Our story was set in motion during those wonderful college years. It starts long before the term social media was coined and meanders through graduation, relocation, marriages, children, careers, and over 25 years of life. It ends, or rather begins, with LinkedIn and Facebook.
During the early 80’s, as students at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO, my (now) husband joined 17 other men and founded the Zeta Nu chapter of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. Their chapter survived on campus for eight years before college antics forced the hand of their superiors and ultimately closed the chapter.
During that time over 180 men became active members with the love and support of nearly as many wonderful women. It was a surprisingly close-knit group comprised of students from all walks of life. We loved, we laughed, we shared, we studied (well, some of us did), we supported, and we played. In short, we were together during a time in our lives where strong bonds formed friendships that would last a lifetime.
As we each graduated, moved on, started our careers and began the “adult” chapters of our lives, we somehow managed to let life get in the way. Sadly, many of us eventually lost touch.
Fast forward to March 14, 2009. I received a message from my LinkedIn account that read, “So what’s new in the last 25 years?” Blink. Blink. OMG! It was from a friend that I hadn’t seen since my last party as a college student.
That evening, I excitedly told my husband about the LinkedIn connection. Our conversation ignited a curiosity, the result of which would not have been possible without the assistance of social media. Who else might we find on LinkedIn? And what about Facebook?
We began what most would refer to as an intense search, spending every evening and many weekend hours for several months on a mission to find as many old college buddies as possible. We plugged name after name into the Facebook and LinkedIn search fields. If we couldn’t find someone on either platform, we turned to Google and the Internet. We created a database of current contact information and continue to share regular updates with everyone.
It wasn’t long before reconnection conversations turned to talk of a reunion. A planning team was formed and on July 24-26, 2009, we held the first-ever Reunion of the Zeta Nu Chapter of Delta Sigma Phi. Old memories gave way to new and all enjoyed a truly delightful weekend!
In the end, we reconnected with over 150 friends, had almost 100 join our Facebook group and another 25 connect in our LinkedIn group. Today, our renewed relationships are sustained through social media and we continue our search for those not yet found. Tomorrow . . . another reunion, of course!
About the Author: Debbie Kipp is a Production Manager at Paradowski Creative in St. Louis, Missouri by day and a social media nut and amateur genealogist by night. Learn about life on the production side of the advertising/marketing/graphic design community by visiting her blog The Production Side. Or, follow Debbie on Twitter at @DKKipp.
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