Thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual meeting, and a special shout-out to our panelists Jessica Fajardo ’12 and Mamle Quarmyne ’03, as well as our moderator Katie Wynen ’05. Save the date for the next meeting in June 2025!

Happy July, NorCal alums! This month marks the beginning of a new fiscal year for the club, so we’d greatly appreciate if you could do the following:

• Pay your dues for the 2024-2025 fiscal year
• Take our member survey (<5 minutes)
• Learn about the incoming board and open positions
• Read our updated mission statement and dues information
• Check out our annual meeting presentation

Please note that our website through the Alum Association will be sunsetted by August 1, 2024, which means that any links starting with new.alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/norcal will no longer work. We appreciate your patience as we transition to a new hosting provider!

Upcoming Club Events

MHC NorCal Book Club: The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin

Join your fellow alums in reading, discussing, and learning about books by authors of color over Zoom. Check out what the book club’s previously read here, and email Hannah with any suggestions!

When: Jul 24, 2024 7:00 PM PDT

Where: Register on Zoom

Contact: Hannah Lynn Fairbanks ’03

Let’s Get Crafty!

Knitting, crocheting, whatever craft floats your boat and is portable. Light refreshments included. Being MHC alums, we’ll connect by talking about ideas, politics, patterns, and whatever else is on our minds. This event is hosted at the home of Catherine Dunford in San Francisco.

When: Aug 3, 2024 3:00 PM PDT

Where: RSVP for address

Contact: Catherine Dunford ’79

Club Updates

Stay Connected

• Join our Facebook page (public) and Facebook Group (alums only)
• Follow us on Instagram (public), and tag your photos from our events with #mhcnorcal
• Connect with our growing professional network on LinkedIn (alums only)
• Bookmark our website
• Check out our upcoming events
• Learn about the Board and peruse the position descriptions if you’re interested in joining
• Fill out the Member Event form if you’d like to lead an ad hoc event
• Fill out the Available Space form if you’re able to offer a space for the Club to hold an event
• Email us if you’d like to volunteer with the Club or share feedback
• Make sure your Alum Directory information is accurate, and update as needed by following these instructions

Please note that the Club does not control the newsletter email list, so if you’d like to unsubscribe, you’ll need to update your email preferences in the Alum Directory. For your convenience, we have compiled step-by-step instructions.

One year ago, we gathered for our 2023 annual meeting.

Happy June, NorCal alums! The end of our club fiscal year means it’s time for our Annual Meeting. We had a great time in 2023 as we had not met in person since 2019. We look forward to you joining us on June 8, 2024 in Downtown Oakland. Event details are included below.

Upcoming Club Events

Photo by via Bay Area Book Festival.

TOMORROW: Book Club @ the Bay Area Book Festival

The MHC NorCal Book Club will meet at Freight & Salvage on Sunday, June 2, at 10:30 am for “National Book Critics Circle Superstars of Fiction” (moderated by Jane Ciabattari) with Tommy Orange, Amy Tan, Jonathan Lethem. The panel starts at 11, but it will be popular. Afterwards, the book club will wander, get a bite to eat, and then take in “Immigration Narratives: Expansive Genres, Identities with Faith Adiele, Bill Hing, Tessa Hulls, Lauren Markham” (moderated by Tasneem Raja) at 1:45 pm outside at the Fountain Stage. Join us!

When: Jun 2, 2024 10:30 AM PDT

Where: Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St, Berkeley, CA 94704

Contact: Hannah Lynn Fairbanks ’03

MHC NorCal Club Annual Meeting

Join us to learn more about the club, hear from alums about their journeys post-MHC, connect with other Mount Holyoke community members, and more! Light refreshments, including both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, will be provided. All alums and students in the area are encouraged to attend, regardless of club affiliation. Guests are also welcome; just update your ticket quantity accordingly when registering. 

We’ll be meeting at Oakstop, which is located by the 19th St BART station. Street parking is limited, though there are several paid garages nearby. Please email us at mountholyoke@gmail.com if you’re interested in carpooling! (While we can’t guarantee a ride, we can help connect you with others coming from the same area.)

When: Jun 8, 2024 2:00 PM PDT (doors open at 1:30 PM)

Where: Oakstop, Manning Suite, 1721 Broadway #201, Oakland, CA 94612, US

Contact: mountholyoke@gmail.com 

RSVP: new.alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/norcal/annual24 

MHC NorCal Book Club: I Wish We Weren’t Related by Radhika Sanghani

Join your fellow alums in reading, discussing, and learning about books by BIPOC authors. Have a book you’d like to read with the club? Email Hannah Lynn Fairbanks ’03 with suggestions!

When: ​Jun 26, 2024 7:00 PM PDT

Where: Register on Zoom

Contact: Hannah Lynn Fairbanks ’03 

RSVP: new.alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/norcal/vbc

Club Updates

Interested in getting more involved with the Club? We currently have several openings! Please peruse the board descriptions (open positions highlighted) and reach out to us by email. We’re always looking for fresh perspectives and new ideas, and we look forward to hearing from you!

