CHRIS SEGAL
News Editor
The Seaver Alumni Organization is targeting each class with an event to make real connection between students and alumni. Sophomores were invited to attend a “Hang 10” dinner to spark a dialogue between students and alumni as well getting a free meal.
This new program serves as an event for the sophomore class to get involved with alumni and swap stories.
Sophomores were given seating priority for the dinners, but juniors and seniors were also allowed to attend. There are 12 dinners, six were held on Saturday or Sunday and the last six will happen Sunday. Ninety students are participating in the program meaning that some students will attend more than one dinner.
“It was really laid back and that was one of the things I really enjoyed,” said sophomore Kala Eubanks.
The idea for having 10 students meet and have dinner with alumni originated from UCLA. The dinner intend to instill a sense of tradition at Pepperdine as well allow students and alumni to connect, said Jennifer Ostan the manager of the Student Alumni Organization & Student Advancement.
“Alumni have been very eager to connect with students,” Ostan said. “There is a whole movement with alumni to connect to the Malibu campus.”
It’s not just Seaver alumni that want to form relationships with current students, graduates of other schools of Pepperdine and George Pepperdine College also want to get involved. This event was not intended to be a networking event, but if it happens it’s ok, Ostan said.
Amy Hunter hosted a dinner Sunday with her roommate Beth Barraco.
“I am obviously an alum and so is my roommate, we work for the university and I had some good opportunities to connect with some alum when I was a student,” Hunter said, who works as a manager of special events. “I think it was a good opportunity to have some students over and connect with them.”
The hosts were aided by members of SAO to assist with running icebreakers to help initiate conversation.
The best part of traveling to all the dinners was just seeing the interaction between students who normally wouldn’t have crossed paths and the alumni, Ostan said.
SAO officals plans on continuing the event next year in hopes of creating a Pepperdine tradition.
“I definitely think it is a great event for Pepperdine students to get involved in and hear stories, ” Barraco said, a financial analyst. “Being out here in Malibu I think that we can forget about the connections that exists in the city we are in.”
03-29-2006