Spring Reunions Weekend Schedule of Events

10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Reunion Check-In and Information Desk Open
Lobby, George Watts Hill Alumni Center

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Old Students Club Luncheon, Wednesday Seating
The Carolina Club, Alumni Hall, George Watts Hill Alumni Center

James Lee Love (class of 1884) donated an endowment to Carolina Alumni to fund an annual gathering of the “Old Students Club” for all who have reached or passed the 50th anniversary of their graduation year. Each graduate from 1974 and earlier, along with one guest, are welcome to attend the luncheon at no cost. Space is limited, registration required. Please note, alumni in the following class years should sign up to attend the Thursday seating: ’59, ’64, ’69, ’74

10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Reunion Check-In and Information Desk Open
Lobby, George Watts Hill Alumni Center

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Old Students Club Luncheon, Thursday Seating
The Carolina Club, Alumni Hall, George Watts Hill Alumni Center

James Lee Love (class of 1884) donated an endowment to Carolina Alumni to fund an annual gathering of the “Old Students Club” for milestone class years that have reached or passed the 50th anniversary of their graduation year. Please note, this seating is exclusively for the following classes along with 1 guest: ‘59, ‘64, ‘69, ‘74

1 – 1:15 p.m. | Class of 1974 Reunion Photograph
Stairs outside George Watts Hill Alumni Center

1 – 2 p.m. | Milestone Class Coffee Reception for Classes of ‘59, ‘64 and ‘69
Johnston Room, George Watts Hill Alumni Center

Join your classmates for a coffee reception following the Old Students Club luncheon to celebrate your 55th, 60th, or 65th reunion milestone. Light refreshments will be served, and a photographer will be on hand to take photos of friends and classmates. You will take the photo home with you. (Locations for the group will be determined by the number of registrants – Kenan Room and  Johnston Room of the Alumni Center.)

1:30 – 3:00 p.m. | Featured Enrichment Session: The Collections of Wilson Library
Wilson Library

Explore the special collections and see some exclusive highlights from the 1973-74 academic year in this dual session in Wilson Library.
Note that, as it is a dual session, there are two separate presentations in two separate rooms. You may begin in one or the other depending on room capacity, but you will have the opportunity to see both as the rooms will switch occupants halfway through the session.

5:30-7 p.m. | Class of ‘74 Meet & Greet
Host Hotel – Sheraton Chapel Hill

Reconnect with old friends and make some new ones at a Meet & Greet Reception at the Class of 1974 Host Hotel, the Sheraton Chapel Hill. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and good conversation (and, perhaps, learn some UNC 1974 trivia.) A cash bar will be available. This event is sponsored by Galloway Ridge at Fearrington.

9 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Reunion Check-In and Information Desk Open
Friday Center

9:30 – 11 a.m. | Featured Enrichment Session: Friday Morning in Chapel Hill
Friday Center

Moderated by Veronica Mora Flaspoehler ’08, the Carolina Alumni President, this session will include a panel discussion featuring members of the classes of 1974 and 2024. The discussion will focus on the student experience at Carolina in the early 70s, and how it compares to campus life today.

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. | Featured Enrichment Session: 8 points, 17 seconds
Friday Center

Relive one of the most dramatic basketball games in the history of the Carolina/Duke rivalry when the Tar Heels pulled out a win by scoring 8 points in only 17 seconds.
Hear from a panel made up of former players, managers, and spectators about what made this historic game so special. Freddie Kiger ’74, ’77 (MAT) will moderate and bring his own insider perspective.
Panelists include:

• Dave Hanners ’76 (’80 MAT) – UNC Men’s Basketball player from 1972-1976, UNC basketball Graduate Assistant from 1976-1978, UNC coach from 1989-2000 and NBA coach from 2001-2016.
• John Kuester ’77 – freshman player in the historic game and played in the heat of the comeback. UNC starter for the 1976-77 team that went on to the NCAA Championship game. After UNC, player and coach in the NBA.
• Dick Baddour ’66 (’75 MA) – retired UNC Athletics Director from 1997-2011. Dick spent 44 years working for UNC in the departments of Student Affairs, Undergraduate Admissions, and as assistant to the Dean of the Law School and the Department of Athletics. He currently teaches a seminar through the graduate program in Sports Administration. He was among the thousands of fans who attended this famous event and stayed to the finish.
• John Bare ’87 (’92 MA, ’95 PhD) – writer and photographer and author of the Carolina Alumni Review article on the 50th anniversary of the 8 points, 17 seconds game. John’s new novel, ‘My Biscuit Baby,’ is the second installment of the Lassie James Mystery Series, which is set in Chapel Hill.
• John Rancke ’75 – Men’s basketball varsity team manager. John become the Parks and Recreation Director in Zebulon and Lumberton as well as the Athletic Director for the City of Wilmington before retiring in 2013.

