Calling all Classmates! (From VP, Kirse)

Hello, Class of 1994!!!

Our 15th reunion is just about eight months away, and plans are afoot to make it a fun and enriching experience for all.

We had a grand time observing the class of 1993's reunion in May. As always, we are in the need of volunteers, both in the planning stages and at the event itself, so let us know at smithreunion1994@gmail.com if you'd be willing to help. (Pictured below: Polly from the Class of '53 at her 55th reunion in May.)

There are jobs, big and small, for everyone: making name tags, helping event chairs, making banners, putting together a slide show for Saturday dinner, help with giveaways, etc.

One key area where we still need volunteers is House Reps. We are asking house reps to contact their housemates and let them know about reunion, as well as to encourage them to update their contact information with the college so we can all stay connected in the years ahead. It's not a huge time commitment, and is a great opportunity to reconnect.

We still need house reps for Albright, Capen, Chase, Cutter/Ziskind, Dawes, Duckett, Emerson, Friedman, Gillett, Haven -Wesley, Hopkins, Hubbard, Lawrence, Talbot, Tenney, and Wilder.

Let us know if you are coming to reunion and we'll add you to the list. (Pictured right: Kirse (and Naomi) atop Multnomah Falls in Oregon in May.)

Enjoy the rest of summer--stay tuned for more details about our "Groove is in the Heart" gathering.

~Kirse

Meeting of the minds

In May, I traveled to Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR and stayed for a week with Kirse. Mary Ann Hardy (and her son and husband) trekked down from Seattle to visit with us. We had such a good time--and I think we even talked about reunion a bit. (Above, L-R: Kirse, Naomi, Mary Ann).

Mary Ann will be chairing the sign committee. If you have any great ideas or want to join the volunteers, please drop Kirse a note at smithreunion1994@gmail.com.

Right: Class of 1993 parade signs from the 2008 alumnae parade. (Photo by Elizabeth Solaka '93.)

If you have photos from your travels or mini-reunions with classmates, please send them to me to post at the blog (graychase at gmail.com). You can also find shared photos from classmates at our Flickr group. Just click the link to the right to go there.

Less than a year away!

Last weekend, Kirse, Amy, and I attended the 15-year reunion for the Class of 1993.

Kirse traveled more than 6,000 miles round-trip, found round-the-clock child care for the three children she left behind, and helped Amy take care of her baby here, when it turned out Amy had to travel without her husband. She also took the time to visit every single class headquarters and attend a constant stream of events, while also investigating almost every venue on campus as a potential site for our headquarters, dinners, or other gatherings.

Amy traveled from several hours away by car with her 9-month-old, Sam, who was an absolute sweetheart about his first trip away from his dad--and his home. [Photo, right: Naomi, Susan Bullivant (who started class of '94, but graduated '93), and Elizabeth Solaka '93 at the Saturday night class dinner.]

The whole thing was exhausting for all of us and I'm tremendously grateful to Kirse and Amy for the sacrifices they are making in service to our class. I knew they would do a terrific job, but in true Smithie style, they are overachieving already.

Kirse will be sending me a blog to post sometime in the next week or so--her first one!--and hopefully I'll have some photos to post as well. We were so busy, we hardly took any photos, but Elizabeth Solaka '93 snapped quite a few and will share them with us soon. [Below, photo from Elizabeth Solaka of the Alumnae Parade on Saturday morning.]

Highlights of reunion for me were getting to spend time in my old house, Cushing (there's some new, hideous wallpaper downstairs, and the dining room is much-improved--they have fountain soda!); Illumination Night; seeing friends; eating in Smith houses; exploring campus; and sipping champagne late at night with my best friends from the Class of '93.

If you have friends from other classes, they are welcome to come to reunion, by the way. They would march with the 1776 group in the alumnae parade (if they wanted) and can attend events, such as the all-reunion dinner on Thursday night.

If you or your friends are thinking of coming to reunion and don't want to register and/or stay on campus, it's important to make other arrangements at least six months in advance. The Hotel Northampton and other venues fill up very quickly for that weekend.

As always, if you have photos to share of your life now or reunions past, or from our undergrad years, please post them at our Flickr page (link to the right) or send to me to post at our blog.

Please also spread the word about our blog and make sure your contact information is up-to-date at the alumnae house.

Hope you all are well!

[Illumination Night photo by Elizabeth Solaka, '93]

Planning Update

I traveled to Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA earlier this month and spent a week with Kirse.

In addition to a grueling hike, we also got to do some reunion planning. Thanks to everyone who completed the online survey!

