Wheaton News

“The Wheatones are my sisters,” said Emily Conklin ’13. “Even the ones I hadn’t met before this weekend, we have a bond that was immediately apparent … It’s just so wonderful to see Wheatones from across the ages and hear their stories.”

Bailey Geyer ’26, current president of the a cappella group, worked with Wheatones alumna and current group advisor Sara Michale Smith ’90 and Associate Director of Alumni Relations Becky Fernandes to coordinate the event.

“I’ve heard a lot from Sara about her time in the group, so I was really excited to meet other Wheatones and hear about their time and perform with them,” Geyer shared. “Being in the Wheatones has made me love singing so much more than I imagined. And I know the friendships that I’ve made will continue after college.”

Wheatones alumni ranging from the classes of 1989 to 2025 joined current members of the group to connect and collaborate. The singers gathered for a rehearsal and dinner on Saturday, followed by a rehearsal and lunch on Sunday, prior to the anniversary concert.

Kicking off the performance, the full group opened with “Love Shack” by the B-52’s. Then, the current Wheatones sang four tunes, including a stirring rendition of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” featuring Madisyn Bradeen-Curet ’26 as the lead.

Later, the concert included a touching tribute to a former member and pitchpipe of the Wheatones, Helene Pruszynski ’80, an outstanding student leader who died while serving as an intern in Denver. “Originally written by Judy Collins, ‘A Song for Judith’ is a song about friendship,” Smith explained. “We do it to honor Helene but to also recognize the friendship that we all feel as Wheatones.”

Following a smooth rendition of “Landslide” by Stevie Nicks, the concert concluded with a fun and energetic version of “26 Miles (Santa Catalina)” by the Four Preps, during which each alumni member took a brief turn as soloist.

“Singing our signature song, Santa Catalina, I was smiling so hard my cheeks ached,” said Emily Conklin ’13. “I treasure every second of singing with these folks and I am so glad the group continues to thrive.”

The Wheatones have evolved over the years, according to Smith, having performed at various locations in their early days, when they incorporated instruments into their performances and wrote some of their own songs.

The album “These Friends of Mine,” was recorded live in the chapel in 1980,” said Smith. “When I was a member, we had regular gigs and performed all over the place, including other colleges.

“We’d do fundraising events and make albums and sell them. If we needed money, we went to the Wheaton finance office and took out a loan, which needed to be paid off before we could make another album.”

Today, the Wheatones host a “jam” on campus at the end of each semester. Like other student clubs and organizations, they are financed through the Student Government Association.

Membership in the group holds a special place in the hearts of its participants.

Sammi Chaves ’18 found the reunion “incredibly special,” she said. “It was wonderful reconnecting with so many Wheatones, some of whom I met at the 70th reunion as a student. During warmups, songs that I️ had not sung in eight years came back to me like I️ had just sung them yesterday. It was a great reminder of the power of music.”

“As a member of the Wheatones, I met lifelong friends, learned how to arrange music, work as a cohesive group, market our new albums, fundraise and just have a blast,” said Gayle Anderson Gram ’89. She has been fortunate to turn her singing and songwriting talent into a successful career, creating music and performing with her husband, Bob, as the Anderson-Gram Duo.

“I was so happy and proud to be in this amazing group of women, and that feeling continues today. I’m a ‘Grandmatone’ now because our motto is, ‘Once a Wheatone, always a Wheatone.’”