Reveling in all things F&M

Soon after I arrived on campus for Reunion Weekend 2012, the F&M emergency siren alerted us that Lancaster County was under a tornado warning. It served as a metaphorically whimsical wake-up call.

I have visited Franklin & Marshall College many times since the Class of 1972 departed—most recently in March, to watch the Dips defeat Amherst College in the Sweet 16 of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament, and often when my daughter, Rachel ’04, was a student. But I had never attended a Reunion Weekend.

That is a mistake I will not repeat. It was a memorable experience that deepened my pride in and appreciation for all things F&M.

In attendance the weekend of June 1–3 were classes with years ending in “2” or “7.” In some cases F&M was virtually all we had in common. Yet the cross- generational bonding was extraordinary and made the weekend quite special.

Sharing a college is a big deal. College is where personalities are formed and where the foundations of deeply held beliefs are laid down. The people who know me best now are the friends

I made at F&M. I might go years without seeing them, but after five minutes together it is as if no time has passed.

Seeing familiar faces from my class—Larry Shadek; Bob Byelick, who was on my freshman dorm floor; and Denise Miller, a member of the first group of women when the College went coed in 1969—was certainly enjoyable. But equally exciting was the chance to take in new campus buildings, learn about the latest educational programs and hear plans for the future.