Author: Mari L. Meyer, GSE ’12
If you are one of the lucky members of the Class of 1962, you probably already have something to say about the 50th Reunion Yearbook* creation project that began back in early 2012.
Though the end result will be nothing short of a masterpiece of grand proportion, the journey to get here has been no piece of cake! The amount of work that has gone into this project from day one could not have been accomplished without the direction and perseverance of our visionaries, Class of ’62 Yearbook Co-Editors, Burt Follman and Sheila Gunther, our fearless, in-office Leader Lisbeth Willis, our graphic design guru Kelly Porter, and our “I don’t sleep, eat, or breathe until this book gets made”-work study student, Deirdre Bullard.
It’s been weeks since Deirdre slept last…We’ve begun to worry about her sanity!
Some of you may already know that I, Mari, was the frontline, down-in-the-trenches gal for this extraordinary undertaking for the Class of ’62er’s upcoming 50th reunion. That is to say, I was responsible for “technical assistance.” While I am by no means a technical wiz, I certainly was computer-savvy enough to help some folks create yearbook pages…Or was I? Each classmate was asked to work on a ½ page submission for their yearbook using an online site. The hope was that the final product for each page would look something like this:
Wishful thinking, Mari!
If I could have recorded my phone conversations with the amazing classmates of 1962, you would hear a beautiful symphony of groans, grunts, moans and chuckles—a sonata of sighs, or an opus of “Oy Vey, Mari!”—so to speak. Fortunately, those ’62ers have got the stubborn perseverance, good humor, and incredible intellect to stick it out in these moments of despair—saving this grad-school damsel from technological burnout through their moving life stories, photos of their beautiful families, and wonderful wishes for my own success as a soon-to-be Penn alumna.
The 1962 Yearbook project proved to be an unpaved and unexpected adventure, but at least we were in it together! I can say confidently that this book will find a permanent place on my own coffee table immediately upon its release this May!
In the meantime, I wish the Class of 1962 nothing but the very best, and will be celebrating their 50th reunion during my own graduation weekend. It is an honor to become a part of the Penn family, and this class was certainly the most colorful and memorable part of my induction!
*To order a Class of 1962 50th Reunion Class Yearbook, please call Mari Meyer or Dee Dee Bullard at 215-898-8209. You will also be able to purchase them at the reunion during Alumni Weekend, May 11 – 14, 2012.
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