ALUMNI ACTION
ALUMNI ON THE TOWN Baltimore
Boston
Columbus, Ohio
Alumni enjoyed beautiful latesummer weather with some exciting outdoor events. More than 20 young alumni cruised down the Severn River in July aboard 1976 alumnus John Hill’s luxurious sailboat. In September, a record number of alumni turned out for the chapter’s annual Welcome to the City crabfeast on the Baltimore waterfront. “I had a great time at the crabfeast,” Dan Ridley ’93 reports. “After surviving the earthquake and (Hurricane Irene) the week before, it was nice to enjoy the perfect weather and interact with alumni.”
The chapter’s August Welcome to the City gathering at Tia’s on Long Wharf became one of the bestattended events in its history. New Elon graduates were welcomed by alumni of all eras – including 1950 alumnus Warren Johnson. “It was incredible to see how many of us are here in Boston with that shared connection to Elon,” says Mike Gerrity ’05, a member of the chapter’s board. “This event emphasized that fact.”
The Columbus Alumni Club hosted its inaugural event in September, bringing together an energetic group of Central Ohio alumni for a social at Matt the Miller’s Tavern. “A diverse set of alums attended, and it provided a much-needed opportunity for Columbus alumni to connect,” reports Kristin Tremoulis ’07, who says she’s looking forward to spending time with fellow alumni in the future.
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Chapter & Club Notes
for the latest alumni chapter news and event schedule
Chicago An August Evening for Elon drew more than 40 alumni, parents and friends of the university, all eager to catch up on Elon happenings with President Leo M. Lambert and several other university staff members. “Every once in a while, I’ll see an Elon bumper sticker here in Chicago and feel a twinge of surprise,” Kathryn Burkhardt ’93 says. “I’m proud to say that’s about to change as, clearly, Elon is doing a great job of recruiting top students from – and sending great alumni back to – this area.”
Asheville: The club held its annual fall event at the Lexington Avenue Brewery in September and want to remind fellow alumni to join them in March for the Southern Conference basketball tournaments, which will be held in Asheville. Atlanta: Alumni enjoyed a special tour of Sweetwater Brewery in June and a latesummer, family-friendly trip to the laser light show at Stone Mountain Park. Charleston: Graduates attended a tour of the famed Firefly Distillery on nearby Wadmalaw Island in August and reunited in September for a Welcome to the City party at The Blind Tiger.
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Charlotte: The chapter hosted several events over the summer, including a June young alumni happy hour, a July intern/ alumni mixer and the annual Welcome to the City party in August. Forsyth County, N.C.: Alumni gathered at Foothills Brewing Company in downtown Winston-Salem in September for the club’s first social. Guilford County, N.C.: Graduates kicked off fall in September with a Welcome to the City social at Natty Greene’s in downtown Greensboro.
Los Angeles Alumni in the City of Angels played an important role mentoring students through the Elon in L.A. summer program and enjoyed some special perks, too, such as a special screening party just for Elon at the American Film Institute. “I absolutely love the Elon community we’ve established out here,” Jeff Thurm ’10 says. “We really stick together. Everywhere we go, people are shocked that so many of us came from the same small school in North Carolina, and that we’re taking over the entertainment industry!”
New York City: Alumni turned out in large numbers in July for a Welcome to the City Party at the 79th Street Boat Basin and in August for an Evening for Elon with President Lambert. Young alumni attended a successful IGNITE Nite hosted by Chris Mason ’06 and Rich Ferrucci ’07. Philadelphia: The chapter organized a July outing to Citizens Bank Park where alumni cheered on the hometown Phillies and hosted a successful Welcome to the City party in September at Triumph Brewing Company.
Nashville The chapter played host to scores of Elon faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends in September, when the Phoenix football team arrived to take on Vanderbilt in the 2011 season opener. Though the Phoenix fell to the Commodores, 45–14, Doug Woodside ’94 , chapter copresident, considered the weekend a rousing success. “The fact that this big university and athletics event coincided with the rise of our chapter, and that we were able to integrate our local efforts, made the experience unforgettable,” he says.
South Florida Hurricane Irene’s torrential rains and high winds weren’t enough to keep alumni in South Florida from attending their club’s first official event in August at SoLita in Fort Lauderdale. More than 30 Elon graduates from the 1960s to 2011 came to enjoy the maroon and gold bonding. “Most of the alumni at the event graduated after 2000, but everyone made us feel so welcome. We thought we were back at Elon with our friends!” Eileen Cobb ’66 says. “We’re looking forward to attending the next event.”
Richmond: Graduates attended a June happy hour social, a July Richmond Squirrels minor-league baseball game and an August Welcome to the City Party at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art’s Amuse restaurant. Washington, D.C.: It was a typically busy summer for the D.C. Chapter, as members held an alumni/intern social in June, attended a Nationals game in July and gathered for their annual Welcome to the City party in September at The Exchange in downtown Washington.