Sunday, June 03, 2007
Going Back: Pictures from Princeton Reunions 2007
Princeton Reunions, which run from Thursday afternoon until Sunday morning, reach their apotheosis on Saturday with the "P-Rade," a parade of classes through the campus. The 25th Reunion Class -- this year the Class of 1982 -- leads the P-Rade, and the graduating seniors come at the end. The other classes line the route in consecutive order, with the oldest at the back of the route and the youngest near the front. They then fall in to march, or (more accurately) shuffle, behind the preceding class. The result is that you watch all the classes older than your own, plus the 25th reunion class, walk by, and then you walk by all the classes younger than yours. The graduating seniors cheer each class that goes by, and the parading classes usually lay on a "locomotive" in honor of the seniors. Point is, you're one of us, now. The result is that Princeton seniors are sent into the world only after a warm embrace, and with the expectation that they will be "going back" for the rest of their lives. Princeton alumni are uniquely sentimental, and that makes them uniquely generous.
Sartorially speaking, anything goes as long as it is black and orange. Graduating seniors always get a canvass "beer jacket" of their own design, and the 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th reunion classes where costumes that reflect a theme. On the 25th reunion the class designs a nicer dinner jacket that it then wears for the rest of its natural life.
Here are the best of the pictures I took on campus yesterday, with captions that may or may not interest TigerHawk readers (2005 reunions coverage).
The TigerHawk Mom getting ready to walk with my father's Class of 1957.
Regular TigerHawk commenters Christopher Chambers and "Indispensable Destiny", both members of the Class of 1982.
The graduating seniors, standing on the steps at Blair Hall.
President Shirley Tilghman, leading the 25th Reunion class. The orange shoes are, I think, particularly impressive.
The band, and the Class of 1982:
Getting into the spirit of things.
At a certain point, you get to ride.
The Class of 1947, back for its 60th, had some good signs.
Me, wearing my father's uniquely ugly original 25th reunion jacket.
PETA would not be at all happy to see this...
Governor Tom Kean, one of the several luminaries in my father's Class of 1957.
The edgy Class of 1972 had the best of the period signs...
The stub of the immortal Class of 1983, which will celebrate its 25th next year.
The signature Class of 1983 cowbell.
More later, if I'm up to it.
4 Comments:
By 
Escort81, at
Sun Jun 03, 11:36:00 PM:
I went with my father on Saturday to the 70th reunion of the Class of 1937, which was headquarted at Forbes College. At the luncheon, there were signs posted saying "Alcohol will not be served to minors," which I though was slightly ironic, since most of the first semester of freshman year for that class would have been "dry" for the entire country, since Prohibition was still in effect until the Twenty-First Amendment was ratified on December 5, 1933.
One impressive thing is the sense of continuity and history one feels at Reunions, and especially the P-Rade. The Class of 1937 had a dozen or so members in the P-rade riding in seven or eight golf carts, each driven by a member of one of the University's a cappella singing groups. Our driver was a "Tigerlilly" and a member of the Class of 2010, and had just finished her freshman year. As we talked briefly before the start of the P-rade, I think she was able to wrap her mind around the idea that her 70th reunion will be in 2080 (all Princetonians having a strong command of basic math, if not the ability to plan that far out in the future). Riding in the P-rade with the "Old Guard" was a great experience, and it literaly brought a tear to my father's eyes.
By Christopher Chambers, at
Mon Jun 04, 10:45:00 AM:
My wife was literally overwhelmed by the whole thing. She is a 1988 graduate of Howard University, one of the oldest and venerated black colleges in the US. Their "reunions" used to be amazing pagents during Homecoming (as my father can attest). Now they are over-hyped circuse overrun by Hip Hop celebrities and literally thousands of idiots who never graduated, including strippers from Atlanta, drug dealers from NY and parts of Dc and Maryland...it's sad.
I think she approached this past weekend with a squinted eye, but by Sunday, she was wide eyed and smiling broadly. It's just something you have to be a part of to really appreciate.
PS I saw a great sign among we 82 folks: "I found Leon Spinks's teeth..."
By 
, at
Mon Jun 04, 12:10:00 PM:
Great photo TigerHawk, you have a skill to fall back on when the Chinese take over the medical device business.
Princeton Reunions are special, and like the eating clubs, are hard to explain to others. I had not been back for a reunion since my 5th; my last time on campus was for the Tiger Inn's 100th Anniversary banquet. At times I found it difficult not to feel emotional while walking along the same paths I took for granted 25 years ago. Well at least those paths not blocked by reunions fences or buildings that have risen since.
The "Indispensable Wife" and I had a wonderful time. Being held prisoner in the south side of the graduate college while a powerful storm passed over our class dinner tent gave opportunity for extended conversation with friends. That kind of conversation, a classmate said during Sunday brunch, is something you just don't get around to under the class party tent.
In a few days I'll pick up my reunions dinner jacket from the cleaners and carefully put it away. I'll need it again in 5 or 10 years.
By , at
Tue Jun 05, 11:56:00 AM:
TigerHawk,
Nice pics. And nice to see you and our dear old roomate and pal TigerHienna (you know who I mean), as well as TigerWife, TigerDaughter (a frightening carbon copy of her dad, except that she fortunately inherited her asthetic genes from TigerWife), and TigerHawkSon, as well as TigerNanny, and TigerDogs. And a special shout-out to TigerHawkMom (whom I've always been very fond of) and TigerStepDad (who seems like a great guy).
Indeed, I had forgotten what it's like to sit around the TigerHawk family table and engage in an elevated level of discourse on world and national issues - it's fun!!!
Hey Chris - sorry I missed you. I looked but you were always off dancing or something.
Looking forward to repeating it all over again next year!!!
