When Allegra “Happy” Haynes ’75 arrives on campus for her 50th Reunion this May, it won’t be her first time back to campus. Haynes is what you might call a regular, not just for Reunions, but for a variety of Barnard events. She was actually here only a year ago to celebrate the legacy of the late Sheila Abdus-Salaam ’74, the first African American woman to serve on the New York State Court of Appeals. Before that, she was here “virtually” to be honored with the Distinguished Alumna Award in 2020 at the height of the pandemic.
In fact, she tries to make every Reunion she’s ever been invited to.
“Every five to 10 years I’ll go, because the experience there of what drew us together — I mean, this is my family,” she says. “But particularly after 20 years, when you’ve had a chance to get out in the world and you’re sort of established and to just be able to share that common bond, I mean, there just isn’t anything like that.”
Haynes still remembers her very first night at Barnard. She arrived a day early by mistake and found the campus completely empty. “There was nobody. It was a ghost town,” she says. “The taxi driver dropped me off with my bags and my trunk on the corner of 116th and Broadway. … Luckily, my resident dorm counselor was there that night. ... She took me under her wing, and we have remained good friends ever since.”
Despite the decades that have passed, the memories remain vivid. “It seemed like just yesterday we were there,” she says. “Some of us are in denial, because, you know, we still think we’re young.”
Just as with today’s students, Haynes says her experiences were unique to her time at the College. But, she says, the Barnard education remains a common denominator that spans generations. Similarly, the physical facades of Milbank and Barnard Hall stir feelings no matter one’s class year, she says.
“Some things still remain that bring back really wonderful, powerful memories … and then just to see the advancement and the new buildings,” she says. “It’s just such a difference. I love that students now have dedicated places just to be, to breathe. When I was here, we used every corner just to study.”
One new place “to breathe” is the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being, which will likely stun alumnae walking in past the familiar columns of Barnard Hall. Tours of the center will be available to alumnae.
Also on offer is “Advancing Women’s Healthcare in 2025: Access, Advocacy, and Empowerment,” moderated by Jennifer Perusini ’10, in which Dr. Randi Berkowitz ’90, P’22; and Tania Weiss ’80 will explore the future of women’s healthcare across all stages of life.
Other Reunion highlights include a Barnard Alumnae Book Club and Author Conversation featuring Julia Phillips ’10 and Jodi Savage ’00 discussing their latest works — Bear and The Death of a Jaybird, respectively.
For those on the fence about returning, especially if it’s not a major milestone year, Haynes says don’t waver.
“I really encourage folks to come back, even if it’s for a couple of days. Everyone who does, remembers the Reunion experience,” she says. “As soon as people are together, you know, in the space, they think, ‘Why would we ever miss this?’”
Paying tribute to Zora Neale Hurston on her centennial (2025-2028)