1997 - 15th (May 24-27, 2012)

Dear Classmates & Friends:

Our 15th reunion – May 24 – 27, 2012 – is almost upon us! Many of you are already planning to attend – thanks to all of you who pre-registered. Now comes the fun part… reaching out to old friends to make sure everyone’s blocked off the weekend. In just under three months, we get to come together again in New Haven to reminisce about the good old times, share more of our life experiences and remember simply how meaningful Yale and each other are to us.

Plans are being finalized for what promises to be a memorable weekend in New Haven. While Yale is always at its finest in the spring, and an impressive program of lectures, panel discussions, and tours will be on tap, what will make the event truly outstanding is you (!) and our chance to reconnect as a class.

So, visit our reunion website for more details and REGISTER now. It’s one less thing to do later, and it really does help us plan better. We’ll even give you more incentive; if you register by April 1, you’ll be entered into a drawing (2 lucky winners) for the chance to attend reunion for free (registration fee only)!

On the sidebar to the left, you’ll find:
1. Official Registration Form. Quick and easy. Even if you already pre-registered, you need to register.
2. Weekend Schedule. With our headquarters in Branford College, the festivities kick off on Thursday night and continue with a full slate of events right on through to Sunday’s breakfast. Always a highlight is the Class Dinner on Saturday night – if you can only make it for part of the weekend, try to join us for this. Specific Class of 1997 class events for Saturday morning and afternoon are also in the works. Stay tuned, we’ll have more details to share soon!
3. Housing Information. It’s a busy weekend in New Haven, so if you want to book a room in any of the downtown hotels don’t delay (some are booked already). Of course, comfortable on-campus housing is available right in Branford College.
4. Camp Bulldog Information and Registration. Bring the kids too! We’ve got you covered with (experienced) care givers and activities your children will truly enjoy. This program always gets rave reviews. Kids and parents love it. So you get the chance to make them a part of the reunion experience, but also allow yourself well-deserved time on your own to catch up with classmates. Space is limited, so be sure to register early.
5. Financial Aid Information. We made a conscious effort to keep fees as low as possible. However, we certainly understand that they may preclude some of you from attending. Good news - financial aid is available on a confidential basis. Please contact Liz Roscher (elizabeth.roscher@yale.edu) at the AYA.
6. Who’s Coming? This list will be updated frequently by AYA. Be sure your name’s included on it.

Beyond that, all we ask is that you start to reconnect now. Do what it takes to make sure your friends join us. It won’t be the same without everyone in attendance! Also, join our Class of 1997 15th reunion Facebook group - and suggest that others join the group too. We’ll post updated programming there, as well as on our AYA reunion site.

We look forward to seeing you in New Haven! As always, if you have any questions or ideas, please pass them along. We’ve already gotten some great ones!

Cheers,
Erik Mengwall (emengwall@fulbright.com)
Stephanie Mulazzi Ruiz (smulazzi@yahoo.com)
Laura Scott McCullough (lsmccullough@gmail.com)