mia_mcdavid and I headed south about 3 PM Saturday and had an uneventful drive to Northfield. Parking in and around the Carleton Campus is normally plentiful, but reunion weekend is an exception. I though we did quite well finding a place ½ block south of Campus. It really did not matter much; we were travelling light. We walked to Sayles-Hill, where I registered and bought meal tickets. Sayles-Hill was extensively renovated a few years after my graduation and is much improved.

We then walked across campus to Olin Hall and up to the third floor. The Physics Department offices are there, as they were in my undergraduate days. The occasion was a retirement party for Bruce Thomas. A few weeks ago I wrote that I had hoped to attend this. He was one of my favorite professors in the old days and I was glad to get this chance to see him. Alas, they had run out of the “Bruce Thomas Rocks” T-Shirts printed for the festivities.

From there we walked to the Cowling Rec Center. On a cold Thursday evening in January 1969 a shy, awkward Freshman named Glenn McDavid walked in there. He found the Carleton Folk Dancers and his life was changed forever. Cowling is still their home, and was the base for the Folk Dance Reunion again this year. We were immediately and warmly greeted by those of my contemporaries who were present. We gave them the news about Tom, which was happily received–they have been following our struggle for years. We got in a little dancing before the group photograph at 5 PM.

After the photo session Mia and I, and three Carls from my era, Galia, Ellen, and Dick, went to see the Alumni Art on display at the Music and Drama Center. Galia (who is a professional artist) had some nice things on display there, but we also spend long time looking at some art about autism and related issues, by a member of the class of 1961. That artist was present, and we talked with him about his experiences and about our life with Tom.

We reconnected with some of the other Folk Dancers and went to dinner. At in past reunions, we were fed quite well. The Alumni Office obviously wants us feeling content, relaxed, and happy with Carleton, but that is not the whole story–alumni are actively involved in the planning and management of all their activities.

After Dinner a few of us went on a walk through the upper Arb, which quickly became a pilgrimage to the “holy sites” of the Reformed Druids. We started with Monument Hill. The Hill has been cleared and we were able to walk up to the monument, as we could in our student days. Back in ’92 it had been overgrown with brush, rendering the monument inaccessible during my visit that year.

We then walked north to the Hill of Three Oaks. Alas, the view from there to the southwest has been spoiled by the new Carleton Recreation Center. From there we walked to a grove that has been popular with more recent Carleton Druids, and then over to Faculty hill, an arb site from our time. Then it was time to walk back to Cowling for more dancing.

To be continued.