English Department holds fourth annual department reunion

Homecoming weekend at Oakland University offers many activities for all students, faculty and alumni such as Grizz Madnezz, movie showings and alumni reunions. Among the events this year, the English Department held their fourth annual OU Homecoming English Department Reunion on Friday, Oct. 6.

“We started it a couple years ago, and I just realized there weren’t a lot of reunions for alumni, just in general over the majors,” 2015 alumna Becca Reichenbach said. “It’s a good way for them to network, talk to other professors, really just to catch up with fellow alumni.”

All alumni, students or faculty with majors within the English Department were invited to reconnect and celebrate their majors and accomplishments. From a diverse community with degrees in English, creative writing, cinema studies, liberal arts and many more, they all came together for a day to talk among themselves and see the growth of their peers.

“It’s always nice to stay in touch with alumni from school,” 2014 alumna Rachel Mulden said. “Everybody gets caught up in life and this is a way to bring back everybody together. [It’s] helping them stay connected, see what other people are doing with their degrees and to give them ideas about their career fields or changes they want in their lives.”

This event was put on by the OU English Department Alumni Association. This association helps provide a network for fellow alumni to stay connected to OU and the latest news. On their Facebook page, they provide group meetings and beginner tips for any new English majors.

“I think even though you might have the same interest as someone else, you can always learn from them,” Mulden said. “You learn more about your career fields, getting different insights, make future connections—not only on a professional level.”

Reichenbach helped start this event in 2011. Their work in the field of social marketing helped the advertising aspect of planning the event come naturally to them.

“I helped start the first one, so whenever a professor needs help hosting it they come to me, and then Rachel was kind enough to put it online and help that way,” Reichenbach said.

While this is Mulden’s first year attending, she has contributed to the event in the past by helping set up the Facebook page.

“They were looking for someone to help out with their Facebook page and I wanted to help out,” she said. “I wanted to be more connected to alumni and this is the first year I’ve been able to actually come. I’m really excited about that.”