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Dear Classmates:

I hope everyone is keeping warm despite the winter storms. It brings back memories of snowstorms which blanketed campus during our Undergraduate years. As a matter of fact, this February marks the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Presidents Day Snowstorm, dumping a foot of snow on campus. Of course, classes were held despite near-blizzard conditions!

My dear friends Maddie, Holdie, Wit, and Blair have entertained you with great memories, but I felt it was time to chime in and share a few thoughts on Reunions and the real highlight of the weekend - the P-rade. I am one of those Tigers who have been back to every Reunion since graduation. I remember when it rained every time the Class of 1978 marched by us with those dreaded brockabrellas. Or the year we forgot to get the class banner and used one of our "Super Class of Super People" capes instead. The Old Guard really loved our top hats and bow ties from our "Class with Class - Puttin' on the 5th."It was always an amazing sight marching through 1879 Arch and seeing that crowd along Prospect Avenue, but things changed in 1991 at our 12th Reunion when the route of the P-rade was changed and we marched down Elm Drive to Poe field. For years the University tried to recreate the feeling of marching through the 1879 arch - we had balloon arches and wooden arches. But at our 25th Reunion, the Class of 1979 became the very first class to march through the arch at Bloomberg Hall, thus our theme and ever-present logo: '79 Marches Back!

The P-rade continues to evolve, and for the second consecutive year, it will be led by the Old Guard, followed by the 25th Reunion Class of 1994. Watching the P-rade is like watching history pass before our eyes, especially as the classes of the 1970s start to march, demonstrating how the university has and continues to become more diverse. We have watched 118 years of history march past us in our nearly 40 years - from Halsted "Jigs" Little of the Class of 1901, through the Class of 2018. Join us this June as we watch the Class of 2019 rush through Bloomberg Hall Arch!

Please visit our class website for updates and all the information on housing (on and off-campus), class attire, the program, and please complete the class survey and your yearbook entry.

Looking forward to seeing you at Old Nassau!

Malcolm