Alumni, faculty and staff are gearing up to celebrate CSUN’s 50th anniversary Grand Reunion Saturday. The day is expected to have a big turnout.

Larry Twersky, the president of the Alumni Association, class of 1985, said in a statement, ‘This event will perhaps be the single largest gathering ever of Northridge alumni.’

Alumni will celebrate throughout the day and get a glimpse of how CSUN’s campus has evolved over the years.

‘The Grand Reunion will be a chance to gather various groups of alumni and friends to reunite with one another and see how much CSUN has grown as a university,’ said Sally Boyd, reunion coordinator of the Alumni Relations at CSUN.

‘Many of CSUN’s alumni remember Cal State Northridge as San Fernando Valley State.

The Grand Reunion is a great opportunity to bring the CSUN community together to reconnect with the university.’

For those Alumni who haven’t been to the campus recently, student ambassadors will lead campus tours.

Live music, dinner and campus tours are a few of the many events scheduled for the day. Fraternities, sororities and several academic departments have scheduled their own reunions within the event.

The Delta Sigma Nu ‘- Delta Upsilon Fraternity will be one of many with a table at the event. Groups and fraternities will reunite with past members. Dave Smith, who graduated in 1963 with his degree in physical education, is helping with the fraternity’s table.

‘It’s a chance to see how much (the campus) has grown and changed,’ Smith said. Since he hasn’t been on campus for over 40 years, he said the event was a good excuse to see it close up.

‘It’s good to reconnect whether it’s (with) fraternity members or other students on campus,’ Smith said.

Gray Mounger, assistant vice president for Alumni Relations said in a statement, ‘Think of it in terms of several reunions rolled into one big gathering. We have over 40 individual reunions participating including several fraternities and sororities, student body presidents, vice presidents and senators over our 50 years, homecoming courts, cheerleaders, union program board, The Matador Marching Band, Black Student Union and so many more.’

Aside from group reunions, events will include the ‘Fifty and Fabulous Exhibit: California State University, Northridge at the Half-Century Mark,’ and a live streaming Web cast.

‘Fifty and Fabulous’ is on display in the Oviatt Library. The exhibit will showcase a time line of photos, memorabilia and oral history.

There will be a Kids Zone at the event put on by the Child and Adolescent Development Student Association and Alumni Chapter open from 4 to 7 p.m. The zone will include face painting, balloon artists and more.

The San Fernando Valley Banjo Band, CSUN Steel Drum Band, Alumni Jazz Trio, CSUN Honors Guitar Quartet and the band Moxi will provide musical entertainment.

‘This event is being designed by alumni, for alumni,’ Mounger said.

The Alumni Association is getting ready for Saturday’s events and the Grand Reunion is expected to be celebrated by many. ‘This is going to be huge!’ Mounger said.

The Grand Reunion will be held from 4 until 10 p.m. For more information about specific events and tickets, visit www.csun.edu/50.