You’re probably familiar with the idea of class reunions. From 10 years post-high school to 50-year college reunions, it’s fun to embrace the waves of nostalgia (“I wonder what my old dorm looks like”) and scratch the itches of curiosity (“What ever happened to the one that got away?”). This summer, WAA introduced a new reunion-esque tradition: a jam-packed weekend dedicated to recent graduates. Brunch! Baseball! Bingo! You name it, this weekend probably had it. From June 24 to 26, more than 200 Badgers came to Madison to reconnect with each other and their campus. But perhaps the biggest draw of the weekend was an exclusive show by DJay Mando (a.k.a. Armando “Mando” Saafir ’16 — a recent grad himself). DJay Mando is essentially synonymous with the Midwest music scene. He packs standalone shows, he opens for chart-toppers like T-Pain and 21 Savage, and he’s a regular DJ for basketball games at the Fiserv Forum and the Kohl Center. Throughout the weekend, DJay Mando offered an exclusive concert on the Memorial Union Terrace, provided beats for brunching Badgers, and took recent grads back to their party days with a specially curated playlist at State Street Brats.
Keep scrolling to see all the fun from the Recent-Grad Weekend. Photos courtesy of Dave Stremikis Photography.