It’s been 25 long years since Carleton University’s engineering class of 2000 wore their caps and gowns to walk down the aisle of their graduation ceremony.
On the first weekend of October, the class gathered once again at a class reunion marking the occasion.
In our digital age, class reunions are slowly vanishing off from our social calendars. Over the last half century, the popularization of social media platforms has marked a shift in the class reunion trend. Large, formal events are on the decline, as people find different connections online.
Attendees of the two-day event organized by the Carleton University Alumni Association’s engineering chapter, however, say class reunions are still an important part of reconnecting with old friends.
“The level of connection we get from these types of events is so much more important than just a phone call,” Reshma Mathur said, an alumni of the Engineering class of 2000.
“It’s a walk down memory lane, a reminder of the work that we put in to get where we are today.”
Initiating the series
Mathur, who now works as an IT client engagement manager, said she helped organize the reunion.
After witnessing other schools hosting similar reunions, Mathur said she was inspired to reach out to the alumni society to bring a similar series of events at Carleton.
Mathur, along with Marcia Lim, Chair of the York Chapter of Engineers, reached out to the Department of University Advancement to organize the reunion event for the engineering class of 2000.
The work that went into this event was, for those on the committee “a labour of love,” said Mathur. As all those in charge are former Engineering students themselves or part of the 2000 graduating class, it made it more motivational.
“Twenty-five years is a good milestone for people to look back on — we celebrate the times we had with the people we are now,” Mathur said.
According to Julia Dalphy, the engineering alumni chapter president, the reunion is not only a chance for those to reconnect with old friends, but also an opportunity to learn about how the Carleton campus has changed, to meet current students and learn about current student life on campus.
What does it mean to interact?
Holly Shannon, a Carleton PhD student investigating problematic social media use, said some folks are letting their calendars dry up as they prioritize online friendships.
“Many people use social media as a replacement for in-person connections, especially with a growing idea of what it means to interact,” Shannon said.
There has been a “rise in people limiting themselves to social media as their own form of connection, which leads to problematic use and we need to work in order to prevent this,” Shannon said.
Online platforms are not always the best medium to share deep, often personal news, that make up most of the human experience, Mathur said.
For her, the class reunion was not just an outlet to talk about memories made 25 years ago but also to share the moments that are hard to display online.
Dalphy agreed.
“Social media leaves out the personal touch that in-person reunions have, a quick phone call or ‘hello’ does not have the same effect for people, and it’s a good reminder that although we have social media, community is needed.”
The class reunion event would allow for more personal, face-to-face interactions that are often less curated than social media platforms, Shannon said.
“Social media can be slippery; one can get caught up in comparison and isolation,” Shannon said, adding that events connect people beyond a text message.
“I’m personally not active on social media and might miss a lot of things in people’s lives that happen if I don’t see them in person.”
For Lim, the October reunion was also a chance to visit her hometown.
“Both [Mathur] and I are from Ottawa but live in Toronto — this was not only a way to get old friends together but a reason to come back and visit where we grew up.”
Mike Botting, director of surveillance at Nav Canada said McPhee, Harps and himself are all Ottawa residents, but with life and work, it’s hard to find time to maintain connections.
“Events like this allow that to happen,” he said. “Sure, we do have all of our phone numbers, but there is not that same level of enjoyment that comes from physical interactions.”
“University is more than just schooling that one does, it’s about the friends and the community one makes when here,” Dalphy said.
“People look back with fond memories, and there is no reason why people can’t come back to these spaces for short periods of time with fellow graduates.”
Dalphy added these reunions create a bridge between previous classes and current students, because “they can see how those who went through these processes survived and learn from their experiences.”
Featured image from files.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article contained errors. In fact, the event was organized by the Engineering Chapter of the Carleton University Alumni Association, not the Carleton Engineering Alumni Society, with support from alumni volunteer Reshma Mather, an IT client engagement manager. The Charlatan regrets the errors.
