NCSSM’s class of 1986 gathers for a reunion photo.

The NCSSM spirit continued to reclaim some semblance of normalcy at NCSSM this past weekend as members of the classes of ’86, ’91, ’96, ’01, ’06, ’11, and ’16 returned to the school’s Durham campus for a scaled-back Alumni Reunion Weekend that featured a boxed-lunch event beneath party tents located on the Bryan, Watts and Beall lawns. Class slideshows and the annual Alumni Association meeting were held virtually, while alumni coordinated among themselves a number of informal gatherings at bars and restaurants around town.   Despite the lingering pandemic and a cool, misty rain that fell intermittently throughout the day on Saturday, the reunion was still filled with a familiar laughter as former classmates renewed life-long friendships. When legs got antsy, some opened umbrellas for a walk around the perimeter of campus. Other groups continued to mingle beneath the tents, too caught up in memories and news to break away. Seeded throughout were children and strollers, almost certainly a future Unicorn or two among them.    “The overwhelming emotion I heard from everyone from my classmates and every class from ’86 to ’16 was one of joy and gratitude at being together,” said attendee Chris Paul ’01, immediate past president of the Alumni Association. “These times perhaps remind us how important our community and shared identity are.”   View photos from the day here.