By John Pullano, Advisory Editor
St. Bonaventure University canceled Reunion Weekend 2021 on March 22 citing concerns surrounding travel restrictions and in-person gatherings related to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a university News Release.
“We thought we could hold the reunion with few restrictions,” said Joe Flanagan, director of Alumni Service. “As we got to January, we realized that would not be possible. While people are getting vaccinated, the restrictions still in place have made it impossible to go forward with the hope they would be lifted in time for the reunion.”
The original plan for the 2021 reunion schedule was to host an event in May for the alumni who would have planned to attend the 2020 reunion and host the second reunion in June for the 2021 reunion class.
Before canceling the reunion, Flanagan and his team in Alumni Services participated in a walkthrough of the current campus and New York State regulations that would have to be in place for the reunion, according to Flanagan. They then consulted with other peer institutions including Siena, Le Moyne and Oneonta State before finally consulting with senior administration to cancel the event.
Alumni planning to return for the events in 2021 were disappointed by the cancelation but ultimately agreed with the reasoning behind the decision.
“I’m disappointed, I was really looking forward to seeing my friends and classmates and coming away with even more amazing memories,” said Liz Pardo, class of 2011. “But it’s just not the right time yet for large-scale events.”
“The safety of the Bonaventure community matters more than an occasional fun weekend,” class of 2011 graduate Jessica Kumor added.
Alumni Services plan to host two separate reunion weekends in 2022 to accommodate for the missed events.
In May, Bonaventure will welcome back everyone who graduated in 1972 and prior. Then in June, all who graduated after 1972 will have a weekend. All those who missed the 2020 and 2021 reunions will be invited including those with their reunion in 2022.
Flanagan expects the two weekends to be the largest non-athletic alumni gathering ever held on Bonaventure’s campus.
“We have already set the dates for next year to accommodate the 1,500 plus alumni and friends expected,” said Flanagan.
Flanagan and his team stressed the importance of having a reunion weekend because it allows for the university to show its gratitude towards its alumni.
“Our alumni routinely give back to the university in meaningful ways, we hold reunion as a way to say thank you for the countless ways our alumni help St. Bonaventure and our students,” said Flanagan. “One reason alumni return to campus is to see their classmates, friars and faculty and reconnect. We plan the reunion not only to give them this opportunity, but also to update them on the progress the university is making, celebrate our successes, see the changes to campus and involve them more with the university.”
Many alumni agree with Flanagan and look forward to attending alumni events when they can be conducted safely.
“It’s great to reconnect with classmates since our lives took us all to different parts of the country,” said Pardo. “The Bonaventure campus is a place like no other.”
“The reunion represents an opportunity to experience kind of the collegiate joy of hanging out with your friends, seeing the campus and the professors and kind of revisiting all of those memories that we all enjoy so much,” said Kumor.
pullanjj@bonaventure.edu
