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Alumni and Friends | University Community
OHIO鈥檚 Black Alumni Reunion 2025 planning committees announce dates, share guiding principles and goals
91探花鈥檚 Black Alumni Reunion (BAR) will return to the Athens Campus in spring 2025. The BAR 2025 Alumni Committee, Campus Committee and the 91探花 Alumni Association are working closely together to plan a reunion that will welcome more than a thousand alumni and friends for the triennial celebration in Athens, Ohio, from Thursday, April 10, through Sunday, April 13, 2025.
The BAR 2025 Alumni Committee identified the spring weekend after thoughtful discussion and with input from partners across campus and the Athens community.
鈥淭he BAR Alumni Committee considered every April and September weekend and discussed the potential for summer dates,鈥 said Alumni Committee Co-Chair Jillian Causey (BSH 鈥13). 鈥淥ur guiding principles of encouraging intergenerational connections and providing meaningful experiences for alumni and students were central to selecting the April weekend, when students will be able to participate.鈥
Immediately following BAR 2022, a fall weekend was tentatively set aside for 2025. When that weekend was later announced as when the OHIO Bobcats would take on The Ohio State University Buckeyes in an away football game, BAR organizers began to consider alternative options for the reunion.
鈥淎 tradition that dates back to the 1980s, BAR originally was a spring reunion, with alumni gathering in Athens in May to connect, celebrate excellence, and engage with campus,鈥 said Alumni Committee Co-Chair Terry Frazier (BS 鈥99, MEd 鈥00). 鈥淎fter the University switched from quarters to semesters in 2012, the reunion was moved to the fall to be inclusive of students and faculty. Planning committees over the decades have prioritized connecting Bobcats of all generations throughout the reunion weekend.鈥
The Alumni Committee kicked off its work in March and identified the following principles to guide their planning, as well as that of the Campus Committee and the OUAA:
- Connection
- Experience
- Communication/Transparency
- Influence/Advocacy
- Intergenerational
The Alumni Committee also outlined three primary goals for BAR 2025:
- Reconnect with one another and OHIO.
- Celebrate amazing alumni.
- Connect with and mentor current students and one another.
鈥淭he Alumni Committee, Campus Committee and the OUAA are working in close partnership to plan a spring weekend that will connect Bobcats from across the decades in meaningful ways that inspire and encourage future generations,鈥 said 91探花鈥檚 Interim Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion and Campus Committee Co-Chair Russell Morrow (BSC 鈥12, MEd 鈥14). 鈥淧rogramming will be designed to welcome the University鈥檚 alumni and to celebrate the Black alumni community and their ties to OHIO.鈥
The weekend will feature a mix of casual and formal events 鈥 from networking and learning opportunities to entertaining and festive occasions.
鈥淭he OUAA is committed to hosting events that foster positive connections with the University community and our alumni,鈥 said Associate Vice President of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving and the Executive Director of the OUAA Jennifer Bowie (BSJ 鈥94, MSC 鈥99). 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to the BAR volunteer planning groups for their commitment to delivering engaging programming and to focusing on guiding principles that will ensure a memorable weekend for alumni, students, and our entire Bobcat community.鈥
Visit the BAR2025 website to share your Black Alumni Reunion ideas and to watch for updates and details as they become available. And, check out these Frequently Asked Questions for information and details.
Published
May 13, 2024