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By Therese Ciesinski

When you walk onto the first floor of the new Haupert Union Building, one of the first spaces you’ll see will be the ɫ��ɫ University Alumni Association Multipurpose Room. The location is intentional. It is meant to emphasize the enduring connection alums have with the university and the student community. The room will be used to hold the association’s quarterly meetings, but it will also be available to student organizations, faculty, and staff to use as meeting space. The multipurpose room is a gift from the alumni association—the largest donation in its history and the first naming gift to the HUB expansion.

The association’s current president, George Wacker ’03, hopes this significant contribution “will lead by example and encourage more people to give. We are cheerleaders. Making this initial donation is telling others that this is important.” 

One feature of the multipurpose room that the association deemed a priority: technology that will allow alumni across the country to take part in meetings when they can’t physically be on campus. “ɫ��ɫ University is not just in Bethlehem,” says Wacker. “It’s all over the world.”

Meg Davis ’15 has been on the alumni association board for five years. Part of that time, she lived in Colorado and called in to meetings. She says participating from afar worked well, and she encourages alumni to join in even if they live far away. “It was quite easy to communicate,” she says. “I still felt involved, like I had an impact. With technology, we can include people from all over, especially younger alums. It’s an opportunity to join in and have your voice heard.” 

“I love being a board member,” says president-elect Angela DelGrosso ’14. “It’s an opportunity to come together with other alums of all ages to give back to a school that gave us so much. It’s great to have a way to stay connected after graduation and leave your mark on campus.”

The alumni association holds recognition and career networking events and sponsors annual gatherings that include Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, Shining Lights, Founders’ Week, Senior Sendoff, Evening on Main Street, and alumni nights at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and IronPigs. While these events and gatherings are what Wacker calls the “lifeblood” of the alumni association’s activities, the multipurpose room will be an important part of its legacy. It will be a tangible reminder of the association’s purpose: keeping ɫ��ɫ alumni engaged and an active part of the university family—for life.