Temple University’s Homecoming Weekend offers an alternative to the traditional college reunion. Affinity group reunions enable alumni to reunite with others who share the memories of their most treasured moments.

“Talking about the past, present and future with old friends, that’s what a reunion is all about,” said Betsy Leebron Tutelman, professor and former chair of the Department of Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Mass Media in Temple’s School of Communications and Theater.

Leebron has been instrumental in organizing this year’s 20th reunion for "Temple Update," a class she started in 1988 with Richard Beardsley, the school’s

television studio operations coordinator. Alumni of "Temple Update" are working across the United States, from Anchorage to Cincinnati to Nashville. Beardsley said, “The effort that goes into producing a weekly half-hour program makes this class unique.”

According to Leebron, students’ abilities are tested in some high-pressure situations in the hands-on class, which emulates a real-life experience, live-on-tape. “The students have interviewed government officials, presidential candidates, top athletes and entertainers, this is a glimpse into professional life in the broadcast business,” she said.

The "Temple Update" reunion will be held during Homecoming Weekend, Sept. 26-28. In addition, the Temple University Black Alumni Alliance (TUBAA) will hold an economic development symposium.

According to Marena Ariffin, assistant director of alumni relations, “Students form lasting bonds with others who participate alongside them in activities — whether in a special class, a club, or on a sports team. Affinity-based alumni reunions allow us to draw on those rich experiences and help alumni connect in more meaningful ways.”

In 2006, the Temple University Alumni Association (TUAA) established a regional club system that extends from coast to coast and two recognized affinity clubs, the TUBAA and the Temple University Young Alumni (TUYA). Today, all of these clubs are thriving.

In 2007, TUAA added the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Alumni (LGBTA) group to its list of affinity clubs. That year, Temple’s LGBTA was one of four shared-interest groups to host a reunion as part of Homecoming Weekend. TUBAA also gathered for a separate reunion event, as did WRTI alumni and Temple Student Government alumni.

Responses to the shared interest Homecoming events have been positive. “We find that alumni are interested in finding ways to remain connected to peers, classmates and friends. By building a community of alumni with shared experiences, these reunion events enable them to do just that,” Ariffin said.

For more information on Temple’s affinity groups and Homecoming Weekend events, visit www.myowlspace.com or call the Alumni Center at 215-204-7521.