Alumni Light Up Campus at Reunion Weekend 2025
More than 800 alumni returned to campus last week to participate in St. Lawrence’s 2025 Reunion Weekend, which welcomed Laurentians celebrating their first, fifth, 30th, 50th, and Honor Guard classes milestones.
Over four days, returning Saints enjoyed fun activities and honored legendary Laurentians by inducting them into the athletics Hall of Fame, recognizing alumni award recipients, inducting women’s hockey alumna into the Legends of Appleton, celebrating 25 years of Saints rowing, 75 years of the Singing Saints through song, the 125th anniversary of men’s basketball, and more.
This year’s celebration brought something new to the Richard F. Brush ’52 University Quad—a dazzling, SLU-specific light show created by Jason Johnson ’09 and Airloom Drone Shows.
Over the weekend, six individuals and three teams were inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at the 2025 Robert J. Sheldon Hall of Fame Induction Dinner. The remarkable inductees include the 2008, 2009, and 2010 Women’s Rowing Teams; Dan McElvaine ’08; James McAvity ’07; Keith Merrill ’06; Ross Molloy ’98; Margie Strait M’73; and President Emeritus Dan Sullivan ’65.
Amidon ’94 and Pam Seaborn Mahoney ’92, P’22, ’24, ’27 were also inducted as Legends of Appleton in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the women’s ice hockey program.
The Alumni Executive Council and the Legacy Society honored six alumni for their dedication and service to the Laurentian community: Katherine Kretow Eyre '78; John M. Greenwood '75, P'13; Mary Jane Potter '75; Pam S. MacBrayne ‘70; Emily Tulip Droppa '09 and Jack Droppa '11; and Laura Taylor Patrick '83, P'18. Read more about them here.
Throughout the weekend, returning alumni reconnected with friends and got reacquainted with campus while sharing memories about good times that feel like they just happened yesterday.
“Reunion Weekend is the closest thing to a time machine ever created,” said Ned Merrell ’75. Merrell, who majored in history and went on to practice law, said he comes to Reunion Weekend every five years. “Old people don’t know they’re old, and when you’re back with your friends, it feels timeless,” he said.
Tony Ross ’75, a sociology major who was inducted into St. Lawrence’s basketball Hall of Fame, had a long career in higher education, and at one point served as the first full time director for our Higher Education Opportunity Program, said it felt surreal to be back “where it all began.”
“It feels amazing to reconnect with former classmates and friends, and to experience how the University has grown and changed over the years,” he said.
Many of the attendees reflected on how their St. Lawrence experience dramatically shaped their personal and professional lives for the better.
“The University’s ability to instill a certain ethos in its students has prevailed and permeates my life even today and affects who I am,” said Michael Avakian ’75, a government major who has had a long career in law. He said he comes to every reunion because it’s fun to see his friends.
In fact, a lot of returning alumni came with their old friends, such as Bonnie Skilling Muheim ’75, who came with Terry Prendergast ’75.
“St. Lawrence gave us all an opportunity to develop wonderful friendships, and because of that, it will always be in my heart,” Muheim, a history major who worked in healthcare communications, said. She said she’s part of a group of people from her graduating class who all travel together every year as a way to keep in touch.
Jan Ott ’75, a biology major who after graduation earned a PhD in neurophysiology, was amazed at all the wonderful lives and careers her old classmates went on to have.
“All the people I thought were wonderful and cared about went on to do all these incredible things,” she said. “And most importantly, they went on to do good things.”
