Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/93284
Joey Bartolomeo '91 (top row, third from left) with her classmates. Tom Burrows '53, Peter Burrows '56 and Bud Lovett students were more curious, more eager to learn, more open to ideas than all but a very few I taught elsewhere." Returning so many years later and seeing that his students remember him as someone who made a difference in their lives was a somewhat unexpected part of the weekend. "I haven't cried in lots of years, but I almost did cry when my former students, many I hadn't seen in 55 years, said that I had made a difference in their lives," Lovett said. "They came to the reunion party to tell me that, and I was genuinely moved." To Joey Bartolomeo '91, her upcoming 20th "As a lifer, Latin spirit has been a big part of my life, and now I get to teach the younger kids about it." – Erich Finch '14 Erich Finch '14, AKA the Roman Mascot, (along with the two other students who play the part) is a very busy man during the week leading up to Homecoming & Reunion. This year, his duties included greeting lower schoolers before their annual spirit assembly and leading the upper school pep rally. Celebrating spirit week and helping fellow students get excited about Homecoming Weekend is a way to show his love for the school. "It's a great job, especially at a time like Erich Finch '14 rousing the crowds. Homecoming," said Erich who felt honored to be asked by the Athletics Department to become the mascot. "As a lifer, Latin spirit has been a big part of my life, and now I get to teach the younger kids about it." For Bud Lovett, English teacher (and later upper school principal) at Latin from 1948 to 1957, an invitation from the Class of 1956 and the Golden Romans to return as a guest for their 55th reunion celebration brought back memories of one of the most enriching times in his long career as an educator. "The experience of teaching at Latin was a great gift to my career and still inspires me when I teach today," Lovett said. "In all my subsequent teaching on both the secondary and college levels, I found that my Latin reunion was something to look forward to – an opportunity to reconnect with beloved friends and faculty. However, when the Alumni Office contacted her about helping to organize her class' milestone event, she knew it would be no small task. "It was our mission to make people feel included in the reunion planning so even those people who hadn't stayed in touch would know that we really wanted them to be there," said Bartolomeo. Through Facebook, by reaching out to as many alums as possible and encouraging them to contact others, the reunion committee successfully organized the largest reunion gathering for her class ever. "What was so nice is that something brought us together and made us feel closer," said Bartolomeo. "I'm not sure if it's due to maturity or just realizing that we have a common history and a connection because we went to the same place every day for so many years." Varsity soccer 28 Latin Magazine