Reunion 2024: Schedule of Events

General Check-In and Onsite Registration

Check-in for all classes and onsite registration are located in the Lowe Dayton Arts Commons, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center

Thursday, June 6: 1:00 p.m. -7:30 p.m.
Friday, June 7: 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 8: 7:30 a.m. – 7:30pm

On-Campus Housing Check-In

Check-in for on-campus housing is located in Lowe Dayton Arts Commons, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged as a limited number of beds will be available onsite on a first come basis. For more information, visit the Reunion Lodging website.

Check-In Times (Lowe Dayton Art Commons, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center):

Thursday, June 6, 1–7:30 p.m.
Friday, June 7, 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 8, 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

Check-Out (George Draper Dayton Hall Office): 

Sunday, June 9, 8 a.m.–12 p.m.

Pick Up Your Mac Gear at the Highlander

Pick up your Mac gear at the Highlander’s location on Snelling Avenue. Special discounts available for registered Reunion attendees—just show your Reunion 2024 name tag.

Thursday,  June 6, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Friday, June 7, 10:00 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday, June 8, 10:00 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday, June 9, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Highlander Bookstore, 32 Snelling Avenue S.

Use the Leonard Center

Treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical walkers, weight machines, lockers, and showers are all available to registered reunion participants! Please bring your reunion name tag to check-in and use the facilities. 

Hours TBA

DeWitt Wallace Library

Thursday, June 8, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Friday, June 9, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 10, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Sesquicentennial Art Gallery

In late May and June, Law Warschaw Gallery will highlight fifty years of student artists at Macalester. This new exhibition, conceptualized and curated by Nora de Rege ’24, will present selected alumni artwork from the college’s permanent collection holdings and feature newer works from the Class of 1974. de Rege is an American studies major and double minor in English and women’s, gender and sexuality studies. They began their tenure at LWG in 2019, and have worked extensively with Macalester’s collection. They were a co-curator for the 2023 alumni exhibition and currently serve as the gallery’s 2023-24 curatorial assistant.

Friday: 10:00am-3:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am-3:00pm

Law Warschaw Gallery, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center

1974 Briggs House Gathering Space

Briggs House is the Class of 1974 headquarters for all of Reunion 2024. Join us inside or on the lawn to relax and catch up with classmates throughout the weekend.

Thursday, June 8, 1:00–11 p.m.
Friday, June 9, 8:00 a.m.–10 p.m.
Saturday, June 10, 8:00 a.m.–Midnight

Briggs House (formerly Alumni House), 1644 Summit Avenue

Class Headquarters

Spend time in your class headquarters throughout the weekend. They are a great place to relax and connect with new and old friends. Leave a message on the whiteboard, and grab a few snacks while finding your classmates.

Friday, June 7, 11:00am-7:30pm
Saturday, June 8, 10:00am-5:00pm

Second floor of the Theater Building

Parenting Room
Open During Registration Hours

Parenting rooms for nursing parents or other young child needs,are available during registration hours throughout Reunion. Stop by Reunion registration for an access card..

T106, first floor of Theater Building (access card needed)
L09 DeWitt Wallace Library (access card needed)

Mac Hac Annual Athletics Golf Fundraiser $
Separate Registration
11:00 a.m..–2:30 p.m.

The annual Mac Hac Golf Fundraiser raises funds to help enhance the experience of Macalester student-athletes through program support and Scots L.E.A.D. leadership development. Registration is separate from Reunion 2024 and can be done through the Athletic Department website at athletics.macalester.edu.

Top Golf, Brooklyn Center, MN

Onsite Registration, Check-In, and Residence Halls Open for Reunion Guests
1:00–7:30 p.m.

Check-in for all classes and onsite registration are located in the Lowe Dayton Arts Commons, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center

Class of 1969 Women’s retreat
1:30–4:00 p.m.

