After your hear the bells of your cell phone notification for Mountain day gather with us at the 18:63 hour to remember Mountain days past. We are gathering in Palo Alto, San Jose and Monterey. Check the Alumnae site for Mountain Day reunions for exact locations near you.
We will also be posting a hike too, watch for it here or on Facebook.
Look for your invite to meet and share with prospective students for Mount Holyoke College.
Founder’s Day Ice Cream Social – Prospective Students
Celebrate the founding of Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in November 1837 by the visionary and dedicated Mary Lyon. A most beloved Mount Holyoke tradition is to gather over ice cream to honor Mary Lyon and the founding of our alma mater. Please join fellow alumnae and prospective Mount Holyoke students for conversation and refreshing treats. Be sure to bring your favorite stories about life at the College, though as the interested students will be most interested in what Mount Holyoke is like now, it would be great to have several of our newest alumnae come tell their stories.
Also, if you know of any high school girls in 10th through 12th grade who may be interested in applying to MHC, please invite them to this event!
Contact Eliz Adem, adem22e@mtholyoke.edu, to RSVP and get location of Lassie’s home.
Hello All!
First and foremost, if you have not done so, I highly encourage you to join the alumnae Facebook group for the Mount Holyoke Club of the Peninsula for updates on events, quick meet ups, or if you would like to see what we’ve been up to.
Summer is flying by and fall is steadily approaching! We are excited to have the newest members of the MHC family, the Class of 2021, from the Bay Area to be soon heading out to Mount Holyoke in the next month! Our traditional send-off party, Fog to Foliage, will be a wonderful opportunity to connect with the new students as well as meet their parents and show the support network they have back home.
We also have other traditions coming up this fall such as the young alumnae fall/cider party and, of course, our ice cream social for Mountain Day! We look forward to welcoming fall with you and hope to see you all at our events. Please visit here to keep reading the club‘s August newsletter.
Cheers,
Kirsten (Kiri) Petersen ’12
peter20k@mholyoke.edu
Join us at Sunday, December 13 at 2 pm
The Mount Holyoke Club of the Peninsula and Lisa Piniella Shiveley ’88, executive director of Menlowe Ballet, invite you to a performance of their Nutcracker Ballet.
Menlowe Ballet unveils the world premiere of Michael Lowe’s “It’s a Wonderful Nutcracker” December 12-20, 2015 at Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton, CA. Inspired by Frank Capra’s classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life, Menlowe’s “It’s a Wonderful Nutcracker” is set in the 1940s and boasts all the magical trimmings of a traditional Nutcracker enhanced with a heartwarming message about family and what’s truly meaningful about the holidays.
“For a long time I’ve wanted to create a Nutcracker that touches people’s hearts in a different way,” says choreographer Michael Lowe. “I first watched Frank Capra’s film It’s a Wonderful Lifeover 40 years ago and was captivated. I always felt that the movie’s tone and storyline could translate beautifully into a new kind of Nutcracker that celebrates the best of both stories.”
To bring his vision to life, Lowe collaborated with Artistic Associates Julie Lowe and Sarah-Jane Measor to craft the ballet’s narrative. Set in the early 40s in a fictional American small-town, the production honors most of the traditional elements that make Nutcracker a holiday favorite. Says Lowe, “Our tale is refreshed with unique twists and a heartfelt message illustrating that while giving and receiving “presents” is part of what makes the holidays wonderful, it is the physical “presence” of those who are important in our lives that imparts lasting meaning.”
Prior to founding Menlowe Ballet in 2011, Michael Lowe enjoyed an illustrious performing career as a dancer, appearing in numerous traditional Nutcrackers. In Menlowe’s production of “It’s a Wonderful Nutcracker”, Lowe returns to the stage as Drosselmeyer, a character who embodies the heart and spirit of the film’s lead character George Bailey, famously portrayed by Jimmy Stewart. Menlowe’s production also features a taste of 1940s swing dance performed by professional ballroom champions Chelsea Farah and Eric Koptke. Joining the professional cast are students from the Menlo Park Academy of Dance.
Costume Designer Connie Strayer, is a Senior Lecturer and Design Teacher at Stanford University. She has designed costumes and textiles for companies including San Francisco Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Smuin Ballet, ODC, Oakland Ballet, TheaterWorks, ACT, Opera San Jose and Teatro Zinzanni. Scenic Designer Brent Brimhall, is a designer and fine artist whose work spans the globe. Most recently he completed the design and execution of the exterior facade of the 5-star Baha Mar Casino and Hotel.
Based in Menlo Park, CA, Menlowe Ballet is a professional ballet company dedicated to bringing dance to audiences throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 2011, the company performs works that encompass cultural, classical, and contemporary styles. In addition to its artistic mission, Menlowe Ballet provides performing opportunities to aspiring students from its official ballet school, the Menlo Park Academy of Dance.
Save the Date:
February and March: Decades gatherings—A great opportunity to socialize with other graduates from your decade. Look for emails from your organizers.
Early April: Rose Drop—We congratulate high school seniors on their MHC acceptance by hand-delivering roses to them at their high schools. If you’re interested in helping out by donating your time and mileage, please emailJoanne Petersen and Anne Raphael.
Look to Facebook and email blasts for more information about these upcoming events or send either of us an email query.
Events to date
We kicked off the year with a Fog to Foliage sendoff of 5 members of the class of 2019 in October. Not all our advice was current, but well received in any event. This was followed by events honoring Mountain Day, including a hike at Villa Montalvo that Carolyn Bickford organized with 12 alumnae and friends and family. Look for Carolyn’s next jaunt, a tour of the Gilroy Yama
yo Hot Springs, Saturday, January 23 at 10am.
For those not into walking, two groups gathered simultaneously upon getting the em
ail anouncement at Pinkberry’s in Palo Alto and San Jose to celebrate another Mountain Day tradition. To wrap up October, Joanne Petersen lead us to the Elkhorn Slough to learn the difference between seals and sea lions and have fantastic hot chocolate while the sun set.
In November, eighteen of us had a docent tour of the new Anderson Collection at the Cantor Museum, while others regaled possible incoming students with hot cider. We had meant to do that in the park, but fortunately the library let us come in out of the rain. Though, we were able to enjoy some cider outside afterwards.
December saw us swapping favorite cookies and books, almost as many books as cookies, followed by the Nutcracker as reimagined by the Menlowe Ballet thanks to Lisa Shiveley.
In January Carolyn Bickford took us to Gilroy Yamayo Hot Springs for a great tour of an old historical resort and spa, which for a time was a shelter for interned Japanese after the war.