Since 1945, The Rally has connected generations of alumni to Lehigh’s incoming class. Each year, as new students join the community, they’re adopted by the class that came to Lehigh 50 years earlier.
That adoption isn’t in name alone. Just ask the Class of 1980. This year, they’re taking the tradition one step further.
As part of their adoption of the Class of 2030, the Class of 1980 decided to do something that had never been done before: sponsor the incoming class’s Hawk’s Fest, a late-night celebration that follows the Rally. Now they hope to inspire future classes to connect at Rally and beyond.
“The idea came to mind at our 45th reunion,” says Doug Pitney ’80. “The time was approaching, and we knew we wanted to create a connection.”
Pitney has carried his class flag at the Rally several times over the years, and he’s seen the impact it’s had on each incoming class.
“You’re joining a family when you come here, one that’s strong with tradition, and family takes care of each other,” says Mark Hembarsky ’80 P’13. “These relationships last forever, and the Rally is the start. The significance of the Rally may not be fully understood by the freshman class in the moment, but it plants seeds that’ll be remembered years later. Co-sponsoring Hawk’s Fest is a way for us to form that connection and meet them in person.”
For Pitney and Hembarsky, that sense of connection is something they know firsthand. Both remember the camaraderie they felt during their own Rally, watching former coach and mentor John Steckbeck excite the crowd with his vibrant energy.
This year, Hembarsky will do the same for the Class of 1980.
"I feel so lucky and excited to speak at the Rally on behalf of my class,” says Hembarsky. “Lehigh shaped my family, my friends, and my career. My longest-term relationships are ones I forged here. There are very few schools that have the sense of togetherness that Lehigh does.”
Their own friendship exemplifies how relationships built at Lehigh can last long after graduation. Pitney and Hembarsky, both engineering graduates involved in Greek life, moved in together after their commencement. Along with their other Lehigh roommates, they hosted gatherings that brought together more than 90 alumni.
The next morning, one of their roommates would buy food for anyone who had stayed over at the house the night before. Hembarsky came up with the idea of giving everyone a shirt that read, ‘I ate steak and eggs at 31 Fairfax’ as a badge of honor. It became their own tradition.
Decades later, that same welcoming spirit is being passed to a new generation.
On Saturday, August 22, the Class of 2030 will gather for the Rally and begin making memories of their own. And, thanks to the Class of 1980, they’ll have an immediate connection to the alumni that came before them.
