Back to Class 2010
Eleven of us returned to campus for a Mini Reunion. Can you identify us? (Names below)
CLOCKWISE: Charlotte Barton Sornborger, Anne (Anzie) Ensworth Whitney, Bobbi Bohman Travis, Bonnie Machson Cohen, Joyce Klein Bernstein, Joan (Smudge)Heyman Rosen, Muffie Taylor Siefert, Carolyn Czaja Topor, Judy (Misty) Turino Gideonese, Ellen Boles Olson, Di Marston Wood
Class of 1958 Mini-Reunion Sept. 20-22, 2010
Eleven classmates and one brave husband gathered in South Hadley for a 1958 mini-reunion in late September to attend intellectually stimulating classes with students, visit with our classmates and see the newly opened Joanne V. Creighton Dormitory.
Planned by Ellen Boles Olsen, Joyce Bernstein Klein, Bobbi Bohman Travis and Joan (Smudge) Heyman Rosen, the Reunion was all we hoped it would be and more. We stayed at Willits-Hallowell, where we enjoyed breakfast and two delicious lunches in a private dining room (PDR). Dinners were served in a PDR at Blanchard Campus Center with salad courses, a variety of delicious main course choices, yummy chocolate cake for dessert and a choice of red or white wine. We were all grateful we did not have to go through the cafeteria lines!
In addition to a choice of several interesting classes, the group toured the ‘certified green’ Creighton dorm plus a wonderful tour of the Art museum with both its permanent and special exhibits.
The campus was glorious as always; sparkling under the cool, crisp September MHC blue sky. And, the campus was a-buzz with preparations for the Inauguration of Lynn Pasquerella as the 18th President of Mt. Holyoke College on Friday, September 24, 2010. A number of our classmates were in attendance, though none of us was able to stay for the event.
From all the talk on campus, everyone is very excited and most enthusiastic about Lynn and the future of the College under her stewardship. Due to her inaugural schedule, she was not able to meet with us, but we all look forward to having that opportunity the next time we¹re on campus.
We attended one or more of the following classes arranged for by Joyce.
Gender Politics
The intersections among gender, race, class, and sexuality in various contexts, past and present. Politics of appearance, women’s economic status, sexual violence, racism, legacies of colonialism, the challenges of transnational feminist activism, and strategies for change
U.S. and Iran
America’s relationship with Iran from the end of World War II to the present. America’s close ties to the Shah and the political, social, and economic causes of the Iranian revolution, with emphasis on the role of Shi’ite Islam.
Environmental Science
The “scientific method,” and problem solving. drawn from a variety of scientific fields including ecology, hydrology, chemistry, geology, and biology with an emphasis on ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles.
Fictional History
Historical Truth and Imaginative Invention in the Latin American Novel
American Foreign Policy Since 1898
Emergence of the United States as a global power, its role in World Wars I and II, its conduct and interests in the cold war, and its possible objectives in a post-cold war world. Relationship between domestic interests and foreign policy, the role of nuclear weapons in determining policy, and the special difficulties in implementing a democratic foreign policy
World Politics
Conflict and cooperation in world politics. Balance of power, imperialism, collective security, deterrence, and interdependence–with historical examples ranging from the Peloponnesian War to the post-cold war world. Analyzes the emerging world order.
‘We Did Not Star the Fire’ (American History Since 1945)
America emerged from World War II as the most powerful nation on earth. Political, cultural, and social life of Americans, the birth of the national security state, cold war at home and abroad, popular culture and the consumer society of the fifties, political conflict and cultural rebellion of the sixties, the civil rights struggle, and the decline of the American empire.
English 101: Medical Narratives (Seminar in Reading, Writing, and Reasoning For Freshmen at the start of their college career)
A study of writing by and about physicians, patients, and the communities and cultures that shape their stories. (Sections of English 101 differ in specific content). Develop the skills of careful reading,effective writing and speaking essential to the liberal arts and sciences. Learn to ask critical questions, formulate answers, and frame persuasive arguments.
Women and Gender
A multicultural analysis of women’s lives around the world emphasizing the diversity of women’s experience across ethnicity, social class, and sexuality, this course examines existing psychological theory and research on women
After dinner on the second evening, the group discussed our experiences and came to a unanimous conclusion this should be an annual offering for our classmates. We said all of us who attended the first mini-reunion would plan to return and each of us would encourage at least one other classmate to join us. The cost for two nights at Willets, including breakfast and lunch, was a modest $139 per person with the dinner costing about $25 per person including wine.
We are all part of this wonderful place, as it is part of us. Our Mount Holyoke connections are unique and have enriched our lives. It was a joy to see old friends and to be present at our College in 2010 in the way today¹s students are part of the MHC experience. We wholeheartedly encourage you to partake of this opportunity in the future. Attendees at our first on-campus ‘mini’ reunion were:
Bonnie Machson Cohen
Judy (Misty) Turino Gideonse
Joyce Bernstein Klein
Ellen Boles Olson and husband Dave Olson
Joan Heyman Rosen
Marcia (Muffie) Taylor Seifert
Charlotte Barton Sornborger
Carolyn Czaja Topor
Bobbi BohmanTravis
Anne Ensworth Whitney
Diana (Di) Marston Wood
The announcement of dates for next year¹s mini-reunion should be available in Class President Di Woods¹ annual class letter after the first of the year. So, you have plenty of time to plan to:
COME BACK TO MHC AND RENEW THE MAGIC!