The Gang鈥檚 All Here: Pottenger Family Shares Reunion Weekend
June 5, 2024
- Author
- Caroline Roy 鈥20
The Pottenger Family during Reunion 2024
When Megan Pottenger 鈥19 decided to come to 国产福利精品推荐, it meant she鈥檇 share an alma mater and every class reunion year with her parents, 鈥79 grads Dave and Sara Pottenger, and her older sister, Tatum Pottenger 鈥14.
Dave remembers exactly where he was the day each of his daughters received their Davidson acceptance letters.
鈥淚 was ecstatic,鈥 he said. 鈥淭wo of the best days of my life because we knew what awaited them. I also remember thinking, who wouldn鈥檛 want to go to their college reunion with Mom and Dad?鈥
Growing up in Durham, North Carolina, Tatum and Megan often accompanied their parents to Davidson basketball games. Dazzled by the Wildcats鈥 2008 Elite Eight run, Tatum began to picture herself as a student there.
鈥淚 looked at other schools, but I was always comparing every school to Davidson,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 wanted to know the people I passed on the sidewalk on the way to class, to experience the charm of running into someone wearing a Davidson shirt in the grocery store.鈥
A family of humanities majors, each of the Pottengers occupied different niches on campus. Tatum spent much of her time with her first-year hallmates and in the theatre, where she met some of her best friends and performed in a show almost every semester. Megan, an art history major, could be found working in the Van Every/Smith Galleries or pushing the Art Cart around the Alvarez College Union.
Of course, Davidson in the 2010s looked much different from the Davidson Dave and Sara knew in the 鈥70s. Sara got to know the college while visiting her older brother, a hall counselor, and arrived prepared to find her place on campus among the third official co-ed graduating class.
鈥淚 knew Davidson was just starting to accept women,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t was sometimes intimidating to be in classes with all male professors, surrounded by male students, but to me, that was a challenge and something I wanted to be a part of.鈥
She quickly forged close friendships with other Davidson women in her residence hall, through the women鈥檚 tennis team and over plates of home-cooked food at Fannie and Mable 鈥 the co-ed eating house where she first got to know Dave.
鈥淪imply breaking bread together every day enhanced our ability to connect and become friends,鈥 Dave said. 鈥淓ven though the day after we met, she called me Tom.鈥
For both of them, Davidson set the stage for lives of learning and friendships that have continued to evolve over nearly five decades.
鈥淒avidson allowed me to make friends in my hall, in my fraternity and across campus,鈥 Dave said. 鈥淚t gave me the confidence to pursue academics and taught me the value of living an honorable life. It鈥檚 been an extraordinary experience.鈥
The Pottengers during their Davidson years.
Sara Tatum Pottenger鈥檚 senior photo, 1979
Davidson friendships have remained a constant. A group from the Class of 鈥79 meets in person at least once a year 鈥 they鈥檝e traveled together everywhere from the beach to the mountains to the Carnegie Guest House. Once a month, Sara attends a book club with women from her first-year hall.
Nowadays, they keep in touch through social media and video calls, but Sara keeps a box of letters she鈥檚 collected from friends over the years.
鈥淲e would write pages and pages,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 have letters from tennis team members, classmates and older students. It鈥檚 helped that so many people in our class are committed and intentional about staying connected. Reunion is an important time for many of us.鈥
The Pottenger Family during Reunion 2024
This year marks Megan鈥檚 first Davidson reunion and Tatum鈥檚 second. For their parents, the event becomes more and more special as the years pass. Beyond reconnecting with old friends, it鈥檚 an opportunity to get closer with those they don鈥檛 see often 鈥 people like Dave鈥檚 former hallmate who returned to campus for their 35th reunion for the first time since transferring out in 1977.
鈥淭he fifth year reunion feels unreal, like it snuck up on me,鈥 Megan said. 鈥淚 think in that time, I鈥檝e become more and more grateful about my Davidson experience. It taught me a lot about being a good person and a good friend. It gave me the ability to look back with humility, and I hope that feeling continues to grow as I get older.鈥
Like her parents, Tatum鈥檚 Davidson friendships have deepened over time. As the college鈥檚 current director of donor relations and former staff member in the Office of Annual Giving, she鈥檚 remained an active part of the campus community and gained a new appreciation for the work happening behind the scenes.
鈥淓veryone reverts back to their Davidson self at reunion,鈥 Tatum said. 鈥淚 love seeing my parents, their friends and my friends get to interact, knowing we鈥檙e leaving feeling like our Davidson cup is filled. It looks different for each of us, but that warm, fuzzy feeling is the same.鈥
