Dear Alumni and Friends,
April weather came in with a tropical feel…April fool! While the weather was chilly outside, the events for Dayton Alumni Weekend and Conservatory Alumni Reunion were hot inside! On Friday, April 1, SU Alumni celebrated the history and tradition of the Dayton campus with a memorial service in Dayton followed by a luncheon where Dayton Alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame as well as reunion classes were recognized. The day continued with It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere Reception. Dean Michael Stepniak made a toast to faculty members Thomas Albert, Mac Bozman, Philip Sargent and Robert Shafer on their upcoming retirements.
On Saturday, April 2, Alumni of Excellence and Rising Star Alumni were recognized at the Celebration Luncheon. The weekend was filled with outstanding entertainment including “Dayton’s Got Talent,” featuring a comedy routine with one-liners, similar to the old “Laugh-in” TV show and the Jazz Jam Session held at Brewbaker’s Restaurant, where musicians were able to come and join in impromptu-style music. The weekend culminated with the Alumni Jazz Concert. After just one short rehearsal earlier in the day, alumni gathered on stage to perform several pieces, including Shenandoah’s very own Alan Baylock’s (C ’90) arrangement of Reunion Blues. Hat’s off to the organizers and performers for making the weekend extra special and fun for current and returning students.
Robert Shafer, Jr. is retiring at the end of this academic year after 33 years of teaching. He conducted his final concert with the Shenandoah Conservatory Choir in a special performance of Brahms’ A German Requiem on April 16. All Conservatory Choir alumni came on stage to sing Shafer’s arrangement of “Oh, Shenandoah.”
Mark your calendar for Thursday, April 21 for SU Day of Giving. This is a one-day event for alumni to come together to celebrate and support Shenandoah. Please join me in wearing SU colors, share a post on social media and, of course, make a donation to SU. When I think of my years at SU, I have nothing but good memories. I look back and I think of all the things my college education gave to me. Like many of you…I met new friends, had great experiences and learned a few life lessons. I look around SU and see how much it has grown and I feel that the value of my degree has too. That is why I give from my heart back to my alma mater. I am grateful for my education and experience and I hope that by giving back, the next generation of students will feel the same feeling. Visit su.edu/dayofgiving for more information.
I am practicing my “parade wave” and I hope to you see you soon at SU or at the Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, April 22 – May 1.
See you soon,
Becky Merriner ’01
President, SU Alumni Association