The class of 1958 had a mini-reunion at Mount Holyoke on September 25-28. Although our numbers ebbed and flowed, a total of 19 members enjoyed the amenities of Willets Hallowell and dinner in
South Hadley. With the help of Danielle Lund, Rachel Osborn, (staff members) Diana Wood, Smudge Rosen, Joyce Bernstein and Betty Baker, we were able to enjoy a program of great variety and interest. We were able to sit in on classes which covered many fields of study including Literature, Psychology, Economics, Film, Climate Change, American, World and Latin American Politics, Biology, Immigration, Gender Studies, Music, Geology, Biology, and Logic Thought.

We participated in the Mount Holyoke Common Read by reading Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and attended an in-depth discussion with Lucas Wilson, associate professor of Africana studies and economics. Professor Wilson invited us to sit in on his class on Wednesday afternoon but Mountain Day cut short our time at MHC.

On Monday we enjoyed an introduction to the Archives with Leslie Fields, head of archives and special collections. We had access to our own folder which included information concerning our application to attend Mount Holyoke. On Monday evening we had dinner with four students (from Morocco, N.H., CO and PA) who were extremely outgoing and answered all our questions.  They informed us about how dining has changed at the college and will continue to do so when the expansion of Blanchard is completed. Eventually there will be no food offered in the dorms except milk and cookies, and maybe continental breakfast. We learned about the challenges they faced at Mount Holyoke and the many successes they experienced.

On Tuesday evening our guest for dinner was Marcella Runell Hall, vice president for student life and dean of student affairs. In particular she helped us understand the Mount Holyoke policies as they learn to accept students with varying kinds of sexual orientation. It was an eye opening discussion that helped us to understand the transition that many colleges are facing and Mount Holyoke as an all-women’s’ college is experiencing.

The college is as beautiful as we all remember.  Our mini-reunions are a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends and experience opportunities to visit classrooms in session, and to experience the atmosphere and the beauty of the college in 2016.