Tonight, Kirse is traveling via a red-eye flight to Bradley airport. AmyO, Reunion Co-Chair, will pick her up tomorrow morning and then the three of us will spend the next few days observing the 15-year reunion of the Class of 1993.

We are still looking for volunteers to fill a variety of positions. If you're interested in helping--even in some small way like manning our headquarters for a couple of hours--please let us know!

The list of classmates who are planning to attend reunion is growing. Click the link to the right to see the list. To add your name, drop me or Kirse an e-mail at smithreunion1994@gmail.com.

The Diploma Circle

My friend Amy (Wellesley, '94) attended commencement on Sunday. It was her first Smith commencement and she was there in her capacity as a reporter. Newsweek is profiling one member of the Smith class of 2008 because she and her sister spent their middle school and high school years in foster care, but this year, are both graduating from college. Amy was there recording the event for the story.

Yesterday, she and I got to talking about our shared experience as Smith/Wellesley alumnae, about the "Smith experience," and how we get all goosebumpy and tingly when we see the older classes parade in on Ivy Day or witness special traditions, such as the diploma circle.

We also talked about the frequently felt feeling of failure that comes with believing we have never quite lived up to the expectation of greatness that comes with a Smith or Wellesley degree. One struggles to feel that one isn't a total loser if one hasn't cured cancer, or published a best seller, or made a lot of money. Now a Wellesley alumna is running for President for crying out loud! Talk about raising the bar. :-)

After the talk, I sent Amy the link to the letter I sent to our class on the 13th anniversary of our commencement, addressing some of these feelings. I'm sharing her response with you all because I love so much her articulation of the meaning of the diploma circle.

Here's what she said after reading my letter:

>>This piece is brilliant and beautiful. And, I love the diploma circle’s role in it. It was something I first heard about on Saturday night and knew I wanted to record. While I was there with my mic in everyone’s way, new graduates grumbled about the chaos. Someone said, ‘why can’t they just organize this’ while others complained the circle wasn’t being widened enough or that people with diplomas in hand weren’t leaving. There was much consternation and little celebration, though moments after receiving someone else’s diploma during the ceremony, the student I was recording actually said, “I love that we get someone else’s diploma.”

I was wondering about the value and meaning of the circle, beyond tying legions of Smith alumnae to each other in one final act of tradition. I came up with this: in the chaos that is graduation weekend, there is little stopping—stopping the noise, the energy, the flow of all things. In that circle, the actual act of graduating is prolonged, for some more than for others, and no one has the power to change the time it takes to find her diploma. There’s something lovely in that. And, of course, it’s yet another part of The Smith Experience that is impossible to translate."

We won't be reuning on commencement weekend this time, so we can't witness the Diploma Circle this time around, but I think that the return to campus and the tradition of reunion is another very special part of the Smith Experience, another link in the chain that connects us. I hope you'll join us.

Naomi on NPR Affiliate (Santa Fe)

The local Santa Fe NPR affiliate, KSFR, aired an interview with me today. You can listen to it at:
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/ksfr/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1279570

My segment comes at the 14:00 minute mark.

The subject is the potential health risks associated with Wi-Fi. Hopefully, I didn't make too big a fool of myself...

May Day--and Mayday! (Class of '94 Reunion News)

My Dearest Classmates:

Today marks the end of the dreary winter half of the year and means it (finally) really is spring in the northern hemisphere. Hoorah!

It also means we are soon going to be less than one-year away from our 15-year reunion. Since May Day has traditionally been an occasion for celebration--and mayday is a call for help--our VP (who's last name is also May!) has chosen this day to ask you for help in planning our reunion celebration.

To help us find out what you want from reunion--and who is willing to volunteer--we have prepared a short online survey for you to take. You can find the free survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=VWfGeg4F9xrmUMJmhgiU1Q_3d_3d.

There are eight questions, two of them are multiple choice, and we expect it should take somewhere between two and five minutes to complete, depending on how much you have to say. (Why put it off? Click on the link now and let us know what you want.)

As always, you can keep up-to-date on reunion planning by visiting our class blog at http://www.graychase.com/Smith94.htm or by e-mailing your reunion co-chairs, Kirse and Amy, at smithreunion1994@gmail.com. We are keeping a running list at the blog of who's planning to come, so drop us a note once you've decided so we can add you to the list.

