Written by Patricia Dolla (BA '12)
As an alumni I absolutely love coming back to campus and visiting every chance I get. Last weekend ended up being the perfect opportunity to come back to visit because it was Reunion! From the alumni newsletters that I've received, I saw that there were so many events happening on campus and I really wanted to see it all. I participated in a lot of events held on campus as a student and organized many as a Don, so I was excited to participate in this one organized for alumni. Then I thought to myself that UWaterloo helped get me the job I currently have as an event planner, so why not give something back and help out at one of their events!
So I called the ladies I know in Alumni Relations and offered my help. Turns out they always welcome alumni volunteers at events and I got to attend almost all the Reunion events since my position was to assist the photographer and King Warrior!
We travelled around campus all day in an awesome golf cart! It was so exciting to see all the kids faces light up when King Warrior would show up. These future alumni were just so cute! It was also great to see the alumni asking to take pictures with King Warrior, as it brought back good memories for them. The events going on around campus were fun to see, such as the AHS Fun Run, the Football game, the East Asian Festival, the Traditional Pow Wow. You know, I still don't understand the rules of football, but I sure do love getting dressed up in Black and Gold and supporting the Warriors! We also ended up going over to the new Engineering Building, which I had never been to since it has been completed. That was really nice to see, not only because it is a beautiful building, but it shows how well UWaterloo is growing for its students.
I also got the chance to talk to a lot of alumni and hear about their university experiences. The best were the groups of alumni that had reunited with their old friends. There were so many groups of friends that were so enthusiastic about telling me that they have been friends ever since their first year and that they were all still in touch. Some of them even had funny group names that they still called each other, for example the "Fantastic Six." UWaterloo helped me build a strong friendship with many people and I definitely will keep them in my life forever.
At the end of the day we made our way over to the place that I was at every Wednesday night for my whole university career, The Bombshelter Pub! Yes, I was a very frequent visitor and it wasn't only for their great student prices. It was the place to be in the middle of the week with all your friends and just dance your pants off! That night there was an alumni buffet dinner and after party. The turnout was great. Then, once dinner was over, they opened up the famous dance floor and everyone was on their feet. It felt good to be "home" again.
In the end, all the events were so well organized, there was a smile on everybody's face. It was a very rewarding day and I am so glad to be a grad!