• Hello Classmates and Friends-
     
    We are writing to let everyone know that we’ve made the difficult decision to postpone our 35+1 reunionthat was scheduled for September 25, 2021.  After careful consideration, this was a unanimous decision this week by the planning committee.  We are very disappointed and understand others will be as well.  However, we love our special class, are energized by the enthusiasm that was brewing, and are committed to seeing you at a fun, even better event—now 35+2 being planned for September 23-24, 2022—mark your calendars!
     
    For those who want to understand more about the decision, keep reading.  Otherwise, please start making plans to join us in just over a year, and help us find and identify more classmates so we can all get the word out even more broadly.
     
    As this occasion is a collective endeavor, we would like to transparently share our thinking with you.  We canvassed a collection of classmates who were planning to come regarding holding the reunion in light of the increasing concerns about the resurgence of Covid-19 cases from the delta variant.  We noted recent breakthrough cases, including among peers, lengthy breakthrough illnesses, and deaths among the vaccinated—such as the President of Chaminade last week.  We certainly heard people who feel we should continue, that we are all going to need to live with Covid, that the situation is being overhyped, or that everyone should make their own choice.  We know several people hold these perspectives and we respect those views.
     
    Our goals for the reunion from the outset have been, and remain, to bring together the greatest number of people, drive the highest level of participation possible, and present an environment that builds camaraderie.  With those goals in mind, we feel that postponing our event is the best course.
    1. Concerns regarding Covid will dampen our participation and reduce the number of attendees.  While many would still show up, we have classmates who are not comfortable coming to the event at this particular time.  Some with at-risk family members noted, for example “I was planning to and really want to come — but with the delta variant and a spouse with a medical condition, I can’t justify risking their health for a reunion—I couldn’t live with myself if something happened—what’s the rush to hold this?” Others moved from excitement to ambivalence—"I booked flights, but am not sure I’m coming anymore.”  This bodes poorly for the enthusiasm we wanted everyone to feel about this reunion and is in conflict with our main purpose.
    1. We believe that making plans to hold this right now could create discord within the class.  There are widely-divergent and strongly-held views on vaccinations and mask wearing. Considering both CDC guidance and requests from some potential attendees about setting requirements for participation, we saw the decision-making on that point as something that could generate strong disagreements and hurt feelings.  Furthermore, noting the probability masks might be required, there was a desire to meet with people when we could see their faces and give them a hug.
    1. Some have expressed strong views that it is not responsible to hold a several hour, indoor event right now that brings together many people, including from some of the country’s current Covid hot spots.  As everyone from businesses to Garth Brooks have been cancelling events to do their part, we did not see much downside in postponing the date to do ours.
    1. We wanted people to be able to plan, secure any travel refunds, and schedule other things for that time.  While we considered waiting to see what happens over the next few weeks, we felt that providing certainty a month out was better than leaving this in limbo on the hope that things would improve the next few weeks, and then likely have to cancel last minute for the same reasons, or because of further restrictions.
    Consistent with the goal of making this available to the greatest number of people, we have circled a year out for the event (Sept. 23-24, 2022).  This date was selected to steer around the holidays, people’s varying spring breaks, graduations, family vacations and the like.  And we figure that by a year from now, we will all have to have learned how to live with Covid in one manner or another.
     
    We are mindful that, no matter what decision we made, there will be people who disagree strongly.  If you are one of those, we are sorry.  Trust that our lodestar is to create the most fun opportunity to catch up with the most classmates possible—and that we are looking forward to doing that, just somewhat later than we’d hoped.
     
    We appreciate your understanding and are excited to see you at an even bigger 35+2!
     
    Sincerely,
     
    Elizabeth, Dave, Jack, Ken, Patti, Vicki
Last Modified on September 15, 2021