Homecoming gives alumni an opportunity to reconnect

Bill Groner ’77 wasn’t going to miss the 40th anniversary celebration of College-in-the-Woods for anything else in the world.

“I think we come back for more than memories, we come back for that connection,” he said. “Things change but the one thing that is stable in this crazy world is Binghamton University and CIW. They’re always going to be here and I’m always going to come back.”

He was one of the nearly 1,000 alumni and guests who returned to campus Oct. 12-14 for Homecoming. The weekend was an opportunity for Binghamton graduates to relive treasured memories and make new ones with their families and friends.

Homecoming 2012 included a wide variety of events, such as the Oktoberfest opening mixer, College-in-the-Woods 40th anniversary celebration, Tailgate ’12, men’s soccer game against the University of Vermont, Bearcats of the Last Decade Young Alumni Mixer and Faust 5K Run/Walk.

Stephanie Gomez ’12 was one of more than 100 graduates who attended the young alumni mixer on Saturday night. As a new alumna and a current graduate student at Binghamton, she didn’t have to wait a long time or travel far to see classmates. However, the experience was still meaningful.

“It was nice to see my friends because I haven’t seen them since they started working before the summer,” she said.

The School of Management and Harpur College sponsored panel discussions and networking events where alumni shared career advice and insights with current students. Alumni and students who participated in the Liberal Arts to Careers Externship – a job shadowing program for Harpur sophomores – also shared their experiences with students.

Carl Forbes ’07, an associate in the litigation department at Proskauer Rose LLP, was one of the panelists at the Alumni of Color networking event. The New York-based attorney encouraged the students to start as early as possible on building their professional networks.

“We’re one of the top 100 schools in the country,” Forbes said. “Let Binghamton University work for you. Use its resources and use its name to help you.”

To see photos from Homecoming 2012, visit the Alumni Association’s site on Shutterfly.

Kathleen Rubino ’13 contributed to this article.