It’s been proven — the University of Delaware Alumni Weekend can be an event for Blue Hens and friends from ages 0–99. At the 2022 event, which took place June 3–5, Double Dels and alumni brought their future Blue Hens — as young as two months old — to the Double Del Social and college receptions. And a 99-year old UD alumna from the Class of 1943 attended a Buzz with Beekeeping event and a UDairy Tour, both hosted by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The graduating classes of Blue Hens in attendance spanned decades, from the 1940s through to the 2020s, and they all came together to celebrate the place and the people that have helped shape who they are today. 

Awards and reunions

On Friday of Alumni Weekend, nine UD alumni were honored with UD Alumni Association (UDAA) Awards in the Roselle Center for Fine Arts, including Robert Hilliard, age 96, from the Class of 1948. Hilliard, who helped save thousands from the Holocaust in World War II and has a Purple Heart for the wounds he received in combat, was introduced by his wife JoAnn Reece Hilliard and he received a standing ovation as he approached the podium.

“I entered UD in 1942, and, despite an accelerated curriculum, I didn’t graduate until 1948,” Hilliard said. “I did not flunk two years of courses. Those were the war years.”

Hilliard described going into college focused on preparing for a profession before the war circumvented those plans and refocused his life on serving humanity. After he experienced the war and came back to the University, he understood his new mantra in life: “Be ashamed to die until you’ve made the world a little better than you’ve found it.”

Hilliard received a UDAA Alumni Wall of Fame Award, along with four other alumni, and his name is now engraved on the stone walls of the Alumni Circle, located on campus between Alumni Hall and the Carpenter Sports Building (or Little Bob), near Old College.

A Class of 2022 alumnus, Jonathan Martin, received the Alexander Taylor Award for Outstanding Seniors. He described the range of emotions he felt while moving out of his apartment, signaling his new life away from his UD family of students, professors and mentors.

“As I embark on my journey in medicine, I’m comforted by the fact that I have a family and a home whenever I return to Newark, Delaware,” Martin said.

Two descendants of the namesake of the Emalea Pusey Warner Outstanding Alumni Award were in attendance — Alice Warner Donaghy and Rob Donaghy, Warner’s great-granddaughter and great-great-grandson, respectively. Warner was a local activist who championed education in Delaware. The recipient of the 2022 award is Valerie B. Light. You can read more about both Light and Martin.

Also on Friday night of Alumni Weekend, the Classes of 1997, 2012 and 2017 celebrated their milestone reunions on The Green, complete with live music from Jefe and Jenni — staples of the bar scene for Blue Hens from the ‘90s through the 2000s. 

“It was almost surreal to be back on campus listening to the cover band we used to go see at Deer Park in college, side by side with some of our best friends — our roommates, boyfriends or girlfriends who became our spouses, our favorite people for life,” said Molly Sullivan Donnelly, Class of 2012. “And we even stayed overnight in the dorms, to really bring back the memories. It was the best night ever.” 

All in the Blue Hen family

After a night staying in the George Read Hall on campus, Jeremy Brown, Class of 2006, and his wife Valerie and son Garrett came to their first Brunch with the Mascots in Caesar Rodney Dining Hall.

“YoUDee kept trying to steal my food!” said Garrett, age 6, about the mascot’s shenanigans during the brunch. When YoUDee and Baby Blue weren’t busy pocketing doughnuts, they were taking photos with each family to have as keepsakes.

“We come back pretty regularly,” Brown said. “I try to come back at least every other year for Alumni Weekend.”

Double Dels Andrew Piotti, Class of 2011, and Kelsey Piotti, Class of 2012, have come to the mascot brunch every year since its inception.

“It’s just a good opportunity, a chance for the kids to hang out in the dining halls, see YoUDee, and it’s a good value for the price,” said Andrew.

“Now we have a son who is old enough this year to really get to see where we went to college,” said Kelsey. 

Two events that diverged from the traditional Alumni Weekend offerings were the Drag Show Brunch and Dela-Fest — similar to Dela-Bration but with more of a beer garden vibe and with the convenience of being held on a Saturday for anyone traveling from out of town, rather than the usual Friday night.

As alumni and friends gathered in Bacchus Theatre on the lower level of Perkins Student Center for the first-ever Drag Show Brunch during Alumni Weekend, many in the crowd were recent alumni, including Liam Stewart, who graduated in the Class of 2020 and never had the opportunity to attend an Alumni Weekend until this year, due to Covid.

“I think it’s great,” said Stewart, who was there with friends from the same class, about the new drag show event. 

Stephanie Chang, assistant vice president of institutional equity for student life at UD, and Eric Morrison, a 1996 graduate and state representative for the 27th District in the Newark/Bear/Glasgow area, kicked off the welcome with current and future resources to strengthen the culture of inclusivity at the University, including a new LGBTQ+ alumni network, for which you can sign up to learn more. 

“During my time at UD, I performed many shows right here in Bacchus Theatre as a member of E-52 Student Theatre, which was founded in 1923 and still active today,” Morrison said. “I came out during my second semester here at UD. Right away, I joined the board of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Student Union. During my sophomore year, I re-founded Queer Campus and served as its president for the remainder of my time here. 

“A few years ago, you wouldn’t have found me introducing this event,” he said. “You would have found me performing as my alter ego Anita Mann. Until I launched my campaign for the Delaware State House of Representatives a few years ago, I performed for 25 years as a professional female impersonator. In 2020, I was elected to the Delaware State House of Representatives, ousting a 12-year incumbent who did not support LGBTQ+ equality. Along with my colleagues and friends Senators Sarah McBride and Marie Pinkney, I was one of the first openly LGBTQ+ individuals ever elected to the Delaware State Legislature in its 244-year history.”

Later, at the Double Del Social, 30 couples who both graduated from the University of Delaware mingled and had their photos taken at a green screen with the kissing arches imposed as a backdrop. One couple, Bill and Michele Michalcewiz, both from the Class of 1991, are Blue Hens through-and-through. On May 28, they served as Commencement delegates, along with their daughter Brynn from the Class of 2019, to honor their second daughter Erin as she graduated this year.  

“The girls came to UD football games from the time they were born,” Michele said. 

As for how they met? As fate would have it, Michele’s car broke down and instead of paying to repair it to commute to UD, she ended up moving onto Bill’s floor in Dickinson D. The rest is history.

For the main event, Dela-Fest, The Green (or The Mall, depending on which era you graduated from) was lined with string lights, arcade and lawn games, food and drink tents, photo booths and of course, the main stage that featured a favorite Blue Hen band, Kristen & The Noise. Everywhere you looked, there were groups of alumni and friends laughing, dancing on the dance floor, or hugging and catching up after a long stretch of being apart these past couple years. 

Even Robert Hilliard, the 96-year-old who received an Alumni Award the night before, attended Dela-Fest with his wife JoAnn by his side. Hilliard is perhaps the eldest alumnus to attend the main event in Alumni Weekend’s history — and further proves how alumni truly are #BlueHensForever.

Until next year

As is tradition, Alumni Weekend concluded with the Blue Hen 5K and Fun Run. Rayanne Luke, Class of 2018, and William Rehrig, Class of 2015, were the reigning champions for the overall top male and female runners, top male and female alumni runners and the fastest Double Del couple. They’ll keep their triple crown status until at least next year.

While alumni and friends are encouraged to stay engaged at the University of Delaware year-round — through regional Blue Hen Networks, mentoring and volunteering opportunities, philanthropic support and more — Blue Hens can look forward to the biggest alumni event of the year again next year, slated for June 2–4, 2023.