In this issue...

Volume 1   •   21 June 2006  •   Issue 6  

	Message from the Executive Director Reunion, rejoicing, and red hats		Reunion 2006 Photo galleries, videos, and more
	Alumnae Quarterly Be part of a Quarterly article		Keep in touch Change your address online
	Events Calendar Highlights from our upcoming events calendar		Online Class Notes Read the latest news from your sister alumnae

Message from the Executive Director

ount Holyoke’s 134^th reunion kicked off the summer in high style, as alumnae from around the country flocked back to campus for one of two spectacular reunion weekends. The skies cleared for the traditional Laurel Parade during Reunion I, as a long ribbon of alumnae proudly marched, wearing white and waving their class signs, with the graduating class of 2006. No matter how many times I have stood at Mary Lyon’s grave singing “Bread and Roses” with generations of my fellow alumnae, I experience the ritual anew each time. Judging from the smiles and moist eyes of those around me, I believe my feelings are shared.

There were so many reunion highlights it would take days to recount them all (but you can see for yourself by visiting Global Reunion on our Web site). One story that particularly touched me, though, involved the classes of 2006 and 1966. Amy Cavanaugh ’06, who assisted in the Alumnae Association office this year for the Quarterly, read in Class Notes about a group of ’66 alums who wrote a beautiful tribute to a recently deceased member of their “crowd.” This group of alumnae has stayed in close touch since their graduation forty years ago. Amy, who was preparing to graduate and leave MHC, and who noticed that she had exactly the same number of friends in her “crowd,” was deeply touched by the older alums’ story. On impulse, she got in touch with members of the class of ’66 to tell them so. In response, they invited Amy and her classmates to join them at reunion for socializing and warm conversation about keeping alumnae connections alive. As a result, new friendships blossomed across the generations, old friendships were made even stronger—and gorgeous red hats were exchanged (see the wonderful photos).

I said I wouldn’t recount every reunion highlight, but let me share just one more with you. The president of the class of 1931, Gertrude (“Bobby”) Walter Lerch, delivered one of those most moving class histories at the Alumnae Association annual meeting I have ever heard. Telling us about her childhood, when covered wagons still traveled the Oregon Trail, she went on to describe her Mount Holyoke experience as a chemistry major seventy-five years ago—and her pride in the achievements women have since made in science. Watching Bobby, who received a standing ovation, reminded me once again of why women’s colleges matter, and why I’m so proud to represent the exceptional alumnae of Mount Holyoke.

With best wishes for a warm and relaxing summer,


W. Rochelle Calhoun ’83
Executive Director, Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College

Reunion 2006

ver 685 alumnae returned to campus for Reunion I, and 475 came back for Reunion II, making Reunion 2006 a smashing success. For the first time ever, through a pioneering new Alumnae Association program called Global Reunion, videos and photos were posted on our Web site throughout both weekends. Class message boards, photo galleries, and a live Web cam allowed alumnae around the world to log on and participate in the reunion festivities.

If you weren’t able to make it to MHC for the French cooking class during Back-to-Class, if you missed the Laurel Parade or the Annual Meeting (during which the class of 1946 treated everyone to a rousing rendition of the “octogenarian song,” led by Gale Stubbs McClung ’45 on ukulele), you can still catch up on all the highlights by visiting Global Reunion now. Through Global Reunion, you can come back to campus at any time, from wherever you are in the world.

Be Part of an Alumnae Quarterly Article

he Alumnae Quarterly magazine staff is gathering information for a cover article on “Coping with Widowhood,” and we invite your input. If you have something to say about this—or want to volunteer to be interviewed by the article’s author—please e-mail Emily Weir (mention “Widowhood” in the subject line) or send a letter to her c/o Alumnae Quarterly, 50 College St., South Hadley, MA 01075-1486).

Keep In Touch

oving to a new area? Starting a new job, enrolling in graduate school? Keep in touch with your classmates and your alma mater by updating your contact information online. You must be registered with the Alumnae Association Web site in order to access this secure feature.

Events Calendar Highlights

ave you checked out our Events Calendar recently? The calendar lists upcoming College, Association, club, and class events, both on campus and in your local area. Some upcoming club events include:

June 28, 2006
Mount Holyoke Club of Northern CA
MHC at the San Francisco Opera

July 15, 2006
Mount Holyoke Club of San Diego
Alumnae in Action: Meals-on-Wheels

July 20, 2006
Mount Holyoke Club of Greater South Hadley
Book Club: Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris

Check out the events calendar today to find an event near you.

