Our Day in the Sun

Alumnus Myron Lewis and DeAnne Rosenberg are the quintessential hosts as the Boston Clambake alumni network event celebrates its 25th year.

For the last 25 years, for a group of alumni in New England, Carnegie Mellon has meant sun, sand, food and camaraderie. For Myron Lewis (S 1954) and DeAnne Rosenberg, these four ingredients have been vital for hosting CMU's Boston Clambake and making it one of the university's most beloved traditions.

This year's event on July 14, 2019, marks the Clambake's 25th anniversary, and Myron and DeAnne will retire as its exclusive hosts for the past quarter century, passing the torch for this annual celebration.

"We started hosting to promote connectivity between alumni and the university. People meet each other, and the CMU staff gets to know them ― that's connectivity. It means a lot to us," Myron says.

Since the event's beginning in 1994, Myron and DeAnne have championed gathering local alumni while welcoming the newest members of the university community.

"We like to seat people in groups to encourage them to get to know one another," DeAnne explains.

Their strategy has worked over the years: The number of guests has increased to as high as 187, and younger alumni and new CMU students now join the celebration. The Boston Clambake has evolved into a treasured community gathering, with volunteers and staff alike preparing for the party with an all-hands-on-deck excitement.

The Clambake's reputation for family-friendly fun owes a great deal to Myron and DeAnne's gracious hospitality at their home in the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts. Guests relax in the yard and on the private beach, swim or paddle in the shallows, and fill up on a meal that includes authentic New England cuisine. This year's program will even feature a magic show presented by gifted magician Michael Gutenplan (A 2004).

A graduate of the Department of Physics, Myron appreciates the time he spent at the university. Both he and DeAnne hope that their efforts have helped alumni translate their love for Carnegie Mellon into support for its programs and initiatives.

"The most important thing I learned at CMU was how to think," he says. "My education prepared me for a number of different fields. It's all about learning the basics and how to solve problems, from which you can branch out successfully into many other fields."