Brenau University holds annual May Day celebration

GAINESVILLE - The weekend arrived with bad weather, but it was all sunshine at Brenau University's annual May Day celebration on Saturday.

May Day, a 100-year-old tradition for Brenau, is the largest alumni reunion the university hosts.

Though held at the beginning of May in earlier years, the event is now held in April because of conflicts with earlier graduation dates the university now practices.

The significance and tradition that May Day holds was explained perfectly by Ed Schrader, president of Brenau University.

"May Day holds traditions that bind our alumni to the college," he said. "It brings the whole school into focus."

Schrader emphasized the strong need for single-gender education that still exists, noting that the number of women's colleges in the U.S. have dropped from 350 to little over 50 in the past few decades.

"A lot of [women's colleges] don't have traditions that stretch back this far," Schrader said. "This is a way that we as an institution can support women's colleges."

May Day activities began at 11:00 a.m. with tours of the campus given by current students.

The celebration continued in Yonah Hall at the Champagne Brunch half an hour later with a menu ranging from Southern comfort foods to pastry desserts decorated with perfection.

It was here that Ferdie Johnston, a 1961 Brenau graduate, was able to spend time with her fellow Golden Girls, the title given every year to the class of women who are celebrating their 50-year class reunion.

Though she could not deny the "warm, fuzzy feeling" May Day evoked for her, it was hard for Johnston to put her feelings for the school into words.

"Brenau was such a special place; those were four of the best years of my life," she said. "It was responsible for part of who I am today."

The sense of tradition and connectedness was evident as women, both young and old, reminisced together over their years at Brenau and the meaning it held for them.

After brunch came the highlight of the May Day celebration with dancing around the Maypole on the front lawn in front of Pearce Auditorium.

It is during this time of celebration each year that the May Court is presented with women representing each class. A May Queen is then selected, a tradition that marked its 85th year on Saturday.

There were events that lasted until late into the evening, from sorority open houses to the Brenau student fashion show to the university's Collaborative Opening Reception, which featured art exhibits from women's college seniors.

The day also signified a big year for both the ZTA and Phi Mu chapters, as they were both celebrating their 100th year on campus.

Though the day was full of reminiscing with old friends as well as making new ones, the women all knew that it was about staying true to tradition.

ShaRhonda Kimbrough, a 2001 graduate, discussed with her fellow graduates the community she became a part of at Brenau.

"It's close-knit, like a family," she said. "It's like you never left, it's still the same."

Though one day may not have seemed long enough for the Brenau University alumni to reconnect with their fellow classmates, they can rest assured that it won't be long before another year has passed and another May Day has arrived.