Reunion Weekend Schedule

Reunion Weekend 2025 schedule of events

Schedule is subject to change. Please check back for updates.

Events with asterisks (*) require registration. 

Thursday, May 29

TimeEvent
9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Library Open
Musselman Library
11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Registration & Welcome Center
Lobby, College Union Building (CUB)
Noon Lunch on your Own
Visit the new Bullet Hole in the Janet Morgan Riggs Student Center
1:00–4:00 p.m. Special Collections Open
Fourth Floor, Musselman Library 

Alumni College Classes: Session 1

1:00–2:30 p.m.

*Bridging Divides: Learn the Language and Skills to Dialogue Across Difference
There’s a lot of talk these days about a polarized America – and a massive community of bridge-builders determined to teach us how to listen to each other, learn from each other, and move our country forward, together. In this session you’ll meet some of those uniters and practice the ABCs of constructive dialogue. You’ll leave with the tools and motivation to go home to your families, communities, organizations and businesses prepared to build bridges, use difference as a strength, seek common ground, and make our world a better place to live.

Instructor: Tracie Potts, Executive Director, Eisenhower Institute

1:00–2:30 p.m.

*History & Mythology: The Montgomery Bus Boycott
For most Americans, the name Rosa Parks conjures up images of a tired seamstress who quietly changed history by refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus, sparking a nonviolent boycott that gave the modern civil rights movement its first clear-cut victory. But this traditional narrative of both Parks and the boycott itself is deeply flawed, obscuring a much more complicated story of decades of political organizing on the part of Montgomery’s Black women; conscious attempts to rewrite the origins story of the protest; and a ferocious backlash that drove the Parks family from the city. This class will focus on “cracking open” the history of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, introducing new characters, and revealing the rich layers underneath the familiar narrative. In examining the interplay of history and myth surrounding the boycott, we’ll explore how “The Montgomery Story” emerged, spread, and ultimately edged out more complex accounts of this important chapter in civil rights history.

Instructor: Dr. Jill Ogline Titus, Interim Director, Civil War Institute
Co-Coordinator, Public History Minor & Interim Program Coordinator, Civil War Era Studies
Gettysburg College

Alumni College Classes: Session 2
3:00–4:30 p.m.

*Creativity, Innovation, and Robots
Discover the innovative technology being used to enrich the education of students at Gettysburg College. This class will highlight the tools and methodology of the Creativity and Innovation lab. At the end of the class attendees will create a light up paper robot using a copper circuit.

Instructor: Josh Wagner, Manager, Innovation and Creativity Lab

3:00–4:30 p.m.

TBD

Alumni College Classes: Session 3
5:00–6:30 p.m.

*“Get your Strength On”
Join the College’s new strength and conditioning coach for an informational session about the future of Gettysburg strength training. Meet Reggie Overton, and hear about his programming philosophy and vision for the strength and conditioning department. Then end the session with a hands-on tour and demonstration in the fitness center.

Instructor: Reggie Overton, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

5:00–6:30 p.m.

*“Kill the Indian”: The Carlisle School and Native America
The Carlisle School (1879-1918) was the first federal off-reservation boarding school for Native Americans, and it initiated the era of forced assimilation of Native American children into U.S. society. But its founder’s efforts to “kill the Indian, save the man” unintentionally helped create a new generation of Native American leaders for the twentieth century. In this presentation, we will discuss the origins and consequences of the Carlisle School from the perspective of its students.

Instructor: Tim Shannon, Chair and Professor of History

Tour
6:007:00 p.m.

Reception
7:008:30 p.m.

*Class of 1975 Tour of the Majestic Theater and Reception
Patrons Lounge, Majestic Theater
6:30–8:00 p.m. *Alumni Wine and Cheese Reception
Science Center Lobby and Patio
All alumni are invited to wrap up the day with conversation and a cocktail!
6:30–8:00 p.m. *Class of 1965 and 1970 meet up at the Alumni Wine and Cheese Reception
Science Center Lobby and Patio
We encourage all 1965 and 1970 classmates to join the reception and kick-off the weekend!

Friday, May 30

TimeEvent
6:30 a.m. *Orange and Blue Golf Tournament
Hanover Country Club
Shotgun starts are at 7:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Come tee it up with our Orange & Blue faithful in support of Gettysburg College Athletics. Save the date for the 32nd Annual Gettysburg College Orange & Blue Golf Classic, Presented by The Cly-Del Manufacturing Co. Visit www.gettysburgsports.com (Orange & Blue) for more information or contact OandB@gettysburg.edu or 717-337-6398.
8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. Registration & Welcome Center
Lobby, College Union Building (CUB)
9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Library Open
Musselman Library
Alumni College Classes: Session 4
9:00–10:30 a.m. *Cultures of Possibility: Building Community through the Arts
What role can the arts play in building a vibrant, healthy community? In this FYS you will explore the importance of the arts in our society, experience how the arts strengthen communities by engaging with a variety of community-based arts programs, and discover the many ways in which you can play an active role in the cultural development of your community, and in the process find your path to becoming a more ethical leader and socially responsible citizen. In addition to utilizing class time to debate and discuss theories of placemaking and public policy, we will complete action research through several local site visits and a regional field trip to meet a diverse array of amazing people building exciting, vibrant communities through the arts.