The Class of 1969 Women’s Retreat, which has been held at every five-year retreat since our 25th reunion in 1994, will be held this year at our 55th reunion. We will reconnect and update each other on our lives. In addition, we will center our discussion around the challenges and insights articulated in the new Barbie movie, challenges each of us can relate to as we look back over the past 60 years. We highly recommend Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher. The subtitle, “Navigating LIfe’s Currents and Flourishing as We Age,” will help us look forward. Our classmates Katha Ukena Chamberlain and Debbie Oyan Dornaus will guide us in our discussions.

Location TBA

Class of 1974 Women’s Circle
2:00–5:00 p.m.

Join the women of the Class of 1974 for conversation, connection, and community as we share our journeys, experiences, and the wisdom we’ve accumulated over the last fifty years. With the success, continued discussions, and meaningful memories of the Women’s Retreat at our 25th Reunion in mind, we hope you will join us for drinks and light refreshments at the Class of 1974 Women’s Circle.

Location TBA

Admissions Financial Aid Update: Finding and Funding the Next Generation of Macalester Students
4:00-5:00 p.m.

A lot has changed in the world of admissions and financial aid. Join us for an update from Brian Lindeman ‘89, Macalester’s Assistant Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid. Brian will share information about Macalester’s efforts to raise awareness among prospective students, how the 2023 SCOTUS ruling on race-conscious admission affected the composition of the class of 2028, and an overview of Macalester’s current financial aid program. There will be plenty of time for discussion and questions.

Class of 1974 Gallery Reception
5:30-6:30pm

Examine, experience, and enjoy an exhibition of work from artists, professional and amateur, of extraordinary talent from the class of 1974 at the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center with a private showing and reception between 5:30 and 6:30pm on Thursday, June 6

Law Warschaw Gallery, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center

Cafe Mac Welcome Dinner $
5:30–8:00 p.m.

Relive your student dining experience by exploring Bon Appetit’s farm-to-fork offerings at casual buffet food stations inside Café Mac. Drop in during meal service times and reconnect with classmates. All are welcome.

Café Mac, Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center

Forensics Endowment Celebration with Beau Larsen & Dick Lesicko ’75

Celebrate the launch of the Forensics Endowment of Excellence in Honor of Dick Lesicko ’75 on Thursday, June 6th in the John B. Davis Lecture Hall! Beau Larson, Director of Forensics, and Dick Lesicko, former Director of Forensics, will be discussing the past, present and future of Macalester Forensics in a live Q&A. We will celebrate the launch of a new endowment: Forensics Endowment of Excellence in Honor of Dick Lesicko ’75, funded by gracious alumni committed to the enduring legacy of forensics at Macalester.

Location TBA

Class of 1974 Welcome Social
7:00-10:00 p.m.

Start Reunion right by finding your roommates and friends at a casual meal and social with pizza and beer in the former Alumni House. Catch up, enjoy light refreshments, and make your weekend plans.

Briggs House, 1644 Summit Ave

Onsite Registration, Check-In, and Residence Halls Open for Reunion Guests
7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

Check-in for all classes and onsite registration are located in the Lowe Dayton Arts Commons, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center

All-Campus Breakfast $
7:30–9:30 a.m

Café Mac, Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center

Idea Lab Open House
9:00–11:00 a.m.

Grab some coffee in the hub of Entrepreneurship on campus! Exercise your creativity in the Idea Lab, a hands-on workspace in the heart of the library where students innovate, collaborate, befriend, re-center, and work together to solve problems and drive positive change in the world. Hosted by the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Department

Idea Lab (second level), Dewitt Wallace Library

Visit the Archives
9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Visit the Macalester College Archives and browse Spotlights, photographs, student org materials and more! Do you have mementos from your college years tucked away in storage? Bring them to the open house, and donate them to the Archives for future generations of students to explore while helping to preserve the story of Macalester. If you can’t make it, we will be accepting donations all weekend in-person. Just contact us at [email protected] to arrange a meeting, a donation by mail, or ask any questions you may have.

Archives (second level), Dewitt Wallace Library

In Pursuit of Health Equity: A History of Latin American Social Medicine Book Talk with Professor Eric Carter
9:30–10:30 a.m.

