WCAA Bulletin Fall 2022

Did Miss Peabody Sleep in This Bed? (. . . did you ?)

the WCAA Director

Since the Western College Alumnae Association, Inc. was established, the organization has been supported by the Miami Office of University Ad vancement. The Office of Advancement experienced a few changes this year which resulted in some changes for the WCAA as well.

Thomas Herbert, Vice President of University Advancement, and Evan Lichtenstein, Assistant Vice President of Development, announced their resignations from Miami. Both colleagues had been extremely sup portive of the WCAA, broadening our relationship with the university. Brad Bundy, formerly the VP of Develop ment, was appointed to the VP UA position. Brad has led Miami’s fundraising efforts for 21 years and is no stranger to Western. The WCAA Board looks forward to working with him over the next two years.

As for the WCAA … We congratulate WCAA Direc tor, Mackenzie Becker Rice who was recently appointed to lead the Miami University Foundation Board as their President. In addition, Mackenzie serves as the Assistant Vice President for Donor Relations and Chief Administra tive Officer for the MU Foundation. These changes led to some additional staff restructuring. In October, I stepped into the role of WCAA director. Mackenzie will remain very much involved with our office and is an invaluable resource for Western. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to continuing to support the great work of the board, upcoming events, working with donors, and assisting with the dissolution process.

There is so much to celebrate over the next two years! The accomplishments of the Western College and the WCAA are ginormous, impacting lives around the globe. Western College’s legacy will live on in perpetuity thanks to the commitment, loyalty, and generosity of all of you.

I encourage you to return to cam pus for the last two WCAA Alumnae/i Weekends:

June 9-11, 2023, and June 7-9, 2024!

They will be fun-filled weekends here on your beautiful campus, surrounded by friends—old and new.

Of course, your Western connections will continue as you transition to an affinity group under the Miami Alumni Office in 2024. Thank you for your suggestions for the group name. Your votes have been tallied … the official name of the new affinity group will be WESTERN COLLEGE SPIRIT 1853-1977! Wishing you a blessed holiday season and looking forward to welcoming you back to campus in June!

In the spirit of Western,

Debbie Baker Spaeth HA Director

What you may not know about Debbie:

•

She grew up near Oxford, so shares our fondness for the community.

• She has 3 adult sons, a daughterin-law, a future daughter-in-law, 3 grandchildren, and 3 dogs.

• She married a “pretty awesome human” in October 2021 and says every day together has been an adventure.

•

She enjoys spending time with her beautiful mother, who is “incredibly kind and talented.”

•

•

She formerly worked in the private sector as an office manager.

At the age of 28, she became a nontraditional college student, completing one or two courses per semester at Miami. She graduated in 2018 with a BA, Integrative Studies.

Congratulations to three outstanding Western College Program alumnae/i: Steven Harold Anderson ’79 of Medina (Medina County) and Elizabeth “Beth” McNellie ’86 of New Albany (Franklin County), both appointed in August by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to the Miami University Board of Trustees; and Nicole Fleetwood ’94, recently selected to be Miami’s spring 2023 Commencement speaker.

From

Debbie

Steve Beth Nicole

Western College Alumnae Association, Inc. Board of Trustees

President

Ann Walton ’66

1st Vice President/Treasurer

Christine Moranda ’74

2nd Vice President

Hazel Williams Drew ’66

Secretary

Susan Blake ’68 Governance Chair

Sylvia Stanfield ’65

Trustees

Sharry Patterson Addison ’61

Lynne Drucker Albukerk ’64

Pamela Watts Coates ’70

Christine Cowden ’75

Janet Smith Dickerson-Stephens ’65

Elizabeth Jacobs Harrison ’65

Judith Dudman Henderson ’62

Frances E. Hoffman ’65

Suzanne Lutz May ’66

Ann Crowley Pagano ’74

Cecelia Peabody ’68

Loretta Ryder ’63

Anne Adkins Weissenborn ’61

Barbara Williamson Wentz ’68

Pheetta G. Wilkinson ’76

Mission of the Association: • to preserve and encourage communication among and with alumnae, • to support education and human values that continue the heritage and tradition of The Western College.

Message from Director 2

Message from WCAA Board President 4

What’s On Your Mind (Maria Maldonado) 5

WCW Class Notes: 1955-1977 10

Alumnae Weekend Review 19 Cover Story 29 In Memoriam 30

WCP Class Notes: 1999-2003 31

Western Program/Individualized Studies 33

Western Center 34

Nota Bene 35 Blue Card 38

Miami Homecoming: Red and Blue 39

On the cover:Miss Peabody’s bed now resides in a guestroom at Patterson Place but is looking for a new home. See the story by Debbie Baker Spaeth, page 29.

Photo credit: Debbie Baker Spaeth

BLUE CARDS (see page 38 DUE UPON RECEIPT!

Don’t wait for the deadline — send your news and pictures NOW. Your dedicated Class Rep will thank you for making her job easier.

WCAA Advisor

Mackenzie Becker Rice HA

Assistant Vice President for University Advancement, Donor Engagement and Board Relations

President, Miami University Foundation

Publications Committee Co-Chairs

Cecelia Peabody ’68

Loretta Ryder ’63

Members

Sharry Patterson Addison ’61

Christine Cowden ’75

Frances E. Hoffman ’65

Christine Moranda ’74

Ann Crowley Pagano ’74

Pheetta G. Wilkinson ’76

Office Staff

Director

Debbie Baker Spaeth HA

Publications Editor Catherine Bauer Cooper ’60

From the WCAA Board President

Dear Fellow Westerners,

Ijust returned from the fall Board meeting on the Western campus. As you remem ber from your college days, fall was always a beautiful time on campus. Shuffling through leaves to get to your next class in Boyd, Alumnae Hall, McKee, Presser or Mary Lyon; having a snack at the Lodge; playing too much bridge in the smokers; singing in the choir at Kumler. Some things never change … students are still rush ing to classes, the buildings and stone bridges are as you remember, and the Spirit of Western remains. We as a community have had 48 years to continue that Spirit of Western with the WCAA.

The Board is working hard on your behalf to make the closing of our Association in 2024, the 50th anniversary of the last graduating class from Western College, a celebration of all that the Spirit of Western has accomplished. You should be proud of the support and love you have provided to make our legacy a reality. Over 17 million dollars has been raised during the life of the WCAA to create numerous endowed scholarships, a chaired professorship (see Fall ’15 and Spring ’20 Bulletin articles on Dr. Jana Braziel), the Legacy Circle, the Center for Social Impact and Innovation, the Western College Legacy Seminars (Spring/Summer ’22, pp. 36-37, on inaugural seminar), and the Western Center Scholarship for Experience-Based Learning. There are still two more years to make our legacy as financially enhanced as possible. Your continued giving to the WCAA makes a world of difference. If you have not already done so and want to make a planned gift, please contact the WCAA office.

During our Board meetings, we had the opportunity to meet with Beth McNellie ’86, a Western Program alum with a stellar law career, who stated how proud she was of Western women; Chris Makaroff, Dean of the College of Arts and Science, who gave a glowing report on the Center for Social Impact and Innovation and the number of students across campus that have engaged with the program; and President Greg Crawford and Ambassador Renate Crawford, who are always so supportive of Western and the cultural change we have helped to initiate on the Miami campus. On the occasion of being presented the ICA Inclusive Excellence Award, they said, “ ... that award recognizes who Western was as well as the WCAA today. ... Western was on the cutting edge and has influenced change at Miami today.”

Board members Anne Adkins Weissenborn ’61 and Loretta Ryder ’63 have been working on a history of Western for the Archives: “Western College, a Brief History of a Pioneering Institution.” After reading a draft, I came away feeling so proud and honored to have been at Western College … what a legacy. When you have a chance to read this history, you too will be very proud of your association with Western.

As I was leaving campus, I stopped at the art museum for a special exhibit: A Lens for Freedom/The Impact of Freedom Summer — Civil Rights Photographs by Steve Schapiro (Aug. 25-Dec. 10). I was so impressed with the number of students viewing the exhibit. The Spirit of Western is alive and well ...

Ann Walton ’66 President, WCAA Board of Trustees

Ann Walton

What’s on Your Mind ...

Maria Maldonado was poised to be our Kumler Chapel speaker at Alumnae Weekend 2020, on the 50th anniversary of her class, the Undauntable Class of 1970, celebrating “Vision: the Future.” But Covid-19 happened. It was still happening the next year (when we planned to celebrate “Westerners Worldwide” (which would have been a perfect venue fo Maria, a foreign student from Peru). Regrettably, we cannot bring you her live presentation, but she has graciously edited it in written form for our pages. Even with a selection of the many pictures she submitted, we cannot do justice to what would have been her original compelling and evocative performance. One compensation: Minus the inevitable frailties of an audio system, the written word allows the reader time to stop, consider, re-read, and savor the message.

Western College Reminiscences on the 50th Anniversary of the Class of 1970

I am told I have been chosen by my Classmates to address you on this occasion. So, though I feel unworthy, I also feel very honored. The idea is that I talk about what brought me to Western College, my experiences there, and my career afterward. I am traveling now down memory lane, some memories dimmed by time, but though I may not fully re member the facts, I do remember the feelings.

A love story brought me to Western

I will start by saying that I arrived in the United States in July 1966 carrying a blue suitcase, a gift from a friend of my mother’s, the very first I ever owned. Right after graduating from high school, I had qualified, with eight other Peruvian students, after a series of competitive exams, for a full scholarship to study in the United States under the auspices of the Latin American Scholarship Program for American Universities. We all converged in Brattleboro, VT, at the School for International Training for a full immersion course in the English language and what would be life in an American university.

Elsa and Guillermo were in my group. They were in love and wanted to attend the same school or at least schools near each other. Elsa and Guillermo learned, however, that Elsa would be going to college in Ohio while Guillermo would attend college in New York, far from each other. But I would be going to a college in New York, not far from Guillermo’s. In the name of love, a switch of colleges was made. Elsa would go to New York near Guillermo, and I would go to Ohio instead of New York. I was thus admitted to Western College for Women in Oxford, OH.

