WCU Stories      August 19, 2024

By Bill Studenc

Western Carolina University alumni from graduating classes spanning 55 years recently returned to campus to reminisce with classmates and make new Catamount friends during a revamped alumni reunion.

Hosted by the WCU Division of Advancement and Office of Engagement, the reformatted Purple and Gold Alumni Weekend was held July 26-28 on the university’s main campus in Cullowhee.

More than 50 alumni attended this year’s reunion, many of them staying on campus in university residence halls, said James Hogan, assistant vice chancellor for engagement.

“We had a good mix of participants – ranging from the class of 2022 all the way back to 1967,” said Hogan. “We awarded reunion medallions to 25 people celebrating their 10th, 40th and 50th reunions and recognized representatives from multiple Greek organizations, and ​we celebrated a reunion of nursing and social work program alumni.”

The weekend began with a Friday evening “welcome home” social at Catamount Jaxe, which included the opportunity to participate in axe-throwing. Saturday morning came bright and early with sunrise yoga beneath the Alumni Tower, followed by a networking brunch in the Apodaca Science Building, university updates through the Campus Connection Panel Series and pickleball on the newly opened outdoor courts at the Ramsey Regional Activity Center.

Saturday activities continued with the Catamount Meet and Greet Picnic, Greek Games and the opportunity to hike on the WCU trail system or create works of art while enjoying beverages at a paint-and-sip session.

Some reunion attendees participated in a campus tour, some listened to a Mountain Heritage Center presentation, while others visited the WCU Bookstore. Many alumni from the nursing and social work programs attended “A Cup of Compassion: A Teatime Tribute to Nursing and Social Work Legends” in the A.K. Hinds University Center. Saturday concluded with an alumni dinner and after-party.

A farewell breakfast in Courtyard Dining Hall brought the weekend to a close on Sunday morning.

While Marty Hatcher, a 1982 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, has frequently returned to campus for Homecoming, the 2024 Purple and Gold Alumni Weekend represented the first time she has attended a full-fledged reunion.

“My very favorite part was the new friends I made this weekend. I left having connected to two of my Alpha Xi Delta sisters from before my time, and I also met some Delta Zetas from before my time. We all bonded beautifully in the Village house we shared, and the fun we were having drew in some younger alumnae from the building next to ours. We all had a blast and exchanged contact information so we can stay in touch,” said Hatcher, a retired school library media specialist from High Point.

“I love WCU, and the cost was too good to pass up. The food was delicious, the activities were fun, and the cost was more than reasonable. All the fun I had and the new friends I made will bring me back in the future. All in all, it’s a great value.”

Cost of attending the reunion weekend was $125 per person, including all meals, with an on-campus option for housing at $66 for two nights.

Jerry Matheny, a 1970 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English, participated in the reunion with wife Judy, also a former WCU student.

“We have attended all of them since about 2007. We have always enjoyed seeing classmates and meeting new people,” Matheny said. “It was great seeing old friends, and the food was good. We especially enjoyed the historical presentation from the Mountain Heritage Center staff.”

For retired special education teacher Maxine Hunter, a 1975 graduate with a bachelor's degree in speech and hearing, the reunion weekend was an opportunity to reconnect with a cousin and with a good friend from her WCU days.

“This was my first time attending a WCU reunion,” Hunter said. “My husband, Joe Hunter (a 1975 alumnus), and I have hosted a tailgate for Homecoming at WCU for more than 30 years. We have had as many as 125 people at our tailgate, although we stopped two years ago.”

The Saturday night dance after-party, campus tour and wide array of food were among Hunter’s favorite parts of the weekend, she said. “The best part was the new friends I met that are WCU graduates,” she said. “For other alumni who are thinking about attending next year’s reunion, I hope you have as much fun as we did.”

Ashley Deese, a 2015 WCU graduate, was among the attendees who returned to campus for a reunion of social work program alumni.

“I wanted to reconnect with friends that I do not have the chance to see very often and visit the campus. Unfortunately, I do not get back to Cullowhee as often as I'd like, though my years spent there really shaped me as a person and made a large impact on me,” said Deese, a paralegal.

“I enjoyed reconnecting with friends and meeting new Western alumni. I truly met some great people. Overall, the whole event was so well done. I really enjoyed the entire experience. I had a wonderful weekend and would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who worked to make this happen. It did not go unappreciated. I would definitely recommend this reunion to other alumni, and I hope to have more friends join in the future.”

Once one of WCU’s most popular activities for alumni, the annual Purple and Gold reunion was among the many events that fell victim to the global COVID-19 pandemic, with organizers forced to cancel the event in 2020. Attendance the next couple of years failed to rebound, and the event was not held in 2023 as the Office of Engagement began exploring ways to refresh the reunion. Plans are already in the works for the next Purple and Gold Alumni Weekend, Hogan said.

"Alumni weekend this year felt a little like going to sleep-away camp. As we keep improving on this in the years ahead, we want to continue offering our alumni a fun, exciting weekend that reminds them all why they love Cullowhee so much," Hogan said.

For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at 828-227-7335, email alumni@wcu.edu or visit the website alumni.wcu.edu.