Image by Maicon Fonseca Zanco, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Are you able to host an event at your home? Fill out this Google Form, and we’ll reach out if we have an event that could utilize your space!

Stay Connected

Connect with the Club on one or more forms of social media:

• Join our Facebook page (open to all) and Facebook Group (alums only)
  Follow us on Instagram and tag your photos from our events with #mhcnorcal

• Connect with our growing professional network on LinkedIn

Other actions you can take:

• Bookmark our website

• Fill out this Google Form if you have an event idea

• Fill out this Google Form if you’re able to host an event at your home and we’ll reach out if we have an event that could utilize your space

• Check out our upcoming events and subscribe to our calendar with Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365, or Outlook Live

• Email us if you’d like to get further involved with the Club or share feedback

• Meet the Board and peruse the descriptions of open board positions (highlighted)

• Make sure your contact information in the Alum Directory is accurate and update if necessary by following these instructions

Please note that the Club does not control the newsletter email list, so if you’d like to unsubscribe, you’ll need to update your email preferences in the Alum Directory. For your convenience, we have step-by-step instructions available here.

Photo by Adrianne Wu ’21.

Happy May, NorCal Alums! We’re gearing up for our Annual Meeting in June, and we’d like your help. Do you have a San Francisco or East Bay space we can use on Saturday, June 8? Or do you know any enthusiastic, NorCal-based alums who can join us as speakers for our upcoming annual meeting? If you do, reach out to us at mountholyoke@gmail.com!

We also have a special request from a spring admit in San Jose who’s interested in meeting with alums to get further connected with the MHC community before arriving on campus in January. She’d also like to network to find what possibilities are in the NorCal area: internships, short-term employment, etc. Please email us at mountholyoke@gmail.com if you’re interested in connecting with her!

Upcoming Club Events

MHC NorCal Book Club

Join us for reading, learning, and community as we discuss books by BIPOC authors. Have a book you’d like to read with the Club? We welcome suggestions for future meetings!

When: May 22, 2024 7:00 PM PDT
Where: Zoom
Contact: hannah.lynn.fairbanks@gmail.com 
RSVP: Register here

Save the Date: Bay Area Book Festival

The 10th Anniversary festival will take place on June 1 & 2, 2024 in Downtown Berkeley. Admission is free, with optional ticketed evening events.

Click here for more about the event.

When: June 1 or 2, 2024
Where: Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center Building
Contact: hannah.lynn.fairbanks@gmail.com 

Club Updates

Photo by Susan Tom ’98.

Message from NorCal and Pen Club Presidents

Hello Bay Area alums!

As the presidents of the Mount Holyoke Alum Clubs of the Peninsula and Northern California, we are delighted to invite you to the “Welcome to the Bay” group on The Gates.

It is our hope that this space will enable us to engage with and support one another as a community just as we did as undergraduates! You’ll see a number of suggested topic areas on the forum, but please don’t feel constrained.

We’d love to hear from you with whatever you’d like to share or any questions you might have.

Kind regards,

Katie Wynen ’05 (NorCal) & Lisa Weissman ’84 (Peninsula)

Interested in getting more involved with the Club? We’re currently seeking a Communications Co-chair, a Vice President, and ​​an External Relationships Liaison! Please peruse the board descriptions (open positions highlighted) and reach out to us by email. We’re always looking for fresh perspectives and new ideas, and we look forward to hearing from you!

Image by Maicon Fonseca Zanco via Wikimedia Commons.

Stay Connected

Connect with the Club on one or more forms of social media:

• Join our Facebook page (open to all) and Facebook Group (alums only)
  Follow us on Instagram and tag your photos from our events with #mhcnorcal
• Connect with our growing professional network on LinkedIn

Other actions you can take:

• Bookmark our website
• Fill out this Google Form if you have an event idea
• Fill out this Google Form if you’re able to host an event at your home and we’ll reach out if we have an event that could utilize your space
• Check out our upcoming events and subscribe to our calendar with Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365, or Outlook Live
• Email us if you’d like to get further involved with the Club or share feedback
• Meet the Board and peruse the descriptions of open board positions (highlighted)
• Make sure your contact information in the Alum Directory is accurate and update if necessary by following these instructions

Please note that the Club does not control the newsletter email list, so if you’d like to unsubscribe, you’ll need to update your email preferences in the Alum Directory. For your convenience, we have step-by-step instructions available here.

Photo by Dr. James Yan (proud MHC spouse of Pearl Wu ’87 and dad of Victoria Yan ’18).

Happy April, NorCal Alums! This is the time of year when high school students have heard back from colleges and are deciding where they’ll matriculate. Also this month, current MHC students will celebrate the springtime tradition of Pangy Day, where the campus will “erupt in a flurry of festivity, energy and enthusiasm after a New England winter”. We’re celebrating both of these exciting occasions at our admitted students’ social on April 13th in San Francisco, and while we won’t have a ritual maypole, we will be offering food, fun, and festivities! Read more below.

Upcoming Events

Graphic by WE Design Studios.