The World as I Knew it in 1966

The world was so different in 1966. When I left Peru in July 1966, I was a newly admitted law student at San Marcos National University in Lima. I knew very little about the world. What I knew had the depth of headlines in newspapers. Mostly, I knew about the war in Viet Nam, had heard about the civil rights movement, and had some notion that colonies around the world were becoming independent countries. My conception of the U.S. was mostly shaped by movies and TV shows depicting huge cities with skyscrap

ers. Brattleboro had no skyscrapers; it was a small town and our school in Sandanona was surrounded by woods. I would soon find out Oxford was also a small town of 5,000 people and a col lege and university student population that surpassed that number.

Arriving at Western College

When I arrived at Western College, by Greyhound bus and carrying my blue suitcase, with a sense of trepidation and wonder, it was for the orientation of new foreign students, before classes started in September. Just two years earlier, in 1964, Oxford had hosted the Freedom Summer, a campaign to register Black voters and educate Black children in the state of Mississippi. Henrick Young, President of Western College had come to the rescue when Berea College in Ken tucky declined to host the training of some 800 students at its campus. I did not know this at the time. My ignorance of the struggle for civil rights in the United States was great. In fact, my ignorance about the United States was great.

Among the most memorable days of my youth were those of my orientation week at Western College. Just like that, I met young women from different places of the world. They became my partners in that learning adventure. When I look back, I can see us together, in front of Clawson Hall, chatting and waiting for our ride to town. When I see photographs of those days I wonder where each schoolmate is now. Some of them, I had the good fortune to re-encounter, some 40 years later. I reminisced with them and told them what they meant to me, how much I missed them, how I searched for them, and how grateful I was to reconnect.

My Four Years at Western College

My years in Western opened my eyes to the world. I started to learn about a diversity of countries and cultures. From one day to the other I had met young women not only from the U.S. but from Afghanistan, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Libya, and South Africa, among others. Ever since, when something happens in any of those countries, my first thoughts are about Hilary, Maliha, Nevine,

Maria Maldonado

Sappho, Naono, Janny, Diana, Rauni, Ruth, Wamboi, and many other schoolmates I met during my four years at West ern. From one day to the other, my personal world became international.

I had some inspiring professors. I especially wish to men tion Margaret Barrier, my mentor and the person who taught me to tame my stream of consciousness and write organized research papers. She also encouraged me to learn for the sake of intellectual enrichment. I remember that whenever I feel the urge to take on a new field of interest.

The small world in which I lived, one of friends, profes sors, books, classes, green fields, an old library, a pond, a town with two movie houses and at least three bars, was a happy and peaceful one. I knew the outside world was not as welcoming and wonderful as my college life, but it felt distant, and I felt rather sheltered. While at Western, we were both observers to and participants in cultural events, including the international student show and a memorable opportunity a group of us had to go on a tour sponsored by the Howard Thurman Foundation to perform our countries’ songs and dances at several Black colleges in the South. We participated in all these events to the best of our abilities — some of my classmates were con summate artists — but in general we performed for forgiving and enthusiastic audiences. It was the only time in my life I had fans asking for my autograph.

Also at Western, I was introduced to the spirit of vol unteerism: doing something for one’s community out of a sense of social responsibility. Our Foreign Student Advisor, Dorothy Brickman, made it possible for a group of us stu dents to receive first aid instruction from the American Red Cross, Hamilton Chapter, to volunteer at Mercy Hospital in Hamilton, OH. It was satisfying to spend our Saturday morn ings at the Hospital, helping, mostly in the children’s ward, proudly wearing our uniforms, white with blue stripes.

Learning from books and lectures was part of our tra ditional academic education, but I found that conversations with classmates, American and international, had the greatest impact in revealing to me the world beyond. I specially re member a talk I attended, at The Lodge where Ruth Mbelle, a.k.a. Nana Sheshibe, spoke about Apartheid in South Africa. It was a mix of biography and history. She spoke about a situ ation I did not know anything about. It was the first time I heard someone describe apartheid, and what it did to people, what it meant in the life of a person and millions of people. Also, for the first time I heard “Nkosi Sikelei’ Afrika” (“Lord Bless Africa”) at one of our college events, beautifully sung by the African students. I felt deeply moved by it then and I feel deeply moved as I remember now. I learned that the song had become a pan-African liberation song. I was in awe of the strength and passion of these young women in that historic struggle to bring about and build a free Africa. Little did I know then that colonialism and apartheid would become the focus of my work for several years to come.

During my four years at Western, I witnessed historic events, some tragic, some positive:the appointment of the first African American Justice, Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court in 1967; the assassinations in 1968, of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, in April, and of presidential candidate Robert Kennedy, in June; the election of the first African American woman, Shirley Chisolm, to Congress in 1968; the U.S. landing on the moon in 1969; the hippie movement of flower children, love and peace, and the Woodstock music festival and Simon and Garfunkel singing at Miami University (where I secured a nosebleed seat) in November 1969; violence, protests, strikes, and uprisings on campuses —in the U.S. and across the ocean.

Kent State

In 1970, just weeks before graduation, one event in Ohio brought home the political turbulence and growing opposition

Maria with the Red Cross team in national dress (left) and traditional American uniforms (right), with Western College President Herrick Young.

to the Vietnam war: the horror of the killing of students at Kent State on May 4, 1970. President Nixon had ordered the invasion of Cambodia a few days earlier and students were protesting. At Kent State University, members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine others. The photograph of the student on the ground and the young woman crying out are seared in my mind. A nationwide student strike resulted in the closing of colleges and universities across the United States.

In my case, another Latin American student and I, Claudia Rodriguez from Colombia, joined Oberlin College students in an unforgettable act of sorrow and hope. Under the leadership of Robert Fountain, professor of singing and choral conduct ing, Oberlin townspeople, students, and faculty, organized a memorial concert at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, “transforming negative emotions into positive action Claudia and I made our way to Washington with the students, traveling in chartered buses. Many of us camped in the living rooms and any floor space available at the homes of parents, relatives, or friends of Oberlin students. The performance of the Requiem was magnificent. The students’ voices reached the skies — surely God must have heard them! I will always remember that moment and the emotions I felt.

After four years at Western, I graduated. My graduation was attended by my mother, who came from Peru for the oc casion, and by my American Moms, Muriel Sykes and Katie Ritter. All I remember about that day is that some girls wore flowers on their caps, and that we sang

“Come on, people now / Smile on your brother / Every body get together / Try to love one another right now,” urged by Susan Vitucci ’70, at the Kumler Chapel. I cried when saying good-bye to friends. I was going back to Peru and they would be going back to their homes in faraway places and I might never see them again. I was happy to learn that the Graduate Faculty of the New School for Social Research had accepted me. I would be studying sociology in New York City. My plan was to get my master’s degree, go back to Peru, and teach in a Peruvian university.

United Nations career

I did go back to Peru after I got my MA and taught In troduction to Sociology at a university. Within a year, I was recruited to work at the United Nations, starting on April 1, 1974, in the Department of Political Affairs and Decoloniza tion. I left Peru once again and headed back to New York City.

My assignment was to write papers on the political, social, and economic situation of Portuguese Territories in Africa for the Special Committee on Decolonization. There, I learned more about the struggle for liberation in Africa. My decolonizing efforts were hugely rewarded when the flags of Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique were

raised at the United Na tions as they became new Members of the Organi zation. The next 10 years of my life I worked for the United Nations Council for Namibia. Namibia was a Territory under the illegal occupation of apartheid South Africa. I was ecstatic when Namibia became independent in 1990 and took its seat at the General Assembly, at the time I was working organizing the work of the General Assembly and assisting the president of the General Assem bly. The last Territory I saw become independent was Timor Leste in 2002. It had been under Portuguese administration initially, and then under Indonesian control. My role was tiny, but my rejoicing was immense when Timor Leste joined the UN, occupied its seat at the General Assembly and its flag was raised.

My entire UN career lasted 32 years. I worked in various capacities always in political affairs. I eventually moved from Africa to Latin America and the Caribbean in the Depart ment of Political Affairs and was involved in monitoring the implementation of peace agreements in Guatemala, where I lived for two years.

I did find a few Western College alumnae at the United Nations during my years there, Ameerah Haq ’71, from Bangladesh, at the United Nations Development Programme, who has had a brilliant and distinguished career and has held high positions in the organization; Daysi Moncada ’71, from Nicaragua, who left her UN job to work for her government and was appointed ambassador; Sappho Haralambous ’70, from Greece, who held a senior post at the International Fund for Agricultural Development; Pamela Waldron-Moore ’71, from Guyana, who was a diplomat representing her country at the UN and then devoted herself to academia. I remember speaking on the phone just before my retirement with Maliha Zulfacar ’70, who served as the first woman ambassador of Afghanistan in Germany. There might have been others, but we did not cross paths. It was so gratifying to see my school mates in such important roles.

My years at the UN were among the best of my life and were I to live again, I would go back and work there and wake up every morning saying, “Today is a great day, I go to work for the UN.”

Maria’s mom came from Peru to see her graduate. Also in attendance were her “American Moms,” Muriel Sykes and Katie Ritter.

I retired from the United Nations in 2006, when I reached the ripe age of 60, the mandatory age of retirement then.

I had a long list of things I wanted to do: devote more time to my family, learn to play an instrument, study law to complete what I had barely started back in Lima, volunteer in a nonprofit, do some travel, dance every day, reconnect with people from grade school, high school, college, and university, and lovingly maintain contact with UN colleagues and friends. My objective was to live a meaningful, beauti ful, contented, useful life in my “third age.” I understood the challenge of learning new things at my age. Samuel Beckett’s words resonated with me, “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

I put into practice my internet research skills and it all paid off. I found four classmates from grade school including the girl who sat next to me in first grade, over 30 classmates from high school and a whole Facebook page for Western College Alumnae. Through Facebook I found, my freshman and sophomore years roommates, Cathy Bruce Keith ’71 and Nevine Fawzy Hemery. I was lucky to find a few Westerners in New York City, and reached out to them. Forty years to catch up. As I was looking for them, I discovered some had been looking for me. I was happy that I found them, and I was grateful that they found me.