With warm wishes for spring and many thanks for your help,

Naomi
"Groove is in the Heart"

Naomi Graychase
Alumnae Class President, 1994
graychase@gmail.com

Naomi's Thrift Blog in the Press

I write a blog called "Thrift" that is a "clear and simple guide to saving money."

I discovered today that it was referenced in a feature story (part of a six-part series) by the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram on March 23rd.

If you'd like to read the article, click here.

Honest to Blog

Two enterprising Smithies have come up with a fantastic idea. Amanda '06 and Sarah '05 have created the Association of Smith College Alum Blogs. Basically, a blog about Smithie bloggers. It's fantastic.

From them:

"There are over 53,000 Smith College alums, in all 50 states and in over 100 countries.

How many of them have blogs?

We're on a mission to find out.

Check us out: http://smithalumblogs.wordpress.com/

Want to be indexed? Know a Smithie with a blog? Send an email to smithalumblogs@gmail.com."

You can view the blogs by year--starting with a blogger from the class of '61, all the way up to the current graduating class ('08).

So far, three '94ers are represented. If you have a blog, send the link to them.

Update your E-mail with the College

I've received quite a few e-mails from classmates who have not received some or all of my e-mail broadcasts over the last few years.

Unfortunately, I can't update or maintain the list the college uses for these broadcasts, so in order to be sure you receive all of our class e-mail newsletters, reunion info, or other broadcasts, you'll have make sure the college has your current e-mail address.

Unfortunately, this is not an easy process. I spent a bunch of time at the site today and cannot for the life of me figure out how it's done!

I am going to send some e-mails to the AASC and see if we can get instructions, which I will then post here.

In the meantime, you can update your snail mail address here.

And you can contact the AASC Web master, Mike Yargeau directly by phone or e-mail. His information, along with everyone else at the AASC is here.

Thanks for your patience! In the meantime, if you are one of the lucky folks getting the e-mails, please consider forwarding them on to your friends so that we can help more people to be in the loop.

Reunion 2004 Photos

The Alumnae Association has posted 50 photos from Reunion 2004. There are a few smiling faces from the class of '94 in there. Go here to take a peek.

Right: Mary Ann Hardy and I at the now defunct La Cazuela during Reunion 2004. Mary Ann is Parade Sign Chair for Reunion 2009. If you've got any clever ideas, MAH would love your help! E-mail sign ideas to smithreunion1994 at gmail.com. If you'd like a fancy job like Mary Ann's, e-mail our Reunion Co-Chairs at the same address.

Got reunion photos? Or, heck, commencement photos? Send 'em along and I'll post 'em. Be sure to let me know who is in the photos. (High-res jpegs are ideal.)

Make a donation, support a classmate

I made a small donation today in support of Bettina (Haymann) Chavanne, a classmate who is working to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. Bettina was diagnosed last year with early onset Parkinson's, and this year she will be participating again in the Parkinson's Unity Walk in New York City. 100% of all donations go directly to researchers that work to find the cause and cure of Parkinson's disease! She is more than one-third of the way to her goal of raising $10,000. I hope you'll pitch in and give whatever amount is meaningful to you. (Your donation is tax-deductible.) Go here to contribute to Bettina's campaign.

A Room Full of Women of One's Own

Twice a week, I take a yoga class at Smith. The classes are included in my alumnae gym membership, and while it's a stretch to leave work in time to make the 5pm start, I am deeply committed to them and have only missed them when truly sick or severely injured. (I even returned to class just three weeks after severing my ACL and bruising a bone. Turns out this was a bad idea, and I suffered for it, but you can get a sense for how important it is to me to go. I couldn't walk, but I believed I could do yoga.)

I began taking the classes in the fall of 2006. I had been very sick for a few years, but was finally feeling well enough to make it through a one-hour beginners class once a week. In the beginning, I hated the yoga. I hated my teacher, a bubbly Smith alumna who seemed way too perky for her own good.

But even amidst my stifled rage and irritation and frustration, what I loved about the classes-- immediately--was the experience of being in a room full of women. And not just any women, Smith women. While there are occasionally men, and may or may not be students in the class who don't identify as "women," the dominant experience is one of being among women, in a room of our own. This, I realized, is not something we get to experience all that often after we graduate from Smith. I hadn't realized how much I missed it, until I sat down that first day, tired and sore, on my mat and felt the uplifting comfort of it wash over and through me.

Yoga on its own is special, especially this yoga--anusara yoga--which is very heart-centered. Love, joy, and acceptance are central elements of the practice. But yoga at Smith--with a Smithie teacher--it's difficult to describe to those who haven't felt it. I can breathe better when I have this in my life. I breathe better just thinking about it.