Pangy Day Admitted Students Social

We’re excited to welcome all the new Blue Lions (MHC class of 2028) to the vibrant Mount Holyoke community! Join us in San Francisco on Saturday, April 13, from 3:00 – 5:00 pm to congratulate and offer advice to newly accepted students from around the Bay Area. All class years welcome—recent alums and current students are particularly encouraged to attend and share their experiences.

Click here for more about the event.
When: Apr 13, 2024 3:00 PM PDT
Where: Home of Liz Kind, San Francisco
Contact: hannahgroce@gmail.com, wu26t@mtholyoke.edu 
RSVP: Register here

MHC Virtual Book Club: Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera Garza

“Part memoir, part true-crime story, Garza’s chronicle is both personal and political.”–The Washington Post

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, Time, Chicago Public Library, She Reads, Electric Lit. 

Virtual book club meetings happen at 7:00 pm PT on the fourth Wednesday of the month and are open to all alums. You may be able to use the Libby app to check out an ebook/audiobook of this month’s pick from your local library.

Click here for more about the event.
When: ​ Apr 24, 2024 7:00 PM PDT
Where: Zoom
Contact: hannah.lynn.fairbanks@gmail.com 
RSVP: Register here

Happy March, NorCal Alums! Thanks to everyone who showed up for our Cal Women’s Gymnastics Event or Mary Lyon Tea to kick off Women’s History Month. You can check out our upcoming events at any time on our website, and subscribe to our calendar with Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365, or Outlook Live. We hope you like the new look of our club logo and our newsletter! 

Upcoming Club Events

MHC Virtual Book Club: The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff. “A radically feel-good story about the murder of no-good husbands by a cast of unsinkable women.”–The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice).

When: Wednesday, March 24, 2024; 7:00-8:00 pm PT
Where: Join us and register for the event on Zoom.
Cost: Free. This event is open to all alums.
Point person: Hannah Fairbanks ’03. Please note that virtual book club meetings will happen on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 7:00p PST.

Join us in April for a free presentation from Climate Reality Projet’s Bay Area Chapter. DATE – TBD

This presentation is to help homeowners take advantage of local, state, and federal programs if they want to lower their homes’ carbon footprints through electrification. There are incentives for everything from induction cooktops to electric heat pumps and home backup energy systems.

Upcoming College Events 

Join Barbara Smith ’69 as she reflects on her time shaping the Combahee River Collective and co-authoring the Combahee River Collective Statement. Smith will also discuss the statement’s relevance to today’s issues, as well as the skills she developed at Mount Holyoke that helped her contribute to building Black feminism. This event is sponsored by the Office of the President & Department of Critical Race & Political Economy and will be livestreamed over Zoom on Wednesday, March 13, at 2:00 pm Pacific Time.

Click here to register for the livestream.

Students—perhaps members of the Suffrage League—wear “Votes for Women ” sashes and march through campus playing instruments. Photo via the Alum Association.

Election Day is coming up soon! Those of you who are registered to vote by mail should have received your ballot already, so remember to return your ballot by 8 pm on March 5 or have it postmarked on or before Election Day! The state of California has a voter’s bill of rights available in multiple languages, so make sure you and everyone you know is aware of what rights you have as a voter. 

Club Updates

Interested in getting more involved with the Club? We’re currently seeking a Vice President, a Communications Chair, an Alum Admissions Representative, and ​​an External Relationships Liaisons! Please peruse the board descriptions and reach out to us by email. We’re always looking for fresh perspectives, new ideas, and look forward to hearing from you.

Interested in hosting an event at your home? Fill out this Google Form, and we’ll reach out if we have an event that could utilize your space!

We’re moving away from Eventbrite and now using Open Collective for dues payments and events. You can make a one-time contribution of any amount, set up a recurring yearly contribution (recent alum / general), or become a Lifetime Member and never pay dues again! You do not need an account to make a one-time donation (read more about guest contributions), and you may keep your contribution anonymous by leaving the name field empty when donating. Your dues payment helps keep our all-volunteer led Club afloat and allows us to continue to host an incredible and diverse slate of events every year.

Click here to pay your dues.

The Mount Holyoke Club of Northern California is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your contributions to the Club may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law and may qualify for your employer’s corporate matching program.

Stay Connected

Connect with the Club on one or more forms of social media:

• Join our Facebook page (open to all) and Facebook Group (alums only)
• Follow us on Instagram and tag your photos from our events with #mhcnorcal
• Connect with our growing professional network on LinkedIn

Other actions you can take:

• Bookmark our website
• Fill out this Google Form if you have an event idea
• Fill out this Google Form if you’re interested in hosting an event at your home and we’ll reach out if we have an event that could utilize your space
• Check out our upcoming events and subscribe to our calendar with Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365, or Outlook Live
• Email us if you’d like to get further involved with the Club or share feedback
• Meet the Board and peruse the descriptions of open board positions (highlighted)
• Make sure your contact information in the Alum Directory is accurate and update if necessary by following these instructions

Please note that the Club does not control the newsletter email list, so if you’d like to unsubscribe, you’ll need to update your email preferences in the Alum Directory. For your convenience, we have step-by-step instructions available here.