By Kay S. Pedrotti Dedication of the Gordon State College Military Memorial at 2 p.m. Saturday will highlight activities during Alumni Weekend. ’We have about 300 people registered, one of the largest groups ever to attend an Alumni Weekend. Many classes, individual alumni and community members combined efforts to make the memorial a reality,’ according to Rhonda Toon, vice president for advancement. Gay Kennedy Robinson, class of 1970, wrote Toon thanking her for her diligence in coordinating the memorial project: ‘This is a huge step that will help preserve Gordon’s heritage and our link to the future. The dream of linking alumni and our valued military community is about to come to fruition. This is a great remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I can’t tell you how moved I was when I walked to the Military Memorial.’ The memorial is located where ‘North Barracks’ once stood, between Lambdin Hall and the Hightower Library. The western entrance is a model of the old Lambdin Hall portico. Cannons on campus will be moved to the memorial. Toon herself is a member of the class of 1973, ‘the class interrupted,’ she said, by the school’s joining the University System of Georgia ‘that impacted the high school students.’ The late Joe Bray was president at the time and stayed on through the transition to USG; his widow Fran Bray will be among those attending. ’Far into the future,’ Toon said, ‘Gordon students and alumni will walk through the columned portico and read the names on the wall. They will know that we valued the sacrifice these students and faculty made. They will understand that Gordon’s history as an Honor Army ROTC School was part of the heritage and foundation of the institution.’ Other activities for Alumni Weekend include an alfresco Italian lunch, which required pre-registration and is now closed, Toon said. A baseball double-header starts at 1 p.m., and a campus tour is planned for 4 p.m. Historical collections and archives may be viewed at the library from 3-5 p.m. The annual alumni dinner is at 5 p.m. in the Alumni House Courtyard. A farewell breakfast will end the event from 8-10 a.m. on Sunday April 19 in the student Center Atrium.
Be First to Comment