The Therapeutic Harp

I fell in love with the harp when I was in Guatemala with the UN Mission verifying the implementation of the Peace Agreements signed between the Government and represen tatives of the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity. Walking the streets of Antigua, the old colonial city, I heard a sweet melody come out over the walls of an old Spanish building. When I went in, I saw a group of little girls, 8- to 10-years old, playing the harp. I was so taken by the beauty of the sound that I asked the teacher if she would accept me as a student, even though my age was at least five times that of the other students. Just treat me as an 8-year-old, I said. To my surprise, she said yes. As of then I became a harp student every Saturday for the two years I remained in Guatemala. After I retired, I wished to continue learning to play the harp and, when attending a harp festival, I discovered the thera peutic harp and the Bedside program, where I am enrolled. We play for patients and staff in hospitals and other health centers. Our aim is to play the harp to help healing. In so do ing, we also heal ourselves.

Law School and Immigration Law

Before I came to the U.S. to study, I had been a law student in Peru. I decided retirement provided me with the time I needed to complete my law studies. So, in 2009 I en rolled in law school with Sarah, my cat, next to me, her little

paw nudging me to finish reading my horn books, and my supportive hus band cheering me on. I spent the next four years studying law online and enjoying every minute. One must be strongly motivated to do law in the loneliness of one’s home office without the atmosphere of a brick-and-mortar school and daily in-person contact with school mates. After gradua tion, I studied immigration law online at the City University of New York (CUNY) better to help immigrants seeking to become U.S. citizens. The City University of New York and the Daily News run a yearly campaign, Citizenship Now, and I participated as a volunteer assisting immigrants.

New Women New Yorkers

In 2014, I joined New Women New Yorkers, a nonprofit start-up, first as a translator from English to Spanish and later as a member of the board of directors. Being a part of this project has inspired and encouraged me. This is a small organization founded by Arielle Kandel, supported by young women, and run by young women. They keep my spirit young. New Women New Yorkers is now eight years old. Its mission is to prepare immigrant women in New York to enter the work force. It offers workshops to improve skills, from preparing a resume, and networking, to preparing for an interview. New Women New Yorkers also offers leads to potential employers. Many of our graduates keep in touch with our organization and with each other and have become our ambassadors.

Support for the elderly

Aging offers a series of challenges. My husband, Bernard, and I felt the need to have a support group for people our age. We could not find a support group for aging people per se, so we established one in our local library. We met once a month and people came to share their experiences and problems, to seek information of programs for seniors and to offer their services. The pandemic interrupted our group. Many of our seniors were limited in their knowledge and use of computers and the internet and Zoom. We still send around articles and other information that may be helpful to them but have not resumed in-person meetings.

The science of happiness

I learned that older people, at least in the U.S., tend to be happier. Older people are happier even if they have not been happy in their younger years. To ensure I enjoyed such a windfall, I took a course at Yale, offered by Professor Laurie Santos, on the science of happiness. I cannot complain about the happiness in my life prior to that, but I wanted to make

Law students Sarah (left) and Maria

it easy for greater happiness to find me. It was an interesting course. And it had some very practical advice for success in our pursuit of happiness: be grateful; savor the moment; invest in experiences; be kind; make social connections; meditate; exercise; sleep. I wish to share with you my own reflections on a few of these valuable bits of advice.

Be Grateful

I have had a lot to be grateful for in my life, but I realized quite late in life that there were many people to whom I owed a debt of gratitude, and I was not certain I had expressed my gratitude to them. I mean besides one’s family, be it parents, siblings, spouse, or one’s own children, for all whom I am grateful indeed. I mean strangers one encounters in life. Inspired by the advice about being grateful and expressing it, I sought out my Peruvian high school teacher, Leah Lan daveri. I credit her for changing my life for the better. On my last year of high school, she had advised me to apply for the competitive exams offering scholarships to study in the US which led to my getting a full scholarship to Western College. My search was richly rewarded when I learned that she was in New York City. Her daughter had been appointed Consul of Peru in New York and Mrs. Landaveri had joined her in New York City and was living with her. Mrs. Landaveri was in her 90s. I asked to visit her, and it was a joyful occasion for me to see her after more than 50 years and to say, “thank you.”

I also sought out my professor and adviser Laurence Birns, from the New School for Social Research where I did my graduate studies. I wanted to thank him as well for changing my life for the better. Professor Birns advised me to apply to the United Nations for a job. Until then, I had never thought of a career in an international organization. My search this time had a sad ending. His son told me he had died five weeks before. I still uttered a prayer of gratitude, which I hope reached him.

I am also grateful for the generous hospitality I encoun tered among my classmates and people I met. They opened the doors of their homes for me, and I felt welcomed though I was a stranger. When I look back, I appreciate it even more now than I did then. I thank all and each one of them. I owe special thanks to Pamela Knowles ’70 for bringing Western mates together with her kind hospitality, her music, artistry, and friendship. She keeps me dancing, being creative, and exercising my tired bones with her Sound and Movement classes. I have the best memories of getting together with Westerners to listen to Pamela sing, in Manhattan, and stay ing at her home, the Eastern chapter of Western College, her cottage in Egremont, MA.

Savor the moment and invest in experiences

One best savors a moment by sharing it with another per

son, staying in the present, and keeping something to remem ber it, a souvenir, a picture. I find this to be great advice. My personal savoring has resulted in re-living significant moments of my life. I have many moments of savoring with Western friends. As we savored the moment of our encounter and the remembrances that flowed and cascaded in the currents of our conversation, we created new memories. And nowadays, I record the encounter with a photo, to savor the moment as it occurs and bring it back to enjoy again whenever I please. Another one thing I got from the science of happiness course was that we should invest in experiences. Though money and financial security are seen by many as important to happiness, these are temporary.

Material things may give us a sense of satisfaction tem porarily, but pleasant experiences last us a lifetime and bring back emotions and smiles when we revisit them, like reunions with loved ones, and travels. So true.

I remember a famous trip that a group of us in Western College took on a truck during a vacation break from school. Our destination was New York City. Some of the names that come to mind are Susan Bruce, Cathy Middleton, Pamela Knowles, Judith Greenwald, Nevine and Maira Fawzy, Ayse Agis, Sappho Haralambous, and yours truly. I have a picture taken outside McKee dorm of us in the truck waving to the camera, Vicky Choy and Professor Workman joined us only for the picture. I have it on my bulletin board in my home office and whenever I look at it, I smile. I have remem brances of laughter and joy.

As for the other advice in the pursuit of happiness, be ing kind, making social connections, meditating, exercising, and sleeping, I have also taken such advice to heart, and put it into practice, demonstrating a particularly well-honed skill for sleeping. And dreaming when I am awake.

With love.

— Maria Maldonado ’70

The famous truck trip, 1968: NYC, here we come!T

Happy 50th Anniversary, Class of 1973!

it for: veeejceee@gmail.com. Don’t forget the triple “e”s!

I also heard from Sally Mitch ell. She catches us up on great details of her life.

Sally Mitchell Van Wyk: “It has been many moons since I last wrote to you to give you an update on life here from Colorado Springs, CO. I am not even sure where to begin ... “I have been nursing since 1994 and continue to do so having just taken a new job as a RN Case Manager with a Medical Office. Nursing has given me lots of learning opportunities and challenges. Nothing I thought I would be doing after graduating from Western.

Greetings fellow classmates! Are you all looking forward to our 50 th Graduation Anniversary in 2023? I’m hoping we’ll have a GREAT turnout!

In the meantime, it’s been quite challenging trying to get notes from y’all for this publica tion. Here’s what I got:

Joan Campbell wrote the briefest note I have ever had from her. She sent a group

“I went thru a divorce in 2010 and after get ting back on my feet I am enjoying my life. I have three adult children and four grandchil dren. My daughter, Alison, is now working for the EPA as a Wetlands Specialist and has moved from Colorado to the outskirts of Atlanta, GA. She has the four-legged kind of children as in two horses, a dog, and a cat. My son Jeff and his family live in Denver, CO, where he owns his own business. His wife, Sophie, is a Hospital Trauma Unit Manager and they have two children: Nielsen who just graduated from HS and Sydney who is 13 and all girl. My son Greg and his family live in Eagle, CO and he is the administrator for the Eagle County Jail. Greg’s wife, Beth, is a school nurse and they have two boys: Tea gen (14) and Tristan (10). Love my family.!!!

buildings and changes, some wonderful, some very sad, but oh the memories. The wonderful bridges were being restored, and that was a delight to see as they were a beautiful part of campus (except the bridge that led to Presser Hall for choir practice as it always felt a bit creepy.) We were even able to get into Kumler Chapel and enjoy the peace and quiet. The pews are back in place where they once were, no longer the big pillows on the floor for our contemporary chapel services where we sang,” My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison!! More memories.

email, which some of you may have re ceived. But if not, she says: “Please forgive an impersonal note, but it’s my quickest way to let you know that I’ve changed email, because our Internet Service Provider has been taken over by Breezeline, whose cus tomer service is abysmal. From now on I’m using my Gmail address: veeejceee@gmail com (There was a special, sale price on the letter “E,” and so I stocked up.)” You always did have a wonderful sense of humor, Joan! So anyone who had: vjc@wideopenwest. com as her e-mail address, please substitute

“Some of you may remember my college boyfriend Neil. He called me in April 2019 and, as he was going to be in the Colorado Springs area for a conference, he asked me out to dinner. (We had done that a few times with our spouses when he was go ing to be in the area for work.) Well, since that April dinner we have become an “item” again. Neither of us had any intention or thought of seriously reconnecting, it was just a dinner to catch up with an old friend. Neil even packed up his worldly possessions and his business and moved to Colorado Springs November of 2020, in the middle of a pandemic!!! Guess he wanted to be close to me and the mountains (he does love hik ing and camping). This story does kind of read like a Hallmark Movie. ��

“While he was still living in Dayton, OH, I went to visit him and we took a day trip back to Oxford. We walked around Western’s campus and I was amazed at all the new

“Going uptown was quite the event as well. Seeing all the growth on Miami’s campus and trying to remember where Al and Larry’s and the Boar’s Head used to be in the midst of all the changes in Oxford. It was quite enjoyable to spend a day in nostalgia, reliv ing a time in my life of learning, growing and changing and wondering what was to come next in my life. My life did not go the way I thought it would but that is OK because there is more to come and it has been a good life so far.

