My day volunteering with the Notre Dame Alumni Association began early with a 0530 wakeup (alarm needed). I met the catering staff (from a bakery in Mishawaka) at the Ryan Hall front door at 0600 and helped them set up the coffee and pastries. After getting finished with that task, I walked (through dim light and cooler temps) to the North Quad so I could eat breakfast in the North Dining Hall for the first time in over 35 years. The place was nearly deserted but the food was good. After getting finished (0700), I walked back (via the Hesburgh Library) to Ryan Hall and checked out the progress of the snack tables. Things looked good so I headed to my room and got ready for my day. At 0800, I met other Alumni (most from the Class of 1990) at the Grotto for a Reunion Rosary. Returning to my dorm room, I teleworked for almost three hours (with intermittent checks on the snacks). At 1130, I attended the Golden Domer Club Luncheon at the Morris Inn and had a nice conversation with Steve L., a grad of the class of 1873 and resident of Hong Kong. Finishing up with the delicious buffet, I returned to Ryan Hall and assessed the catering order for the following morning (several communications with the bakery and Alumni Association). There was then time for a few more hours of telework before I wrapped up for the day (1500). Once my work week was completed, I took a stroll around the campus, checking out new buildings and the "Refreshment Hub", which has had several iterations since I arrived (I believe it is for Alumni who don't have class dinners or social events). I also got a drink at the Class of 1990 tent and talked to several more of my NROTC mates. Making my way to the Sacred Heart Basilica at 1700, I attended Mass with the Golden Domer Club in a packed sanctuary. The service concluded with everyone singing the Alma Mater - a memorial experience to be sure! I walked over the Morris Inn afterwards, hoping to find the Class of 1950 Alum and his family, but they later texted me that they'd been behind schedule and would catch up to me the next day. From there, I went across the street to McKenna Hall and attended the Golden Domer Dinner (1830). At my table, there were grads from the Class of 1954 and 1959 - each of them was very interested in how I was attending the Reunion as a guest of the Class of 1950. They also had a lot of good stories to share from their time at ND. One of the daughters of a deceased member of the Class of '50 (Cathy U.) stopped by to say hello to the other "1950s" and we made plans to meet up the following day. Once we finished eating (2030), I walked back to the "Refreshment Hub" and noticed that they were getting set up in yet another instantiation - free food and drinks would make attending the Reunion in an "off year" worthwhile, I think... It felt late but there was still daylight - I decided to make my way back to the Class of 1990 tent before retiring for the evening. Initially, the venue was mostly empty - however, I learned that this was because everyone had been at a formal dinner. Once that ended, the party got really going and it was almost too loud to converse. Since it was already after 2200, I said goodbye to the folks I knew and retired to Ryan Hall. Before going to bed, I did a bit more cleanup in the coffee area, read some books I'd brought and cleaned up my dorm room. Went to bed at around 2300 - the earliest evening of this trip. The Reunion has been a great experience and we've got one more big day left!
