Message from the Class President
Fall is here. If you love summer, as I do, it can be a reluctant transition. This year, in particular, I feel like there is much to hope for and celebrate about the change of seasons. We in the United States appear to be slowly getting back to normal after a terrifying roller coaster ride of a year and a half trying to avoid and protect ourselves and communities against COVID, although sadly much of the world has not been as fortunate as we have yet. In terms of our Smith community, there have been major adjustments during this time. Students not able to attend Smith on campus, staff working from home, and, of course, Virtual Reunion 2021 instead of in-person reunion.
One major reason for hope about Smith’s future was the opening of the new Neilson Library at the end of March. If you have not taken a virtual tour of the new Neilson yet, I highly recommend it. You can access it through the Smith College Alumnae Association website. Not only is the new Neilson a beautiful, light-filled space, but it is also conducive to studying and scholarly pursuits and certainly a factor in attracting top-notch students to Smith.
Another reason to be hopeful, in particular, about our upcoming 50th reunion of graduation from Smith College, is that we expect to be celebrating on campus in person. Yay! Up to this point, our 50th reunion may have been on the back burner of your mind. Well, it is only a year and 7-8 months away.
Now’s the time to start thinking about coming back for reunion and taking in the progress on campus, reconnecting with classmates and making a reunion gift. Now, more than ever, there are opportunities to rekindle our Smith connection, colloquiawhere you can see the schedule and view past events, upcoming virtual seminars in this month, January and March on Reunion Bequests & Planned Giving. Our 50th reunion is an opportunity to give back to Smith. Usually, gifts from the 50th reunion class are the peak of giving for the class. Our class goal is $10 million. To get there we need a team to do the outreach to our fellow classmates. This is a great opportunity to be engaged in our reunion effort. Anybody who would like to help out with this outreach effort is encouraged to email Cheryl Cipro, our fundraising chair.
We have a wonderful, dedicated team in place spearheading our Milestone 50th reunion. A big thank you to Margie Hunt and Jess Tava for their enthusiastic leadership in planning our 50th reunion and all of their committee members. Thank you also to Mary Sneed Hinkel leading our Memorial effort. She could use your help sharing any information you have about our classmates who have passed away these past three years. Also thank you to Cheryl Cipro, our Class Fund Agent and Barbara Simanek, our Planned Giving Chair for leading our class fundraising.
On behalf of our class officers and 50th Reunion Committee, I hope you are as excited as we are about celebrating our 50th Class reunion in May 2023. Tune in and stay tuned.
Peggy Smith
Class President
In Memoriam
Our 45th reunion Memorial Service was a wonderful way to remember and celebrate our classmates who have passed away. We would love your help as we continue the tradition. Among those who will be remembered in 2023 are these classmates:
Deborah Bandler Bellman Anne Connor Richards
Susan Wooleyhan Caine Elizabeth Sanderson
Cynthia Pendias Cox Mitzi Schroeder
Ann Butterworth Feakins Elizabeth Shapiro
Tracy Kirkman-Liff Phyllis MacDonald Zuccalo
Ingrid Raysor
If you’re willing to consider making personal remarks about any of these individuals during the service and/or create their personal profiles for our “In Her Own Words” booklet/digital picture frame, please contact me.
Mary Sneed Hinkel
Memorial Chair
Reunion Update
50th REUNION BOOK UPDATE: Co-Chairs Margie Hunt and Jess Tava have been working and Zooming with the volunteer reunion book team of Kathy Harhai, Mary Ann Lenz, Wendy Lindquist, Craig Jones, Lolly Mixter, Anne Pidano, and Janny Colt Wang, and as well as with Head of House Reps Wendy Kassel and In Memorium Chair Mary Sneed Hinkel. The team has been exploring digital options for the 50th reunion book that include printed book options and reports that they are close to a decision.
50th REUNION LOGO UPDATE: Kaleidoscopes are the chosen image for our 50th Reunion theme and logo. Why a kaleidoscope? Well,
• The design of a kaleidoscope is composed of different bits and pieces and facets, just as all of our lives are different bits and pieces;
• The twisting of the kaleidoscope lens re-combines and re-arranges those bits into constantly changing patterns, just as the patterns of our lives change and re-arrange with life’s twists and turns;
• The shining of light through those patterns illuminates and celebrates their unique richness just as we hope the 50th Reunion will illuminate and celebrate all of our lives.
50th Reunion will bring classmates’ individual kaleidoscopes together through:
• submissions to the 50th Reunion Book;
• Burke&Okrent presentation of responses to our 50th Reunion survey;
• celebrating the kaleidoscope that is the Class of 1973 with the Reunion logo, alumnae parade signs, cool swag, meals together, conversations, and an engaging program of activities that celebrates the amazing class that is Smith1973!
• After all, we are Still changing…! Still re-arranging…!
