Alumni Weekend 2008 festivities
Make someone happy … come back to Stevens! Class of ’58, others return for Alumni Weekend 2008 festivities

By Beth Kissinger – Associate Editor



It’s been 50 years, so the Class of ’58 decided it was time to get personal.

So each reunion committee member came up with a list of classmates they’d love to see back at the Stute for their golden anniversary—and contacted them personally. So, if you’re a ’58er, you’ve probably received a phone call, a note or maybe even a good lunch from one of your hard-working committeemen: Art Bendelius, Mike Bonner, Ray Cabrera, Bob Fiocco, John Jacobsen, Hank Koenig, Tom Lunghard, Nick Mestanas, Bob Molinelli, Bill Pepper or Bob Walker.

Tom Lunghard, delighted with his 50th high school and grammar school reunions, borrowed this theme from the grammar school gathering: “Come to the reunion, and you will make someone happy.” This actually happened, Tom says.

Stevens’ Class of ’58 predicts it will also happen over Alumni Weekend 2008.

“We made it to this 50-year milestone—it’s a once in a lifetime event,” says committee chair Nick Mestanas. “It’ll be wonderful, wonderful to see people we haven’t seen in years.” As of early February, some 50 classmates, coming from as far as California and Oregon, planned to attend.

The Class of ’58 has been busily planning an exciting itinerary for Alumni Weekend—May 30-31 to June 1 at Stevens. Classes ending in “3” or “8” will hold class reunions that weekend, with everything from private dinners and a family barbecue to campus tours and cocktail parties planned. But the biggest party will be for ’58. Things really get started on Friday afternoon, May 30, with ’58 alumni and their wives and guests taking a short walk along the transformed River Street area, to see the amazing changes of this redeveloped area as well as spectacular views of the Hudson. After the walk, the group will enjoy a casual “meet and greet” party among classmates at the Williams Library.

Later, the golden anniversary class will enjoy one of its biggest events of the weekend—its Friday night anniversary dinner. Cocktails begin at 6 p.m., with the class enjoying various Stevens memorabilia throughout the room. This full evening will include dinner, a “traveling mic” for classmates to share memories with all, prizes and presentation of the class’s gift for the Class of 1958 Endowed Scholarship Fund. As of late February, the class was making excellent progress in fundraising for its class gift.

At the dinner, classmates will also receive a copy of their reunion booklet—a large document filled with information about classmates and old photos. Class secretary and reunion committee member Mike Bonner is producing this keepsake.

“We owe a great deal to Mike Bonner for that,” said Nick Mestanas.

“I think the committee has some great people—they’ve done a great job.”

The spotlight on the Class of ’58 will continue on Alumni Day, Saturday, May 31, when the class receives their Old Guard pins at the Alumni Luncheon and are officially inducted into the Stevens Old Guard. The festivities actually start with the Old Guard Reception at 11 a.m. for the Class of ’58 and earlier, followed by the Alumni Luncheon at 12 noon.

The Class of ’58 also has plans to attend the Alumni Dinner Dance on Saturday with classmates reserving tables together for this elegant dinner.

For those ’58ers looking for a great excursion—and great pizza—the Class of ’58 is also going on an urban adventure on the Thursday before Alumni Weekend.

Early arrivers will meet Thursday morning, May 29, for a walk along the Hoboken Walkway, followed by optional trips to Ground Zero and the Hudson Promenade in Manhattan or Ground Zero and the Brooklyn Bridge, with a stop for coal-fired oven baked Brooklyn pizza. The hike will be held in honor of Hank Koenig ’58—the hike’s organizer, ’58 reunion committee member and a great outdoorsman. Sadly, Hank passed away on Jan. 17, 2008.

“It’s a testimony to him as a beloved classmate, certainly one of the more popular guys in our class,” said Mestanas. “Those who are there will certainly carry Hank’s memory with them as they go through their day.”

The weekend promises to be as action-packed for all alumni marking reunions by coming back to Stevens.

Alumni Weekend officially kicks off on Friday night, May 30, with a number of this year’s anniversary classes gathering for private class dinners either on campus or around Hoboken. Alumni celebrating reunions should watch for mailings from their reunion organizers regarding these private gatherings.

