In bright sunshine and sweltering heat, thousands of Cornellians returned to campus for Reunion June 5-8. Whether carrying children or aided by canes, masses of people clutching Big Red Bags visited the quads, lawns, classrooms and apartments of their youth.

After strolling across campus and into Collegetown, Dean Danzer '58 was on his way back to North Campus. Crossing the new Thurston Avenue Bridge, he said, "I enjoy being back. I haven't been back for 10 years." Danzer drove 900 miles from his home in St. Louis to attend Reunion. "The campus is a lot better than it used to be," he remarked. "And it's a lot bigger now. It's really very impressive."

A retired chemical engineer who designed chemical plants for Monsanto Co. for 38 years, Danzer reflected, "I enjoy seeing classmates. I saw The Sherwoods sing this morning, and that was quite good," he added, referring to the alumni a cappella group that performs on campus every year during Reunion Weekend. Danzer received a scholarship to attend Cornell, he said; one student each year from his St. Louis high school went east.

On North Campus, Roz Zalutsky Baron '53 and her husband, Phil, organized an exhibition of art by classmates. Five artists, including an illustrator, a graphic artist and a photographer, contributed about 35 works -- "High-quality stuff," said Phil Baron, who along with Roz painted five portraits of classmates. A lithograph of Paul McCartney, bird photos and paintings were also displayed against vivid purple walls.

En route to the art show in Court Hall, Roz called out to arriving alumni. "Hello, welcome! Are you just getting here? Glad you made it."

In the 55 years since she left Cornell, Roz noted, "we've only missed one reunion since graduation. We didn't come in '73, because of a bar mitzvah. We're all very happy to be here. To be still alive. You know, everybody's about 76."

"I'm going to be 80," interjected Phil. Roz majored in economics in the College of Arts and Sciences. Phil pointed out that the couple recently endowed a chair in the Johnson School in the history of financial markets. "Well, yeah, but that's for when we die!" Roz laughed. "That's for when we die, right," Phil agreed.

"I'm still on Wall Street," said Roz. "I sell mostly municipal bonds, but other stock, too."

"She was the second woman to become registered to sell stocks," Phil noted.

"I still have my client base," noted Roz, a Class of '53 vice president and lifetime member of the Cornell University Council. "We really look forward to Reunion, and we come back for council weekends, so we pay attention to what goes on here."

Outside the Cornell Store, which was doing a brisk business selling Cornell clothing, books and memorabilia, strolled three members of the Class of '98. Jessica Nolan, Calie Santana and Marta Guevara had traveled, respectively, from Arkansas, Connecticut and Texas for their 10th Cornell Reunion.

"We just want to hang out," said Nolan. The three have been friends since their undergraduate days and remarked that they were impressed by a tour of the new Mann Library addition. "Tom Clausen's haiku poetry are still there," said Santana. "There's change [on campus], but they're not losing any of the good stuff," said Nolan. "I love Ithaca. I love this campus."

"We're just realizing again how beautiful it is," echoed Santana.

Nolan, an environmental psychologist, just completed a Ph.D. in Arkansas and will become an assistant professor at the University of Scranton. Santana, who majored in Spanish literature and natural resources at Cornell, has a medical degree from Harvard Medical School and practices as an internist at a community health center. Guevara is a veterinarian.

"This place is unique," said Guevara. "The fact that it's a bit isolated means the friendships you make are really well established and lasting."

"I think this was a great place to build my skills and explore different academic areas," said Santana, who was a Presidential Research Scholar and a finalist for the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships. "I was able to tap into a lot of different areas of the university. Now, I can see how much that shaped me."