Originally published November 12, 2010
The first Greek Reunion and Exchange was hosted on Sunday, with more than 270 greek alums from Chicago and the surrounding area coming together as a way for graduates of all eras to meet one another and celebrate their experiences at Bradley.
“There were a group of volunteers that believed it was the time to bring it all together,” said Vice President for Advancement Pat Vickerman. “By far, in the year and a half that I’ve been here, it was the most well-attended event that we’ve ever had.”
Vickerman said he hopes that this sort of activity is not a one-time event and that it will lead to more interaction in the future.
The Alumni Association sent a correspondence to the attendees and found there was interest in having greek reunions on a regular basis.
“The Dallas group is particularly strong,” Vickerman said. “We found a group of alums that were really interested. It’s a really great location with a lot of potential students and an airport with a direct flight to Peoria. We’re trying out a bunch of different locations. We’re going to New York City, Los Angeles and we’re headed to Arizona and Florida in early 2011.”
The Alumni Association hopes to be able to unite alumni throughout the country and inform them of what is going on at the university, but also what needs done, Vickerman said, in hopes of involving them in the ongoing Bradley Renaissance campaign and inform them of the building developments of the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center.
“We’re trying to get the message out to the most geographic areas,” he said. “We mostly do this with videos. We try to keep that connection with Bradley. We can share the new and exciting things that are happening on campus.”
Creating an alumni base that is still passionate about what is happening on campus is important to Vickerman, as they are able to inspire potential students.
“We tell our alums that they are our best advertisers,” Vickerman said. “We try to get them to get with prospective students and tell them about the Bradley experience. The thing is, regardless of generation, all the alumni communicate one simple thing. They focus on the attention to a very personal experience. They talk about really knowing their professors, being able to collaborate with them or being able to get an internship or co-op opportunity.”
Vickerman said he believes the excitement of the alumni is enough to continue to inspire potential students as well as contribute to an improved experience on campus.
“The excitement that our alumni have for the university is huge,” Vickerman said. “When we get these folks on campus, and they see all the things that we’ve done on campus, their eyes just light up.”
