NEW PALTZ — “Always There to Remind Me” is the theme of Homecoming 1998 at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Homecoming 98 will incorporate the 109th annual alumni reunion and will be held October 16 – 18 on the SUNY New Paltz campus.
A major highlight of the weekend gathering will be an evening performance by comedian Bill Bellamy, host of MTV’s hit show, MTV JAMS. AT&T recently tapped Bellamy to serve as a celebrity spokesperson for their television and radio spots. He can also be seen opposite Shaquille O’Neal in Reebok’s commercial campaign.
Bellemy has also signed a development deal with Universal Television to star in and produce a comedy series for NBC. Executive producers for the future show are Ralph Farquhar (“Married…With Children”) and Mark Driscoll (“Ellen”).
“A Night of Comedy with Bill Bellamy” will take place on Saturday evening, October 17, in Julien J. Studley Theatre, located in the Old Main Building. Tickets are $7.00 general admission and $5.00 for students, faculty and staff, with identification.
Homecoming ’98 will bring together alumni of the college for their annual reunion; current students and their families for a family weekend; and faculty and staff who will be participating in the success of many of the programs scheduled for the weekend.
For alumni, attention will be focused on meeting classmates and joining them for reminiscing, food and fun. The 50th reunion class, the Class of 1948 will hold a reception and dinner on Saturday, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Hopfer Alumni and Admissions Center. The Class of 1973 will hold their 25th reunion reception and dinner buffet from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the same evening, in the College Terrace Conference Center. For all others, including parents and students, there will be a parent and family banquet in the MultiPurpose Room of the Student Union Building, between the hours of 6:00 and 7:30 p.m.
There will be at least four new Saturday features on this year’s program: historical and architectural tours of the area, an Alumni Swim Meet, a Faculty Showcase, and an “All College Reception” for alumni, students, families, faculty/staff, and emeriti faculty.
The tours will be led by SUNY New Paltz professors William Rhoads (art history) and Laurence Hauptman (history). They will depart on the half hour from the Haggerty Plaza, beginning at 10:00 a.m. and ending at noon. There will be no charge for the tours. At the same time, there will also be free tours of the campus led by SUNY New Paltz students. These will include walking tours as well as van-driven tours.
The Faculty Showcase, held on the 4th floor of the Student Union Building, will feature presentations, between 2:30 and 4:00 p.m., by nearly a dozen faculty. Among the participants and the areas they will represent will be Joseph Diamond, anthropology; Phyllis Freeman, psychology; Howard Good, communication and media; David Jaffee, sociology; Nancy Kassop, political science; Jo Margaret Mano, geography; Lorraine Taylor and Catherine Whittaker, educational studies; and Reva Wolf, art history.
The Alumni Swim Meet will be held at the Elting Gym pool at 1:30 p.m. The “All College Reception” will take place in the Purple Lounge of the Student Union Building, on October 17, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
In addition, business and accounting alumni will celebrate a full day of activities beginning at 10:00 a.m. and culminating at 4:30 p.m. These programs will take place in van den Berg Learning Center and Hopfer Alumni and Admissions Center. Additional information about business and accounting activities can be had by contacting the Business Administration Office at 257-2930.
Throughout the weekend there will be many exhibitions and performances to be seen, including several related to the New York State Asian Studies Conference taking place on campus the same weekend.
For additional information about any of the above mentioned events, to receive a copy of the Homecoming flyer listing all the events, or to register for Homecoming weekend, contact the Office of Alumni Affairs, (845) 257-3230.
