By Rebecca Wyatt Thomas, OU Web Writer
Sarah (Ryan) Wysocki, SEHS ’83, lived at home for the first two years she attended Oakland University. As a junior, she moved into Fitzgerald House and met some of her best friends and developed into a much more confident person. Wysocki and her former dorm mate Ann Schejbal, SON ’88, are organizing a reunion for Fitzgerald residents from ’84 through ’86. The event will take place on and around campus on Sunday, July 6 beginning at 10 a.m.
Wysocki chose to live in Fitzgerald House because of its size. The residence hall houses fewer students than Vandenberg, Hamlin, VanWagoner or Hill.
“I’m comfortable with the small size. It was already a bigger adjustment for me because I came into the residence halls in December. Everyone had known one another for a semester. I was extremely shy when I went in and I am certainly not the same person and I attribute that to Fitzgerald House,” Wysocki said.
Wysocki and Schejbal had many positive experiences in the residence halls. Along with the other members of Fitzgerald House, they had beach parties in the snow, canoed in Bear Lake, played innocent pranks on each other and hung out in the lounge playing games of Risk.
“It was like one big, happy family. A couple of the people were like brothers and sisters to me,” Wysocki said. “We would even send Valentines to one another. I still have mine in an old photo album.”
Wysocki, who now lives in the Chicago area, and Schejbal, who is from Ann Arbor, kept in contact over the years. Recently, Schejbal visited Wysocki in Chicago and the two decided to plan a reunion for Fitzgerald House residents.
“It’s been really challenging to locate the residents. I had a yearbook to go off of and using the white pages and the Grizz Link, I was able to locate a few former residents who were able to put me in contact with more former residents,” Wysocki said.
The reunion will start at Stony Creek Metro Park in Shelby Township at 10 a.m. Following that, the reunion participates will be able to tour Fitzgerald House and the Oakland University campus. The reunion will wrap up with dinner at a local restaurant. The Fitzgerald House reunion is open to Fitzgerald alumni from ’84 to ‘86 and their families.
For more information, contact Wysocki at sarahwysocki@sbcglobal.net or Schejbal at annschejbal@msn.com.