“Speaking of memories ... I would love to hear from B.J. Barga Krivian, Debbie Hefty Sayers , Mindy Raber Johnson, Sue Schreyer, and anyone else who would like to reconnect. Email is: sallydru2@msn. com.”

Sally, you definitely should consider our 50th Reunion next summer! Hope to see you there!

As for me, I still intend to retire to Florida, but my move got put on serious hold. The plan is to put a dome home on the back acre age of my daughter’s property (DomeGaia Home). But national and international con struction exigencies meant that my building team couldn’t get the necessary supplies to

Joan

Sally

make the special blocks for the structure. And, both my builders have their own busi nesses — my son-in-law owns his own HVAC business, and summer is his busiest time. And my other builder drives a big rig

truck across country. I’m going to Florida for three weeks soon, so hope to revise and coordinate the project to see if we might actually get a break-ground date in the near future.

My trip is mainly to see my kids, however. Last time I was there was for my September (70 th ) birthday in 2021. My two older kids (Allegra and Hugo) and their families live there — a mile from each other, and about 12 miles from their dad. But my youngest, Gino, is still living and working in the UK, and now is a legal perma nent resident. Since leaving the USA in early 2016, he is finally coming back stateside for a visit, with his English GF. So of course, I made reservations the moment I knew his travel plans. I’m stoked that I’ll be with ALL my kids, grandkids, and kids’ “significants” for three weeks — right in time for Thanksgiving! They already have a bunch of fun events for us to enjoy!

For now, though, I’m maintaining my home in Chula Vista, CA, and still seeing a few clients per week in my massage business. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible this coming summer!

Blessings to one and all! (Cheers!)

Christy Wines ’73

376 Center St Unit 303 Chula Vista, CA 91910 winescl@aol.com

Sally Van Wyk especially wants to hear from these gals, whose senior pictures we found in your 1973 Multi! Plus Sue Schreyer [second from right in the picture below from the 1972 Multi] ... and anyone else in the class! Or, you could just plan to appear in person at your 50th Reunion, June 9-11!

Debbie Hefty

Mindy Raber

B.J. Barga

Christy

Dear Ladies of the Class of ’55,

Did you miss me? Did you notice I did not badger you for a information about your lives in the past year? Did you just not think to write without being solicited? Well, I missed you. But I did not write or call because I simply did not have the energy to do so.

For me, Mary Sicer Moore, this has been as Queen Elizabeth II said, an annus horribilis. It began in early May, or probably earlier and I didn’t notice it. Before I began a walk with a friend, a retired nurse, she asked me how I was feeling, because, she said, “You look terrible.” I agreed I did not feel right, and she told me to call my doctor right away, describe what I felt like, and go see him. I did and he told me to go to the emergency room at once. I did, and was in the hospital for four days with A Fib.

In those four days I did not see a cardiolo gist despite the various heart tests I was given. Medications were changed and I was released. But instead of improving, I grew more and more exhausted. I had a follow-up appointment with a nurse practitioner (in stead of a cardiologist) and again my meds were changed. But still I did not improve. My daughter (a nurse) and my daughter-in-law (a pharmacist technician) put their heads together, shared conversations on my swol len legs and ankles, and Aileen “kidnapped” me and insisted I go to the ER once again. This time I did see a cardiologist and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Medications were changed again. After five days I was sent home. A nurse and physi cal therapist each came once a week for a month, and I slowly began to recover.

Until in July when on a day with a high of 98 degrees I went to the grocery store and left my purse in the car — which I did not real ize until I was checking out. Then I walked as quickly as I could back to the far side of the parking lot to retrieve my purse, back to the store, checked out, and back again to the car. I was really hot. I sat in the car with the AC on full blast and drank the bottle of water I had with me before I even began to think of driving home. The next day I had a horrible cough, a temperature of 102 and when Aileen (my daughter-in-law) brought me home a test kit for Covid, I tested posi tive. This put me back to being too tired to do most anything. I gradually began coming back again, and finally, in mid-August, when I went to Cedar City, UT, for an exhilarating

Shakespeare Festival to see six plays, I began to feel normal again. The exhilaration and the welcome new bursts of energy are still with me, but it was too late for me to write and call you for your news.

I have heard from Charlene Ashing Bar ry, who calls regularly. She has made me charts to keep track of my weight, oxygen, and BP, and gives me advice on the prob lems of needing oxygen. At least I am on it only at night while she in on hers all the time.

And I have heard from Sally Miller Ihne, who listens to The Great Courses while she walks on her treadmill. She was so excited about the course on The Great Tour of Ireland, that she told me about it, I watched it, shared it with my daughter, and we all are dreaming of finding that perfect chauffeur who will drive us where we want to go, when we want to go, and always carry our luggage for us. All this at a reasonable price. Well, we can dream, can’t we?

If my health continues to be good, you will probably hear from me next year. But if you don’t hear from me, please send your news notes directly to the college. For I, at least, do not want to lose touch with “... We few, we happy few, we band of [sisters.]”

Mary Sicer Moore ’55 14 Broadmoor Prescott, AZ 86305 928-717-2093

cotnnero@gmail.com

from her husband, Yannis.

Frederica “Fred dy” Barber Miller had been in a nursing home in Pennsylvania and her daughter, Suzanne De Me nestral kept me and Alicia McLaughlin updated on her condition and helped us speak with her by phone. Sadly, Freddy passed away this past July 9th (2022). I watched the lovely funeral service online.

The spring ’22 Bulletin noted the deaths of Suzanne White Glans, September 2021; Phyllis Kopp Marangelo, April 2020; and Diana Downs Wharry, April 2022. Our sincere condolences to the families of these wonderful classmates.

This is a long overdue reply to the inter esting letter I had from Dorothy Poeschl Hawkes She was an Ohio neighbor (until I moved), born in the Bronx but from high school on has lived in Sandusky. She stud ied French and Spanish at Western and taught that. She taught English in Colombia, South America. Her husband, who died in 2009, was British. She has two daughters, one in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and the other is a retired Marine after 23 years’ ser vice and reaching Lt. status. She has three granddaughters and one grandson.

Dorothy pointed out the 100th anniversary of Western’s opening in 1853 was celebrated by us in 1953. She hopes, in spite of arthri tis to get to one of the final reunions. Her address (new) is 13825 Donald Dr., Brook Park, OH 44142; phone number: 216-2338910.

Dear Class of 1957, your delinquent Class Representative has been located. I have been missing for several years … A blue card might inspire me, so send one along.

I can always expect a lovely Christmas card from Joan Mueller McInally. She has con tinued the Christmas letter tradition that her husband, Loia, penned until his death on September 1, 2019. Joan has children and grandchildren, Lisa, and Steve and John — close enough to play a weekly game of golf with Lisa and get help on her property from Steve and John. And she has a reason to travel to South Dakota to see Jeff and family.

Joan passed on the sad information that Vasso Papagregory Louvakis had passed away. Joan’s sister tried to contact Vasso while in Greece and learned of her death

Alicia Melendez McLaughlin and I speak frequently. She was also in contact with Freddy’s daughter Suzanne to arrange phone calls. Alicia and I hope to have our long-planned luncheon together soon.

Sue Mayer Falter recently sent the office a batch of old photos for Archives [see one next page] and included this personal up date: “As for me, my youngest grandchild, Paige Falter, just began her freshman year at Miami and is housed in Young Hall. I have written to her about the significance of that. Her older brother just graduated from Miami in May 2022 and when he was a freshman, was housed in P.H., where I was housed as a freshman. I trust some of the ‘Western Way’ will brush off on each of them.

R.I.P., Freddy

“I see Mary Kay Staley Rader fairly often as she leads a group of 1953 graduates from Ironton High School in a monthly reunion as well as chairing the Lawrence County Museum. I also am in touch with Mary Kay Droste Feller, who lives an active life at a lo cal retirement community. She recently had an accident that involved a broken leg and months of therapy but is in good spirits and plans to attend a granddaughter’s wedding.

“I have just returned from a trip to Chicago and Greenville, SC, where my sister, Peggy Mayer Hill ’59, and my brother now make their homes. We always have Western sto ries to tell. We talk about coming to campus for the June 2024 occasion. That would be a great feat!”

I am very happy with my apartment in Re gent’s Point retirement community in Irvine CA. I have good friends and enjoy the many activities here. I play Bingo (imagine!) and even assist monthly. I enjoy Trivia and put ting. I have season’s tickets to the Pacific Symphony and last week I saw Hamilton … and loved it. My daughter, Roxanne, a professor of anthropology at U California at Irvine; Kasra, her husband, an acupunc turist, who treats my arthritic knee; and 13-year-old Rumi are about one mile from here. Rumi loves coming here to eat in the dining room.

About eight years ago I began a book based on the 250 or so letters I wrote to my par ents during the 13 years I lived in Iran. My memoir begins in 1967 when I went to Iran on a Fulbright to teach in Tehran and met and married my husband, Massoud. We had three children and would still be there if not for The Revolution and establishment of the Islamic Republic. We came back to the U.S. in 1980. I hope to have The Right of Way Belongs to the Fearless published soon. My Best to Everyone … Charlotte Klein Varzi ’57 313-529-3192 19191 Harvard Ave. #266D Irvine, CA 92612

We all hope that our 13 classmates who live in Hurricane Ian’s path stayed safe and didn’t suffer any damage to their homes!