Instructor: James Day, Director of the Sunderman Conservancy of Music
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.

*The Einsteins of Comedy
In the 1950s, the GI Bill led many to go to college who had never thought they’d have the opportunity. As Albert Einstein moved to the US, a new collection of comedians came out of universities from Harvard to Chicago to Berkeley making comedy smarter and sharper. Tom Lehrer, Mort Sahl, and Mike Nichols and Elaine May (Nichols actually was Albert Einstein’s cousin) changed American comedy.

Instructor: Steve Gimbel, Philosophy Professor

10:00 a.m. Campus Walking Tour
Depart from the Lobby, College Union
Building (CUB)
Alumni College Classes: Session 5
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

*Constitutional Interpretation
The question as to what is the "proper" way to interpret the United States Constitution is one that has sparked ongoing debate and disagreement over the years. To cite a recent example, the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision from last year has been the subject of considerable criticism, with charges that the Court has exceeded its proper role and, in effect, added new provisions to the Constitution. I've been studying and teaching about this subject for sixty years this fall. I will discuss conclusions I have reached as to the "proper role", and I will add a few favorite stories about justices who have served on the Court and their own approaches to constitutional interpretation.

Instructor: James S. Todd ’65, J.D., Ph. D., Assistant Professor (Retired), Department of Politics, University of Virginia

11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

*From the Piano Bench: Making Music at Musselman Library
Musselman Library Apse, Main Floor
Join us for an interactive exploration of American popular song in the home at the start of the twentieth century. Pump the pedals on our 1901 player piano, spin a shellac record or a wax cylinder on our Victrola or Amberola, and feast your eyes on historic sheet music from Special Collections. Betsy Bein and Carolyn Sautter will highlight our variety of songs and music technology and will share some of the ways we engage students with these musical marvels for recreation and education.

Instructors: Betsy Bein, User Services Librarian and liaison to the Sunderman Conservatory, and Carolyn Sautter, Director of Special Collections and College Archives and liaison to Civil War Era Studies and Theatre Arts

12:00–2:00 p.m. *Alumni Lunch
Atrium Dining
All alumni are welcome, especially those who are participating in Alumni College.
1:00–4:00 p.m. Special Collections Open
Fourth Floor, Musselman Library 
Alumni College Classes: Session 6
2:00–3:30 p.m.

*Music of the ‘70s: From punk to classical, how music helped shape a decade.
This course will explore the music of the 1970s focusing on popular music, classical music and jazz. How did punk rock, disco, postmodern classical, Latin jazz and other genres change the musical world. This course will also explore the roll the club scene and television had in shaping music during the decade.
Instructor: Mark A. Stickney ’95, DMA, Founder, Historic Music of Newport, Artistic Director, Seacoast Wind Ensemble

2:00–3:30 p.m. *Teacher, Scholar, Alumnus: What it’s like to teach and mentor students at your alma mater 25 years after graduation.
You might not be able to go home again, but you can make a home in a place where you did some growing up. Twenty-five years after graduation, Professor Ian Isherwood ’00 reflects upon his fifteen years of teaching at Gettysburg College and the challenges that affect higher education in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the current political climate. Topics will also include the uniqueness of teaching war studies at Gettysburg College, student and administrator collaboration on research projects, and teaching the next generation of Gettysburgians on issues of war and peace. Join Professor Isherwood for both a nostalgic and substantiative romp through space and time a generation after graduation from Gettysburg College.

Instructor: Dr. I.A. Isherwood, FRHistS, Associate Professor of War & Memory Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies Department, History Department Affiliate



4:00 p.m. Campus Walking Tour
Depart from the Lobby, College Union Building (CUB)
Alumni College Classes: Session 7
4:00–5:30 p.m.

TBD

4:00–5:30 p.m.

TBD

6:00–7:30 p.m. Cupola and 1832 Society Reception (by invitation)
President’s House Lawn
7:00–10:00 p.m.

*Class of 1975 50th Reunion Social 
The Attic

7:00–9:30 p.m.

*All Reunion Class Social 
All classes are welcome! Good food, great friends and live entertainment!
Atrium, Patio and Lawn