2:45 – 4:00 p.m. | Featured Enrichment Session: Bestselling Author: John Grisham
Friday Center

Join John Grisham, bestselling author of the “The Firm,” “The Pelican Brief,” and “A Time to Kill” (among many others) for an afternoon of stories and tales of his writing career.  This is an exclusive enrichment discussion with time for Q&A from the audience.

6:30 – 8 p.m. | Reunion Check-In Reopens
Lobby, Alumni Hall, The Carolina Club

6:30 – 10:30 p.m. | Carolina Blue Bash
The Carolina Club, Alumni Hall, George Watts Hill Alumni Center

Join us for a one-of-a-kind Carolina Alumni party at our inaugural Carolina Blue Bash. Come enjoy a buffet dinner, cash bar, good conversation, and our special guests, Liquid Pleasure.

9:30 – 11:30 a.m. | Commencement Day Breakfast
Host Hotel – Sheraton Chapel Hill

Kick-off the final day of Spring Reunions Weekend with a casual breakfast with your classmates at the Sheraton Chapel Hill.

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Carolina Basketball Museum Guided Tour
Host Hotel – Sheraton Chapel Hill

Take a guided tour of the Carolina Basketball Museum led by Steve Kirschner.
Note that the location of this event is listed as Sheraton Chapel Hill. Due to parking on campus for Commencement, a shuttle will be provided for this event from the Sheraton Chapel Hill to the Carolina Basketball Museum and back. Please arrive to Sheraton Chapel Hill by 11:00 AM to make sure you are on the shuttle for this event.

5 –7:30 p.m. | 50^th Processional and Commencement Ceremony
Kenan Football Center, 5^th Floor, Kenan Stadium

Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in a wonderful Carolina tradition. Process into Kenan Stadium for Spring Commencement 2024. Spouses and guests are welcome to join the fun for refreshments and socializing in our gathering spot and will have a perfect vantage point to watch the procession. Following the procession, which should end before 7:30 p.m., you may depart or enjoy the rest of the Commencement program.

Parking for Spring Reunions Weekend:

Wednesday May 8:
Park in Rams Head Parking Deck located on Ridge Road, adjacent to the Carolina Club and the George Watts Hill Alumni Center. Parking is $1.75/hr.

Thursday May 9:
For day events on campus, park in Rams Head Parking Deck located on Ridge Road, adjacent to the Carolina Club and the George Watts Hill Alumni Center. Parking is $1.75/hr.
For the evening event, parking is available at the Sheraton Chapel Hill.

Friday May 10:
For day events at the Friday Center, complimentary parking will be available. Make sure to follow signage and use the 2^nd right turn on Friday Center Drive (the turn immediately after the Friday Center building.)
For the evening event at the Carolina Club, you may park in the Rams Head Parking Deck or along Stadium Drive at no cost. Note: There is a baseball game this evening at 6 p.m. on campus that may affect parking availability.

Saturday May 11:
For the Commencement Day Breakfast and for members of the Class of ’74 who have signed up to take the shuttle to the Carolina Basketball Museum Guided Tour, parking is available at the Sheraton Chapel Hill.
For Saturday evening, those participating in the 50^th commencement processional will receive special parking instructions with their name tags at check-in.

Shuttles:

Shuttles will only be available on Thursday between the GWH Alumni Center and Wilson Library and also from the Sheraton Chapel Hill to and from the Carolina Basketball Museum on Saturday. There are no other shuttle services during the weekend.

Friday, May 10:
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Elizabeth Kemble Society Reunion Luncheon
North Carolina Botanical Garden

Provided by the School of Nursing, this luncheon is for all Carolina Nursing classes and degrees from 1955-1974. More information can be found here: https://nursing.unc.edu/events/carolina-nursing-spring-2024-kemble-society-reunion-luncheon