By Bailey Zahniser ’08
Alumni Holiday Party Recap THANKS SO MUCH to all who attended the annual Alumni Holiday Party last December, and to all who worked hard planning the event! For the third year in a row, Rachel’s Ginger Beer graciously hosted us at their Capitol Hill location, and we got to munch on a crazy delicious spread offered by the Ma’Ono Fried Chicken pop-up shop. The Alumni Holiday Party lives in a magical space between excitement and dread for me, as a member of the Alumni community, I love going to the event, not just because I’m on the Alumni Board and we put a ton of thought and time into planning it, but because I love having the space to be able to connect with friends new and old. Granted, I understand these events are mostly designed for extroverts, and being a huge extrovert, I enjoy navigating these social settings. So much so, that every year I make a goal to talk to at least one Alumni whom I didn’t previously know, which is always exciting and fun for me. The dread part floats around those little moments when you recognize someone’s face,
EVERY YEAR I MAKE A GOAL TO TALK TO AT LEAST ONE ALUMNI WHOM I DIDN’T PREVIOUSLY KNOW, WHICH IS ALWAYS EXCITING AND FUN FOR ME.
but stare a little too long at their name tag, or you just completely can’t remember who so-and-so is. I guess the school’s Culture of Performance can somehow hauntingly follow you to events like these, pushing you out of your comfort zone or making you empathize with the awkwardness of others in this particular social situation. One of the lovely parts of this event was seeing so many SAAS faculty! I think this was the largest faculty turnout at this event in a long time. With SAAS’s growth over the years, I have often heard that faculty feel they won’t see alumni they know, or that they feel the event isn’t for them. This year, however, it was an awesome turnout! It is really so cool to watch faculty and alumni reconnect. Guests at this party represented classes from the 1990s to 2019! I look forward to next year, when maybe even more 2008 Alumni will show up. During the holidays, it’s always hard to plan and schedule a time that works for everyone, but next year, if you are in Seattle stop by, grab a drink, load a plate full of food, and talk to at least one person you didn’t previously know! ☜
2020 | VOL. 19
BEST OF SAAS
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