Article By: Staff
The University of North Georgia (UNG) Alumni Association welcomed home hundreds of alumni and their families for Alumni Weekend 2018, and hundreds shared memories that elicited laughs, hugs, smiles and a few tears – all tinged with pride of their alma mater.
"I want to see lives saved. I want to see hope renewed and I want to see resilience being restored. That's the thing that I learned here at North Georgia and that's the thing I take with me every day wherever I'm at," Chaplain Kenneth Moon, '86, said at the alumni awards luncheon. "It is an incredible honor to be able to say that I'm a graduate of North Georgia and it is an incredible honor to receive this award."
The Corps of Cadets was featured in a number of Alumni Weekend events, including the 35th Annual Memorial Retreat, which pays tribute to all UNG alumni of the armed forces who gave their live in service of their country, as well as faculty, staff, students and friends who passed away since the prior ceremony. This year, another name was added to the armed forces memorial: 1st Lt. Weston C. Lee, a 2014 graduate of UNG who was killed in Iraq in late April 2017, only days after last year's Memorial Retreat.
"To be sure, living up to your North Georgia heritage, living up to the legacy, is a challenge," said Lt. Col. (promotable) Jason Williams, '98, guest speaker for the event. "It is something that even now, 20 years later, drives me every single day. Thousands of graduates who stood in that formation, some of whose names are now on this wall, and the soldiers who you will prepare and lead in combat deserve nothing less."
The Corps of Cadets also held their annual awards review on Sunday to recognize the accomplishments of cadets and featuring guest speaker Brig. Gen. Ronald T. Stephens.
This year's Alumni Weekend also included a concert by Radford Windham, a 2000 UNG alumnus, and his band Step Back Cadillac on Saturday night. Among the alumni enjoying the event were members of the classes of 1978, 1988 and 1998. The class of 1958 also held their 60th year reunion on Friday night.
One of the many events held over the weekend was the UNG Alumni Association Awards Luncheon. The following were recognized for outstanding leadership, service and excellence in their roles serving or attending the university:
Also held this year was the Astronomy Symposium in Rogers Hall, a daylong event to showcase projects by UNG astronomy students including artwork, theatrical works, observational astronomy projects and more.
Other events included the Nighthawks Athletic Club Annual Golf Tournament, the traditional start to the weekend, and other sports events including two baseball games and an alumni soccer games.
As part of Alumni Weekend UNG Recall, a "virtual" reunion, allowed alumni and friends of the university who could not attend the events to view photos and live streaming of several events.