSU-AM, CSTV, NeoVox/Uniplanet and Speak Magazine. The Classes of 1980, 1981 and 1982 will return as the 35th Cluster Reunion.

Reunion opens Thursday with the Class of 1966 50th Reunion Dinner, which takes place at the Lynne Parks ’65 SUNY Cortland Alumni House, and the Class of 1956 60th Welcome Party at the Parks Alumni House Dunlavey Pub.

On Friday, the SUNY Cortland Alumni Association and Athletics Department have combined talents to create the Red and White Golf Classic sponsored by Hamilton Building Services. The enhanced golf tournament will be held at the Cortland Country Club and will serve as a fundraiser for both organizations. The Class of 1966 will depart for the Seneca Lake Wine Tour and the Class of 1956 will enjoy a wine tour and dinner at Belhurst Castle.

That afternoon, the Cortland College Foundation and President Erik J. Bitterbaum will host a special reception at the Parks Alumni House to welcome all Red Dragons and to thank the Reunion Committee members. A Red Dragon Welcome Party will take place in the elegant gardens of the Parks Alumni House and the Class of 1966 will celebrate at the Cortland Country Club. Also Friday, reunion featured groups will host various welcome parties on campus and around town.

Saturday’s events include classes offered by graduates for alumni, guided tours of the campus as well as the Parks Alumni House, the Student Life Center and a Hoxie Gorge Natural History hike.

The SUNY Cortland Alumni Association will present its highest honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award, to three graduates, its Distinguished Young Alumni Award to one graduate, and its Distinguished Volunteer Award to two individuals during the Alumni Reunion 2015 luncheon. The luncheon begins Saturday at noon in the Corey Union Function Room and honors reunion classes and the award recipients, including:

• Matthew J. Franjola ’64, a former reporter and photographer for The Associated Press who was among the last Americans in Saigon when it fell to the North Vietnamese in 1975. He will be honored posthumously.
• Lynn Wecker ’69, a distinguished research professor at the University of South Florida’s College of Medicine whose work has helped further understanding of brain chemistry.
• Edward J. Zambraski ’71, an emeritus professor of physiology at Rutgers University and a senior consultant for the U.S. Army Medical Corps whose research has helped integrate women in military combat roles. 

The 2016 Distinguished Young Alumna Award recipient is:

• Jamie M. Piperato ’12, a national student affairs speaker and higher education consultant who specializes in topics that include leadership, diversity and LGBTQ services.

The 2016 Outstanding Alumni Volunteer Award recipients are

• James C. Codispoti ’63, a longtime teacher and coach in the Mamaroneck (N.Y.) Public Schools and the former president of the College’s C-Club who helped established a healthy endowment for SUNY Cortland’s Hall of Fame Weekend and Athletics Banquet.
• Carolyn A. Cooke ’66, an active member of the College’s Alumni Association Board of Directors whose volunteer work reaches many corners of campus, from Reunion to Greek life.
• Ralph M. Shortell ’66, an alumni volunteer for more than 25 years who played a major role in bringing together brothers from the Delta Kappa Beta (1925-1991) fraternity to Reunion in 2014. 

Immediately following the luncheon, the fun shifts downtown. For the seventh time, alumni can participate in Cortland Downtown Partnership’s Taste of Downtown and Sidewalk Festival. Participants will enjoy food and beverage samples from numerous city eateries. The Nu Sigma Chi Legacy Fund will again underwrite an All-Greek Reception at the Parks Alumni House. The Half Century Club President’s Reception will be hosted by Erik J. Bitterbaum in the Dowd Fine Arts Gallery.

Saturday evening the Sigma Delta Phi sisters will celebrate the 60th anniversary in Brockway Hall while all reunion attendees are invited to the Parks Alumni House for Brews and Barbecue. Brews and Barbecue will offer a selection of barbecue fare, a DJ playing tunes from all eras and a photo booth featuring decades props.

A series of Young Alumni Reunion Day (YARD) events — geared for recent graduates from the past 10 years — are scheduled for that day. Activities will include a breakfast, and complimentary beverage at the Cortland Brewing Company and an invitation to join all classes for Brews and Barbecue.

On Sunday, a farewell breakfast for all classes is scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m. in the back gardens at the Parks Alumni House. A workshop for alumni chapter volunteers will take place that morning in the Parks Alumni House Dunlavey Pub.

The campus community is encouraged to attend Alumni Reunion 2016. For more information, contact Alumni Engagement at 607-753-2516 or visit the website at RedDragonNetwork.org/reunion.