In this issue…

Volume 2 • 14 November 2007 • Issue 8

	Welcome from the Executive Director A time for thanks		Alumnae Nominations Nominate an alumna trustee
	Student Reporter Beat Alumnae and Students of Color Conference 2007		Reach Back: Alumna to Student We have a winner
	Reach Out: Student to Alumna Film about HPV, Debate Society News		Making News MHC alumnae in the media
	Cori’s Career Corner A cornucopia of career advice		Alumnae Quarterly Seeking photographers, more mag with Click Picks
	I-Witness California Burning		Online Class Notes Read the latest news from your sister alumnae

Welcome from the Executive Director

had the pleasure recently of attending the 2007 Mount Holyoke Alumnae European Reunion/Symposium in Geneva, Switzerland. This spectacular event was organized by a committee of dedicated alumnae under the leadership of Christine Bruno ’98.

The weekend included symposiums that highlighted innovations in the traditional trades of Switzerland—chocolates, watches, and (who knew?) Swiss wine. Internationally recognized keynote speakers discussed global environmental, women’s, and educational issues. But the most impressive part of the entire symposium was the group of alums who attended. Although we happened to be in one of the most beautiful places on earth, the location was simply the cherry on top of the real thing: the brilliant company of Mount Holyoke women. Whether we’re sampling fondue in Geneva or building houses for Habitat for Humanity (read about our upcoming service trip to New Orleans), we draw strength, inspiration, and joy from one another.

I returned home with a renewed feeling of thankfulness for our alumnae community. Gratitude for our alma mater is something I always carry with me, but there are times when I’m made even more aware of what we have. As we enter the holiday season, I want to take special care to cherish this feeling. Here are a few more things I’ve added to my MHC “gratitude list”:

• The bright and engaged faces of the nearly 300 students who came to the Alumnae Association’s “More for Sophomores” event, where they received tips from alums and staff on everything from choosing a major to finding a mentor;
• The bring-down-the-house applause that followed a panel discussion on the history of women of color at Mount Holyoke, one of the many extraordinary presentations during our first-ever Alumnae and Students of Color Conference this month;
• The laughter shared by a group of local “Alumnae in Action” volunteers a few Saturdays ago, as they worked together cleaning garlic and “whacking” leeks at the Food Bank Farm, preparing produce for community meal kitchens.

Volunteering for a food bank or returning to campus to meet with students, traveling hundreds of miles to see fellow alums or sending a Thanksgiving e-card to a classmate—these are the ways we express the spirit of MHC, during the holidays and throughout the year. I’m thankful for all of it. Most of all, I’m thankful for you.

With warm wishes for a lovely Thanksgiving,

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

Alumnae Nominations

he Alumnae Association’s Nomination of Alumnae Trustees and Awards committee is seeking help from you in identifying candidates. Selection process for the 2009 Alumnae Trustee nominee begins January 2008. An Alumnae Trustee nominee is selected for her willingness and ability to involve herself actively in the workings of the College, to participate in the policy-making discussions of the Board of Trustees, and to use her expertise in special areas to enrich those discussions. If you know alumnae that meet the criteria please fill out our online recommendation form on our Web site or e-mail Karen Griffin. Thank you for your continued support.

Student Reporter Beat

nindita Dasgupta ’08, this year’s Alumnae Association student reporter, writes about the successful launch of the first Mount Holyoke Alumnae and Students of Color Conference 2007: Defining our Future, held on campus November 2-4.

If there was one thing that Mount Holyoke students took away from last weekend’s Alumnae and Students of Color Conference, it was that our older sisters went through a great deal for us to enjoy the safe space we have today.

The conference—the first of its kind—brought together a diverse group of nearly 150 alumnae and students. Keynote speakers included Ninotchka Rosca, founder of GABRIELA, the women’s rights organization of the Philippines, and former political prisoner under the Marcos regime; and Debra Martin Chase ’77, Emmy-nominated motion picture and television producer film producer, who received her honorary doctorate from Mount Holyoke in May 2007.

