Hillsdale College Welcomes Alumni to Campus for First “White & Blue Weekend”
Over 200 Hillsdale College graduates attended the activity-filled celebration
Hillsdale, Mich. — Hillsdale College invited alumni and their families to campus for its first “White & Blue Alumni Weekend” from May 20-23. More than 200 alumni attended the weekend of activities, which included back-to-school classes, a carnival, a worship service in Christ Chapel, a tour of the Halter Shooting Sports Center, two live music events, and an alumni awards banquet, among other events.
“We had such a great time welcoming our alumni back to campus for the first-ever ‘White & Blue Weekend,’” said Colleen McGinness, ’04, executive director of alumni relations at Hillsdale College. “We also enjoyed meeting so many alumni spouses and their children. It truly was a family affair with something for everyone. Most of all, it was a time to reconnect with the spirit and purposes of Hillsdale College.”
The weekend began at Hayden Park with a night of yard games, bonfire, and fellowship. Friday included various activities from 9 a.m. to midnight, closing with live music from the band “Your Generation” at an outdoor tent party. Saturday’s activities included shooting at the Halter Range and an evening Alumni Awards Banquet. Guests who brought children ages 7-18 could register them for a sleepover and activities at Camp Michindoh.
Alumni of all graduating classes attended the event. Some traveled long distances to come back to campus, and others remained nearby in the local Hillsdale community after graduation.
“It was well-planned for fun for the whole family. The kid activities were awesome. My kids enjoyed the giant bounce houses and staying at Camp Michindoh,” said Jaminda Springer, ’95. “I loved taking classes with the professors who I remember from my college days, especially economics with Dr. Gary Wolfram.”
Springer and her husband, Bryan, ’94, attended as many as events as possible and particularly enjoyed the back-to-school classes.
The 69th alumni awards banquet, an event that usually takes place during homecoming each September, honored the following four alumni:
- Dale Allen, ’81, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement in Business/Marketing. Allen is a former Global Sports Marketing Director for the Jordan Brand of Nike, a position he held for 13 years. He joined Nike in 1995 and was eventually promoted to the Nike Sports Marketing division as Pro Basketball Manager. At Hillsdale College, Dale majored in business administration and accounting.
- Brent Ogle, ’02, of Camden, MI, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business/Management. He graduated from Hillsdale College with a degree in marketing/management and started his business career with Welch Packaging and was eventually promoted to general manager of two locations: Welch Packaging Cleveland and Welch Packaging Chicago. Ogle purchased Blazer Manufacturing in 2015, a company that specializes in athletic equipment and fuel storage solutions, and recently purchased the Midwest Industrial Tanks company.
- Kevin Meyers, ’09, received the Young Alumnus Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement in Entrepreneurship. He is co-founder and CEO of the boutique children’s product line Lucy Darling. Meyers triple-majored in history, German, and education at Hillsdale College. Lucy Darling’s products can be found in over 1,000 stores across the country, and they sell and ship globally. Three of the top-10 best-selling baby albums on Amazon are Lucy Darling products.
- Marianne Rotole, ’95, received the Tower Award for Outstanding Service to Hillsdale College. Rotole is the senior vice president at Octagon Marketing, a global leader in sports and entertainment. She majored in English at Hillsdale College and has been a member of the Alumni Association Board since 2013, serving two years each as its Career Services Committee chairperson, vice president, and president. She has mentored many Hillsdale College students and recent graduates in plotting their career paths and regularly serves as a speaker on campus and at college events across the country.
Find photos and videos from the “White & Blue Weekend” here.