Peggy Mayer Hill wrote that she had “...big winds, only an inch of rain, but the yard is a mess!” She lives in South Carolina. Her son Andy came from Japan for a weeklong visit just after the storm. They stayed very busy. which she loved!

Pat French Cook Richardson had “lots of rain” at her Florida home. In October, she and Bob are driving to Virginia and Long Island, NY, to visit relatives, leaving her grandson to house-sit and take care of the pet cats. She’s been having macular degeneration treatments and reports that all is going well and thankfully she can still see.

Betty Thebaud Sharr spent the summer at their Big Bear Lake cabin in California’s South San Bernardino Moun tains. It was nice to get away from their sizzling Arizona summers. She still plays golf, takes walks with neighbors, reads and knits. Best of all is getting together with her kids and grandkids. In May, she spent 10 days in Hawaii with son Scott and his wife, Luvonne.

Lucy Bilsland Galloway re ports the arrival of greatgranddaughter, Maya May Johnson-Malone, born April 26th in St. Louis and “is ab solutely gorgeous!” Lucy stays busy with book clubs, choir and other church-related activities and walks a mile daily. She’s doing well but misses her frequent chats with her roomie, Jane Toy Thomason, who passed away in June, less than a year after her husband, Bob, passed.

Speaking of roommates, I heard from my senior year roomie, Garlan Stamper Tinney , who still lives in Maryland and chats occa sionally with Peggy Mayer Hill. Her daughter, Rochelle, lives in nearby Baltimore, has four children, the oldest of whom has “gifted me with three great-grands.” Number 2 daughter, Teresa, lives in Australia, working as a proj ect manager in their health care system. Son Blake lives with her and uses his impres

sive abilities to build and repair computers, “so he helps many old women who call him for help!” (I wish he lived closer to us!)

Jane Williams Andrassi writes from her Chapman Hills community home in Con necticut, where she has lived for 20 years, that she’s still participating in water aerobics classes and a book group. Thanksgiving will bring her three grandchildren plus their significant others for a visit from North Caro lina, so she’s anticipating “a great, if not a chaotic time”.

Ann Ferguson Ziegler shared stories of the extreme heat they suffered from May till Oc tober in Texas but added her gratitude for the availability of air- conditioning everywhere. Now they are in the middle of a drought. [We’re in our third year of a drought here in California and have had a total of 1/2 inch of rain this year so far!]

Happy to hear from Lois Maguire Wisniewski for the first time! She’s still living in

Montclair, NJ, now in a studio apartment in the carriage house on the former VanVleck estate, which is now a public garden ... and is loving it there. She helps with visit ing student and gardening groups and has recently returned to her love of painting, try ing abstract acrylics. Vision problems have limited her driving but nearby friends and Uber fill in. She is in good health with much to be thankful for. I’m so happy she wrote and caught us up on her life.

Also heard for the first time from Carole Crowe Frank, who is still living in NYC “in a mediocre nursing facility” and who encourages us all to enjoy our good health and sends hugs to all. Please stay in touch.

Ellie Spittler Buford sends greetings to all and a photo with her and her American friends after their annual hike in the Carnia Dolomites, proving that she’s still in “damn good shape!” She still loves living in Italy and didn’t even come back to America for a visit this year. It’s always fun to hear from her!

Back in action: “Spitty” Buford (front left) ’59 with her “hiking gals” on their annual trek in the Carnia Dolomites.

Happy ’57 grads (from left) Judy Leeds, Sue Mayer, Nancy LaKamp, Sue Martin, Cecelia Segawa

As for the Mascali Family ... except for visits to Washington State University for #2 grand daughter’s graduation and a few visits to visit our children at Lake Tahoe and Annapolis, we were pretty much stay-at-homebodies this year.

It’s always good to hear from fellow math major, Judy Conant, who sends a hello to all and who has added some good sug gestions to think about and share in future newsletters:

What did you appreciate most and least about Western?

What’s your favorite place in the world to visit?

What do you think of our new world of apps and QR codes replacing almost ev erything?

Thanks for great suggestions, Judy! Let’s take them on with our next newsletter.

Please all stay in touch! …

Diana Koch Mascali ’59 18653 Woodbank Way Saratoga, CA 95070 dkmascali@aol.com

Richard at their new home in Alpharetta, GA. After nearly 50 years in Texas, “Richard is beginning to have some memory issues, and we needed to do it while we could still make the decisions and before it became an emergency situation.” Happily, they are “just 25 minutes from our older daugh ter, in a two-bedroom independent-living ‘bungalow’ in a senior community that has all levels of care should we need them.” Their daughters are doing well and grandchildren are in and above vari ous levels of higher education.

Jeanette Kirkpatrick Duvall says that all in her family, “are well, including our four kids and five grandkids,” and added, “Now great and fun news from the DUVALL CLAN 2022: ‘CELEBRATIONS COME ON!’” She included a wedding picture of daughter Michele taken on January 8, 2022, in Fal mouth, ME. Johnnie and Harry celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 30, 2022, at their favorite restaurant on their favorite island, Vinalhaven. Their family also surprised them with a dinner, which they had kept a secret. Congratulations!

Marcia Jones Friddle, writing from her new home of a year in New York State, is well and also enjoys her grandchildren. Her grandsons are Sean, at Purdue, and Ryan, a senior in high school; and those closer to home, Zella, who is 5 and going to kinder garten this fall, and Quinn, who is 3. We are glad to hear that she is well.

When classmates write that they don’t have much news because not much is happening in their lives, that’s good news! Still, some stay in touch, and we’re glad to hear about both sad and great events. We have lost yet another member, Marta Chanis Pierce, whose daughter sent a lovely, affectionate obituary.

Son Duvie, on his ninth trip to South Africa, did a “Comrades Marathon, 54+ miles ‘down run’ from Pietermaritzburg and Val ley of 1000 hills to beach and port city of Durban, South Africa. Ninth trip. The race was founded in 1921 to honor fallen WWI soldiers. I go for the unity and profound humanity. Perseverance and fellowship in the face of adversity. African concept of you Ubuntu — a person is a person because of other persons, I am because we are. Really close to impossible to describe, but it gives me great inspiration about the goodness of people.”

Good news comes from Susan Baarsch Button, who has four great-grandchildren. Recently her granddaughter had a daugh ter, Logan, to go with two brothers. Her grandson Tony’s, son Lauden had suc cessful cancer surgery at eight months; he is approaching his second birthday. They all live closely enough so that they can see each other. Otherwise, she and wife Lori live quietly at home, gardening and raising chickens. In front of their house they had a free library book box which has grown to two boxes. Both Susan and sister Sandra Baarsch Baumgardner give out books for Hallowe’en and people leave boxes of books on their porch.

We send sympathy to Linda Marsh Koser, who lost her husband, Randy, suddenly in February after 60 years of marriage. This June she traveled “with sons Dan and Rod and grandsons Troy and Tyler to England for the wedding of son Gregg, who lives there. Gregg’s son, Rafe, was Best Man, and Maxine’s sons Tom and Henry, “gave her away.” Travels to Italy followed, “a wonder ful, if bittersweet trip.” Linda works part-time as an accountant, serves her church as a Stephen Minister, plays bridge, walks, and “adjusts to being alone.”

Sharon Botsford Moyer, having dealt for some time with vertigo, sends the good news that she is “very positive” that Tai chi will improve her balance from the vertigo and permit her to travel afar. She has enjoyed family gatherings in Georgia, Brooklyn and North Carolina, and like the rest of us who have been confined, sees a great improve ment from the previous two years.

A call from Ann Kendrick McCrillis re vealed that she still enjoys her home of two years in Phoenix.

Our wonderful Trustee, Anne Adkins Weissenborn, and Loretta Ryder ’63 are preparing an updated history of Western for the website. What great reading that will be! Anne plans to return to Ohio twice, once to Circleville where the Presbyterian church in which she grew up will be celebrating its 200th anniversary, and probably in October to Western. She joins us in amazement that so many years have gone by. She tells us that daughter Elizabeth in Portland is emerging from the dearth of assignments caused by

Loyal correspondent Flora Zimmerman Cohen sent a picture of herself and husband

The Cohens in front of their new home

Johnnie Kirkpatrick Duvall ’61 and the Duvall clan at the wedding of daughter Michele

Covid and her career in making independent documentary films is reviving.

And another dedicated Trustee, Sharry Patterson Addison, continues to enjoy sitting on the WCAA Board. She and Judy Dudman Henderson ’62 have been leading the very successful fund-raising efforts to es tablish our lasting WCAA Legacies. Sharry is looking forward to seeing some of you at the 2023 reunion and our last reunion in 2024!!!

We Obuchowskis also persevere. Pete has been unwell for some time, but we have not found a satisfactory one-story dwelling. Nevertheless, I continue to try to downsize. Recycling all the paper from teaching, re search, manuscripts, correspondence, and so forth, has consumed more hours than I can count, but it brings back abundant memories. We feel blessed to have sons and grandchildren nearby, and I am delighted to be in touch with you and Western.

[Editor’s note: Sadly, Mary’s husband, Pete, passed away October 25. Our deepest con dolences to Mary and their family.]

Mary DeJong Obuchowski ’61

1119 Kent Dr. Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 obuch1mc@cmich.edu

From Allison Lewis Friedman: “I remem ber you, Helgard. I was Class of ‘62 and lived in what was then called Clawson; my roommate was Reka Nagy. I left Western for my sophomore year but returned the follow ing year and became part of the class of ‘63. I lived in Peabody in the triple with Carolyn Dutton and Donna Shalala that year. The next year, I returned to Michigan and got my BSN and MSN from Wayne State University. I think that makes me ‘ex62. But I also do get class news requests from ‘63.

“Ah, Miss Limmer. How many lives she changed by showing us how to think!! The older I get, the more I value and treasure the two years I was at Western. So many good memories, and so many experiences that became a part of the fabric of who I am. “It was an amazing school for its time!!”

WCAA, Inc.

325 S. Patterson Ave. Oxford, OH 45056 wcaa@miamioh.edu

[To be inclusive in our final Bulletins, we are now publishing updates that miss the odd/even class year deadline in the current issue.]