Events began Friday evening with a reception for Zowie Banteah ’96. A student at Mount Holyoke in the mid-’90s, Banteah spearheaded the effort to create a cultural space for Native American students on campus. On Saturday morning, she joined Linda Yu Bien ’75, Twila Perry ’75, and Krysia L. Villón ’96 for a panel discussion on the history of women of color at the college. Alumnae from classes spanning the generations told stories about a very different Mount Holyoke than the one we see today. More…

Reach Back: Alumnae to Student

aurie Soojian Woo ’78 is the winner of last month’s “Alumnae Advice” contest. Laurie wins a beautiful i-Pod touch—and the enduring gratitude of MHC students. More than 75 of you responded to our call for “the best advice you ever received as a student.” Your advice ranged from “live each day at MHC as if it were your last” to “take a course that totally intimidates you” to “find friends who support you, challenge you, and love you no matter what.” Career paths, academic majors, lasting bonds with professors, and smart studying tips were all discussed (we even received a tip about what to do with used textbooks). Check out your words of wisdom on the “MHC Students” section of our Web site.

Reach Out: Student to Alumna

Making News

Kavita Ramdas ’85, president of the Global Fund for Women and Mount Holyoke College trustee, was featured in the October 2007 issue of O: the Oprah Magazine, in the column “ A Million Ways to Save the World.” Interviewed by playwright Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues) about solutions to global issues, Radmas discussed the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. More…

Heide Gardner ’79 was recently featured in a press release on the Web site of ADCOLOR, a consortium of worldwide advertising associations. A senior vice president and chief diversity officer of the Interpublic Group, Gardner was made a “Change Agent” honoree by the organization. More…

Andrea Renner-Simon ’83 is the co-producer of More of Me, an original television comedy, starring Molly Shannon, about a working mother who “splits” into three different versions of herself.  The production will air on Lifetime! on Saturday, November 17, at 9 pm ET/PT.  View a trailer at YouTube or watch an interview with the director and cast online.

A new book by Gayle Stubbs McClung ’45, a collection of World War II letters between her husband, Bob McClung, and his family, was recently featured in a “reader’s theater” segment on WFCR Radio. Listen to the audiocast.

Cori’s Career Corner

n my last column I highlighted online resources for you to use when conducting research. Continuing this thread, I would like to draw your attention to a number of books that can help you plan for a career change. These publications can be found in most major research libraries, and are well known in the career field:

• Encyclopedia of Associations, Thomson/Gale Publishers. Lists all associations by field. International Associations version available as well.
• Directory of American Firms Operating in Foreign Countries, Uniworld Publishers
• Directory of Foreign Firms Operating in the U.S., Uniworld Publishers
• Job Hunters Sourcebook, Thomson/Gale Publishers. Highlights sources of job hunting information by profession or occupation.

In other news, I am pleased to invite you to join me for a new series of career mini-classes over lunch hour during the winter months. I will start this series in January and proceed through March. Topics will include job search strategy, marketing yourself, and behavioral interviewing. The classes will meet on the second Wednesday of each month from noon to 1 pm (January 9, February 13, and March 12). Classes will be conducted by teleconference, and include a presentation and discussion of the material. Please e-mail me at cashwort@mtholyoke.edu by November 30 to enroll.

I am happy to report that I had the opportunity to present at the 2007 European Alumnae Reunion/Symposium in Geneva in October. While in Europe I also presented a workshop in London for young alumnae. Future travels will include workshops in the Bay Area, Boston, Philadelphia, and several other locations, depending on my schedule (and yours).

Finally, if you would like some assistance with your career search, I am available for appointments on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons, with evening appointments on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings as well. Please call 413-538-2080 to schedule a time to meet. I look forward to seeing many of you over the coming months!

Alumnae Quarterly

Fall Alumnae Quarterly Quick Picks

Here are shortcuts to the “Learn More” items at the end of feature articles in the fall Alumnae Quarterly magazine. Haven’t received your fall issue yet? You can read any article from the current Quarterly online at your convenience.

Fellowships for Alumnae: For more on how to apply for the roughly $50,000 given annually by the Alumnae Association and Mount Holyoke College to fund alumnae projects, go to our Web site.

Coping with Panic Disorder: For a panic disorder self-test, visit The Ross Center. For additional resources, go to Anxiety Disorders Association of America.

What Everyone Should Know About… Globalization: For more resources about globalization and many other issues related to international politics, visit Professor Vincent Ferraro’s robust Web site.

