Family Tradition: Four Decades of New Orleans Welcome

Commodore Launch events introduce incoming students and their families to Vanderbilt's supportive community. Hosted by dedicated volunteers to welcome new students to the university, these gatherings set the tone for their next four years. In New Orleans, one such celebration has become a cherished tradition since its start in 1983. Hosted by Darryl Berger, BA'69, and his family, the New Orleans Commodore Launch is marked by hospitality, connection and decades of Commodore pride.

Berger describes his path to Vanderbilt as "serendipitous." Having never visited campus, he arrived in the fall of 1965 and soon had made lifelong friends and memories. After graduation, he remained involved as an alumnus, notably serving as president of the Vanderbilt National Alumni Association and, for more than 20 years, as a Vanderbilt Board of Trust member. He later volunteered to host one of the first summer welcome events, then known as the "Summer Send-Off," for incoming Vanderbilt students in New Orleans.

The spirit of that first event, held at the Bergers' lakefront home and attended by Chancellor Joe B. Wyatt, still defines the event today. Designed to honor incoming first-year students and their families while bringing together the area's Vanderbilt community, it has grown into one of the largest and most anticipated welcome events. Attendees can expect familiar faces, refreshments and remarks from university leaders.

For the past 60 years, my father and our family have reaped the benefit of the Vanderbilt experience. Hosting this party for the past 42 years is but a small reciprocation to the debt we feel. -Ryan Berger

The Berger family's dedication to Vanderbilt extends into the next generation. Berger's sons and daughters-in-law-Darryl Jr. (BS'02) and Corinne (BS'00, MEd'03, MPP'04), Brandon (BA'03) and Daphne (BS'06), and Ryan (BA'05)-have all taken turns co-hosting the event at family residences over the years, and now it's held annually at the Windsor Court Hotel. Each year the local newspaper spotlights incoming students by featuring photographs of the gathering in its social section. These photos fill posterboards displayed at the event, showcasing snapshots from the first Summer Send-Off to more recent celebrations.

"For the past 60 years, my father and our family have reaped the benefit of the Vanderbilt experience," Ryan Berger says as he reflects on why his family continues this tradition. "Hosting this party for the past 42 years is but a small reciprocation to the debt we feel."

Darryl Berger also encourages hosting or volunteering in other ways. "You will derive more joy out of the party than even your guests will," he says. "Whatever time you spent planning, it will be long forgotten when the joy is still present."

-Addy Crosby