All-Class Picnic to Take Place on June 1

The 24th annual All-Class Picnic will take place on June 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. according to The Viking News, the Samohi Alumni Association (SAA)'s tri-annual newsletter.This tradition was started to allow members of the Samo community to socialize. To this day, that still serves as the event's primary purpose."The picnic provided a fun way for the SAA to bring alumni together once a year and reconnect in a familiar setting," former All-Class Picnic (ACP) chair Jim Jaffe ('60) said.The event has increased in popularity since its creation."We have increased our attendance every year," Darin E. Hudson ('89), the Co-Vice President of the SAA and All-Class-Picnic Chair said. "We have gotten responses from people as far away as Hawaii in 2011 who were in town attending for the very first time from the class of 1976."The event is open to the entire Samo community, including alumni, faculty and students."The population for the event has exceeded 300 people," Hudson said. "We have noticed generational Vikings attending the events with their parents or siblings or grandparents."According to Alexandra Santini ('15), interactions with alumni will help to form a closer bond between different groups in Samo."Giving Samo students the opportunity to talk to other alumni is a brilliant idea," Santini said. "It [is] really a good way to create a small, closely-knit community within Santa Monica."For Hudson, highlights of the event include noting the more dedicated class years and catching up with other Vikings."I look forward to seeing which class year has the most attendance (so far the 1970's era is winning hands down,) and 'Samohi sweethearts' who have met and married," Hudson said.The SAA hopes to see some new faces to the event."I [wish] to see more famous Vikings attend, like actor [and football player] Tony Todd (' 82) ," Hudson said. " [I would] also like to see which individuals are present for the first time [and] which of the oldest classes are represented."Participants will mingle in the Science Quad and go on a campus tour. Archival displays will be shown in the cafeteria, as well as movies of "Fiesta Days" and past football games."The point of the event is to engage everyone and show your school spirit by attending," Hudson said. "It has been my involvement with this event that has drawn me into contributing my involvement as a board member."Continued school support makes this event possible and enjoyable for participants."The Samo alumni have been extremely fortunate to have the continued support and guidance of Dean Catherine Baxter," Jaffe said. "Participants at the ACP always come away with positive feelings about Samo and the District, and look forward to returning every year."