Fall 2005 Alumnae Quarterly Web Extra

“The Objects of My Affection: Pieces of MHC’s Past—What You’ve Kept, and Why”

By Faye Wolfe

We received more alumnae memories than the printed Quarterly could accommodate, so we share these additional memories here as a Web exclusive.

 

What a Mug!

The artifact mentioned most often was the mug that the Alumnae Association has been giving to first-year students for years. Abigail Wolff Mariani ’82 remembers finding one—with the old “MH logo in red, her class color—on her dresser when she arrived. Polly Cooper Montgomery ’73’s has a robin’s-egg-blue rim. Candice M. Hughes ’86 was so fond of hers that when it cracked, she bought a replacement during reunion. Several still use their mugs for morning coffee or an evening cup of tea—or as a pencil-holder. For Caroline Weissman Derrow ’88, it holds more than coffee; it also contains “funny memories of girls in pjs holding serious discussions about art and history and politics” over M&Cs. And, as Sheila Greene Gaudet ’90 wrote, “We were so young and full of ourselves. It’s hard to believe that [we got the mugs] in 1986 because that is now longer ago than how old we were at the time.”—by Faye Wolfe

Clothing Makes the Memories

As enduring as some memories are the various forms of apparel that alumnae took away from college. Jane Zippe Putscher ’87 writes, “I have plenty of MHC t-shirts and sweatshirts of various ages, including the sweatshirt from MacGregor my freshman year, although I cut out the neckband in true Flashdance style, so I don’t wear that a whole lot!” (She also still has a large plastic penguin that “decorated my room junior year when my roommate showed up with a pink flamingo.”) Kristin Borden Kraus ’92 has held onto her Junior Show and “Last of the ’shmen” t-shirts, while Ellen M. Gitelman ’80 still has a pair of MHC gym shorts, kept “to remember how thin I was in college.”—by Faye Wolfe

More Alumnae Memories

(and expanded versions of some featured in the printed magazine)

Renee Scialom Cary ’48

I have the pen that took me through all my MH exams (1944-48)! Also I might add, my high school exams. I bought the Parker 51 when I was in high school, probably 1942. After its initial success with my first exam, I became superstitious and it was the only pen I used from then on (of course there were no throw-away pens in those days), taking me all through Mount Holyoke and my first jobs. I don’t believe we ever failed an exam! Years later, my daughter also used it when she had “special” exams, and recently I offered it to my grandson who explained to me that nowadays, they do all their work on a computer!

Ellen M. Gitelman ’80

MHC Artifacts: I have four. One is a small MHC glass that my elf gave to me freshman year. I have no idea why I have kept it in my permanent collection, but it’s useful for parties for things like holding toothpicks and dips. Another is an MHC beer mug. Again, I have no idea why I keep it other than I don’t like to throw things away that required so much energy to make. The third is a pair of MHC gym shorts: clearly, I keep those to remember how thin I was in college. Fourth is an MHC polo shirt; I just can’t seem to part with it because it seems like it’s worth something. I keep thinking that I could perhaps sell it on eBay one day.

Jessica Pollchik Madsen ’92

I have two pieces of MHC memorabilia (that I know of) in my home. I have kept my mug (from the alumnae club) all these years. It has yet to break. It’s served as a true mug, a pencil holder, and other odds and ends over the years, but it is still special to me. I think that it is the first Mount Holyoke related thing I ever got and it reminds me of the transition from high school to being on my own and in college. The second thing I’ve kept is a small tin of pins. I must have hung everything in my dorm room on these little ball-headed pins! The pins don’t get much use now––although my daughter (age four) discovered them a year or so back and used them to decorate her bean bags (boy did I watch like a hawk as she did that! I didn’t want any of those pins to go astray and poke us!). Every now and then I rediscover the tin and remember life and friends from college. Come to think of it, in the tin is a little piece of paper with a rose stamped on it. My best friend at MHC used that as her signature when she was a big sister! Ah, the memories! Perhaps that’s why we keep these little mementos...they remind us of times that were and who we used to be.

Jennie M. Balise ’86

Ever since freshman year, I have kept the key to my first closet (Safford Hall, room 210). The key broke in the lock, and I kept the part that attached to my key ring. It’s been my good luck charm ever since.

