This Thursday, thousands of alumni will make their way back to the Hill for Syracuse University’s annual Orange Central, featuring dozens of programs, tours and events during the four-day affair.

Orange Central is the university’s annual alumni reunion and homecoming weekend. Starting on Thursday, Oct. 18, alumni will participate in receptions, cocktail parties, tours and a newly added award show, among other things. The events run throughout the weekend until Sunday morning with the Forever Orange Brunch.

This year’s program features a number of new affinity events, with groups such as SU Ambulance, CitrusTV, InclusiveU, Hillel and Remembrance Scholars.

Nearing its 30th anniversary, several events this weekend are dedicated to the lives lost in Pan Am Flight 103. All guided tours of the Pan Am 103 Memorial exhibit have already sold out, according to Cory Miller, the executive director of events and affinity programs at the Office of Alumni Engagement. The scholars will also be hosting a panel breakfast and the new Race to Remember, a university-sponsored 3.5 mile run or walk, on Sunday morning.

Other main events include a tailgate on the quad prior to the football game against University of North Carolina on Saturday. At the game, there will be an Orange Central cheer section for nearly 1,000 alumni.

Being presented this year are three awards: The Generation Orange, Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award and the George Arents Award. Aside from the ceremony itself, alumni are invited to join the recipients for cocktails preceding and an afterparty immediately following.

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“We really want to make it a celebration of outstanding alumni,” says Chris Velardi, director of digital engagement and communications in the Office of Alumni Engagement.

Alumni and students will have the opportunity to engage at the events hosted by the individual schools and colleges. Miller said these double as educational opportunities and “every college is stepping up to try and bring alumni back.” The events include the Deans’ breakfasts being held by each school.

Also integral to Orange Central are its class reunions. While the typical 10th, 25th, 50th and 60th reunions are being celebrated, Orange Central will be debuting its first 44th reunion celebration with the class of 1974 this year. Another notable class event is the Senior Citrus gathering, for alumni who graduated more 60 years ago.

Miller notes that it “takes a village” to host Orange Central weekend. Planning can be a year-round process, Velardi adds.

But to those at Alumni Engagement, that’s work well done. Attendance of alumni is increasing every year. Pre-registration showed an 80 percent increase from 2016 to 2017, and will show another increase this year.

While Orange Central is often thought of as an alumni-centered weekend, Miller said it truly focuses on the Orange family, which includes students. “I think that people really do bleed Orange,” Miller says of student-alumni interaction. “And Orange helps Orange … I continue to see our alumni are willing to do so much to make sure that our students and recent graduates are successful.”

When asked what students should do for Orange Central, Velardi encourages students to take advantage of opportunities to engage with alumni on campus.

“Ask them about their Syracuse experience,” he said. “There may be something there that connects with you.”

Published on October 16, 2018 at 8:25 pm

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