Throughout Latin America, social medicine has been widely recognized for its critical perspectives on mainstream understandings of health and for its progressive policy achievements. Nevertheless, it has been an elusive subject: hard to define, with puzzling historical discontinuities and misconceptions about its origins. Drawing on a vast archive and with an ambitious narrative scope that transcends national borders, Eric D. Carter’s new book offers the first comprehensive intellectual and political history of the social medicine movement in Latin America, from the early twentieth century to the present day.

Location TBA

Department and Faculty Office Hours
10:00 a.m.–Noon

Stop by to meet familiar and new faculty and staff members for an informal open house visit. Participating faculty and departments will be posted at registration (Lowe Dayton Arts Commons, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center) as well as on the Reunion website.

Various locations around campus—more details coming soon!

Center for Religious and Spiritual Life Open House
10:00 a.m.–Noon

Welcome friends and wanderers! Curious about the chaplaincy today? Meet our interfaith team and mingle in the chapel garden & moat.

Weyerhaeuser Chapel, Center for Religious and Spiritual Life (lower level)

Sesquicentennial Art Gallery
10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

In late May and June, Law Warschaw Gallery will highlight fifty years of student artists at Macalester. This new exhibition, conceptualized and curated by Nora de Rege ’24, will present selected alumni artwork from the college’s permanent collection holdings and feature newer works from the Class of 1974. de Rege is an american studies major and double minor in English and women’s, gender and sexuality studies. They began their tenure at LWG in 2019, and have worked extensively with Macalester’s collection. They were a co-curator for the 2023 alumni exhibition and currently serve as the gallery’s 2023-24 curatorial assistant.

Law Warschaw Gallery, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center

Class of 1974 Golden Scots Society Induction Ceremony
10:00–11:30 a.m.

The Class of 1974 will be inducted into the Golden Scots Society with music, memories, and medallions with a heartwarming ceremony celebrating the past and the future. 

What do you give someone on a 50th anniversary? For a 50th Reunion Macite, there is a procession, bagpipes, a golden medallion, and lots of admiring classmates, family, and friends. The Golden Scots Induction Ceremony distinguishes this Reunion from all earlier ones because it honors those who have reached their 50th reunion milestone. The Ceremony will also recognize and remember those classmates who have passed on.

Class of 1974 inductees are asked to arrive at the flagpole by 9:45 a.m. to line up. All are welcome to attend!

Weyerhaeuser Memorial Chapel

Class Headquarters Open
11:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

Spend time in your class headquarters throughout the weekend. They are a great place to relax and connect with new and old friends. Leave a message on the whiteboard, and grab a few snacks while finding your classmates.

Second floor of the Theater Building

All-Campus Lunch Buffet $
11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

For all that are not yet Golden Scots- enjoy a buffet lunch at Cafe Mac.

Café Mac, Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center

Golden Scots Society Luncheon $
11:45 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

For all celebrating their 50th Reunion and beyond, plus special recognition for those observing their 55th, 60th, 65th, 70th, and 75th Reunions.

Alumni Gym, Leonard Center

Sustainability at Macalester Walking Tour
1:00–2:00 p.m.

Get to know the sustainability initiatives at Macalester. During this tour, participants will learn about sustainability initiatives on campus including: decarbonization and zero waste efforts, active transportation, gardens and food justice, and efforts to improve biodiversity and stormwater management.

Meeting Location: Street side of Weyerhauser

Looking for Molecules in Stars with Macalester Students and Professor Thomas Varberg
1:30–2:45 p.m. 

We have all felt that sense of awe when we go outside on a dark night and look up at the stars, wondering… How do we know what they are made of? Why are they different colors? Where does the light come from? In this talk, I will describe some of the recent studies my students and I have made of the diatomic molecule vanadium hydride (VH), which we believe is of astronomical relevance. We were the first to discover a spectrum of VH, right here at Macalester in 2020, and astronomers need our results to search for it in the universe. A total of 41 molecules have been found in the atmospheres of colder stars within our Galaxy, and we hope to add VH to this list. If so, it would be the first stellar molecule ever discovered at an undergraduate institution.