Final Frontier: Starting to Talk about the End of Life: For a list of resources about death and dying, excerpts from an interview with filmmaker Camilla Rockwell ’72, a sample of hospice choir Noyana’s sounds, and more about the people featured in Rockwell’s documentary Holding Our Own, visit our Web site.

Mount Holyoke Club Contacts: For a list of Mount Holyoke alumnae clubs around the world, and contact information for each club’s leaders, visit the following web pages: U.S. Clubs or International Clubs.

Seeking Professional Alumnae Photographers

The Alumnae Quarterly seeks professional alumnae photographers for future photo essays in the magazine. We are particularly interested in learning of alumnae who are photographing subjects that are timely and internationally significant. (For example: is anyone shooting photos in Darfur? Afghanistan? Iraq?) We are also happy to consider work of other kinds.

To have your work considered, please send a brief e-mail describing the scope of your work, and a sample image or two, to Emily Weir.

I-Witness

his month’s “I-Witness” features a letter from Gwendolyn McGregor Scherer FP’95, a resident of Carlsbad, California, who writes this month with an account of the fires in San Diego County.

Carlsbad became one of the major centers for evacuees. Many camped out in mobile homes on the ocean.  Residents had to remain indoors as the air quality was very poor. The images of the smoke from the burning were spectacular and frightening. We could stand on our balcony and look from one end to the other to see what was burning, and where. The Santa Ana winds would blow the smoke our way and out over the ocean, and then the winds over the ocean would take the smoke and blow it back over towns, including those that were not in direct line of the fire. The winds also picked up the heat of the fire, so those without air-conditioning suffered, having to stay in closed, overly heated homes. Cars and streets were covered with ash and soot; we had to wear masks if we needed to go outside. However, the emergency plans put in effect by the government was orderly, and so many water donations came in that one news source reported it was possible literally to “float” out of the stadium on the amount of water received. More…

Online Class Notes

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

Genet Cunningham Jeanjean FP’97 writes, “My company, Boston Global Communications & Performance Inc is growing. This is a unique education company created to support busy managers and executives as they navigate the challenges of conducting business in English…”

Nicki Nicolo ’76 and Jill Oppenheim (Vassar 1988) are happy to announce their domestic partnership on November 9, 2006 in Multnomah County, Oregon. They currently reside in Portland, OR. Jill and Nicki had been dating for several years before moving in and registering…”

C. Leigh Purtill ’88 writes, “How to sum up 20 years? I’m afraid I’ve been remiss in keeping in touch with former classmates. So here goes… after getting my MS in Film Production from Boston University, I moved to NYC where I was a script supervisor on movies and commercials…”

Ariann Stern-Gottschalk ’92 and Haim Gottschalk are proud to announce the birth of a baby boy, Kalev Ephraim Gottschalk. He was born on October 8, 2007 in Phoenix, AZ, and weighed 5 lb., 11 oz. Kalev surprised us by being born at 37 weeks via c-section (a big surprise after big sister Sigal was born with just a midwife…”

Jillian Amaral ’94 and Patty McGeary are proud to announce the birth of a baby girl, Madailein Hart Amaral. “She was born on August 22, 2007 in Providence, RI @ Women & Infants, and weighed 7 lb., 12 oz.. We are thrilled at the arrival of our daughter after years of anticipation and planning…”

Kathleen Burke Laird ’95 and Rob Laird are proud to announce the birth of a baby boy, Brendan Robert. “He was born on July 6, 2007 in Leominster, MA, and weighed 9 lb., 8 oz.. This one was huge! Brendan joins his sisters Colleen, 4 and Evelyn, 2 who were a nice, smaller size for dear mommy and her delivery…”

Stephanie Trauner ’97 and Jason Coady are proud to announce the birth of a baby girl, Emma Grace Trauner-Coady. She was born on June 4, 2007 in Bryn Mawr, PA, and weighed 7 lb., 8 oz.. “Emma was born through a successful VBAC with the support of my midwives and a doula. Her birth was a wonderful experience…”

Stephanie Sydla ’98 and Kristian Ferguson are happy to announce their engagement. The wedding ceremony will take place on October 18, 2008 in Chantilly, Virginia.