ALUMNI
Coming home Amid a frenzy of unprecedented circumstances, the Alumni Assocation has made the equally unprecedented decision to have Homecoming and Alumni Weekend simultaneously.
F
irst, a tornado. Then, a pandemic. When Paul Genender ‘87 began his two-year term as the Alumni Association president on the first day of July 2019, nothing could have prepared him for the misfortune waiting in front of him. But by adapting to the circumstances placed upon him, Genender has carried through his term, following the many Alumni Association presidents before him. And a year and a half later, as Genender’s term nears its end, Genender and his team have continued striving for success despite all the adversity.
March 11, 2021
The ReMarker
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Now, nearly a full year since students were sent online, the COVID-19 pandemic is still going strong. For Alumni Weekend, Upper School Head Colin Igoe decided that LASER LIGHTS Upper School students dance and celebrate to music accompanied by a postponing it might help to preserve some light show at the 2019 Homecoming party. Now, with worries about health and safety, the administration has decided that events as crowded as this ought to be postponed or cancelled. of its traditional events. “Ideally, for as school year. With a son, Jack Genender, in this year’s many events as we can, we reimagine them, or if Senior Class, Paul Genender hopes that the tradition there are events that aren't on a specific timeline, we will go differently this time around. can postpone them until conditions improve,” Igoe “The Alumni Board president gets to address When a tornado blew through Preston Hollow and said. “A good example is the [All-School] Christmas the seniors right before graduation and officially devastated parts of the campus in October 2019, Party. That was reimagined, where the seniors and welcome them to the Alumni Association, so I didn't many of the Alumni Association’s operations were their buddies were outside, and other people could get to do that last year,” Paul Genender ‘87 Genender said. “That was greatly compromised. Once things were finally livestream the event.” Alumni getting back to normal, the Alumni Association was On account of various injuries to the community, a letdown. I'm hoping very Association hit with a second crisis. Genender thought it would be wise to give the much that I get to do those president “It was kind of the second big whammy because Alumni Association some time to reorganize two things this year in we thought we had recovered from the tornado that themselves. person, given that this is a was in October of 2019,” Genender said. “The school “We knew that there were a lot of people in the particularly special Senior obviously reopened quickly after that and events got St. Mark's community who were really hurt, whether Class for me.” back to normal and all that, but then, when COVID medically or economically, by the pandemic,” Although Genender found some benefits as a happened, everything went remote.” Genender said. “So it was just a confluence of things, result of a shift to virtual meetings, he missed out and we had to recalibrate a lot of our efforts.” on a part he used to enjoy with the members of his The postponement of Alumni Weekend team. DINING IN A large crowd of alumni packed into the Great Hall eat together at the 2019 Alumni Weekend. The inability to to the fall placed it on the same weekend as “The meetings are great, but it's the 15 minutes hold events like these has caused the administration to delay Homecoming. Igoe thinks this occurrence, before and the 15 minutes after when we're all kind rather than cancel Alumni Weekend. though unconventional, could be a uniquely of hanging out where the camaraderie is great,” cheerful event. Genender said. “It will probably just make a more joyful, Adapting to the circumstances has been a major proud event for our community,” Igoe said. part of Genender and his team’s success, something “It’d be fun to think about having alumni back, that they were quickly forced to get used to. going through our usual rituals and traditions of “We focused on what's going on around, the that weekend but having all the more passion, positives at the school and not the fact that it's excitement and school pride.” virtual,” Genender said. “We're all shifting in so One of the biggest events of Alumni many different ways; this is just another one of them, Weekend is the Spring Alumni Dinner, where and we all roll with it.” award-winners from the year are announced. Though the Alumni Association and the school “We've got a whole closet full of awards have repeatedly faced difficult circumstances, we’ve got to give out,” Genender said. “We Genender chooses to do whatever he can to help the announced the award winners last year, but community make it out on top. we didn't get to give them out, and we have “You have a choice,” Genender said. “You can decided the award winners for this year, but make the best of it, or you can complain about it. As those will be given out in the fall as well.” an Alumni Association, we've chosen to make the Among with many other moments such best of it.” as speaker events, Alumni Board meetings, committee meetings, the Day of Service and STORY Will Pechersky, Will Spencer Holiday Luncheon, Genender missed out on yet PHOTOS Ekansh Tambe, Courtesy Dave Carden another meaningful tradition at the end of last GRAPHIC Will Spencer
Old
Homecoming Week Begins
Mum Pick-Up
Football Game and Spirit Party
Homecoming Party at Venue
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Saturday
Alumni Weekend Begins; Alumni Golf Tournament
Alumni Classes on Campus and Alumni Dinner
Family Cookout and Class Reunion Parties
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Homecoming Football Game
Homecoming Party at Venue
Friday
Saturday
Alumni Weekend Begins; Alumni Golf Tournament
Alumni Classes on Campus and Class Reunion Parties
Family Cookout and Alumni Dinner
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
From Oct. 26:
Themed Homecoming Days Monday-Friday
From April 19:
Monday
New
As of March 4
Jeffrey S. Genecov, ‘77, DDS, MSD
Diplomate, American Board of Orthodonotics Member, AmericanAssociation of Orthodontists
Homecoming Week Begins
From Oct. 18:
Monday
Now in Preston Hollow for your convenience! 11611 Preston Road #106 5926 W. Parker Road #300 5410 Alpha Road Dallas, Tx 75230 Plano, Tx. 75093 Dallas, Tx. 75240
972-387-9770 genecovorthodontics.com
Themed Homecoming Days Monday-Friday