Jamie L. Nelson ’95

My “elfee” left a drawing for me in response to my elfing gifts. She was an exchange student from the Czech Republic, not your typical first-year student, who made wonderful, creative, paper-based art for me—very intricate, time-consuming items. The drawing, “Bird Island,” I still have; it’s framed and hanging in my living room.Sheila Greene Gaudet ’90I have a framed print that [art professor Leonard] De Longa gave us at graduation. Though I never took one of his classes, he was such a mainstay of campus, and how kind he was to do that for all of us as a surprise. The faculty felt like extended family and were responsible for all types of kindness from tea and homemade bread at their homes to letting us borrow their dogs when we were homesick. Mount Holyoke faculty and staff are unique in their caring interest toward students.

Elizabeth Leslie Bagley ’83

Since 1987, I have treasured the blue and white Wedgwood MHC bowl that was a wedding gift from best friends in the classes of ’82 and ’83. It depicts the original Seminary building and has President Kennan’s signature. Currently it is propped against my collection of autographed children’s picture books in my office at Georgia State University Library. Wherever I have moved in the years since I left South Hadley—a large number of moves and places—the bowl was carefully packed and unpacked to grace my home or office. It’s an attractive recruiting tool, in addition to being a sentimental reminder of great friendships, happy memories, and the solid underpinning for later life that Mount Holyoke gave me.

Candice M. Hughes ’86

Does a photograph count as an artifact? I keep a photograph of the waterfall by Ham Hall (taken on a clear blue fall day) next to my bed. I find that it’s a happy and peaceful image that is calming at the end of a hectic day. Next to it is a photo of myself with two good friends taken when we were dressed to kill for an MHC party. Until a few years ago, I had the Alumnae Association mug that I was given during my first few days at MHC. Sadly, the mug finally cracked and had to be thrown away. However, at my next reunion, I purchased a substitute MHC mug from the bookstore and now use that to drink my evening tea.

Kristin Borden Kraus ’92

I graduated nearly 13 years ago and still have lots of mementos. It’s almost more a question of what do I not have. I have the mug from the Alumnae Association when I was a freshman, but my plant from the green house died early on. I also have plastic cups from Junior Show, the water polo club, and maybe a Mead party, and my Junior Show t-shirt, and, I think, my class of ’92 t-shirt, “Last of the ‘shmen.” Along other lines, I still have a book from my English Lit course on early America (though I was just thinking of donating it to the local library). I can come up with other things that I still have that aren’t specifically related to the college, but were with me there: the plastic soap container that I used in the bathroom—it is really sturdy—and the bathrobe that I used in college, also good quality. And then there is my trusty L.L. Bean checked sweater that it seemed we all had. Boy, this reminiscing makes me realize I need to clean out my closets. And I suspect if I went to my folks’ house, I’d probably find a few more things.

Jane Zippe Putscher ’87

I still have the rubbery plastic keychain with the old MHC symbol, the H within the M, in navy blue on bright yellow—my class color—and I use it every day on my key ring. It’s really easy to find in a crowded purse or gym bag, and (this may sound gross) if I am short of hands, I can hold it in my teeth without hurting them! I have plenty of MHC t-shirts and sweatshirts of various ages, including the sweatshirt from McGregor my freshman year, although I will admit I cut out the neckband in true Flashdance style, so I don’t wear it a whole lot. And I still have the large plastic penguin, bought in Amherst, which decorated my room junior year when my roommate showed up with a pink flamingo. How’s that for an eclectic collection? I have added new stuff to it every time I get a chance to visit campus. My daughters and husband all proudly wear MHC clothing; my husband loves it when people ask if he went there.

Jamie Nelson ’95

I have at least one “artifact” from my elfee, Pavla. It is a drawing she left for me in response to the elfing gifts. Pavla was an exchange student from the Czech Republic, if I remember right. She was not your typical first-year student and was not at MHC for the entire four years. She made wonderful, creative, paper-based art for me—very intricate, time-consuming items that I had kept from 1992 until last March, when my parents moved from their house in Seattle and I cleaned out my college-era bedroom. I know for sure I kept the one drawing, titled “Bird Island,” because it’s been with me through every move since MHC and is framed and hanging in my living room in Rock Island, Illinois. I transferred from Mount Holyoke at the semester break that year. The college was not a good fit for me at the time, but I’m happy to say that I found out today that a colleague’s daughter will enroll at MHC this fall. I’ve been encouraging this and am very happy that she chose MHC. For me, this drawing from my elfee is a touchstone of my time there, and the fact that Pavla and I connected, both in passing on or back to other places, makes it all the more special to me.

