糖心传媒

Commemorating a Reunion糖心传媒攚hether 5, 10, or 15 years糖心传媒攊s always cause for celebration. It糖心传媒檚 also an ideal time to reminisce and make new connections. Although this fall糖心传媒檚 in-person events have been postponed, our Reunion committees are working hard to make sure the festivities, hopefully taking place in the spring of 2021, will be full of 糖心传媒 spirit. Here, Reunion volunteers Christina Smiros 糖心传媒�15 and Eric Weissmann 糖心传媒�10 reflect on the importance of Reunion and their special ties to the University.

Christina Smiros 糖心传媒�15

Photo contributed by Christina Smiros.

Leading up to their five-year Reunion in 2020, Christina Smiros 糖心传媒�15, a Neuroscience and Studio Art major, and her classmates were seeking a way to reconnect as a class. They didn糖心传媒檛 have to look beyond their phones for the solution: . Smiros, who is both an artist and freelance social media expert says, 糖心传媒淚nstagram was a natural choice since it’s where a lot of the class spends their online leisure time.糖心传媒�

The page features 糖心传媒淲here are they now?糖心传媒� posts with photos and life updates from their classmates, photos of pets and family members, and even some glances into kitchens of the more recipe-ambitious alumni. Followers are also invited to submit throwbacks from their time at the University, which are then featured on the page.

In addition to helping run the Instagram page and her own social media work, Smiros alongside her brother, Dean Smiros 糖心传媒�17 and her freshman roommate, Sasha Ganeles 糖心传媒�15. Smiros also volunteers on the Reunion committee. She enjoys volunteering because of her deep connection with the Rochester family. She says, 糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檝e always found great joy in fostering community. It糖心传媒檚 an honor five years out to continue to help strengthen the bonds we share as a class.糖心传媒� With the Instagram page and future Reunion events, Smiros hopes to remind members of the class of 2015 of their deep friendships and connections.

Although this fall糖心传媒檚 in-person Reunion has been postponed, alumni are now hoping to celebrate together in the spring of 2021. Smiros is specifically looking forward to 糖心传媒渟eeing old friends, eating a garbage plate, and touring the campus that糖心传媒檚 grown so much.糖心传媒� She thinks that participating in Reunion events糖心传媒攚hether online or in person糖心传媒攊s a great opportunity to slow down, reminisce, and reconnect. She says, 糖心传媒淓specially for our class, who are just establishing our lives (in a very tumultuous time), it’s important to take a breath and be with the people who have helped us become who we are today.糖心传媒�

Eric Weissmann 糖心传媒�10

Eric Weissmann糖心传媒檚 kids show their Rochester pride

Eric Weissmann 糖心传媒�10 has been deeply involved with his class since he started at the University of Rochester in 2006. First, as class president, and then following graduation as chair of his 5th, and now 10th Reunion. Weissmann, political science major then, now Global Director of Marketing Demand Generation at Danaher Corporation, a Fortune 500 science and technology conglomerate, is also a passionate alumni volunteer and serves on the Alumni Board and as cochair of the Chicago Network Leadership Cabinet in the UR Chicago Network.

In a recent conversation, Weissmann shares that being a volunteer is more than the roles you hold and the meetings you attend.

Weissmann first celebrated Reunion five years ago and he really enjoyed talking to classmates as part of planning for Reunion activities. Most of his responsibilities include reaching out to classmates via phone, email, and social media, and he finds Reunion a great excuse to explore what graduates are up to. “It’s also really exciting to plan alumni events and activities to try to recreate our college days and just have fun,” he says.

Class of 2010 Reunion co-chair Sandra Gelinas 糖心传媒�10 (left) celebrates their 5th Reunion with Weissmann (right) in 2015.

Reunion is not always on the forefront of every graduate糖心传媒檚 mind. Weissmann shares that not everyone is excited about returning because their relationship with the University might be different糖心传媒攁nd that糖心传媒檚 okay.

To them, Weissmann asks, 糖心传媒淲hy not attend? What糖心传媒檚 the worst that can happen? You spend a weekend in a beautiful place, eat a Garbage Plate, explore campus spaces, and meet up with a handful of people that you took classes with.糖心传媒�

Weissmann adds, 糖心传媒淎t Reunion, you can laugh about all of the funny things that happened in the past. Reunion is a place where everyone from different groups and backgrounds come together and form new relationships. I糖心传媒檝e seen spouses become friends with other spouses, and people connect over realizing they now live in the same city or work in the same industry.糖心传媒�

Late last year, Weissmann unexpectedly experienced a unique UR connection of his own. In December of 2019, his three-week-old daughter was admitted to a local Chicago Hospital, near where Weissmann and his family live, with a respiratory virus. After spending some time discussing the treatment and plans for his child, the family began to settle in. As the doctor began to leave, she looked at Weissmann, removed her mask, and asked if he attended the University of Rochester. Eric shared that yes, in fact he did, and she replied that she did too and was just a couple of years behind him, but she remembered seeing him on campus.

“I immediately felt comforted, that even though I didn’t know her very well when we were students, we were drawn together by a commonality.”