Sunday, June 24, 2007

Planning 25th Medical School Reunion

 Updated 3/2017-- photos and all links (except to my own posts) removed as many no longer active.

 This is the 25th year since my UAMS class graduated. The reunion is in September. Somehow I got designated the "host" of our class to help the Alumni Office get folks to come. This feels like an odd fit to me as I was never the social butterfly, but I have taken the "job" seriously. I have learned how to set up a Google calendar just for the group, adding in local team schedules (University of Arkansas Football, Arkansas Travelers baseball) and looking up Art Center information, etc. I have set up a Facebook Group page to try to encourage input on activities the class would like, sharing of information, and sharing of pictures. So far very few takers. Still I keep trying. I have googled nearly everyone looking for pictures (several hospital photos) which I added to the Facebook page (so far 43 pictures). Two of our local classmates (married to each other) have offered their home for a pig roast. We will probably take them up on the offer. Our class had yearly actual pig roast while in school. We dug our own pits, cooked the pig, and the "pot-lucked" the sides and desserts. It was great fun! This one will be catered, but it will still be fun.

The sad (bitter-sweet) part of all this searching/planning is remembering the ones who are no longer with us. I think we have lost six (have asked the Alumni Office if they know for sure). The first one we lost, Morris Hughes, was in 1988 to a plane crash. The class set up a scholarship fund in his name. Another was a death to a motor vehicle accident. One to a heart attack. The saddest was a suicide. I always find suicides sad, but especially physician suicides. I always wonder if it was the professional part of their life that "pushed" them over or their personal side or both. I always regret that they were not able to ask for help when they would so willing give it.

I sure hope I can convince most (well even 20-50%) to show up. We only had seven show up at the 20th, but had many more for our 15th. I would love to see them. [photo credit]

1 comment:

Sid Schwab said...

Facebook. You are definitely hipper than I.

One of my med school roommates, when he was at MIT, lived near Julia Child. He and his roommates had a pig roast in their back yard, and decided to invite Julia and her husband. They came! He had a great picture of Julia hunkered down over the pit, dress hiked above her knees, getting greasy.

I've passed on all my reunions, college and med school. I've always thought I should go, never did, usually regretted it, said I'd do the next...