When we were undergrads, this was the water we swam in. Since leaving school, unless we joined a nunnery or went to teach at a same-sex school, we had to adapt to a different kind of water. There have been plenty of times when I was in the full company of women; but, particularly after having spent so much time alone since moving back to Northampton, returning to that space and being with those women for an hour every week--it had tremendous healing benefits. Like a fresh water fish seeking refuge from a brackish new environment, I have returned home, and when I enter that Smith room, my gills fill up with the best and freshest oxygen imaginable.

It is my hope that some of us might come together to practice yoga for an hour with my teacher at Smith during reunion. I'll ask Kirse to put it on the survey in April, to see if there's any interest. Until then, I hope that wherever you are in your life, you may find access to a room full of women of your own--whether it is through a shared religious practice, music, service, support, or any of the other myriad things that bring us together. Namaste.

Help Bettina Raise Money to Cure Parkinson's

Bettina (Haymann) Chavanne was diagnosed last year with early onset Parkinson's disease. She is rallying to raise funds to help find a cure as soon as possible.

"I'm on a mission to make it go away - for everyone," she says.

This year she will be participating again in the Parkinson's Unity Walk in New York City.

"Each year thousands of patients, their families, and friends gather in New York's Central Park for a two-mile walk to raise awareness of Parkinson's disease and funds for research," writes Bettina. "I am supporting the Parkinson's Unity Walk and hope you will join me by walking with me and my team. Help us raise funds towards my team's goal. When you click on the link provided you will be forwarded to my Personal Donation Page. Please, take action with me to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. Share the camaraderie and make a difference!"

Bettina's goal is to raise $10,000. I hope you will support her in her efforts. Every bit helps.

Birth Announcement

Congratulations to Mary Ann Hardy, who welcomed her first child into the world on November 16, 2007. William Virgil Anderson (below) weighed in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces.

Look who's coming to reunion!

Click here for a list of classmates who are planning to attend. Are you going to come? Drop me or Kirse (smithreunion1994 at gmail.com) a note and we'll add you to the list!


Megan (Sullivan) Dawson, Kirse (Granat) May, and Amy O'Neal (above, L-R) will all be at reunion 2009! (Kirse and Amy, of course, have no choice since they're planning the festivities. :-)

Music and Movies

I've been doing some clutter-clearing--weeding out my music and DVD collection. Perhaps my trash is your treasure. If you'd like to take a look at what's for sale, visit my Half.com shop.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day from your hardworking Class Secretary, Tamzin--she's the one who writes up all your news for the Quarterly--and her beautiful daughter, Claire (Smith Class of 2029?).

Class of 2030?

Congratulations to Diana Katz Gerstel who gave birth to Gabrielle Sarah Gerstel (whose Hebrew name will be Jacoba or Yakova) on Monday, January 21, at 9:29 a.m. She was a tiny little peanut, weighing in at just 5 lbs 12 oz.

Who's Coming to Reunion?

These are some of the people who have let us know they plan to attend reunion. Are you planning to come? Drop Kirse (smithreunion1994 at gmail.com) a note and we'll add you to the list! Got photos from previous reunions? Send them to Naomi at graychase at gmail.com so she can post them to the blog.

