The Alumni Reunion, taking place on Friday, Oct. 3, to Saturday, Oct. 4, was a success, with over 250 alumni returning to attend various events this year.
Each year, Kingswood Oxford welcomes back its alumni with open arms as they celebrate reunions spanning five to 50 years. They focus on years such as five, 10, 15, 20, and so on, yet every single alumnus is invited and encouraged to join in the fun.
Francis Morris, KO’s Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Relations, explained how Friday consisted of events on campus, such as welcoming our alumni to attend classes, checking out the updates on campus, going on tours with our Shield & Dragon tour guides, attending assembly and lunch, and going to sports games. Friday night, they held a “pub tour” where they visited three different pubs in West Hartford Center and were free to find friends and come and go as they pleased, much like the rest of the weekend.
Mrs. Morris described how, about five or six years ago, KO made the switch to have the alumni reunion in the fall, rather than in June, once the school year ended. She shared why June is an inconvenient time to host the event. “You don’t get to see so much of what makes our school great,” Mrs. Morris stated. “That’s when the kids are here, when we can share classes, assembly, games, and that kind of thing. So to invite people back and [have them] see how the school is, you know, on a regular Friday was really fun.”
On Saturday, a memorial service was held to remember those alumni who are no longer with us. Then there was a Hall of Fame and alumni awards ceremony, BBQ lunch, archive tours, and the main event of the alumni reunion: the alumni dinner on Saturday night. There were various dinners taking place simultaneously. “Five years to 45 years, there was a big party in the cafeteria,” Mrs. Morris said. They even had a dance floor and a DJ. There was a special dinner specifically for those celebrating their 50th reunion, which has always been held in Alumni Hall since the 50th reunion is the largest and most celebrated reunion at KO. The class of 1975 celebrated at their big dinner with speeches, toasts, slideshows, and socializing. “Those celebrating 55 or more years had a quieter dinner in the library, right in front of the fireplace, which was really nice,” Mrs. Morris said. She described the dinner energy. “Entire classes were sitting together and just talking and hanging out and getting to know each other again,” she said, reflecting on how the event allowed former students and friends to reconnect.
Many of the alumni showed up on Friday, not knowing what to expect, and decided to stay since they were enjoying themselves. “They might have registered for one [event], and they’re like, well, can we just stay? And, you know, of course, come stay!” Mrs. Morris shared. “For some of them, you know, your teachers are still here, [so] go find people. I think that once people were on campus and saw how the day was, they stayed. There weren’t too many people who were only here for one [event], which is what we hope for.”
Our alumni have noticed how everything has changed, including the buildings and relaxed dress codes. “The more we can get them on campus and interacting with students and sitting in on classes, they see that the important things really are the same,” Mrs. Morris says. “It’s the same focus on rigor, and students are still held to a very high standard here.” The alumni are pleased to know that their beloved traditions continue to thrive at KO. We still celebrate events such as Hewett Day, the KITs, Spring Sports Day, and the Baird English Symposium. The Senior Green is also a long-standing tradition, although it is no longer as territorial as it once was. “It may look a little bit different, but it’s all still there,” Mrs. Morris noted.
When asked about advertising for the reunion, Mrs. Morris explained how their outreach used to consist only of emails. To disseminate the news to all KO alums and encourage them to join, they have also started posting on Instagram more frequently, allowing all age groups to see the invitation and upcoming events. They always hope to expand how they push out information. The Community Commons was also a draw this year. “We had this beautiful new space that we could use and show off,” Mrs. Morris said, noting that people responded really well to it and were pleased with how the new building turned out.
When asked for final remarks, Mrs. Morris expressed an interest in reconnecting with alumni. “We’re really excited anytime we get to bring alumni back on campus, even if it’s somebody who just is in town for the day and they pop in. It’s why we’re here. It’s the whole point of having an alumni office,” she said. All in all, it was a fun-filled weekend full of reconnecting and reminding our alumni that they always have a place at KO. “This is still their place too,” she said. “Once a Wyvern, always a Wyvern.”
