{"id":2767,"date":"2025-09-03T11:25:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/?p=2767"},"modified":"2025-09-04T10:09:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T14:09:52","slug":"cornerstone-club-celebrates-record-attendance-at-coastal-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/cornerstone-club-celebrates-record-attendance-at-coastal-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"Cornerstone Club celebrates record attendance at coastal weekend\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Sisters Mary Denison \u201981 and Emmett Haywood \u201982<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

UNC School of Law\u2019s Cornerstone Club broke attendance records at its Weekend on the Coast event held March 7-9, as members \u2013 donors who give $10,000 or more to the School annually \u2013 gathered in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach for three days of connection, history and shared purpose. The event narrowly surpassed the previous attendance record set in Raleigh, with alumni from across generations coming together to celebrate their commitment to Carolina Law.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was the best Cornerstone weekend ever,\u201d said Emmett Haywood \u201982, who, alongside her sister Mary Denison \u201981, hosted the gathering in their hometown.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weekend kicked off with a welcome dinner at Denison\u2019s waterfront home, where attendees enjoyed stunning views of the intracoastal waterway and Masonboro Island under a canopy of live oak trees. Between savory local cuisine and catching up with fellow alumni and friends, guests heard from Scott Vaughn \u201986, who co-chairs the Cornerstone Club with his wife LouAnn. Vaughn highlighted the club\u2019s impressive collective impact: 121 members strong, contributing over $3.3 million to Carolina Law last year alone and more than $17.2 million over the club\u2019s 10-year history.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This financial support provides crucial resources that allow Dean Emeritus Martin H. Brinkley \u201992 to maintain Carolina Law\u2019s commitment to excellence and accessibility while broadening its reach during challenging times for public law schools. The funds flow into scholarships and innovative programs, with special emphasis on initiatives that open doors of opportunity to promising students.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wilmington\u2019s Lie book discussion<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

With Wilmington natives Haywood and Denison as guides, attendees embarked on a journey through the Port City\u2019s rich and complex history. The group toured the historic Bellamy Mansion Museum (which has family ties to the sisters), wandered through the 18th-century Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens, and marveled at Thalian Hall — a magnificent historic theater where cannon balls once rolled across the ceiling to simulate thunder during performances.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven if you come as a tourist, you don\u2019t necessarily know all these things,\u201d Haywood noted, as many participants discovered aspects of Wilmington they might have missed on casual visits.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weekend took on added depth during a discussion of \u201cWilmington\u2019s Lie\u201d with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Carolina undergraduate alumni David Zucchino \u201973, Dean Brinkley, and Reggie Shuford \u201991. Their conversation dove into the 1898 coup d\u2019\u00e9tat in Wilmington — a painful chapter in the city\u2019s history that, as Haywood reflected, is only now being fully acknowledged. This thought-provoking exploration of difficult history sparked rich discussions that continued throughout the weekend, showcasing the deep thinking and genuine curiosity that draws Cornerstone members together.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between scheduled tours and talks, the weekend offered plenty of opportunities for authentic connections. The Saturday evening gathering at Haywood\u2019s home featured a Lowcountry boil and oyster roast, with the group bonding over shared Carolina pride as they watched the Carolina vs. Duke University \u201cBattle of the Blues\u201d basketball game. These relaxed moments of conversation, laughter and camaraderie are as integral to Cornerstone Weekends as the formal programming.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Troy Homesley \u201917 and his wife Sonya Khattak<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cScott and I always look forward to catching up with old friends and meeting new folks on these weekend retreats,\u201d LouAnn Vaughn shared, emphasizing how these relationships strengthen the Carolina Law community.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Troy Homesley \u201917, attending his first Cornerstone Weekend with his wife Sonya Khattak was a revelation. The experience left him feeling \u201cinspired, rejuvenated, and excited not only about the practice of law, but about the future of the School.\u201d Homesley was drawn to join the Cornerstone Club by a desire to give back to the institution that shaped his career.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Scott \u201983 and LouAnn Vaughn<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead, the Vaughns plan to expand the club\u2019s presence in New York, Charlotte, and Raleigh through targeted outreach efforts. They were particularly encouraged by the number of younger alumni joining their ranks at the Wilmington event, signaling a bright future for the club\u2019s continued impact.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At its heart, the Cornerstone Club exists \u201cto encourage Carolina Law graduates to stay engaged in the life of the School and to contribute meaningfully to ensure continued access to a high-quality legal education for all corners of North Carolina,\u201d as LouAnn Vaughn explained.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the success of the Wilmington weekend still fresh in their minds, the Cornerstone community is already looking forward to reuniting during Cornerstone Weekend in the High Country,<\/a> on November 7-9 at Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock. The mountain setting promises new adventures and connections as the club continues its tradition of supporting Carolina Law across all regions of the state.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn more about cornerstone club<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carolina Law’s Cornerstone Club broke attendance records at their Wilmington weekend, where alumni explored local history with Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Zucchino ’73 and connected with fellow graduates over oyster roasts and basketball games. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2844,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2767"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2767"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2870,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2767\/revisions\/2870"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}