University of Iowa School of Dentistry
L-R, Past PFA President Larry Barrett, Editor Jim Brophy, V.P. Steve Hedlund, Section Chair Frederick Fuller
Iowa Campus
Final Play
Larry Barrett and Coach Jordan LaVall
Foundation V.P. Larry Barrett receives scholarship check for Iowa
The University of Iowa PFA Homecoming
26-27 October 2007, Iowa City, Iowa
Every autumn, about the first of November, the University of Iowa School of Dentistry schedules its grand dental alumni homecoming on a weekend of Friday and Saturday. These days are absolutely filled with various activities to attract all interests in attending.
Friday morning opens early with a continuing education program that runs for both days. These programs not only update the dentist on what is current in their profession as far as education, technology, and instrumentation, but it also defines the role that the University of Iowa dental school has in all that.
Friday afternoon is filled with alumni activities to renew acquaintenances and with luncheon gatherings of such organizations as the Pierre Fauchard Academy. University of Iowa School of Dentistry
The evening hosts an alumni reception followed by a grand banquet in which the Dean discusses the status of the dental school; the alumni organization relates their part in helping the dental school; and the various graduation years that are honored at the banquet present their endeavors on behalf of the school to the many hundreds attending.
Saturday morning hosts more continuing education courses followed by a scrumptious meal and beverages in a tent outside the dental school entrance among the many Iowa Hawkeye tail-gaters with their tents erected throughout the campus. Their flags are fluttering as the smoke from their stoves waif delicious smells through the schoolyard. All are awaiting the afternoon kickoff of their college football team, the Iowa Hawkeyes, at Kinnick Stadium, a short walk across campus through the many cars, trailers, tents, and cooking stoves. The campus, for a few hours becomes the enchanted land of an olde English Faire.
Entering the stadium and visiting its shops one can feel the excitement of the weekend starting to wind to its climax with the football game. This year was particularly exciting as the game went into double overtime with the Hawkeyes beating the Michigan State Spartans on the final play.
While this scenario may mirror many such other alumni homecoming events across the land, it is always popular because it always is exciting. Thus our PFA Iowa Section uses this event to call its Fellows into a gathering of friends to renew their friendship and swap stories, hold a brief business session, feast on a delicious luncheon, enjoy a topical speaker, and plan their programs. This year our able past PFA President Larry Barrett enlisted the speaking services of Iowa's newly appointed Assistant Basketball Coach Jordan LaVall, recently recruited from Butler University. The new Iowa Basketball Coach Todd Lickliter and his new staff are preparing for their first season at Iowa, so this topic was of great interest to those attending the luncheon.
However, this happening is also a perfect example of how simply most PFA Sections can organize such an event for their own Sections. The University will be holding Homecoming anyway. To interest their alumni to attend, a myriad of activities are held to encourage such attendance, even hotel discounts. The University staff or dental alumni organization undoubtedly would help a Section organize such. The luncheon could be held at a local restaurant, perhaps even on campus. The PFA meeting is an opportunity for Fellows to get together, have a meal, and be informed of what PFA is doing locally and internationally. The PFA Section Awards can be distributed. The PFA Foundation Scholarship winners can be introduced, officers elected, and a speaker of interest can be featured.
In the case of the Iowa Section, non-alumnus Editor Brophy presented his Foundation Iowa Memorial Scholarship check to Foundation Vice President Larry Barrett. As an aside, not being an alumnus is not a drawback. I was completely embraced by our Fellows as though I was part of their grande weekend.