WATERVILLE — More than 1,400 visitors will make their way to Colby for reunions this weekend. A number of today’s reunion events are open to the public, including talks by Cecily von Ziegesar ’92, author of the “Gossip Girl” series, Chris Arnold ’92, NPR national correspondent, and Kent Wommack ’77, The Nature Conservancy’s managing director of global land conservation.

The following alumni talks and presentations are set:

* Gerry Boyle, ’78, will be featured at “The Mystery Behind the Mystery: How and Why Mystery Novelists Do What They Do.” The presentation will begin at 2 p.m. in room 122, Diamond Building.

The veteran mystery and crime novelist will explain the motivation of the mystery writer and the tools of the trade. A former Morning Sentinel reporter and columnist, now editor of “Colby” magazine, Boyle has published 11 novels.

* Alice Shest Loffredo, ’62, will present “Your Astrological Compass: Navigating Life’s Great Cycles” at 2 p.m. in room 123, Diamond Building.

* Amalie Gosine Howard, ’97, will present “Beyond the Paranormal: Teen Issues in Young Adult Fiction’ at 2 p.m. in room 141, Diamond Building.

The talk will focus on the attraction young-adult readers have with vampires, witches, werewolves, ghosts and assorted mythical creatures. Howard will discuss how and why she uses paranormal elements in her fiction, and how these elements convey hard-hitting messages for teen readers. Howard is the author of “Bloodspell,” a Seventeen Magazine top pick for summer 2011. The discussion will be open to questions from the audience.

* Brad Fay, ’87, COO of the Keller Fay Group and author, will discuss “Total Social: How Real World Relationships Rule in a Digital Marketplace” at 2 p.m. in room 145, Diamond Building.

Fay will talk about how the consumer marketplace is truly driven by social influence, not necessarily by digital social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. His book, “The Face-to-Face Book,” draws on six years of research and more than a dozen compelling examples of companies and brands that have succeeded in a total social world. His company’s research shows that 90 percent of social influence still happens in the real world, on the phone, and most of all face to face.

* Cecily von Ziegesar’s, ’92, talk will focus on “Where Do You Get Your Ideas? Making Fiction” at 2 p.m. in Ostrove Auditorium, Diamond Building.

A combined reading (including work from her Colby days) and lively discussion with the author of the “Gossip Girl” novels, upon which the hit TV show is based, and “Cum Laude,” a novel set at a fictitious college in Maine. She welcomes audience participation.

* Two Doctors Share One Stage, with James P. Eisenberg ’67, M.D., Ph.D., FAAR and Patty Downs Berger ’62, M.D., is set for 3 p.m. in room 122, Diamond Building.

Eisenberg’s presentation will focus on vascular disease, specifically, coronary artery disease, with illustrations, and humor. The talk will address the diagnosis and treatment of acute heart attack.

Berger will describe the problems inherent in our present health-care system; the plight of the uninsured; rising uncontrolled costs for small businesses, families, and municipalities; waste in the system; and the perversity of a system that allows insurance companies to set the rules so they can make billions by avoiding the sick.

* Nancy Kudriavetz Ramsey, ’62, will discuss “Hidden in Plain Sight: The Futures of Women” at 3 p.m. in room 123, Diamond Building.

Ten years ago, Nancy and Pamela McCorduck co-wrote “The Futures of Women: Scenarios for the 21st Century.” Nancy will talk about the book’s scenarios for this century and reflect on what they got right, what the authors missed, and what some of the last decade’s changes mean for today.

* Rich Fournier, ’72, will focus on “What is the World Coming To? Prophecies and Possibilities for a New Age” at 3 p.m. in room 141, Diamond Building.

Fournier, an ordained UCC minister, has served churches and given workshops for 35 years, and has done international humanitarian work in Central and South America, Africa, and the Middle East. He pastors a small country church and lives on a farm/spiritual resource center in Western Massachusetts.

* Chris Arnold, ’92, from Colby’s WMHB to NPR “Chris Arnold Reports” will talk at 3 p.m. in Ostrove Auditorium, Diamond Building.

Arnold will talk about the road from Mayflower Hill to his position as a national correspondent for NPR. He’ll share favorite stories from the past few years — from fraud and lunacy in the mortgage industry to a table saw that won’t cut your fingers off. Arnold recently won an Edward R. Murrow award for a series showing the nation’s largest banks have been foreclosing on people when they shouldn’t be.

* A panel discussion, “Volunteering in the Third Age” by the class of 1962 alumni panelists is set for 4 p.m. in room 122 in the Diamond Building. Moderater will be Alice Elliott, associate director of the Goldfarb Center.

Panelists include Bill Chase ’62, Elaine Healey Reichert ’62, Pat Farnham Russell ’62, and Joe Wright ’62.

* John Bunker, ’72, will talk on “Searching for the Apples of Maine” at 4 p.m. in room 123, Diamond Building.

In October 1969 Bunker and several Colby friends picked apples in Belgrade and fermented hard cider in an empty Coburn dorm room. That marked the beginning of a four-decade love affair with the first fruit that has taken Bunker on treasure hunts to all 16 Maine counties in search of the apples of Maine. Bunker will share stories about Maine’s rich tradition of apple growing as well as his own adventures exploring and writing about the apples and the orchards of Maine.

* Kent Wommack, ’77, will discuss “From Maine to Mongolia — Saving the Last Great Places on Earth” at 4 p.m. in Ostrove Auditorium, Diamond Building.

Wommack, The Nature Conservancy’s managing director of global land conservation, will present a visual tour of some of the last great places on Earth. He will share stories from 30 years of land conservation projects around the world and will discuss where the next great challenges lie for aspiring conservationists in the 21st century.

* John Koons, ’72, and Mike Roy, ’74, will talk about “Waterville’s Hidden Gem — Quarry Road Recreation Area” at 4 p.m. in room 141, Diamond Building.

From its earliest days as Colby’s downhill ski area, QRRA has been a special recreation property for generations of Colby students. Located a quarter mile from campus, the area is being reborn as a multipurpose, four-season recreation destination and world class cross country ski venue. Learn how the college has partnered with the city of Waterville and other organizations to make the property a unique recreation site for the central Maine.

* A panel discussion on entrepreneurship, featuring alumni from the class of 1997 is set for 4 p.m. in room 14, Miller Library.

All are welcome to learn about the success the following alumni have had establishing their own businesses: Jennifer Mason Drolet, ’97; Alicia Nemiccolo MacLeay, ’97; David MacLeay, ’97; Thomas Moffitt, ’97; Lucas Penney, ’97; Brent Ryan, ’97 and moderator Linwood Downs, ’83.