In one of Colgate's most engaging annual rituals, about 1,500 members of the Colgate family are gathering this month at locations across the country to "send off" the latest cohort of new students.

Alumni and current parents are hosting more than 40 events in private homes, restaurants, and parks.

A Colgate University education can make a significant difference not only in graduates' starting pay, but also in salary potential throughout their careers, according to the 2009 College Salary Report.

The study released this week by PayScale, an online site that collects data on salaries for different professions, reveals which colleges offer the best return on investment.

About 1,400 alumni returned to campus this past weekend, filling Whitnall Field with laughter and shared memories, offering provocative Reunion College sessions, and celebrating milestones and achievements.

In typical Chenango Valley fashion, the weather mostly cooperated, intermingling overcast skies with sunshine. The traditional All-Class Parade and Torchlight festivities were enjoyed by all; fireworks filled the air Friday night; and the Class of 1969 provided a band that had its tent jumping on Saturday evening.

Members of the senior class flocked to campus this past weekend to attend Real World events, and one of the main messages they heard from alumni was that a liberal arts education will serve them well in any economic climate.

Real World involves networking events and more than 30 panel discussions led by alumni involved in careers from fashion to finance.

Carole Robinson '83 kicked off things as keynote speaker, and she recalled working as a tour guide while at Colgate and how she was practically a walking advertisement for the university.

Colgate Vice President for Alumni Affairs RuthAnn Loveless MA '72 has announced that Timothy Mansfield will be the university's next director of alumni affairs.

Alumni Council members spent time recently with current students, talking about a range of career paths and sharing their workplace experiences.

The informal mixer held Sept. 18 at the Colgate Bookstore was sponsored by the Center for Career Services.

As the former chief executive officer and president of seven companies, including Revlon and DelMonte, Robert A. Fox '59 knows a thing or two about being an effective leader.

On Wednesday, Fox returned to Colgate's campus -- the place he credits with giving him "the building blocks for success" -- to offer leadership advice to about 200 students taking part in a three-day leadership training program.

"Leaders are not born, they are created over time," said Fox during his keynote address in Love Auditorium, officially kicking off the Robert A. Fox '59 Leadership Institute.

Colgate University President Rebecca S. Chopp has been awarded the 2008 Professional Achievement Citation from her alma mater, the University of Chicago.

The alumni citation honors Chopp for being a "pivotal figure in the field of higher education and a renowned scholar of religion and culture."

It was early, 9 a.m. on Friday, but not too early for Colgate alumni to jump into a discussion about beliefs and explore the question: Does God exist?

It seems that some things, like an evocative classroom discussion with a faculty member, never change at Colgate.

Associate professor of philosophy David Dudrick led the conversation during the Reunion College event, one of dozens held during the weekend as some 2,000 alumni returned to campus.

Former presidential candidate Walter Mondale said, "Modern politics today requires a mastery of television."

On April 8, while the rest of America was flipping channels in search of the latest 2008 presidential campaign news, a capacity crowd of more than 200 alumni and friends gathered at the Paley Center for Media in New York City to gain election insights first-hand from a panel of Colgate's modern political experts.

A Colgate couple's tireless efforts to return a digital camera accidentally left in a New York City taxicab to its owner became the focus of an Associated Press article picked up by newspapers and websites around the world.

Brian Ascher and Erika Gunderson , both from the Class of 2003, were the main players in the digital-age mystery.

According to the AP story, Gunderson, who works at Bear Stearns Cos., found the Canon camera in a cab on New Year's Eve. The cabbie didn't know who had left it behind and - surprise, surprise - offered no help in finding the owner.