10:23 a.m., March 27, 2009----The memories made at the University of Delaware may last a lifetime, but the time to share them is now. And the time to relive a few of them is coming up soon -- at UD's first-ever Forum & Reunion Weekend, June 5-7.

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In preparation for the Weekend, which will be a celebration with a full slate of entertaining and engaging activities, alumni are asked to share their favorite or most enduring recollections from their student days. A special panel will review all the entries and select winners, who each will receive a grab bag of UD gear worth more than $50.

Entries should be e-mailed to [alumnet@udel.edu.] They will be posted for fellow alumni and friends to read at the Reunion Weekend Web site; click on “UD Memories” in the list at the left.

It's expected that many alumni will write about events that could have occurred during any era at the University, from a particularly inspiring professor to a weekend road trip to a first meeting with one's future spouse. Other memories may recall a specific time, such as the formal dances of the 1950s, the first coed dorms of the '70s or the technology of the '90s that made instant messaging, cell phones and laptops ubiquitous around campus.

One of the first alumni to send in her memories was Janice Diggs Harlow, who graduated in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in computer science and returned to earn an MBA in 1991. She recalled the hours spent in Smith Hall, working on assignments that resulted in “HUNDREDS of keypunch cards, each containing one line of programming code” and the day she dropped a stack of cards and had to “painstakingly reorder them before my program would work.”

Eric Zency, AS '76, '79M, now a visiting associate professor of historical and political studies at Empire State College, wrote about a job he held as an undergraduate, selling programs at Blue Hen football games, and described the unique sales pitch he used. Of the job itself, he said, “If you sold out, it was one of the highest-paying ways to spend a couple of hours on an autumn afternoon; and when you were done, you could sit and watch the game if you wanted.”

Forum & Reunion Weekend will include parties, live music and such well-known performers as Judson Laipply, The Fabulous Greaseband and Love Seed Mama Jump.

Friday evening, June 5, will include an all-you-can-eat-and-drink Mug Night party on The Green, where an all-alumni dance party will be held Saturday evening, June 6.

In addition to the parties and performances, the Weekend will offer those attending the chance to reconnect with old friends, spend a night or two in a new residence hall, network with former classmates and professors, revisit their favorite spots on campus and be inspired by a series of engaging showcases that highlight some of UD's best, brightest and most interesting people and programs. Motivational speaker Pat Williams will give a talk on Saturday morning, followed by a town hall meeting with UD President Pat Harker and an international foods picnic.

For an updated schedule of the Weekend's events, and to register for some or all of the activities, visit the Reunion Weekend Web site, or call (302) 831-2341. “Early Hen” registration discounts are in effect for those who sign up before April 30.

Article by Ann Manser