dear friends, . . .
By Allison Dykes

And we hope a lot of you will, too--land right here at your alma mater for Emory Weekend 2006! Held in conjunction with Commencement, Emory Weekend is the Association of Emory Alumni's (AEA) biggest celebration, and with so much happening on campus over the five days--from our Friday night dance party (The Soiree) to Saturday's block party, concert and carnival on McDonough Field, to the various class and school reunions sprinkled throughout, all punctuated by the arrival of a new class of Emory alumni on Commencement Monday--Emory is the place to be.

Emory doesn't lack for symbols around which to rally. Lord James W. Dooley, for instance, is the eternal spirit of Emory. Our mascot is the Eagle, personified in the flesh (sort of) by Swoop, a (sort of) feathered friend who makes many appearances across campus, especially at Emory's athletics events. It is around the Eagle that many of the symbols of this year's Emory Weekend are based.

"The Eagle Has Landed" is the theme of Emory Weekend 2006, and it emerged during discussions about how best to illustrate the wider idea of returning home--which is what every Emory Weekend is all about. Emory's Eagles, our alumni, leave the University nest when they graduate. They soar throughout their lives, always knowing home--the nest--is there for them if they need it.

Emory Weekend's symbolic Eagle will land the second weekend in May, but you know, he never really went away. And we hope that's just like your relationship with Emory soaring throughout your life. You may not necessarily be here in the flesh, but you never really go away. You always remain connected--although it's always nice to refortify those contacts.

Emory Weekend 2005 brought more than 1,000 alumni back to campus for a celebration and reconnection to the University--and to each other--and we hope that even more graduates come home for our 2006 edition. One thing is for sure--we have a lot planned for you to do. From the traditional candlelight crossover procession for our newest alumni to be (the Class of 2006) to the many music events, reunions, social gatherings and the return of Corpus Cordis Aureum , the "Golden Corps of the Heart," Emory graduates from 1956 and earlier. We have some new events planned, as well as a few other things hidden under our wings--but we'd like to make those a surprise!

While it is our most anticipated event of the year, Emory Weekend is not the only activity coming up for the AEA. We're sponsoring events and hosting speakers such as President Jim Wagner and many Emory faculty from Florida to Colorado to California. We also have added a new affinity group with the creation of GALA (Gay and Lesbian Alumni). GALA, which recently held a remarkably successful fund-raiser to benefit Emory's annual Pride Banquet, joins the Caucus of Black Alumni (CEBA) and the Association of Emory Muslim Alumni (AEMA) as part of AEA's goal to reach out to specific groups of alums.

The AEA sponsors programs around the country and even the world and new events are added all the time. To stay attuned to what's coming up, visit our calendar on the AEA website.

We'd love to know how we're doing. If you have a suggestion for the AEA or a comment, please email me at allison.dykes@emory.edu. I'd love to hear from you.

See you at Emory Weekend!