HAPPY 60TH ANNIVERSARY!

The four of us (Liz Andrus Schoeberlein, Brenda Litchfield Benson, Jill Hartley Fulton, and Bonnie McGowan Sammet) are still keeping touch through Zoom.

Liz and Ron joy fully celebrated their 59th anniver sary in August in the Adirondacks. Breaking her left wrist in October on the tennis court will not keep Liz from playing tennis with friends.

Brenda and Don es caped winter and va cationed on Florida’s east coast this year.

A summer drought in Massachusetts somehow produced a bumper crop in their garden to be enjoyed through the winter. Brenda continues to enjoy playing golf and duplicate bridge.

Jill ’s grandson Evan, a budding chef, often drops in to prepare gourmet meals to the delight of his grandmother. Jill loves her visits to her daughter’s nearby home to see her other two grandchildren.

The roommates survived bouts of Covid and had several boosters. Bonnie and John came through late September’s hur ricane Ian with far less damage than many of her south Florida neighbors and family, though Bonnie is still raking up the last leaves and branches.

[Special thanks to Bonnie Sammet for com ing to the aid of Class Rep Jill Fulton for this issue. All pictures from the 1963 Multifaria]

WCAA, Inc.

325 S. Patterson Ave. Oxford, OH 45056 wcaa@miamioh.edu

Hello, all. I hope you had a good summer and are also looking forward to a crisp, color ful fall as I am! I am glad to share news from several of you all.

Alice

got the prize as

from Newport Coast, CA, that it has been a year of fire, and she has seen two sizable ones from her backyard. Fortunately, she and Emile escaped any on their property. Emile finally retired from teaching at Univ. of CA-Irvine campus. She volunteers at Sherman Li brary and Gardens in Corona Del Mar and looks forward to working again at Williams Sonoma over the holidays, and getting her next Mini Cooper! Alice went to Hawaii with daughter Laura and grandsons Marco and Leo while Emile went to see family and friends in Greece. A nice trade-off to me!

Many thanks to Sue Brewer Thompson for writing for the very first time! She says she and husband Thom retired 25 years ago from Oakville, ON, to Ten Mile, TN, her home state. They enjoyed lake living for 20 years before downsizing to a condo in Vonore, TN. Sadly she has developed mobility is sues so must limit travel. They have a son in Georgia and a daughter in Missouri, and three grandchildren. She sends everyone best wishes.

Janet Smith Dickerson-Stephens also sends greetings. She and her spouse, Paul Stephens, just returned from Martha’s Vineyard, where they spent most of August. In September she returns to ‘high intensity work’ at The Claremont Colleges, and is hoping for a calmer, more stable school year for the students. Both she and Paul got COVID in early June, but had mild cases

Wilson Pilafidis

the first respondent! She writes

Alice Pilafidis ’65 with family in Hawaii

since they were fully vaxxed and boosted. Their daughters are doing well. They are es pecially excited for Jill Dickerson (Janet’s el dest), a governor for the Television Academy who will represent at the upcoming Emmys.

In case you missed it, Sylvia Stanfield re ceived an honorary Doctor of Humane Let ters from Miami University at the Fall 2021 Commencement for her work in strengthen ing the relationship between Miami and the alumnae of the Western College for Women. Well done, Dr. Stanfield!

Also happy to report news from Sandy Severson Harwood. She and Alden celebrated

(ages 3-25!) are well also, just more scat tered around the globe the older they get ... We are looking forward to a full family vaca tion in Tuscany in June ‘23 since that didn’t happen this year. Best regards to you all! …

Kate O’Brian Lillich ’65

15 Mentelle Park Lexington, KY 40502 katelillich@gmail.com

tion at the Mon mouth Museum in New Jersey. My journey has been joyful, and I love painting ev ery day. Recently, I was invited to join The NeoLatino Collective, a small group of Latino Artists I am looking forward to exhibiting with.

I am writing this from the southern shores of Sicily where we are on tour. Probably see ing temples that were in our 101 Art History slides with Miss Haughton.

Despite the fact that only Joanne Wittman, Joan Barenholtz, and I (and two husbands) came to our 55th, it was still a great time. We were able to Zoom with Jan Chadwick, who was awaiting a new hip — we hear it was successful — and visit with many other Western Sisters. It amazed me how similar we all are in spite of the varied ages. Joan and I took a tour of the art museum on our campus and were given a private peek at the Louise Nevelson sculpture. Some of you may remember Louise Nevelson was given an honorary degree by Western. Joan and I were very impressed by the museum’s collection which included Native American baskets and a Jasper Johns painting.

“I married an Ohio man, whose aunt, Mary Stanton, was the librarian at Miami while I was at Western. Of course I did not know it, since I had not yet met my husband, a photographer. We have a wonderful Queer son, Trevor, the light of our lives. I am now in the process of painting a series of LGBTQ portraits. I hope to finish them soon for an other solo show.

“I stay in touch via Facebook with Susie Jennings and Maria Maldonado, Elisa Kessler Caporale, Hayat Imam, Gail Cha tham Clifford, Gloria Tumino Molella and Pamela Knowles, who has revived her sing ing career. I would love to hear from other Western graduates no matter what year they graduated.” Website: lolastantonart. com; Facebook: Lola Stanton; Instagram: lolastanton3335

their 55th wedding anniversary in August in Buffalo, NY. All three children and seven grandchildren (4-18 years old) were together for a festive, fun week. Congratulations, Sandy and Alden! Tom and I can’t wait to see you again in January in St. Simons Island, GA!

Do hope you all are as well and happy as possible. Tom and I are hanging in, trying to stay in good physical and mental shape. Our two sons, their spouses, and six grands

Joanne Brombaugh Wittman and Jack are back traveling again. They took a cruise to Bermuda, a trip to New England, and are hiking locally.

Joan Barenholtz had surprise open heart surgery this summer. She will write about it in another Bulletin). She just went on a cruise to Quebec in September, on the QM2, so it sounds like she too has recovered well.

I, Elisa, am still trying to adjust to my tem porary home in Connecticut, but have been focused on my husband, who had a heart valve replaced and a pacemaker installed in March. I had a small quilt displayed in a show in Korea in September.

Lola Schmidt Stanton sent an overdue and welcome update: “After 13 years of teaching art in New York Bronx High Schools, I retired and started painting. I started taking classes at the Art Students League of New York and was lucky to find a teacher, Cornelia Foss, to inspire me. A few years later, in 2017, I had a one-person show of portraits of young Latinos. I later became a member of The National Association of Women Artists and started showing with them. I have won five awards at the annual members’ shows and just last year won First Prize at an exhibi

Everyone did so well sending in news last spring before the reunion. Please keep it up, send me news anytime, and I will be better about meeting the deadline. I expect to see you in 2024 for the BEST WESTERN REUNION EVER.

Elisa Kessler Caporale ’ְ67 59 Summit St. Derby, CT 06418 ekcaporale@gmail.com

As a class we’ve had a dynamic year. See below what we’ve written about travel, retire ment, celebrations, life changes, reflecting on the past and looking forward to the future.

I’ll go first. Nancy Wilson Kobayashi still in Kamakura, Japan. I was happy to be able to travel overseas again without too much hassel. May found Kazu and me returning to our place on Maui for the first time in nearly three years. Then, for me, it was on to Ohio. First stop was Oxford not only for Reunion, but to also touch base with our best man and spend a long chatty lunchtime with Dr. Donovan Auble’s widow, Carolyn. Reunion was a great time of meeting up with

The Lilliches on their 57th wedding anniversary in August

The Harwoods on their 55th anniversary in August

Lola

Stanton’s “Survivor”

Westerners I knew from other classes and meeting new people. Now I’m looking for ward to seeing ‘69ers at Reunions ’23 and ’24. Next stop was Dayton to visit our son, Dean, meeting some of his new family for the first time including my new grandkids and even a greatgrand! Our daughter, Christine, her husband and two teenage sons live in nearby Yokohama, so we can meet from time to time. I’m still involved with writing and proofreading at The Shonan Post (shonanpost.com), and participating in the Association of Wives of Japanese events, and hula, but I resigned in July from crisis line work at TELL Lifeline after 31 years of service.

Beverly “Bev” Rohlehr wrote of Covid and career. “My husband and I are enjoying life in Pittsburgh. We moved here in September of ’19. During Covid we recorded a CD “Every Ounce.” Available through us on our web site, www.thecolbysband.net. I try to stay active working in my steeply sloped yard, riding my bike, walking, doing tai chi, and taking in the sights of our new hometown, now that Covid restrictions have lessened.”

“Hi, it’s Karen Weber Carlisle ,” wrote Karen. “This has been my first full year of retirement at age 75. I’ve been working since I was 17, except while at Western, so it’s a new experience. People were correct when they said you’d still be very busy and this is true except activities can be paced bet ter. Covid of course, changed a lot of plans, but we still managed to travel to Sicily in the fall and to Chattanooga in the spring, and this fall we’ll be on a Road Scholar trip to Greece. I’m singing in three different choirs and teaching an ELL (English Language Learner) student every week. Also, I’m re ally into weight training and I’m six pounds away from equaling the dead lift record for my age. Thankfully our health has held up... so aware of taking each day as a gift.”

Annette Bevan Gallagher wrote from San dusky. “Thank goodness for the progress we have made for better management of COVID-19 and variants. I am grateful for the vaccinations and boosters available for

adults and children that have allowed my family to have hug-to-hug visits again. The newest, highly contagious variant has been moving around our county and among our visitors to the Sandusky Children’s Museum all summer. In spite of it, we held our an nual, eight-day Gadget Workshop Camp for first- sixth-grade participants, who were as sisted by high school volunteers in June. At the end of July, the museum was closed for a while. Dick and I tested positive, and we fought off strong, cold-like symptoms. Fortunately, we have been able to regain our strength and have resumed tours for the many kinds of families who attend. We are healthy enough to meet the challenges of conducting Field Trips for Day Cares, Home Schoolers, Private and Public Schools. To my joy, our church choir was able to sing for services all last year, and we will continue to provide music this year. I am still drawn to work toward achieving several commu nity projects. It is exciting to be involved in groups that carry out tasks that develop resources that support others.