Location TBA

Golden Scots Society Coffee & Conversation
1:45– 2:45 p.m.

Join your fellow Golden Scots from the classes of 1954, 1959, 1964, and 1969 to continue your conversations from lunch. Relax over a cup of coffee immediately following the Golden Scots Luncheon.

Reading Room 111, DeWitt Wallace Library

Admissions Campus Walking Tour
2:00- 3:00 p.m.

Join your fellow alumni to see what campus looks like today through the eyes of a current student.

Meeting Location: Street side of Weyerhauser

Explore Mac’s Mighty Letterpress Studio with Professor Ruthann Godollei
2:00–3:00 p.m.

The power of the press belongs to those who can operate one. Visit and help print commemerative artwork in Mac’s letterpress studio with DeWitt Wallace Professor Ruthann Godellei, art.

Jon Adams Mondale Hall of Studio Art, Room 214

Presidential Panel
3:00–4:30 p.m.

As part of the college’s sesquicentennial celebrations, hear from four Macalester Presidents: three who have led the institution through historical transformation, and Macalester’s current president, whose leadership is setting Macalester up for the future.

Location TBA

First-Gen Alumni Gathering
4:00–5:00p.m.

Meet and mingle with first-generation alumni across class years and learn more about first-gen alumni programming!

Location TBA

Mac Athletics: Developing A Culture of Belonging and Excellence
4:30–5:30 p.m.

Join Macalester Swim and Dive Coach Kyllian Griffin, 2022 and 2023 MIAC Women’s S&D Coach of the Year, as he shares lessons learned, successes achieved, and challenges faced during his time with Mac Athletics and how athletics is part of a holistic collegiate experience.

Location TBA

Julie Dolan: Female Politcal leaders
4:30–5:30 p.m.

Location TBA

Snacks at Mac
5:00–10:00 p.m.

Welcome back! Several food trucks featuring a variety of cuisines will be on-site from 5–10 p.m. with choices sure to please all palates. Enjoy great conversation over a beverage and some yummy eats, dance like nobody’s watching, play some lawn games, share a few memories, and find out what your classmates have been up to since you last saw them. Cash bar and meal from food trucks are available for purchase. Catch a special musical performance by Salsa Del Soul Quintet featuring Shai Hayo ’96  between 7–9 p.m. Cash bar available.

Shaw Field and Tent

Celebrating Generosity: A Donor and Volunteer Gathering (by invite only)
5:00–6:30 p.m.

This reception is invite only. Invitations will be sent individually with RSVP information. 

As Macalester marks our 150th anniversary, we’re celebrating the generosity of our inspiring donors and volunteer leaders. Join us for this interactive experience, hosted by President Suzanne Rivera with faculty, staff, and students, showcasing how your generosity makes a difference in the lives of Macalester students. It’s sure to be the start of a wonderful new tradition. 

Please contact Macalester Donor Relations at [email protected], for more information.

Shabbat Gathering
5:30–6:30 p.m.

Join Jewish alumni (and friends) for a brief gathering to light candles, have a bite of challah, and schmooze. This is a great chance to share stories with Macalester Rabbi Emma Kippley-Ogman and alumni connected with Macalester Jewish Organization and Hebrew House across generations!

Weyerhaeuser Chapel, Center for Religious and Spiritual Life (lower level)

Class of 1974 Friday Dinner – REVISIT RECONNECT REMEMBER
6:30–8:30 p.m 

Join fellow 50th Reunion alumni for a memorable evening of food, laughter, and reminiscing on Friday night. This isn’t just a dinner; it’s an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, share stories, and forge lasting memories. 

Location TBA

Class of 1974 Gathering
8:30–11:00 p.m.

Come to Briggs House and Briggs House tent to continue the conversation with classmates.

Briggs House, 1644 Summit Avenue

Sesquicentennial Music Performance with Sounds of Blackness
Doors open at 8:00 p.m.
Curtain at 8:30 p.m.

