[ alumnae matters ] Class of 1966: The Privilege of Place It seemed funny to sing to ourselves—and some sixty-one-year-old women giggled— but we did both the ’68 and the ’66 retort of the Little Sister song to thank them for a lovely food basket. Shortly, I was bullying everyone into line for the parade; ’66 was on the march again, and we stood yelling and applauding as the class of 2006 walked by with their laurel chain and tears. Our dinners were a mob scene and a love-fest of reconnections old and new. We learned a lot at MHC, but most of all we learned to respect ourselves and other women. “Can you spell privilege?” asked my husband, admiring our small size. Yes, and it is spelled MHC! —Mary Duffy-Guerrero ’66 Class of 1971: The Addictive Quality of Reunions I confess. I’m a reunion junkie. I got hooked at the tenth and have come back to all of them since. What draws me back are my 28
amazing classmates—good friends from college that I’ve kept up with, those I haven’t seen in years, and especially those I didn’t know at all. This time, I had fascinating conversations about world affairs, marriage, and elder care with women I’d never spent time with. Laughter over old photos, new pictures of children and grandchildren, and the pleasurable changes on our beautiful campus added to the weekend enjoyment. But for me, the best part was the spirit of friendship and camaraderie that is uniquely Mount Holyoke.—Phoebe Zablow McBee ’71 Class of 1976: Provocative Connections I had not been back to campus in ten years, but the feeling of connection never changes. Our dorm was shabby; worn linoleum is not as romantic as worn marble. The Pratt Hall and Kendall complex renovations, however, are spectacular. The elimination of individual dorm dining rooms was universally mourned and I wondered if the gathering spaces in Blanchard and Williston library nurture the spirit of community I still cherish. The professors at Friday classes were brilliant and provocative. As always, being with my classmates was priceless. I love knowing I will always feel connected to all alumnae (pronounced alum-neye, not alum-knee).—Marge Haberman ’76 Class of 1981: Wizened and Dancing Beneath the Stars The excitement and anticipation of our twenty-fifth MHC reunion were magnified weeks earlier by a flurry of e-mails, international
cell-phone calls, shopping for the perfect gift for our classmates’ children, and the general family frenzy of “what to pack” for hot, cold, dry, or wet weather in South Hadley. We expected the adrenaline-filled greetings of classmates but were not always prepared to see them twenty-five years later and through the filters of our life experiences. Wizened by our experience, it was our turn to transform Prospect Hall with our space-green balloons, refreshments, and entertainment, and to turn back the clock and dance underneath the stars … at least until 10 p.m., when the canoe sing crowd started to assemble around Lower Lake and we stepped aside graciously to let the seniors have their moment under the canopy.—Cerise Jalelian Keim ’81 Class of 1986: Aging Like an Often-Used Fabric Twenty years? No way! Everyone looked the same. As Bitsy Osder ’86 put it, “Reunion is the only place where we can all have eternal youth in each other’s eyes.” Still, by now each of us has faced challenges in life, which have made us like well-washed flannel: softer and warmer. Like many, I harbor some regrets about my college years … I wish I had been friendlier, had talked more in class, and attended a service in Abbey Chapel. But those regrets fade in the light of the new connections made over the weekend. Said outgoing Class President Regina Collins, “Reunions are too few and far between to satisfy our desire to convene.” I’m inspired to contact more of my classmates in the next five years and encourage everyone to come back to Mount Holyoke in 2011.—Annyce Nickel Schafft ’86 www.alumnae.mtholyoke.edu
Paul Schnaittacher
proposition, here’s what surprised us at reunion: drenching rain brings people closer together. We discovered new comfort, vitality, and trust in each other. We learned we have few illusions but lots of humor. We still seek passion and mission: fight global warming, fix the health care system, support local libraries, lead our churches, ride motorcycles (one of us, at least), write poetry, create music, enjoy the remains of our careers, and, above all, nourish our children and grandchildren. Oh, yes. We also need name tags that can be read from fifty yards!—Bonnie Barrett Stretch ’61