Nemata Blyden ’87

I have a broken sesquicentennial watch that I bought while a junior or senior in college. The face came off, and it has not worked for years. It probably worked for only about a year. The other day I noticed it was still in my jewelry box; I don’t know why I kept it. I also have a pair of round Mount Holyoke earrings made out of laminated paper; I must have made those during my senior year. I suppose it is the nostalgia of it all that makes me hang on to these items. Oh, and of course I still have my junior-show sweatshirt—garishly yellow—our theme was the “Yellow Brick Road.” Somewhere I also have the program. And I still have the shirts we made during the anti-apartheid movement on campus. You might not want to print this, but I still have the shirts we made at Pearsons Hall during my junior year (1986), which made reference to Liz Kennan and Michael Burns, at that time not yet married. I wish I could remember the exact phrasing on the shirt, but it had to do with Pearson “burning”. We who lived in Pearsons that year were proud to take credit for the couple getting married soon after.

Irene Spidalieri LoDolce ’84

Even though its lid has broken off at the hinges, a Halcyon enameled box depicting Mt. Holyoke many years ago still rests on my dresser. It was given to me by MHC alum Teresa Bulman ’73 in London during my junior year abroad. She was working there as a corporate lawyer at the time, and when I needed a place to stay after my program ended in June, she graciously gave me the guest room in Red Cottage, her rental in Notting Hill. We had many conversations about MHC, family, work, and more. A role model, mentor, and friend, Theresa’s energy, intelligence, and generosity were inspiring. Whenever I look at the quaint ladies delicately drawn on the box, I feel a sense of belonging and respect for MHC’ s tradition.

Margaret J. Wheeler ’67

I was in class choirs my freshman and sophomore years and in the Glee Club as a junior and senior. I still treasure the record the Glee Club made of our Christmas concert in 1966. I was in the small group that alternated with the entire chorus on “Jacques, come here,” and I love hearing it. We also did “Ceremony of Carols,” with Linda Torlai [Stauffer ’68]’s mother playing the harp, as well as some wonderful Brahms and Kodaly—it’s just a great album! I get it out and listen to it every Christmas. It sets the tone for the season. I remember how excited I was, as a girl from Arizona, to sing in our New York City performance at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. If my place were on fire, that album is one of the first things I would save. Also, I was on the college’s GE College Bowl team that appeared on TV three times in 1966. We stayed at the Warwick Hotel in NYC, and I still have the hotel receipt. Also, I still have my Freshman English theme box. I could go on and on, but you get the idea—I think I could provide a fruitful repository for future archivists.

Polly Cooper Montgomery ’73

Coffee sips well from my 30-year-old Mount Holyoke mug. The smooth diner-thick rim with its Mount Holyoke blue stripe feels good to my lips. The white handle fits my pointer finger just right as my other fingers curl around the outside. The college crest decorates one side of the mug, and as I look at the symbols and the surrounding words, I am aware that I don’t know the significance of the palm trees and the buildings depicted in MHC blue; however, I love that robin’s egg blue set against the shiny cream china. The mug is small, so I don’t often use it. It sits on the mug shelf among the other personalities gathered from travels and special occasions. Usually, I prefer hefty mugs that hold lots of coffee, but sometimes I reach for this one out of nostalgia. It’s worth the reach for refills. Besides, coffee is always best out of real china molded with a thick lip. I am not sure when I started savoring coffee; it was after college. At MHC I only drank coffee after dinner when I felt like lingering to watch the seniors float their cream onto the surface. The trick was to add sugar to the coffee, stir well, and then slowly pour the cream (real in those days) over the inverted bowl of the spoon onto the still, black surface. An early cream latte of sorts. When we had Gracious Living, we sipped coffee from demitasse in the parlor. That coffee was always special because of the setting and conversation with professors. One of the final vestiges of elegance in the ’70’s. I’ve kept the mug because its shape is so pleasing and because it is a reminder of my dormitory days at Mount Holyoke—those cozy chats sitting on beds hugging a mug of hot tea while it snowed outside. Now it is May, and I sit at my computer sipping black Columbian coffee watching spring emerge outside my Wisconsin window, recalling the apple blossoms around exam time and how we sunned ourselves on Skinner Green. I cradle my mug in both hands and sip the memories that surface as I muse about the friends, the “first times,” and the what-could-have-beens.

