Feature Article
Reconnect and Reengage at Alumni Weekend and Reunion 2008
Whether you’re looking to socialize with old friends, learn about a new area of social work practice, or enjoy a family-friendly picnic, Alumni Weekend has it all. And for alumni celebrating a Reunion this year, there is even more reason to return for the festivities. For the fourth year in a row, the School will be hosting a Reunion Reception at the Union League of Philadelphia for all reunion-year alumni and their guests. (Not sure if this is a reunion year for you? If your graduation year ends in a ‘3’ or an ‘8’, you’re a reunion-year alum.) In its short history, this event has become an immensely popular tradition at the School, attracting more than 100 guests in 2007.
In honor of the School’s Centennial Celebration, the 2008 schedule of events has been redesigned to make it even easier for alumni to reconnect with their alma mater. The cornerstone of Alumni Weekend 2008 is Saturday’s All-Alumni Centennial Picnic in the Caster Courtyard. Relocating the picnic from Hill Square allowed for an expanded menu of picnic activities: a clown; a social activism photography show by Harvey Finkle, MSW’61; tours of the Caster building; opportunities to view the design for the lobby renovations; and more. Be there for a chance to win any number of great prizes, including theater passes to the Annenberg Performing Arts Center, a one-year membership to the PA Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, a membership and gift basket to the Morris Arboretum, free passes to the Penn Museum, and an SP2 "prize pack" (includes a mug, key chain, umbrella, golf shirt and more)! The Friday morning “Educational Component” has been redesigned
Events at a Glance
Friday, May 16
9:30 – 11:30 am: Current Issues Panels (choose one)
- Moving Up, Moving On: Enhancing Your Social Work Career
- Why Social Work Needs Mapping
- The Ins and Outs of Evidence Based Practice
11:30 am - 1:30 pm: Networking Luncheon and State of the School Address
5:30 – 7:30 pm: Reunion Reception at the Union League of Philadelphia
8:00 pm: Pilobolus Dance Theater
Saturday, May 17
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Class Gift Dedication for the Class of 2007
12:00 – 2:00 pm: All Alumni Centennial Picnic
For detailed information about the SP2 schedule of events, click here.
to complement the diverse interests of the alumni population. Now called Current Issues Panels, the educational component consists of three concurrent sessions, so that alumni can choose the topic that most interests them. Afterwards, alumni who graduated last year or fifty years ago will enjoy hearing about SP2’s latest initiatives, programs, and accomplishments during Friday’s lunch-time State of the School Addressgiven by Dean Gelles.
And now, you can take advantage of being just one-click away from the registration page: in order to make online registration easier, we’ve removed the QuakerNet login so that anyone can register online (even if you aren’t yet a registered member of the online community).
In addition to the SP2 schedule of events, alumni are invited to participate in events hosted by the University, including Penn’s Campus Expands Eastward, A Conversation with President Amy Gutmann, panel discussions like The Future of Politics in America and The Anatomy of Healthcare Reform, and Taste of Penn: A Celebration of Diversity. For information on the University’s complete schedule of events or to register for any non-SP2 events, click here.