ALL CALL for any 1973 classmates to have a go at creating a logo based on our kaleidoscope concept. Send your designs to Smith73Reunion@gmail.com.
Margie Hunt & Jess Tava
Reunion Co-Chairs
Call for Class Notes
We love reading your news! Send your class notes for the SAQ to our class secretaries Laura Olena Mixter. You can also use the Smith Alumnae Quarterly Class Notes form. Online submissions go directly to class secretaries.
Class Spotlight
MaryAnn Love Malinconico was one of my Jordan House classmates. Freshman year, she and I took Introductory Astronomy and then Geology together. (Remember when we were required to take a lab science?) While MaryAnn and I can still laugh together over an inside Geology lab joke about Miss Quartz and her triple cleavage, since we graduated in 1973, she has left me in the geologic dust!
MaryAnn earned her Master’s degree from Dartmouth College in 1982 and her PhD in Earth Science from Columbia University in 2002. She was awarded a Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellowship, USGS, Reston, VA from 2006-08. Like I said, she left this English major in the dust….
Since 1990, MaryAnn has been a Research Associate, Dept. of Geology & Environmental Geosciences, Lafayette College, Easton, PA. MaryAnn applies techniques of coal/petroleum geology to geologic problems, primarily regional/basin thermal history.
She writes a fun scientific blog called Carbonacea, which she describes as focusing on geologic carbon. While that can cover a realm of species and settings including dissolved carbon in fresh/marine waters, carbon in living animals and plants, mineral carbon as in carbonate, probably the best overarching definition of the carbon discussed on her blog is carbon that may combust, with its precursors and products, so coal, petroleum, sedimentary particulate organic matter, soot, fly ash, perhaps graphite. Check out this blog that addresses climate change thoughts through her scientific carbon lens.
And oh, did I say that she is a mom and a grandmom? And not afraid to pause during the pandemic to take a beginning drawing class via zoom with our fellow classmate, Jordan Housemate, and accomplished artist Jane E. Goldman.
Submitted by,
Margie Hunt
Fundraising Update
Many thanks to everyone who made a gift this past year to the Smith Fund and other College Funds. Our class raised $199,180 (just $820 shy of our $200,000 goal) for the Smith Fund and overall giving of $249,319 with participation at 36% (vs 40% goal.)
With this year’s Fund year underway, our class goal is $225,000, our comprehensive goal $325,000, and 40% participation. I encourage all of us to participate in our class fundraising efforts especially as we look forward to our 50th Reunion. It’s not too early to think about our individual commitments to this very special milestone. We set several records at our 45th and we want to break more in 2023! Please reach out to me or Jodi Fallon Fern in the Smith Development Office.
One final note: Please consider joining the Fund Team. Having volunteers will allow us to increase our personal outreach to classmates to encourage participation in our fundraising efforts. Because of timing, this is only an 18-month commitment! Yes, just 18 months until our 50th reunion.
Cheryl Cipro
Fund Team Coordinator
Planned Giving Update
There are several opportunities to learn more about how to donate to Smith through webinars Smith is offering in the next year. All of the webinars are at 1:00 pm eastern time.
• Giving from Retirement Assets, October 19, 2021, at 1:00 pm eastern
• Leave a Legacy for Smith – which Counts for Your Reunion (reunion bequest intention), January 18, 2022, at 1:00 pm eastern
• A Gift to Smith, Income to You! Charitable Gift Annuities, March 22, 2022, at 1:00 pm eastern time
• So far 48 members of our class are members of the Grécourt Society, which includes anyone who has included Smith College in their estate plan through a will, trust, retirement plan, life insurance policy, or life-income gift.
• At this time 7 members of the Grécourt Society have completed the documentation for a total of $1,321,675 toward our reunion recognition credit. I’ll be reaching out to classmates to help them document their intentions over the next year and a half.
We’ve created a 50th Milestone Reunion Giving Guide as a resource of ways to make the most impact of your 50th reunion giving. You may be able to give more than you originally thought!
Barbara Simanek
Planned Giving Chair
Check Out Our NEW Alum Website!
Smith has created a new online home just for alums at smith.edu/alum—and it’s chock full of information about programs, events and meaningful ways alums can engage with Smithies and the college. We’ve made it easier than ever for you to connect—whatever your interests or time constraints: watch a webinar, join our Book Club, find a bookwritten by a Smithie, and lots more! Here are a few new pages you might find particularly interesting:
• The Alums & Their Impact page, where you’ll read about fellow Smithies and explore ways to network with one another
• The Events & Programs page, where you’ll learn about all the great programming Smith has in store for you
• The Volunteers hub, which lists easy ways to get involved with the college
• The Classes, Clubs & Groups page, which offers lots of fun ways to connect with Smith
While you’re on the site, be sure to update your info in the Alum Directory so you can find friends, meet other Smithies and choose how you want to receive news from the college.