ATHENS, Ga. -- A brawl between the UGA MBA Class of 1998 and a fraternity was averted only due to the motherly negotiation tactics of Gwen Bauer Erhardt.
"I gave that other group a dirty look," said Mrs. Erhardt. "They were out of control."
Last month, 30 members of the Class of 1998 gathered for dining and drinks at a downtown Athens restaurant.
In a logistical twist, the MBA alums got to share the restaurants back room with a fraternity, whose teenage members showed up drunk and with their parents and some were dressed in confederate Army attire.
After an hour of the MBAs and the drunken confederate fraternity members dueling to see which group could be louder, the reporter gave a presentation to the alums.
The award for most employers in the past 10 years went to Megan Scanlon for six jobs and Jessica Patrick McDougall for five jobs.
The award for the alum who traveled the furthest to get to Athens went to Joe Katz. Mr. Katz, a San Diego single telecommunications playboy, had stopped in to Georgia on his way back from India where he was on a baba ganoush run. This was an even further trip than Vitolds Jakelvov, who flew in from running his three companies in Latvia.
San Diego pension financier Mark Dehmel and Dallas financial analyst Dhruv Maniktalia came the furthest from inside the United States.
The award for most children in the past 10 years went to Roger Chandler, who could not attend the reunion as his wife in Portland, Ore., is expecting the couple's sixth child. Second place went to Kirby Lane of Nashville with two little Kirbys.
Anne Cooper, co-mistress of ceremonies, is shipping DVD copies of Mr. Chandler's "First Annual MBA Follies" theatrical release to all the winners.
"The MBA Follies" was also broadcast at the alumni dinner and the alums were shocked to see that it is still R rated.
Discussions are now underway for having a 15th anniversary reunion -- in a private room.