Saturday, May 31

TimeEvent
8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Registration & Welcome Center
Lobby, College Union Building (CUB)
8:00 a.m. Morning on the Battlefield
Meet in the Jaeger Center Lobby
Enjoy a casual run or walk with fellow alumni on the Gettysburg battlefield. Maps will be provided. Don’t forget your water bottle!
8:15 a.m. Battlefield Bike Ride
Meet in front of the Jaeger Center on Lincoln Ave.
Start the day with a 15-mile bicycle ride around beautiful Adams County, which will include stretches on both the Battlefield and quiet country roads. Led by members of the Class of '85 who know the area. This ride will last about 90 minutes, which will allow us to finish in plenty of time to join the President's Address at 10:30 a.m. Bring your bicycle, helmet, and water bottle. All classes are welcome to register.
9:00 a.m. *50th Reunion Breakfast for the Class of 1975
Dining Center
Please join class mates for breakfast and a visit from President Iuliano
9:00 – 10:15 a.m. Buffet breakfast open
9:30 a.m. President Iuliano addresses class
10:15 a.m. Class gets ready to walk over together for the President's Address and Awards Ceremony 
9:00 a.m. Class of 1980 Walk to the Peace Light
Meet in the Jaeger Center Lobby
9:30–10:30 a.m. *All Reunion Class Breakfast
Bream Gym
Complimentary light breakfast before the President’s remarks.
10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Special Collections Open
Fourth Floor, Musselman Library 
10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Library Open
Musselman Library
10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Schmucker Art Gallery Open
Schmucker Art Gallery, Schmucker Hall Main Floor
10:30–11:30 a.m.

President’s Address and Awards Ceremony
Bream Gym
Remarks from President Iuliano, class reunion gift presentations, and awards.

MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD (for a lifetime of service to Gettysburg College)

YOUNG ALUMNI - SERVICE AWARD (for service to Gettysburg College)

YOUNG ALUMNI - CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD (for professional achievement)

12:00–3:00 p.m.

Class Reunion Photos

Class of 1965 - 1:45 p.m. - Heritage Society Lunch
Class of 1970 - 2:00 p.m. - Peace Light Steps
Class of 1975 - 12:00 p.m. - North Steps, Pennsylvania Hall
Class of 2000 - 12:15 p.m. - North Steps, Pennsylvania Hall
Class of 1985 - 1:15 p.m. - North Steps, Pennsylvania Hall
Class of 1990 - 1:30 p.m. - North Steps, Pennsylvania Hall
Class of 1995 - 1:45 p.m. - North Steps, Pennsylvania Hall
Class of 1980 - 2:00 p.m. - North Steps, Pennsylvania Hall
Class of 2005 - 2:30 p.m. - North Steps, Pennsylvania Hall
Class of 2010 - 2:45 p.m. - North Steps, Pennsylvania Hall

12:00–2:00 p.m. *Heritage Society Luncheon for Classes Prior to 1975
Atrium Dining
Class of 1965 will have their class photo taken at lunch.
12:00–2:30 p.m. *All Alumni Lunch
Bullet Hole and Patio
12:00–5:00 p.m. Phi Sigma Kappa Alumni - 100th Reunion BBQ
Chapter House, 343 Carlisle Street
1:30–2:00 p.m.

*Class of 1970 Walk to the Peace Light and Class Photo
Meet in front of The Dining Center to begin the walk to the steps of the Peace Light.
The class will make its traditional pilgrimage to the Peace Light for the class photo. Vans will be provided.

1:30–3:30 p.m. Sorority Suites Open House
Sorority Suites, Ice House Complex, 30 North Washington Street
Please feel free to stop by your sorority suite. Please note that the current sisters are not on campus during Reunion Weekend. 
Suites that will be open include: Alpha Delta Pi (Room 202), Chi Omega (Room 301), Sigma Sigma Sigma (Room 201), Delta Gamma (Room 302), Gamma Phi Beta (Room 101), and Alpha Omicron Pi (Room 102)
2:00–3:00 p.m. Gettysburg College Civil War Tour
Meet in front of the Admissions House
Join John Rudy ’07 on a walking tour of the campus that reveals the College’s Civil War history. This tour was developed by John, a history major and Civil War Era Studies minor, as an independent project when he was a Gettysburg College student.
2:15–4:00 p.m. *Class of 1970 Tour of the World War II American Experience Museum
845 Crooked Creek Road, Gettysburg, Pa 17325
Please join us for a tour of the WWII Museum in Gettysburg. Transportation will be provided or you can drive on your own. Vans will pick-up classmates at the Peace Light Memorial at 2:00 p.m. after the class photo. You must pre-register for this event.
5:00 p.m. Class of 1980 Delta Gamma Sisters Happy Hour
Glatfelter Lodge
Throughout the Evening Reunion Class Receptions and Dinners

6:00 p.m. *1965 Reunion Class Reception and Dinner
TBD

6:00 p.m. *1970 Reunion Class Reception and Dinner
TBD

6:00 p.m. *1975 Reunion Class Reception and Dinner
Atrium Dining

6:00 p.m. *1980 Reunion Class Reception and Dinner
The Attic

6:00 p.m. *1985 Reunion Class Reception and Dinner
The Bullet Hole and Patio

TBD *1990 Reunion Class Reception and Dinner
TBD

TBD *1995 Reunion Class Reception and Dinner
TBD

6:00–9:00 p.m. *2000 Reunion Class Reception
TBD

TBD *2005 Reunion Class Reception and Dinner
TBD

TBD *2010 Reunion Class Reception and Dinner
TBD

9:15–11:30 p.m. All Class Party
The Junction, College Union Building (SUB)
Party for all classes!

Sunday, June 1

TimeEvent
8:00–11:00 a.m. Dorm Check-Out
Lobby, College Union Building (CUB)