“Here is a shout out to our ‘68-’69 classmate Francine Toss In the Fall/Winter 2021 Bulletin, she mentioned her retirement from the Oberlin Public Schools after 49 years of dedication. When I read in the Ohio Schools October/November 2021 issue that her former kindergarten student and colleague at Oberlin Schools, Kurt Russell, was selected as the 2022 Ohio Teacher of the Year, I sent her a congratulatory card and note. In that article, Mr. Russell said, ‘When my kindergarten teacher Miss Francine Toss taught, she made it seem as though I was the only one in the class. She had that much of an impact on my life — it was like she was teaching me privately. She made learning exciting and reading fun.’ Imagine how delighted Francine is that Kurt Russell was chosen in April 2022 to be the National Teacher of the Year. To learn more about this outstanding teacher, read the article Em powering Students in the October/November 2021 issue of Ohio Schools and listen to the October 28, 2021, episode of the Education Matters podcast.”

I heard from Louise Wiedmann Koch “It’s been a busy summer judging horse shows, visiting my sister and nieces in Michigan, celebrating a marriage that oc curred two years ago and being able to go on a salmon fishing trip in Alaska for the first time. The only bummer is that my hip has gotten so painful that I can’t ride right now, and I will be having a hip replacement. Then we’ll see what the future holds re horses.”

Betsy Philipson Kensinger wrote of her travels and challenges. “The highlight of my year was a river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam that my oldest daughter, Katie, and I took in May 2022. We were celebrat ing my 75th birthday and her 50th. We had a wonderful time. The downside of the year was a breast cancer diagnosis in March. We caught it early and it had not spread, but I have spent from March until now (apart from the three weeks we were gone on our cruise) receiving treatment. I just finished my last chemo infusion and am working hard to regain my strength for a trip to London, Scotland, and Ireland with my daughter-inlaw that leaves mid-September. The family is all well; my youngest granddaughter starts preschool in a few weeks, and my oldest granddaughter just moved into her college dorm. I am hoping to be able to attend the next two reunions at Western! I hope our class has a good turnout! See you then!”

B.J. Gibbons Bramlett — a celebration and a surprise. “The past few years I have seen others announce their 50th anniversary. This year Owen and I celebrated ours. We took a trip to Bermuda, arriving on the 50th an niversary of our honeymoon. Covid tests and restrictions were stringent, their island, their rules. We had one cruise canceled nine months before departure; fortunately another one became available, but they had to drop a port. Bermuda has really grown in population, downtown Hamilton was a small city. For the past two years we have volunteered (ok, we were paid $60), at the polls. The presidential election was terribly busy. This year’s primary elections were understaffed, we worked two precincts even though we were understaffed for one. I’m dreading the midterm. Our neighbors walked the dog and fed the cats. Hope they’re on board for November.

Owen was part of a band, The Tempters, that played in The College Inn and the Pu rity. Out of nowhere, he was contacted by an Australian record producer that seems to specialize in collections of old and (in this case) obscure recordings which he compiles into albums. Well, in October, The Tempters will live on with one of their two recorded pieces being included in one of his produc tions. It gave him a great excuse to reunite with the other surviving band mates. We will definitely be at the 2024 reunion, it’s not a difficult drive in my car. Looking forward to seeing everyone. This year we will bring extra corkscrews.

Elisa Kessler Caporale ’67 and grandchildren on vacation at Point Pleasant, NJ, sporting ’22 Reunion T-shirts

”Stephanie Bentzen Snook took the time to write. “This year has seen ups and downs, with the ups being overshadowed by the loss of my dear Fred. He passed away of a stroke three days short of our 49th anniversary on the very day we were scheduled to go on a cruise to Iceland (a place he had wanted to visit for quite a while). I am grateful that he passed without pain and did not linger for a long time with an illness as some others have had to endure. My heart and prayers go out to my Western sisters who have also lost their husbands. My advice to everyone: hug your loved ones often.

“We were excited because my hip surgery in November was successful (yay) and would allow us to go on many excursions while on the cruise to see sights in Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Scotland. We were to travel with another couple who, sadly, contracted Covid about halfway into the cruise and were placed in a small cabin on the ‘Covid deck,’ where they remained in isolation for the rest of the trip. They were not allowed to leave the room and had their food brought to them. I wonder how many others have similar experiences. How I long for a world that sees the end of Covid.

“Fred’s high school forensics (speech and debate) team did well this last season and he was enjoying a good golf season (all the money he won always went into the grand kids’ college fund. He had quite a stash built up). We enjoyed playing euchre with one of our euchre groups, with the other on hold until the fall. We went to all of the grandkids’ softball games throughout June and the beginning of July. Mary (10) and Lucas (7) could really SMACK that ball. Mary qualified for the travel team. They practice all winter and then start playing in the spring. They are happy to get back to school and see friends.”

Betsy Summers Solis wrote soon after returning to Hawaii from Alaska: “This year we were fortunate to be able to travel a bit again. In September, we returned to Calif. for Tom’s 60th high school reunion. Along the way we visited with relatives and friends and added a stop at lovely Paso Robles, a place we have passed many times over the years, but never visited. This summer we visited Alaska and have now been in all 50 states. Our trip also took us inside the Arctic Circle and to the Yukon. We both continue to be checked for cancer every four weeks. I continue to attend my weekly cancer support Zoom meetings and am thankful to have made many friends through this medium. I have been able to return to running and biking and bought an E-bike to keep up with everyone and go the longer distances. I love it! I started raising Monarch butterflies and have released over 200 during the past year. They don’t migrate and are a year-round hobby here. They are also fun to watch in the garden. I now have many friends doing the same thing.”

Roberta Smith Hurley sent an update. “I can’t believe our Western will cease to exist in 2024 but am grateful Miami gave us 50 years (which is a breathtaking number). I do hope we can find a way to stay in touch with each other. As for news, all is the same for us. We have the usual ail ments typical for our age and continue to spend the winters in South Carolina near our daughter and family which includes our three grandchil dren. We then spend summer and fall in Columbus near our son (42) and daughter-in-law who are expecting their first child in late December! We laugh how we were considered geriatric parents in our mid 30s. But it is all good and we are excited We enjoy the photos and videos from our Western campus that Debbie and our classmates post on Facebook. And I hope my classmates are well and enjoying their retirement years!!”

Patricia “Patsy” McDonald sent an update and a photo. “Ours was certainly a seminal time to be in college. I love that Miami/West ern programs have maintained the Western Spirit of making the world a better place. I continue to keep that as a motivator in my life. After a wonderful and produc tive 50-plus years work ing in vari ous helping professions I am happily ‘retired,’ with partner Rog er Long. We own a boat and just finished a lovely cruise in Canada. We divide our time between the Hudson Valley, the Northeast and Southern coasts, and The Berkshires. I’d love to hear from 1969 classmates; I’m on Facebook.”

Cindy Van Allen Schaffner wrote of keep ing in touch. “Rekindling college friendships has been a wonderful consequence of the Covid Pandemic. It began with email plans to attend our 50th Reunion, and the amazing experience of reuniting on campus.

“During the Pandemic and the discovery of Zoom, Penny Earle Cook, Pam Baldwin Lustig, Mary Horsfall Webster, Toni Vaughn Heineman and I began Zoom gatherings. From our homes in Con necticut, Indiana, Virginia, California, and Maine we have continued Zooming in the spirit of gathering in the dorm Smok ers (sans cigarettes and bridge playing). We chat about things on our mind, share

books, family stories, travels, and, of course, discuss our health and grandchil dren. It’s the best tonic!”

Carolann Herrold Sharp reported in from Mt. Lake, Pennsylvania. “We have been enjoying another summer at our lake house and gatherings with family. Both Michael and Christopher and their families have been able to spend lots of time with us over the summer. The three little ones enjoyed the swimming and paddleboat activities, as well as the freedom to just run. Of course the deer, chipmunks, rabbits, eagles, herons and other wildlife are always an added at traction. Jackson, age 5, started kindergar ten last month and loves it! Cyrus, 3, will be gin preschool this month and Penny, 2, just tries to keep up with the boys! Vaccinated and boosted, Norm and I have been able to avoid Covid so far. I continue to participate in my garden club and book clubs, attend ing virtually when necessary. I am looking forward to our reunion in June 2024!!”

Linda Galantin wrote of her yurt and be yond. “For me not much as changed since last year. I still walk around my local lake every day with friends. Spending a couple days every other week or so when tempera ture is below 90F and it is not raining at my yurt is my main diversion. I did get together with my two older sisters in May. In Charlot tesville, VA, we stayed at a lovely historic inn that was constructed for Thomas Jefferson’s daughter and her family. We had a delightful time touring Monticello and Highlands (home of James Monroe). In November (2022) I hope to fly to Rio de Janeiro for the 40th anniversary of a church there.”

Britt Henne has been on the go. “I have seen that our last reunions are in 2023 and 2024. After that there will be no more re unions like we have had since graduation in 1969! I came to my first reunion in 1974 and have participated every five years since that first time. The last time was in 2019 when I was a featured speaker. My many trips to Western have also included visits with friends in the U.S. before and after reunions. I had never thought that I would enjoy so

Patsy McDonald ’69 and partner Roger Long

Carolann Herrold Sharp and Norm with their grandchildren, Cyrus, Jackson, and Penny

Celebrating the Uniqueness* of Western, Actually! June

10-12, 2022

The SOLE Miami residence hall named for a Western College president

ONE of a kind items for sale in the Silent Auction ...

Student helper and karaoke leader EXTRAORDINAIRE, Brian! Always everywhere you needed a ride or a hand or a dance partner.

Our PEERLESS greeters (from left): Debbie, Sylvia, Mackenzie, and on — loan from Miami — Cindy Osborne. And NUMBER ONE cheerleaders Jocelyn and Pheetta!