Join for an evening of celebration, music, and dancing with a performance by Grammy Award-winning Sounds of Blackness. Cash bar.  All Alumni are welcome. 

Theater and Dance Building, Mainstage Theater

General Check-In and Onsite Registration
7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

Check-in for all classes and onsite registration are located in the Lowe Dayton Arts Commons, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center

The Grand Celebration $
9:00–10:30 a.m.

Gather with classmates and friends for a celebration of this year’s Alumni Award recipients, the Reunion gift presentation, a delicious breakfast, and plenty of coffee at this all-class celebration with President Suzanne Rivera recognizing alumni across the generations. Breakfast is available at 9 a.m., program begins at 9:30 a.m.

Alumni Gym, Leonard Center Athletic & Wellness Complex

Class Headquarters Open
10:00–5:00 p.m.

Spend time in your class headquarters throughout the weekend. They are a great place to relax and connect with new and old friends. Leave a message on the whiteboard, and grab a few snacks while finding your classmates.

2nd Floor, Theatre and Dance Building

Sesquicentennial Art Gallery
10:00–3:00 p.m.

In late May and June, Law Warschaw Gallery will highlight fifty years of student artists at Macalester. This new exhibition, conceptualized and curated by Nora de Rege ’24, will present selected alumni artwork from the college’s permanent collection holdings and feature newer works from the Class of 1974. de Rege is an american studies major and double minor in English and women’s, gender and sexuality studies. They began their tenure at LWG in 2019, and have worked extensively with Macalester’s collection. They were a co-curator for the 2023 alumni exhibition and currently serve as the gallery’s 2023-24 curatorial assistant.

Law Warschaw Gallery, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center

Marvin Plaza

Scots Pride Conversation and Gathering
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Join the Macalester Scots Pride community as we honor our value of multiculturalism with a talk and gathering. Hear about some of the opportunities and connections on campus. Stay after the talk to gather with other alumni and hear ways we are building the Scots Pride network. Light refreshments provided.

Location TBA

Admissions Campus Walking Tour
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Join your fellow alumni to see what campus looks like today through the eyes of a current student.

Meet-up location: Street side of Weyerhaeuser Hall

All-Class Picnic $
11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

All are welcome to enjoy festivities at a hearty barbecue lunch featuring a variety of lively entertainers including music by Professor Emeritus Dave McCurdy’s trio, face painting, lawn games, henna artists, caricatures, hooping, a fortune teller, and more. 

Tent on Shaw Field

Transforming Student Experience – High Impact Practices at Macalester: Defined, Explored, and How our Alumni can Support
1:30–2:30 p.m.

With the execution of our Imagine, Macalester plan, Mac has identified High Impact Practices (HIPs) as an effective strategy in fostering student engagement, growth, and success in the long term. HIPs often involve complex questions/dilemmas, collaboration, reflection, and teamwork, and frequently include alumni and community members in meaningful and intensive work over time. Join us in a conversation led by our Vice President of Student Affairs, Kathryn Kay Coquemont Panelists: Jen Guyer Wood, Career Exploration Executive Director, Dennis Cao, Assoc. Prof. of Chemistry & Summer Research Coordinator, & Sarah West, Prof. of Economics

War and Peace: Where were we then and where are we now?
1:00–2:30 p.m.

Join us for a look back at our Vietnam-era selves and at the Peace Studies events led by classmates during our last year at Mac. Then let’s use our remembrances as a foundation for looking forward to our feelings, experiences, thoughts about war and peace today, in the wake of the events in Israel and Palestine, our country’s involvement in Central America, Iraq, Afghanistan, the war in Ukraine et al. We want to hear from as many classmates as possible in our gathering. After a brief opening round of classmates involved in the fall of ‘73 student-led Creating Peace class, the floor will be open to discussion. We are looking for perspectives along the spectrum—–then and now. We will embrace the ethics of respectful dialogue as we speak our minds and hearts.

Location TBA

Macalester Then and Now- Student Affairs
1:30-3:00 p.m.

M Club Slingshot Water Balloon Challenge
1:45–3:15 p.m.