On Saturday, May 31, Alumni Day goes into full swing. A full day’s worth of activities is planned, from the Lollipop Run for the kids to campus tours of The Center for the Performing Arts at DeBaun Auditorium, Davidson Laboratory and Hoxie House (the Stevens president’s home), class receptions and other fun.

The day’s main events include the Alumni Luncheon at 12 noon, which welcomes the Class of ’58 into the Old Guard. The Stevens Alumni Award, given to an alumnus in recognition of outstanding loyalty and devotion to Stevens, will also be presented at the luncheon.

Alumni Day continues with the Alumni Cocktail Party from 5 to 7 p.m., and the Alumni Dinner Dance from 7 to 11 p.m., featuring presentation of the Harold R. Fee ’20 Alumni Achievement Award. The Fee Awards recognize younger alumni, marking reunions, for their service to Stevens and the SAA.

A new tradition—based on an old one—continues this year. The Center for the Performing Arts at DeBaun Auditorium will again present “The Good Ship Pride of Communipaw Flats,” a melodrama starring alumni, students and DeBaun staff, on Saturday at DeBaun Auditorium. Generations of alumni saw “Good Ship” during their freshman year and, after a number of years, “Good Ship” returned to the Stevens stage for Alumni Weekend last year.

The Beer Seminar, led by Dave Manhas ’88, M.Eng. ’90, M.S. ’92, also returns on Alumni Day, May 31, with alumni invited to enjoy and learn about different types of beers.

Child care again will be offered on campus for children ages 4 to 14 during Alumni Weekend on Friday, 5:30 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. The cost is $25 per child on Friday ($10 for each additional child) and $40 per child on Saturday ($15 for each additional child). The Stevens Women’s Field Hockey team will entertain the kids on Friday, and the Stevens Men’s Wrestling team will do so on Saturday, with sports activities and other fun planned. Please register for child care by May 23.

A block of rooms has been reserved for the Class of ’58 and other alumni at the Sheraton Suites in Weehawken, N.J. Reservations should be made with the Sheraton at (201) 617-5600 or (800) 325-3535. Be sure to mention the Stevens Alumni Association to get a special rate for the weekend.

Accommodations on campus are also available to all classes at Jonas Hall (formerly Technology Hall) at $90 per night. The air-conditioned rooms have two twin beds and a private bath, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Reservations are also required for the Alumni Luncheon, Dinner Dance, Beer Seminar and the Sunday breakfast.

To make reservations for Alumni Weekend 2008 or for more information, call the Alumni Office at (201) 216-5163 or visit the Stevens Alumni Association’s Web page at http://alumni.stevens.edu/aw. Also, please see the back page of this issue for the Alumni Weekend reservation reply form and calendar of events.

Classes celebrating special reunions this year have been planning various events for Alumni Weekend 2008. As of early February, the following classes were reaching out to classmates and were at various stages of their reunion planning:

The Class of 1948 President Bill Ellison is leading efforts to plan a get-together on Alumni Day for his class’s 60th reunion. A private party is being planned for Saturday afternoon, after the Alumni Luncheon, in a room inside the Howe Center.

Marking their 55th anniversary, the Class of ’53 plans to attend the Alumni Dinner Dance on Saturday, Alumni Day.

The Class of ’63 Reunion Committee has been planning for its 45th reunion since last fall, and has several events on tap. The class will enjoy a dinner cruise on the Hudson River on the Friday evening of Alumni Weekend. The class has planned a private cocktail party for late Saturday afternoon of Alumni Day, and will close the day by attending the Alumni Dinner Dance together that evening.

The Class of ’68 will mark its 40th class reunion over Alumni Weekend, and the Reunion Committee has sent mailings to classmates, as the planning continues. The ’68ers will join the ’63ers on their dinner cruise on the Hudson the Friday evening of Alumni Weekend.

The Class of ’83 will mark its 25th anniversary at the Dinner Dance.

More details about activities planned by other anniversary classes will appear in the next issue of The Alumniletter.