Could $1 Million Dollars Help Us Live Yale Better Together as the Class of ‘98?
By Reggie Solomon, ES’98
Okay, so I can’t personally write a million dollar check (or least one that wouldn’t bounce), but I pose this question as a thought experiment to find out what you would be interested in creating together as a Class over the next five years if money were no object.
As a 10th-year Reunion Chair, I confess – Reunion Weekend isn’t the most important goal of the Reunion Committee.
We’re more excited about using the Reunion as an opportunity to help you reconnect with 98ers you know and build relationships with 98ers you don’t know in meaningful ways that extend beyond five-year reunions to the larger time pocket in between.
Yale is more than just a place; it’s an idea and state of mind we carry with us beyond our short time on campus. This along with the experiences we shared together from 1994 to 1998 is what makes us a class. Yet what about today? 2008?
How do we “live” Yale as a class, when we’re not “at” Yale as a class?”
I think we live it with each other. We live Yale when we carry forward what began here. We live Yale when we continue to learn from and support each other and give back to the Yale community that gave to us.
What do you think? What ideas do you have for helping us live Yale better together as a Class?
I took a few moments to brainstorm without hesitation (hope you will too); here are few ideas I had:
- Create an Annual Y-98 Business Plan Competition to fund the startup and venture plans of 98ers.
This idea is modeled after the Yale Entrepreneurial Society’s Y50K annual venture competition where student teams write business plans and compete for $50,000 in startup awards. The awards help students launch startups in the for-profit and non-profit arenas.
Imagine if individuals or teams of 98ers were able to procure seed funding for a startup or new venture from the Class itself and were able to tap the expertise that we all as members of the Class carry. The long-term impact of being able to help each other grow our dreams could be tremendous!
- Create a Y98 Fellowship to bring in notable figures to speak on issues specifically of interest to and selected by Y98ers on both coasts (and Chicago).
Think Chubb-Fellowship! What if we were able to bring in periodically (possibly two or three times a year) notable figures to speak on issues of direct interest to you? The basic idea would be to hear from a speaker over dinner or lunch in intimate Mellon-Forum style.
The topics and suggestions for speakers would be chosen by you and could include notables as well as speakers who address real-life topics facing us such as, “How do you quit your successful job of seven years at 32 and jump head-first into [insert industry here] about which you know nothing?” The basic goal would be to create a speaker series around the life-point specific interests of 98ers.
- Increase Reunion Participation by finding a way to significantly lower or eliminate reunion dues.
Nothing in life is free, including Reunions, but what if they were? Would you be more likely to come to a Reunion if it were free? If economics is any guide, eliminating Reunion dues (or possibly asking individuals to choose their own reunion free dues amount à la Priceline) would increase reunion participation. We know airplane, lodging, and travel costs can make the cost of attending expensive, particularly if you’re bringing a guest.
I’m certainly not proposing that Yale wave a magic wand and make Reunions free – that’d be crazy since Reunions cost real money, but if there were ways to cover the expense of Reunions outside the traditional dues paradigm it might be worth exploring to realize the potential benefits of increased Class participation.
- Host an Annual Mini-Reunion Weekend between reunion years and regular City and Regional Events.
Why wait until 2013? Why not choose one weekend a year to gather in a different location to regularly share experiences with other 98ers? For example, we could organize a camping trip in the Appalachians, volunteer to build a Habitat House, enjoy a March weekend in Puerto Rico with 98ers Miguel Melendez and Carlos Reyes, host a Y98 Day at Disney World, or even organize a weekend in Napa or Sonoma for wine-tasting. The sky really is the limit here. Of course, we couldn’t pick up the tab for your trip, but we might be able to help out with covering expenses for some of the events during the weekend’s course.
Ok, hosting regular regional events isn’t a new idea, and we do it well now, but what if we were able to turn it up a notch and partially fund/sponsor some of these events? For example, what if we organized a chocolate tour of New York chocolatiers, hosted a wine or beer or tasting, organized cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs (David Lieberman and Ming Tsai are Yalies) or took an evening to discuss a social issue and see what other 98ers are doing in those arenas?
What are your thoughts on the above and other ways we could live Yale better together as a Class?
The million dollar question was really aimed at providing a framework to dream big for the Class and for each other. I realize there are many things we could do together as class that are not dependent on money, but I wanted to afford each of us the ultimate conceptual space to dream anew and without constraint.
If you feel excited about what we could begin together during the Reunion and create together over the next five years, please let us know and share your ideas. Yes, even if they are pie-in-the-sky (one never knows what could happen).
Let us know what you think by leaving a comment here.
November 14th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Reggie - thanks for the thoughtful post. Mini-reunions would be great! The class of ‘99 held one last year in NYC, but no reason that they shouldn’t be more frequent and in more cities.
Lowering dues would certainly help boost attendance. For many Yalies ~$200/person isn’t a problem, but for others it sure is.
I would love to see more cross-class cooperation - friendships aren’t usually limited to just one graduating class.
David Fischer (’99)
November 14th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
I’d vote for more class events between reunions. Yale is a wonderful place in part because of the opportunities (e.g., Chubb) and resources (e.g., Y50K) that it offers its students, but what makes the experience so rewarding are the people you meet and the life-long (I hope) connections you make. Right now, my class jumps at any opportunity to get together, like The Game, and I’m sure we would appreciate having a few more events on the schedule that allow us to reunite, catch up, and share ideas. Those events might even allow for the sort of idea exchange or team building that you envision arising from the speaker series or the Y98 competition, though the mini-reunions differ in that they would actively involve a greater percentage of the class.
November 14th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
I am not ‘98 but Reggie asked me to take a look and give another perspective. My high school senior class created a permanent Outstanding Teacher award, which became a source of pride for my class, and I think creating something with legacy from a specific Yale class is a great idea (e.g. the fellowship idea above).
However, it doesn’t really achieve the goal of a more continuous, active connection to Yale. I live in Silicon Valley and Yale feels really far away. I wish there was a more active community of young(ish) Yalies who organize activities and social events.
The idea about reducing reunion dues also deserves a look. Passing a hat could generate higher revenues, since after paying all the money to come to the reunion, you sort of feel like you “already paid your dues”.
Michael Levinson BR’00
November 20th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Of the ideas that Reggie has suggested, I like the idea of a ‘98 Business Plan Competition the best.
I’d actually tweak the idea so that startup companies needing additional capital could also apply for funds.
The competition could take place mainly online with applicants submitting essays or videos about their plans/startups. Anyone in the class could log on to comment on the applicants and vote for their favorites. We could then track the progress of the winners from year-to-year. Successful companies could even be required (or encouraged) to endow future awards.
December 9th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Good points, everyone. And hello, Aaron Dalton! I’ve been pretty bad over the last few months about staying in touch, but it’s great to see your name here and to read your opinion.
I agree with Aaron about the online competition. Do people think that this is something we can begin with the upcoming Reunion?
Ty
January 6th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I’ll offer a Yale ‘05 perspective.
My two favorite ideas are the business plan and mini reunions idea. Regarding Yale reunions as they are now, there is no chance to see friends from other classes of course. A mini-reunion that facilitated inter-class participation (maybe organized along college lines) would be a great way to catch up with friends from other classes.
I suppose the Yale-Harvard game tailgates somewhat serve this purpose, but maybe we could also encourage all college masters to hold reunions at the colleges after home Y-H games (Pierson does this, for example).
Marlon, BR 2005