Put together your three-person team and test your water balloon launching skills against other reunion teams. Exciting prizes will be awarded to teams who come closest to hitting Mac the Scot! Sponsored by M Club and  Athletics. Open to all! A three-person team is required to participate.

Macalester Stadium

Campus Master Plan Tour with Nathan Lief
2:30–3:30 p.m.

Join AVP of Facilities Nathan Lief for a campus walking tour from the perspective of the college’s Comprehensive Campus Plan. Nathan, who leads the Comprehensive Campus Plan committee and works closely with our architects, will point out locations where renovations are planned and the timing for those changes.

Meet-up location: In Front of Campus Center

Macalester Alumni of Moderation Conversation
2:30–3:30 p.m.

Macalester Alumni of Moderation invite you to attend our annual session and discuss the state of viewpoint diversity at Macalester…and now elsewhere. In 2006, our group was the first in the nation to raise this critical issue and now alums from many colleges and universities have prompted other such groups.

Visit www.macmods.org to learn more about Macalester Alumni of Moderation.

Location TBA

Alumni of Color Lecture and gathering
3:00–4:30 p.m.

Join the Macalester alumni of color community as we honor our value of multiculturalism with a talk and gathering. Hear about some of the opportunities and connections on campus. Stay after the talk to gather with other alumni and hear ways we are building the alumni of color collective. Light refreshments provided.

Location TBA

Friends of Bill W. and Dr. Bob
4:00–5:00 p.m.

This is a closed meeting of A.A. 12-Steps discussion and coffee. Attendance at closed meetings is restricted to those who have a desire to stop drinking. Hosted by a member of the fellowship.

Room 320, DeWitt Wallace Library

All-Class Social
5:30–7:00 p.m.

Listen to music while enjoying a complimentary refreshing beverage and great conversation with friends old and new, prior to your class dinner.

Marvin Plaza
Rain location: Tent on the Great Lawn
Severe Weather Location: Field House, Leonard Center

Saturday Class Dinners
7:00–9:00 p.m.

Enjoy an evening of great conversation while reconnecting with classmates. All dinners will be held on campus, with specific locations posted in the Lowe Dayton Arts Commons, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center. Reservations required. Plated chicken or vegetarian option to be served for the 50th, 40th, 45th, 35th, 30th, 25th, 20th, and 15th Class Dinners. Pasta Buffet dinner to be served for the 10th, and 5th Class Dinners.

1974 – 50th Reunion Class Dinner
1979 – 45th Reunion Class Dinner
1984 – 40th Reunion Class Dinner
1989 – 35th Reunion Class Dinner
1994 – 30th Reunion Class Dinner
1999 – 25th Reunion Class Dinner
2004 – 20th Reunion Class Dinner
2009 – 15th Reunion Class Dinner
2014 – 10th Reunion Class Dinner
2019 – 5th Reunion Class Dinner

Locations TBA

Class of 1974 Briggs House Social
9:00 p.m–Midnight

Come to Briggs House to continue the conversation with classmates.

Briggs House, 1644 Summit Avenue

The Tartan Toast: An All-Class Reunion Party
9:00 p.m.–Midnight

Gather with friends old and new for one last toast as we talk and dance the night away on the Great Lawn. Take the opportunity to share and make memories with classmates and friends under the big tent on the lawn. All Mac community members are welcome. Purchase drink tickets in advance at registration. Food from food trucks available for purchase.

Tent on the Great Lawn

Residence Hall Check-Out
8:00 a.m.–Noon

All residents: Please return keys to the George Draper Dayton Hall Office by 12 p.m. (noon) today.

George Draper Dayton Hall Office

All-Campus Brunch $
8:30–10:30 a.m.

Cafe Mac, Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center\

Community Grounding
10:00– 11:00 a.m.

Parting is bittersweet. This ritual goodbye will support an introspective and reflective time that is a perfect bookend to a full weekend!  All worldviews are welcome to this connective time where we will nurture the spiritual leanings of our global community. 

Weyerhaeuser Memorial Chapel