When 854 College grads and their guests returned to the Quads to celebrate their quinquennial reunions in June, each class marked the occasion in singular style.

The party's over. The classes, too. The giant white tents have diappeared from the main quadrangle. And the reunion evaluations are coming in. Although asked to grade logistics and programming, transportation and services, alumni really rate a reunion's success by friendships renewed or begun, by new ideas gained in returning to their old world. And, just a bit, on the weather.

By all these measures, Reunion 2000 generally scored high, starting with the weather. Friday was sunny and cool - good news for the 50 alumni from the Classes of 1985, '90, and '95, who watched the Cubs play the Detroit Tigers at Wrigley. Saturday offered blue skies, sunshine, and breezes. Gray skies on Sunday cr4eated perfect conditions for 70 participants in a special "Chicago Looks at the Millennium" symposium, in which alumni and faculty looked at the future (of the media, the city, world politics, and human genetics) in light of the past.

On Saturday, alumni had a chance ot breakfast with faculty and to attend one of six Uncommon Core offerings on topics from "The Politics of Gender after Socialism" to "Biological Fluid Mechanics (with Cheap Party Tricks)."

Class activities included "The Hutchins College is Alive and Well and Living in Waukegan." Designed for the Classes of '45, '50, '55, and '60, it focused on Shimer College, where the core remains much as Hutchins knew it. Discussion was also hot and heavy at the Kuviasungnerk vs. the Lascivious Costume Ball Debate, as the Class of '85, defending the LCB, bested the Class of '90, arguing for good, cold fun.