The University of St. Michael’s College is eager to welcome our alumni back to campus for a weekend of renewing friendships, celebrating milestones and creating community as part of Alumni Reunion 2025.
With warmer weather on its way, it’s time to start planning your weekend. This year’s itinerary boasts a spectacular lineup of activities running all weekend long from Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1.
“Join us for St. Mike’s 2025 Double Blue Reunion as we welcome back all alumni for a memorable Reunion filled with opportunities to reconnect, reminisce, and rediscover campus. In addition to U of T-wide events, St. Mike’s will host special gatherings to celebrate our community—honouring class years ending in ’0s and ’5s and welcoming all alumni to the festivities. Get your tickets early – we anticipate selling out! Reconnect with friends, meet new ones, reminisce and rediscover campus with our brand-new campus tours, custom-created just for Reunion this year. Learn from St. Mike’s faculty and alumni on a variety of topics and experience today’s campus with unique tours and a variety of Reunion events,” says Lisa Webb, Alumni Affairs Manager.
Find out what’s in store for Reunion 2025:
Reunion kicks off on Friday, May 30 with a special Mass in Loretto College followed by an anniversary lunch honouring the Classes of 1970 and 1975. This year marks 50 years since the Class of 1975 graduated and 55 years since the Class of 1970 graduated, but due to COVID was unable to celebrate its 50th anniversary in person.
That afternoon, check out the Donovan Collection and the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society exhibit currently on display through a guided tour offered by Kelly Library staff. The Donovan Collection is a collection of largely contemporary art made possible by generosity and commitment of Father Dan Donovan, who will also be in attendance to introduce the tour. Francesca Rousselle, who curated ‘The Golden Rule: Social Justice and the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society’ exhibit will offer her insights on archival records of the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society that were generously donated to the college.
Afterwards, grab a bite to eat at the Alumni BBQ taking place on the Dodig Family COOP Terrace. Alumni of all ages can catch up and share stories from their university days while enjoying St. Mike’s branded beer, which is set to launch just in time for Reunion 2025.
Later in the night, the COOP will transform into St. Mike’s pub allowing alumni to reconnect with old friends while sipping St. Mike’s branded beer and dancing to music from their college years.
The Young Alumni Committee is pleased to also offer the Young Alumni Triva Night at Hemingway’s Restaurant and Bar in Yorkville on the evening of Friday, May 30. Join a team and come prepared to answer questions on a range of topics.
On Saturday morning take in the keynote lecture by Dr. Douglas Moggach (7T0) on ‘Modernity and Freedom: Lessons from Hegel’, which centers around modern ideas of freedom, citizenship, social interaction, and relations between state and economy. Dr. Moggach is a proud St. Mike’s alum and Distinguished University Professor at the University of Ottawa, life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge, and Honorary Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney.
Step into the past and explore the fascinating stories that shaped our campus with the ‘Footprints in Time: A Historical Journey’ campus tour. Tour guide and St. Mike’s alumna Luisa Giacometti will offer a captivating historical walking tour that brings history to life. From hidden gems to well-known landmarks, participants will discover something new about the familiar campus.
The Reunion weekend will include the next installment in the Alumnae Initiative for Women (AI4W)’s conversation series on ‘Value Added: Appreciating the Contributions of Women Academics’. In this panel discussion, St. Mike’s alumnae Drs. Gabriella Colussi Arthur (9T9), Professor Emerita and Senior Researcher, Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics at York University; Kathryn LaFontana (9T1), Chief Academic Officer of Ursuline College; Cathy Driscoll, Professor Emerita of the Sobey School of Business at St. Mary’s University in Halifax; and Theresa O’Keefe, Professor at the Clough School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, will reflect on their careers at diverse institutions, share the joys and challenges of their work, and consider the various barriers faced by women academics and strategies to overcome them.
St. Mike’s Film Club will be screening the cult classic, Harold and Maude, on Saturday afternoon. This touching and subversive story of a troubled teenager who falls in love with a nearly 80-year-old free spirit is sure to resonate with viewers of all ages who feel a natural kinship with misfits and oddballs.
Film buffs and casual viewers alike will appreciate the behind-the-scenes experience of the ‘Lights, Camera, Action: A Film & TV Sites Tour’ campus tour. Gather in the Quad on Sunday morning to find out which popular films and tv shows were filmed on campus.
The Alumni Association’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday, May 31 and will include the announcement of new board members.
All alumni are invited to attend the Alumni Reception and Banquet. Attendees can gather for a cocktail hour in the COOP and then make their way to Sorbara Auditorium for the Reunion’s marquee event, celebrating graduation anniversaries that end in ‘0 and ‘5.
Alumni Reunion 2025 closes with a lunch on Sunday to celebrate the St. Mike’s Alumni Award winners. These awards honour our outstanding alumni and this year’s recipients will be announced at the St. Alumni Awards Ceremony and Lunch that will take place following Mass at St. Basil’s.
Throughout the weekend, a welcome centre will be set up in Dodig Family COOP to help you navigate your weekend. Be sure to drop by on Friday from 2-3 p.m. to meet Celia Wexler (7T0) who will be available to speak about her latest book Catholic Women Confront Their Church (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016; re-released in paperback in 2024 and will be available for sale). While there, be sure to check out the pop-up book sale for some one-of-a-kind finds, hosted by the Friends of the Kelly Library.
Also, while you’re on campus, be sure to visit Dante Garden at the corner of St. Joseph and Queen’s Park Circle, beside Carr Hall. It features a life-sized sculpture of Dante along with individual sculptures representing each of the 100 cantos of the Divine Comedy. It is truly a masterpiece by world-renowned sculptor Timothy Schmalz and is a tremendous source of pride for the St. Michael’s community.
Registration for Alumni Reunion 2025 is now open. Don’t miss out, register early!
Celebrate the anniversary of your graduation with a gift to the Being Well at St. Mike’s initiative. This year, we are excited to rally our collective alumni support around this initiative dedicated to fostering students’ physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual well-being— ensuring that they have the resources and support needed to thrive during their time at St. Mike’s and beyond. Will you and your classmates accept the challenge to lead the way and support Student Wellness at St. Mike’s?