An inaugural NMU Black alumni reunion held earlier this fall was billed by organizers as “a success beyond our wildest expectations, and an amazing weekend for all.” According to 1984 graduate Darryl Thompson, it had been years since many of the attendees were in Marquette. They gathered over an October weekend and checked out some of the changes on campus, attended a Wildcat football game, socialized at local restaurants, and explored longtime favorite sites such as Sugarloaf Mountain.
“We had a great weekend, with the planning already underway for next year,” added Thompson. He particularly thanked NMU Alumni Relations Coordinator Kelsey Lynch for her kindness and dedication in helping to coordinate the event.
NMU 1971 alumnus Willie Wooten expressed his insights on the event through the following written summary:
The initial gathering of Northern Michigan University's Black student reunion attendees convened in Marquette, Michigan during the first week of October. It was a wonderful festivity, with hearty embraces, many heartfelt smiles, strong clutching hugs, new friendships and renewed acquaintances. Much excitement was realized during the entire weekend, and the activities were enjoyed by the many NMU current and former students who attended.
My wife, Gail, and I joined the participants at the nearby Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant. From the time we met until the end of the night, the gathering was spirited with rambunctious conversations, lively introductions, and Much Ado About reminiscing over fond experiences and memories while enrolled at the university. The night was so exciting that we did not want it to end. There had been between 30 to 40 revelers anxiously vying to get in a word about their recollections of days remembered, many were odd or stunned by the earlier recountings of activities they had openly admitted to. Often it was heard belted out among revelers that their parents had no idea what kind of student they had raised.
The following day began with a well-attended tailgate gathering in the athletic parking lot. During the event, we shared many photos of past student days and cherished significant family and occupational endeavors. The winds of Lake Superior made it challenging to keep track of the photos and other items of interest. After all, the football game was going to be an attraction that would soon draw thong throngs of spectators, and we were getting excited while waiting for kickoff time. To our dismay, it was not going to be a performance that we were poised to rally around. While in the [Superior Dome], many of us became excited about the wall of fame, which featured many plaques of familiar classmates. One was among our company: Gwendolyn Jackson, a basketball player who represented the only African American female featured on the wall. We all cheered for her and verbally expressed our admiration for her. We wanted to keep the spirited mood flowing, so we sauntered over to the university bookstore and milled around for about an hour while purchasing memory items.
We then agreed to meet at a familiar area of student interest, Sugarloaf Mountain. We all had tales about our previous visits to the mountain. Everyone was pumped full of energy, so we decided to climb the mountain. Time has a way of blotting out some of the formidable challenges that we engaged in during years past, the climb was not the same as we remembered it. For a moment, I was wondering whether I had picked up a pair of well-worn, lungs along the way. It was a tough ascent, but we kept up a steady pace as we stumbled along jagged rocky paths, climbing steep stairway ascents and stealing passing glances of several overlooks along the way. We finally made it to the summit. The view at the top of the mountain was spectacular. Lake Superior stretched as far as the eye could see. Photo ops were explored with enthusiasm. At this point, a well needed respite was a welcome point to regroup and observe God's display of natural beauty and share ideas on how to begin our descent.
It had been an exciting day of activities. We were a bit weary. However, it was not over. Next, we were going to attend a dinner gathering at Vango's restaurant. The gathering was planned to be the climax of our day. Cuisine choices included pizza and American and Italian foods. While dining, we continued discussing how we had spent the day, and we had a moment of silence to remember the names of our fellow schoolmates who had passed. Breakfast the following day concluded our time spent. Afterward, we visited the Wildcat statue mounted in front of Jamrich Hall. There, we took more photos, wished each other a safe trip home, and offered many well wishes until we could further establish a future meeting. Our gathering had been organized by Darryl Thompson and a committee he formed, along with a few others. He envisioned combined years of Northern attendees gathering on the campus of our beloved school, where we would share experiences during time spent there. This was a grand vision, and it was a very successful endeavor. Future gatherings will be planned.
Gail and I rode to the assemblage with Lisa Edwards, a much younger former student whom we had met a couple of weeks prior to the gathering. We shared many laughs and learned a great deal about each other during the ride. Also, we got along like we had been longtime friends. As a matter of fact, we got along so well that we promised to spread the word to other NMU students and to let them know that we have discovered that we share many things despite our vocations, especially interests and other pursuits. But through it all, we have vowed to be lifelong friends despite our age differences, and the miles that separate our communities.”
