Harlaxton Alumni Gatherings

Share news and photos of your Harlaxton alumni gatherings by sending them in to the Office of Alumni and Engagement at UE at alumni@najwc.com.

1979-1980

June 2012 witnessed the 3rd annual reunion of 1979-80 Harlaxtonites in the village of Alacati, Turkey, near the Aegean coast. The six-day reunion began with a lively dinner party at the home of Talat Erboy and his wife Serap and ended with an animated toga party at the home of Izi Ersonmez and his partner Ozlem. This gathering, the first at a non-Harlaxton / non-Evansville venue, confirmed that the international friendships formed at Harlaxton all those years ago had a far greater impact than many realized at the time of their overseas studies. The reunions have not only brought together old friends from North America, Europe and the Middle East, but also their children, referred to as “Harlaxton 2.0,” spouses and friends and other internationals who studied at Harlaxton just before or just after 1979-80. The list of Harlaxtonite reconnections continues to expand and plans for the 2013 reunion are already underway.

Photos

 Harlaxton 1979-80 revive toga tradition at 2012 reunion in Alacati, Turkey. Photo by Mark Russell. This group is planning to get together again in 2015 – this time at Harlaxton. Tim O’Leary, traditional tin of Copenhagen dip in hand, leads the entourage of toga-party diehards to Izi’s house. Most, but not all, of the attendees at the Alacati reunion. Harlaxton 2.0: Pictured are kids of Shannon Glasgow, Lee Ann Shafer, Tim O’Leary, Hana El Fakir and Derya Yarangumeli.


1984-1985

Harlaxton alums from 1984-1985 get together at least once a year to celebrate and relive their memories. This past year they vacationed together on Lake Michigan the weekend after Labor Day. To join in with the next get together, contact Erica Schon Pollak at Erica.pollak@ms.cdw.com.

Photos

1984-1985 Harlaxton alums on Lake Michigan in 2012


2007

Ten friends from the Spring 2007 semester at Harlaxton gathered in St. Louis, Missouri, January 18-21 over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Thanks to Joey Kirchgessner for planning the event and opening his home to everyone. We had a great weekend reminiscing of our time at Harlaxton and exploring St. Louis together. Many new friendships were made and old ones were reunited!

Picture from L-R, back row: Nick Felton, Karen Markle, Kari Gales, Nick Rhew, Joey Kirchgessner and John Barber. Front row: Sara Estes, Gretchen Otness, Kelly Dunn and Brantley Bennett.

This was the first reunion of our class since we parted from Harlaxton in 2007. We hope to make this an annual event! There is also a 10 year reunion being planned for 2017 back in Grantham. Any Spring 2007 classmates who would like to be kept informed about the reunion events please contact Gretchen Otness at go12@najwc.com or 763-226-4501.

Photos

2007 Harlaxton alums at the St. Louis Arch in 2012 2007 Harlaxton alums at the St. Louis Arch in 2012