They’re reconnecting in person, through telephone conference calls, e-mail exchanges and postal mail to put their classes'’ personal touch on the spring weekend of June 20 through 22 and the fall festivities from Oct. 24 through 26 — from choosing the site of their reunion party to planning the entertainment and seeking out long-lost classmates and motivating them to attend.

“It’s all about making it happen,” says Sharyn Wilson Woods (J68) of Lincolnwood, Ill. “Being on the committee means you can make your reunion party meaningful, like finding the most attractive place to have it.” In her class's case, choosing Scott Hall, where students loved to gather at the former Scott Hall Grill, is one way to help ensure a large turnout for the 35th reunion party.

Such enthusiasm among organizers has already paid dividends. Last year the committees attracted 2,200 alumni to the fall reunion weekend, a 40 percent increase over the 2001 fall reunion.

During the spring reunion weekend, members of the 50th reunion class will participate in Commencement ceremonies. All three reunion classes — the 50th, 55th and 60th — are invited to the Half Century Club luncheon, an architectural cruise on the Chicago River and a lecture on international relations by University President Henry S. Bienen.

The fall revelry, in addition to individual class reunion parties in Evanston and Chicago, will include the 2003 Homecoming parade, the football game against Wisconsin, campus tours, academic lectures and the all-class alumni tent bash on the grounds of the John Evans Alumni Center.

If your class is celebrating a reunion this fall, the best way to keep current is through the Northwestern Alumni Association Web site, which has details on specific events, lists of participants and other useful information — all organized according to class year.

Get active — join your class reunion committee by visiting www.alumni.northwestern.edu/reunions.