Lab Milestone Reunions


CLASS OF 1964
60th Reunion
CLASS OF 1969
55th Reunion
CLASS OF 1974
50th Reunion
CLASS OF 1979
45th Reunion
CLASS OF 1984
40th Reunion
CLASS OF 1989
35th Reunion
CLASS OF 1994
30th Reunion
CLASS OF 1999
25th Reunion
CLASS OF 2004
20th Reunion
CLASS OF 2009
15th Reunion
CLASS OF 2014
10th Reunion
CLASS OF 2019
5th Reunion

 


Lab Alumni Weekend 2024
Schedule of Activities

 

Friday, May 17 


Lab Alumni Awards and Longtime Faculty and Staff Reception 
5:30–6:30 p.m.
Gordon Parks Arts Hall Lobby
Kick off Alumni Weekend with alumni, parents, students, staff, teachers, and friends for a special “back to Lab” reception. Meet this year’s Alumni Awards winners and reconnect with some of your favorite faculty and staff from when you were a student. 


Lab Alumni Awards Ceremony
6:30–7:30 p.m.
Griffin Auditorium
Honor this year’s alumni awards recipients, and hear from the Lab Alumni Association Executive Board (made up of alumni from 1945 to 2020) and Lab leadership.
Distinguished Alumna Award: María Hinojosa ’79
Distinguished Alumnus Award: Ralph H. Hruban ’77, AB’81
Rising Star Award: Zachary Z. Kleiman ’06
Alumni Service Award: Miguel de la Cerna ’78
Learn more about our winners. 
 

Saturday, May 18


Earl Shapiro Hall 10th Anniversary Celebration
11 a.m.–Noon
Earl Shapiro Hall
Named for our 1956 alumnus, Earl Shapiro Hall is the facility where the Lab’s nursery school through second-grade classes occur, inspired by John Dewey’s work in progressive education. Join for refreshments and tours led by current Lab parents. 


Registration
1–6 p.m.
Gordon Parks Entrance and Lobby
Pick up your name tag, weekend event schedule, and other helpful information. Staff will be available to help answer questions.


Coffee and Conversations
1–2 p.m.
Gordon Parks Hall Lobby 
Reconnect with classmates and enjoy coffee, tea, and pastries along with student performances. 


Celebrating 50 Years on the Stage
1:30–2:30 p.m.
Gordon Parks Arts Hall
Program—Griffin Auditorium
Gallery viewing (after program)—Corvus Gallery
Reflect on the last 50 years of theater at Lab and acknowledge Liucija and Allen Ambrosini in their last year teaching at Lab. 


Lab Historic Campus Tours
2–4:30 p.m.
Gordon Parks Arts Hall, Judd Hall, Blaine Hall, Belfield Towers, and U-High
Join us for a guided tour of the interior and exterior of the historic campus. The tour departs from Gordon Parks Arts Hall lobby and includes Gordon Parks Arts Hall, Judd Hall, Blaine Hall, Belfield Towers, and U-High. Tours will be led by Maroon Key Society student ambassadors. Tours will take place on a rolling basis and last approximately 20 minutes. 


Catalyst: The Story of Duro Wicks ’85 and Chicago Hip-Hop 
2:30–4 p.m.
Gordon Parks Arts Hall, Griffin Auditorium
Join us for a screening of Catalyst, an independent documentary film about how Duro “Shame Love Tempo” Wicks ’85 fell in love with hip-hop and helped give it a home on the Chicago music scene of the early 1990s. The film examines why hip-hop blew up so much later in Chicago than in other cities, how a tiny 100 watt college station became Chicago’s hip-hop radio powerhouse, why it was so difficult for a young Black entrepreneur to get a party started, and how the era’s social, political, and economic conditions ultimately made Duro’s dream unsustainable, even though it was more successful than anyone ever imagined it could be. The screening will be followed by a talkback with the film’s director, Dave Steck’84. 


True North: Science, Streets, and Skating Rinks of Optimism
Viewing and conversation with Jane Barrash ’74 
4–5:30 p.m.
Gordon Parks Arts Hall, Griffin Auditorium
Join us for a screening of True North. Over the course of eight years, the film follows the Minneapolis North High School Polars from being ranked worst in the city to becoming the state champions (and from a 35 to a 95 percent graduation rate) and beyond. From basketball courts to skating rinks and from classrooms to family rooms, True North is a film about overcoming odds, building bridges, and making quantum leaps of change. The screening will be followed by a Q and A with director Jane Barrash’74, executive director, Continuum Center. View a preview. 


Gabriel’s Back Pages with Carmen Elena Mitchell ’89 
4–5 p.m.
U-High C-119
After being diagnosed with schizophrenia, filmmaker Gabriel Mitchell joined forces with his sister, Carmen, to make a documentary about mental illness. When Gabe died by suicide, Carmen attempted to understand his illness and his death by resurrecting and reimagining his creative work. Attendees will see the trailer of Gabriel’s Back Pages and hear from director Carmen Elena Mitchell ’89 about her journey to tell her brother’s story.


Sunny and Kovler Gyms Open House 
4–5 p.m. 
Sunny and Kovler Gyms
Stop by and reminisce about your time as a student-athlete or in physical education classes. Maroon Key Society student ambassadors will be available to answer your questions. 


Lab All-Alumni Reception 
5–6 p.m.
Gordon Parks Arts Hall Lobby
Kick off the evening with alumni and friends for a special “back to school” reception.  


Lab Milestone Class Reunion Photos
6–6:30 p.m.
Gordon Parks Arts Hall Auditorium
Classes will be directed to their group photo in the auditorium. All alumni celebrating a milestone reunion should arrive promptly by 6:00 p.m. and sit in their designated class sections. 


Lab Milestone Class Reunion Dinners
6:30–9 p.m.
$65 per person / $25 per person for Class of 2014 and Class of 2019
Class years ending in 4 and 9 celebrate milestone reunions this year. Milestone classes in attendance: 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019.