Kimberly	Adams
Melissa Merten	Belleville	Talbot House
Krista Beth	Bessinger
Laura Palucki	Blake
Julie	Bowers
Zoe Kafatou	Bunnell	Cushing House
Elizabeth (Dale)	Clark	Cushing House
Phyllis (Conti)	Collar	Cushing House
Claire	Connelly
Stephanie Chatanay	Cox
Kathleen	Coyle
Marcella	Davis
Megan (Sullivan)	Dawson	Cushing House
Alyssa B.	Duble
My Le	Ducharme
Emily	Fawcett
Elizabeth	Foley
Domnica	Fotino	Cushing House
Elizabeth	Gaffney
Eliza	Garrison
Diana Wetherall	Gerstel
Lori	Gordillo	Wilder House
Naomi	Graychase	Cushing House
Elizabeth	Gregg
Mary Ann	Hardy
Ali Novak	Hawthorne	King House
Megan Hurst	Hurst	Baldwin House
Amran	Hussein	Jordan House
Michelle	Jackson	Gardiner House
Nicole Wilson	James
Andrea	Jones -Moore	Lawrence
Elizabeth	Kase
Alexandra	Kontes	Morris House
Rachel Prizant	Kotok
Sara Emily Weinberg	Laver
Gael Levin-Simon	Levin-Simon
Jessica	Lewis
Karla Baldikowski	Long
Kate (Brustad)	Madrid
Kristen	Mangione	Gillett House
Jennifer	Mason
Kirse Granat	May	Cushing House
Alyssa B.	May	Cushing House
Jenny	Mayfield
Eleanor	McConnell	Albright House
Heather	McMann
Cristin	McMurray
Erin	McMurray-Killelea
Jennifer Pollock	McNally
Kira	Mellups	Wilson House
Ivy	Moylan	Haven-Wesley
Meredith	Mundy	Emerson House
Holly	Nydegger
Amy	O'Neal	Cushing House
Erin	Peyton	Comstock House
Susie	Poinaszek
Yolanda	Rael
Shelly (Moore)	Rexroat	Cushing House
Bert	Ritvo
Nicole	Rousseau	Emerson House
Sarah	Schriber	Cushing House
Sandy	Shaw-Wen
Jeanne Clower	Sherwin
Sunita	Sierros
Bridget (Laffer)	Silverman
Catherine	Smith	Friedman
Tamzin Sawyer	Sugiyama
Brooke	Teller	Wilson House
Marissa	Walsh	Park House
Amy	Walton	Chapin House
Natasha	Wendt
Stephanie Kampel	Wilson
Jessica Gordon	Wilson	Chase House

Big, Heartfelt News from the Class of 1994

My Dearest Classmates,

In the fall of 1990, as we arrived at Smith College to pour our hearts into new friendships, new experiences, and new studies, a distinctive dance party single was climbing the charts. We heard its joyful beat on the radio, at parties, and in our headphones throughout that first year on campus—and throughout our entire time at Smith. It even contained a line about a "supper dish wish," which, as most Smithies can attest, was a defining quality of our years at Smith. ("Please don't let it be stir fry tempeh" was mine.)

The Reunion Committee and I have chosen Valentine's Day to announce—with happy hearts—that our theme for Reunion 2009 is…"Groove is in the Heart!"

With events like a "no-talent show," and other fun things in the works, we promise it will be Deee-Lite-ful! (And yes, we're going to dance…and have some fun.)

I'm also pleased to announce that, as of last September, we have a new Vice President and Reunion Co-Chair. Our party planning is now in the hands of Kirse (Granat) May (VP) and Amy O'Neal (Reunion Co-Chair)—who, I can personally attest, have lots of groove in their hearts. Please join me in thanking Vigie Ramos Rios and Andrea Jones Moore for all of their hard work, and in enthusiastically welcoming Kirse and Amy to the team. "No I couldn't ask for another!"

To see our gorgeous reunion logo (designed by Kirse's talented and generous husband), catch up on the latest class news, or learn how you can volunteer at reunion (yes, please!), visit our new Web site at http://www.graychase.com/Smith94.htm.

In the spring, we'll be asking you to respond to an online survey about what you'd like to see and do at reunion. In the meantime, if you have ideas to share or questions to ask about reunion, you can reach Kirse and Amy at smithreunion1994@gmail.com.

If you haven't updated your mailing address with the AASC (http://alumnae.smith.edu/), please take a minute to do so—that way you won't miss out on our class newsletter or any of the reunion-related material the college will soon begin to send you. Please feel free to forward this e-mail to your friends, as well, since not everyone has updated their e-mail addresses with the AASC, and we want everyone to know what's happening!

And, most importantly, mark your calendars for our 15th Reunion: May
21-24, 2009.

Before I sign off, I'd like to offer a quick congratulations to two Executive Committee members who celebrated the births of their first children since last I wrote you: Tamzin has a baby girl; and Amy O'Neal has a baby boy, each of whom are de-lovely and delicious.

Happy Valentine's Day!

With love from Northampton,

Naomi Graychase, on behalf of the Reunion Committee
Alumnae Class President, 1994
graychase@gmail.com

Satya Rhodes-Conway in the News

Maria Held forwarded this to me today:

THE CAPITAL TIMES, WI, Feb. 9, 2008

Madison City Councilwoman and Smith alumna Satya Rhodes-Conway '94, the primary champion of a city bus system for Madison, said she got hooked on public transportation in 2002 when she began her job as policy analyst at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center on Wisconsin strategy and a free bus pass was one of the benefits. Read the full story.

Share Your Photos

We have a group on the free, photo-sharing site, Flickr. To visit the Smith College Class of 1994 photo-sharing site, just click here. (That's our new class VP on the far right.)