Renewing Connections

As a Northwestern cheerleader in the 1980s, Joan Wicks ’84 and her teammates formed close bonds as they depended on one another during stunts.  

“You’re not likely to do a midair flip unless you’re absolutely certain that someone is going to be there to catch you,” she says. “The need to rely on each other created deep trust and respect among the team and gave us a connection to Northwestern that was very meaningful. We were a family.” 

When Wicks, who lives in Los Angeles, learned Northwestern would play a football game at the University of Southern California in November 2025, she began planning a reunion for former team members and their coach, Jalinda Davis. With limited or no contact information for her teammates, she turned to the Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA) for help. 

The NAA often assists Northwestern groups interested in planning a meetup, event or reunion. From alumni outreach to logistical and communications support, the NAA helps alumni build on the social experiences they had as students by facilitating opportunities to reconnect. 

The NAA invites Northwestern groups to plan gatherings during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2026, Oct. 9–11, when thousands of alumni will return to the Evanston campus. The alumni association also helps groups throughout the year. In February, the NAA supported a milestone event by connecting Northwestern’s Society of Women Engineers with prominent alumnae for their 50th anniversary symposium. The NAA is also working on plans for the 55th anniversary celebration of the Northwestern Community Ensemble, the University’s gospel choir, and the centennial of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC). 

For Wicks, the NAA helped her, Ben Buettell ’84, ’88 MBA and other planning committee members connect with former teammates, find lodging and stay informed about Northwestern events. About two dozen alumni gathered for a weekend that included a choreographed dance in Los Angeles’ Pershing Square, a special dinner with Coach Davis, and the opportunity to meet current Spirit Squad members at the N Zone Pep Rally before the football game. Wicks and her teammates even grabbed purple pom-poms and chanted some of their favorite cheers, including “Go, ’Cats, Go!” 

“It was like we got to be on the squad again,” she says. “That brought incredible joy to everyone.” 

Wicks was grateful to the NAA for guiding her through the planning process and giving her confidence to move forward. “It meant a lot to know the University encouraged us to proceed — and that if I had any questions, I could just pick up the phone,” she says. 

“You don’t have to wait every five years to reconnect with the people who were part of your campus group,” adds Wicks, who is already thinking about organizing another reunion after the new Ryan Field opens this fall. “You can get together whenever you want because help from the NAA is there.” 

Email reunions@northwestern.edu to plan your Northwestern group reunion.