As an organizer for his 50^th reunion, Paul Jones (D.D.S. '74) knew his classmates were excited for their celebration.

Jones said the class of 1974 came together at an interesting time for both the school and society. His class was the first in the new building in 1970, and he said they thought they were cutting-edge. They also began at a time in society when "flower power" was in full swing.

"We were pushing to let our hair grow long," Jones said, recalling the much stricter dress and grooming codes at the dental school back then. "We thought we were real rebels."

At MDC this year, the festivities for the Class of 1974 began at the Gratitude Luncheon. More than 40 members of the class gathered at the front of the room, where many shared what they had been up to since graduating. It was a highlight for Jones because he learned much about his fellow classmates, even some of his best friends in school.

"One thing that amazed me was how many classmates had served in the military," Jones said. "I sat next to Alan Kawakami (D.D.S '74) for three or four years in school, and I didn't know he served in Vietnam before he went to dental school. After graduating, Alan even became a full bird colonel."

According to Jones, his class of 150 was divided in half alphabetically for labs. He said many became close with those who sat near them, and he was particularly excited that his buddies who sat on either side of him - Kawakami and Archie Jones -attended this year's reunion.

"It was great to see people I hadn't seen in 50 years, especially those that I was pretty close to back then," Paul Jones said. "In a way, it took you back to the time you spent together, helped me remember some things that we had done together."

The group also gathered in a hospitality suite that evening before going to dinner together, where Jones gave a short toast thanking everyone for being there.

A few in the group reminisced about taking a backcountry canoe trip in southern Ontario the summer between their second and third years. Once the rest of the class heard about that trip, the next summer, the party quadrupled, and they camped, fished, hiked and bonded in remote wilderness.