Reunion 2016 to Highlight VWIL 20th and Showcase New Events

Each year, the team in the alumni office creates a Reunion schedule that adds a few new events to make each gathering special for the hundreds of alumni who make their way to campus each April. This year is no different, especially for alumnae of the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership (VWIL), who will have a chance to celebrate the program’s 20th anniversary. VWIL20_logo

Mary Baldwin President Emerita Cynthia Tyson, who founded and charted a successful path for VWIL, will deliver the keynote address at the VWIL Scholarship Ceremony and Parade at 3:30 p.m. on April 22. A military flyover is planned for the special ceremony to take place at the Physical Activities Center. The annual military ball will follow at 7 p.m. in Hunt Dining Hall.

The classes of 1946, 1951, 1956, and 1961 will enjoy a number of exclusive events on April 21, including a luncheon at noon, followed by a tour of the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, and a tea at 4 p.m. in Fletcher Collins Theatre, which includes a performance from the master of fine arts company, Sweet Wag Shakespeare.

New to the schedule this year is the “Spring in the Valley” concert featuring alumni of the Heifetz International Music Institute at 7:30 p.m. April 22 in Francis Auditorium. On April 23, there will be a bloody Mary reception — a return to an old Reunion favorite — at 9:30 a.m. on Page Terrace and a choice at 2 p.m. from a residence hall open house — to give alumnae a chance to visit some of the buildings they once called home — or a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most interesting items from the Mary Baldwin archives in the Reigner Room of the Grafton Library.

Screen Shot 2016-03-28 at 12.11.44 PM“This year, we’re adding a number of events to the schedule that we know alums will enjoy,” said Kim Hutto, director of alumnae/i engagement. “We love to see our Mary Baldwin family come back together to visit familiar people and places and also to see how Mary Baldwin is changing in exciting ways.”

Perennial favorites returning to the event line-up include the Grafton Society Luncheon and Induction Ceremony (this year for the Class of 1966) at noon on April 22 at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel, followed by a wine tasting and conversation with Mary Baldwin faculty at 5:30 p.m. at the Student Activities Center. The Brenda Bryant 5K Memorial Run/Walk to remember the late vice president and dean will begin at 8 a.m. April 23 at the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, and of course the Reunion Class Dinner will be held at 6:30 that evening.

Registration for Reunion, April 21–24, has been extended to April 7. The full Reunion schedule is also available online.