Online Class Notes

o read more online class notes, or post your own notes and photos, please visit our Web site.

Lise (Balk) Balk-King (1986)
Lise (Balk) Balk-King (1986) writes, “It was wonderful to be back at MHC for my first reunion since graduation (20 years?!?). The best surprise was making warm connections with women I didn't know well back in the day… and recognizing so many of you! I brought my 13-year old daughter, Shiala (“shy-la”), and she made the trip worthwhile within the first ten minutes of our arrival by announcing, ‘Wow, I want to go to school here…’”

Amanda West (1989)
Amanda West (1989) writes, “After 15 years of work at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in preservation-based community revitalization, I will be taking a year off to work for Mercy Ships, a nonprofit medical mission organization, which provides free medical care via its ships. I will be leaving for Ghana in June to join the hospital ship Anastasis, which will be docked in Accra, Ghana, and where I will be living and working for the next year…”

Marguerite (MacLaughlin) Polos ”(1991)
Marguerite MacLaughlin Polos (1991) and Christopher Polos are happy to announce their marriage on May 6, 2006 at St. John’s Church in Swampscott, MA. They currently reside in Santa Barbara, CA. “We lucked out with a beautiful day in between weeks of rain! We celebrated with friends and family at the Oceanview in Nahant before heading to Paris and London for a wonderful honeymoon. Bridesmaids included Helen MacLaughlin Martin ’89, Melissa Wolfe Beiner ’91, and Elizabeth Sinnott McCarthy ’91…”

Jessica Boyd (1994)
Jessica Boyd (1994) and Vishal Bharat are proud to announce the birth of a baby boy, Sebastian Edward Bharat. He was born on March 8, 2006 in Dallas, TX, and weighed 6 lb., 8 oz.. “Vishal and I are having a great time being new parents. We are lucky to have a great baby who is very easy going. Parenthood is a HUGE paradigm shift and quite an adventure… and fun too! I'm looking forward to raising an enlightened man for the next generation. Wish me luck…”  

Kathryn Hester (1994)
Kathryn Hester (1994) writes, “I'm enjoying my 7^th year working in Boston for commerical real estate developer and property management firm, Hines. Husband Larry and I moved from Charlestown to the burbs ( Georgetown, MA) about a year and a half ago. Commute is ruff, but nothing a Starbucks Vanilla Latte can’t help. Luckily we were spared in the most recent flooding. But a lot of the area where we live (North Shore Boston) is in pretty ruff shape…”

Alexandra (Pendleton) Bigelow (1996)
Alexandra (Pendleton) Bigelow (1996) and Demian Bigelow are proud to announce the birth of a baby boy, Zachary Alexander. He was born on October 10, 2005 in Walnut Creek, CA, and weighed 6 lb., 0 oz.. “Zachary arrived 3 weeks early on 10-10-05 and has been keeping us busy with his antics since day one!”  

Rebecca (Bogan) Statman (1997)
Rebecca (Bogan) Statman (1997) and Yitzy Statman are happy to announce their marriage on June 11, 2006 in Belvedere Hotel, Baltimore, MD. They currently reside in Baltimore, MD. “Amy Wise Foster, Dawn Beaudry Forton, Meredith Garey Anand, Jen/Olivia Schulte Skance, Carianne Field, Kris Hudock attended and danced up a storm. We always seem to make an impression when we gather as a group!”

Stacy Jagodowski (2002)
Stacy Jagodowski (2002) writes, “Hey all. Hope everyone is doing well. I just celebrated my graduation from the master’s program at Bay Path College. I actually completed my degree in communication and information management back in October, but we just had graduation on May 20. I ran into Lindsey Von Holtz there; her sister was graduating too. I’ve been working at The MacDuffie School for almost two years now, but I'm moving on…”

Jennifer Hawkes (2005)
Jennifer Hawkes (2005) writes, “So many exciting things have happened in the last few months. I am only 1 semester from finishing my masters which means I can’t procrastinate getting a full time job any longer and must grow up. I am still addicted to track and field. I am currently competing with Greater Boston Track Club and broke their club record in high jump which was from 1994. I cleared 5'7" at Brown at the end of April and I will be traveling with GBTC in July to California for Club Nationals.”