Many memories were shared Saturday among more than 35 women who were members of the original Green Jackets, together with eight current members. Green Jackets who spanned four decades gathered in the Alumni Center for the second all-decades Homecoming reunion of the spirit and service organization. The event included lunch and sharing of stories and memorabilia.
Members introduced themselves, recounting stories of service and friendships made. Joan Walker ('75) and Cindy Asbury Sanchez ('76) sat hand-in-hand during the reunion, tearfully telling about their reconnection this year through Facebook.
“I've been trying to find Joannie for 35 years,” Sanchez said.
And Sue Gay Vantrease ('59, '64 M.S.), whose mother, aunt and sister also were Green Jackets, sat with her granddaughter, Heather Perryman, a current freshman who hopes to follow in her family's footsteps.
“Being a Green Jacket is a legacy for our family,” Vantrease said.
The Green Jackets were founded in 1925 to volunteer their services around campus, ranging from directing students through long lines at registration to assisting at campus blood drives, freshman orientation and Homecoming.
The group disbanded at the end of the 1970s, but the Division of Student Development brought the organization back in 2005. Ten outstanding students — male and female — are selected each year to assist the vice president for student development at university events and serve as guides for notable visitors to campus.
After posing for a group picture, a few of the current members looked through decades of Yucca annuals with some of the original members.
“There's something timeless and very special about being an ambassador for the campus,” senior D'Erika Flowers said.