Rachel Happe Gravengaard ’93
I have some very dear artifacts with a neat story. My father was a minister in Cambridge, MA, for over twenty years as I was growing up and he made a point to encourage me to build relationships with the older members of the congregation. After school on Wednesdays I used to go to the women’s fellowship group which was mostly women in their 60s and 70s who made crafts and did charity work. Some of the older women really adored me and I, of course, loved the attention. Many of these women had gone to Radcliffe, Wellesley, Mount Holyoke, etc. back in the ’30s and ’40s or were spouses of local professors. From my freshman year in high school, my father started lobbying for me to go to Mount Holyoke––partly because he so admired some of the older women in the church. My senior year when I got in and accepted, the late Mary Nash Squier Gates ’36 gave me her old college notebook and her songbook, which I still treasure. There are some great old songs in the book as well as favorites like ‘The Goodnight Song.’ Mary was a wonderful woman who had a graduate nursing degree from Yale, was married to a doctor, and raised three children. Until she recently passed away, she had a needlepoint Mount Holyoke pillow on her couch. Once I started at Mount Holyoke, every time I had a birthday or Christmas, she would give me a Wedgwood Mount Holyoke plate. Her mother had given them to her this way while she was in college. A number of years after I graduated and she moved into a senior community, she gave me the rest of her set (except for some cups and saucers on which she always served me tea when I visited!). The set wasn’t quite complete—I think I had ten dinner plates, four bread plates, and twelve cups and saucers. Thanks to technology, I rounded out part of the collection on eBay. Using the plates reminds me of wonderful memories of Mary and bonds me to both the college and its history. It’s a good thing I like to eat because I’m a horrible singer so the song book she gave to me hasn’t been used all that much over the years! The china set is particularly special to me since she had her own family and could have easily passed her collection down to them (although her daughter did not attend MHC) but she choose to make me the custodian of the set for a while.Caroline Weissman Derrow ’88I still drink my morning coffee out of my MHC mug—the one that was issued to me in September of 1984 for M&Cs. At first I kept it because I didn’t have any other vessel from which to serve a liquid… but now I like holding onto the thought of milk and cookies at night and all the funny memories of girls in pjs holding serious discussions about art and history and politics. Sometimes I like owning it the way you like having anything familiar and comforting, but other times it is almost like a badge I’ve earned, and a small reminder to continue to be deserving of the title “uncommon woman.”

Kristen M. Scheyder ’92
Although I actually have quite a few mementos from MHC around the house, my two most treasured items stem from my earliest interactions with College. The first is actually a heart-shaped crystal box that was given to me by the MHC Club of Monmouth/Ocean County in New Jersey at a picnic they gave during the Spring/Summer of 1988 for high school students who had been accepted and were deciding whether or not to actually attend MHC. That small box sits on my dresser as a warm reminder of the gracious welcome that the women of Mount Holyoke gave me that day, as well as the moment when I first knew I truly wanted to be and actually was part of the MHC Community. The second treasured memento that I have is the mug that the Alumnae Association gave freshman (oops, I mean “first-years”) during our first days at MHC. I love that mug because it reminds me of those first heady days at MHC, the beauty of the campus, my first time living away from home, and all the special friendships I made that year. I addition, I love it because it has the old MHC logo on it, which I still like ever so much better than the current symbol the College uses.

Carol Van Belle Allard ’85

I have many MHC artifacts. I have my college ring, which I wear almost every day. I have my MHC senior t-shirt and class of ’85 long-sleeved shirt that I wear occasionally to MHC outings. I also have two plates that areproudly displayed in my kitchen; one has a picture of Mary Lyon and one ofone of the campus buildings. These I spent a lot of time scouring eBay for and was lucky enough to acquire.