University of Richmond alumni gather for summer fun with fellow Spiders
ALUMNI
The crack of a baseball bat is one of many experiences Spiders are having this summer through the Alumni SummUR series. This summer’s offerings also include museum tours, waterfront activities, and food-focused gatherings.
“Because the events are perhaps more niche, folks can connect with peers who likely share a similar interest in the theme,” said 2018 alum Maggie Apostolov, associate director of regional and young grad engagements. “They have brought out alumni who may not have had a chance to engage with our events before or in a while.”
Spiders interested in the arts are flocking to museum meetups from Palm Beach, Florida, to Princeton, New Jersey. The San Francisco Regional Alumni Group gathered at the Stanford Cantor Arts Center for a docent-led tour of its Rodin collection — the largest body of his work outside of France.
“The Cantor tour is as thorough as you can get in an hour for an artist with Rodin's gravity and culminated in the Gates of Hell outside the Cantor — a heavy topic even in California sunshine,” said Matthew Eley, a 2014 alum. “Art appreciation is hard work, so we enjoyed lunch afterwards. It wasn’t quite D-Hall but a good chance to catch up, swap stories, and make connections.”
SummUR on the Waterfront events include a sunset happy hour in Wilmington, North Carolina, and the upcoming Paddle & Pints in Denver, where participants plan to paddleboard on Georgetown Lake then relax and catch up on the patio of Cabin Creek Brewing.
Dinner parties provide a comfortable atmosphere for foodies to gather and chat. Ara Scordato, a 2013 alum, organized A Taste of Thailand SummUR Dinner Party at the Pink Lotus Thai Kitchen in Atlanta.
“We had a great group of people from classes 1981 to 2025,” Scordato said. “People loved the food and the experience.”
At the Latino Farmers Market in Richmond, alums walked around together as they visited booths, sampled food, and caught up with one another.
“Several attendees shared that they had no idea such a vibrant Latino market existed in the Richmond area and said they planned to return with their families,” said America DeLoach, the market’s founder and a 2011 and 2014 alum of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies. “Seeing those new connections being made — not only among alumni but also between the University community and local entrepreneurs — was especially meaningful to me.”
Will Michalopoulous, a 1985 alum, hosted a cocktail class at the Raines Law Room, a speakeasy-style bar at the William Hotel in Manhattan.
“The class is run by a top-notch mixologist who not only instructed us how to make the drink but explained the history and gave us tips on mixology you could use at home,” Michalopolous said. “The atmosphere of the space and the class made it so easy for the small group to be able to really mingle and get to know each other.”
Sometimes, the events prompt mini-reunions, Apostolov said. “At the museum tour in Central New Jersey, we had three alumnae who were friends from college but currently live in different parts of the country come together and end up spending the entire day at the museum after the event,” she said.
She added that local alumni planners choose activities that people might like to do while on summer vacation. “As with all our events, our goal is to create opportunities for alumni to connect and to bring the University of Richmond experience to people wherever they are.”
Learn more about upcoming events in your area here.