* We are the ONLY “orphan” alumnae/i association to have outlived its parent college by 48+ years ... and counting!

Friday night SOLO performers at Karaoke; Saturday’s Meily Society Luncheon induction, starring the ONLY 50-year (’72) and 55-year (’67) classes; and afternoon panel of storytellers Anne Weissenborn ’61, Pam Coates ’70, Chris Moranda ’74, and Pheetta Wilkinson ’76, sharing their SINGULAR memories.

Clockwise from bottom: Elisa Kessler Caporale, Jack Wittman, Jo Ann Brombaugh Wittman, and Joan Barenholtz. N.B. ’67 flag in the background

Luncheon Emcee Pam Coates reads the script and teaches the “wave.”

50-year Class of ’72 (standing, clockwise from left): Polly Parke, Connie Wong, Sharon Sullivan, Laurie Hildebrandt, Linda Tuxen, and Cynthia Clark

A FIRST: Miami University names a new residence hall after a Western College president: Dedication of Young Hall, June 11, 2022.Proud members of Herrick B. Young’s family attended the ceremony as Western alumnae Judy Henderson ’62, Susan Blake ’68, and Anne Weissenborn ’61 recounted travel anecdotes, MU President Greg and Ambassador Renate Crawford offered remarks, and Malcolm Young responded for the family. Following the outdoor ceremony, Sylvia Stanfield ’65 unveiled the commemorative bronze plaque inside the lobby of the building.

Judy Susan Anne

WCAA Board president Ann Walton ’66 (above) welcomes guests, and Malcolm Young offers remarks as the beaming image of his father looks on.

The Crawfords with Malcolm

Dramatically unfurled, Cynthia’s scroll reveals her list of “fraught times and urgent issues” since the beginning of 2022.

ONE-of-a-kind Toasts “Through the Decades,” by anniversary-class representatives; annual Alumnae Service Awards; ICONIC peony centerpieces; ONE special honoree family—at the traditional Celebratory Banquet. ASAs (far right): Judy Henderson ’62 presenting to Sharry Patterson ’61; (right): Loretta Ryder ’63 reading acceptance speech from Kausar Hamdani ’64; and Sylvia Stanfield ’65 looking on as Brandi Murphy, granddaughter of Herrick Young, gave remarks on behalf of the family.

Dorothy Hawkes ’57

Polly Parke ’72

Elisa Caporale, Joan Barenholtz ’67

The family of Herrick B. Young at the Banquet following Young Hall dedication. Malcolm Young (far right) prepares to offer remarks.

Closing Service in UNIQUE Kumler Chapel, with participants Connie Wong ’72, Music Director Loretta Ryder ’73, Keynote Speaker Cynthia Clark ’72, Presenter Judy Dudman Henderson ’62, and Reunion Chair Hazel Williams Drew ’66.

Alumnae Service Awards:

Recognizing exceptional achievement in career, and contributions in service to community, humanity, and to western These 2022 ASA recipients were honored at Alumnae/i Weekend’s Celebration Banquet June 11, 2022

Western College Alumnae Association 2022 Alumnae Service Award

Presented to Sharry Patterson Addison, Class of 1961

In Recognition of Her Community Service

Sharry entered Western as a freshman in 1957, following in the footsteps of her mother, Mary Ustick Patterson ’28. After only one year, she met the love of her life, Harry Addison, and followed him to the University of Cincinnati, where she graduated with a B.S. in Education. Sharry taught second grade for six years — until the first of her two children was born. In 1966, she was named Cincinnati Public Schools’ “Teacher of the Year.”

Driven by a strong sense of community, assisted by the full support of her husband and family, this stay-at-home mom began volunteering for civic activities. Spanning 30 years, she amassed a world-class resume. As a leadership volunteer, she chaired or co-chaired at least 11 mega events from the 1987 World Figure Skating Championships to two Major League Baseball All-Star games, the 1997 NCAA Women’s Final Four, the World Choir Games, a National Governors’ Conference, and four Cincinnati Tall Stacks Balls — to name a few. In 1983, Sharry was named one of the Cincinnati Enquirer’s “Women of the Year.”

Perhaps her greatest passion has been her 31 years as a trustee of Cincinnati’s Children’s Hospital. Echoing her teaching days, this energetic woman never forgot her love of helping children and watched Cincinnati Children’s grow into a world-class hospital. Add to her resume: sitting on numerous local boards — including the Cincinnati Red Cross, Springer School and Center, Cincinnati Special Olympics, and United Cerebral Palsy Services Center — and marketing events for Cincinnati’s performing arts venue, the Aronoff Center for the Arts.

Currently, a Western College Alumnae Association trustee, she is applying her vast experience and

drawing upon her far-reaching network of personal connections to bring to fruition the endowment funding for the Western College Legacy Seminar series.

Sharry lifetime of voluntarism epitomizes giving back to her community and, especially, caring for its vulnerable children. We are so very proud to present this award for community service, honoring Sharry Patterson Addison ’61 for her unwavering commitment to duty and devotion to serving others.

Western College Alumnae Association

2022 Alumnae Service Award

Presented to Ardis Cameron, Class of 1970 In Recognition of

Her Career Accomplishments

Ardis Cameron began her undergraduate studies at Western College in 1966. A history major, she served as President of the College Government Association, graduating in 1970. In 1973, she earned a master’s degree with highest distinction in American Studies from Stetson University and, in 1986, a doctorate with highest honors in History from Boston University.

As Ardis began her long and distinguished career as an educator, she was asked in 1973 to serve as lecturer at an American Studies Seminar hosted by Sophia College, Bombay, India. Later that year, she began her teaching career at the Newton Country Day School. She remained until 1978 and was also its Director of American Studies. During the next decade, she taught at many colleges and universities: Boston College (1980-84), Wheaton College (1981), Suffolk University (1982), Curry College (1983, 1984-85), the University of Massachusetts at Boston (1984-85), Wilson College (1986-87) and Harvard University (1987-88). In 1988, she moved to the University of Southern Maine in Portland, ME, where she was a professor of American and New England Studies until her retirement. For eight years, she was also Director, American and New England Studies. She is now a Distinguished Professor

Sharry Addison

Ardis Cameron

Emeritus at the University of Southern Maine. In 2019, she was a Visiting Professor in International Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Bern, Switzerland.

A prolific writer, Ardis is the author of Radicals of the Worst Sort: The Laboring Women in Lawrence, Massachusetts, 1860-1912 (1994); Looking for America: The Visual Production of a Nation and People (2004); and Unbuttoning America: A Biography of Peyton Place (2015). Long an advocate of republishing Grace Metalious’ 1956 novel, she wrote an analytical introduction to the new edition of Peyton Place , in which she addressed its earlier cultural impact. She has edited and/or contributed to numerous anthologies (e.g., Women’s Work and Protest: A Century of Women’s Labor History and A Companion to American Women’s History). Her articles are found in numerous academic and scholarly journals.

A project consultant/scholar for Bread and Roses 100th Anniversary, a Quiet Pictures documentary for PBS American Experience (2010-12) and The Lawrence History Center (2010-12), Ardis was also a scriptwriter and on-camera historian covering Irish workers in America for the five-part BBC mini-series The Irish Empire. She has been interviewed by Vanity Fair, the Associated Press, and The History Channel. She is a recipient of a University of Maine System Trustee Fellowship, a National Endowment for Humanities Senior Research Fellowship, and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship. Over the years, her scholarly pursuits have focused on labor, women, and gender history. After retiring from teaching, her interests have expanded to address the quality and availability of food.

Given her countless contributions as an educator and author addressing important social issues, we are pleased to honor Ardis Cameron ’70 with this 2022 Alumnae Service Award in recognition of her professional accomplishments.

Western College Alumnae Association

2022 Alumnae Service Award

Presented to Kausar Hamdani, Class of 1964 In Recognition of Her Career Accomplishments

Kausar Hamdani came to Western College from Karachi, Pakistan. Active in campus life, she was Sophomore Class Treasurer, a campus guide, sophomore counselor and a member of Religion-in-Life. In 1964, she graduated magna cum laude with a major

in economics and a minor in math. Continuing her education, she earned a M.Phil., M.A., and Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University

Kausar taught economics at Columbia University and at New York University for 10 years before moving into the banking industry. In 1982, she joined the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as an economist in its monetary research department.

Beginning in 2004, she served as Manager of the Buffalo, NY, branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where she formed and headed its Insurance Risk Department — a new area focused on risk connected with insurance activities. While in Buffalo, she also served on several community, business, and academic advisory boards in upstate New York, including United Way of Buffalo and Erie County and the National Federation for Just Communities of Western New York.

In December 2007, Kausar, by then a Federal Reserve Bank vice-president, was named Senior Vice President and Senior Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank of New York; she was also named the bank’s Community Affairs Officer and head of its Community Affairs Department. In these roles she conducted research using credit data to appraise the well-being and resilience of small businesses. Her work has provided analyses for community development policy-makers that are used by Federal Reserve leadership focused on community conditions. The community affairs department has gathered grassroots intelligence and addressed emerging issues affecting low- to moderate-income individuals and businesses in particular districts.

Kausar has hosted podcasts aimed at informing and enabling small businesses to improve their credit and obtain financial assistance from the banking industry. Her tireless work in assisting small businesses, which are the mainstay of the communities they serve, has paved the way for them to access available financial help.

With pride in her impressive service as an economist and educator via the Federal Reserve Bank of New York — and especially in the small business and financial sectors — we are pleased to present Kausar Hamdani a 2022 Western College Service Award for her career accomplishments.

Kausar Hamdani

many visits back to Western and meet so many classmates and teachers from my years at Western. I have also brought my husband with me. Our visits have included visits to Thor’s roommate from Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, now living in Res ton, VA. We are travelling to Reston and Washington, DC, at the end of September this year (2022) with our grandson Georg, and will go sightseeing in Washington. We have earlier brought two other grandchildren to Washington on similar exciting trips! Our daughter and husband bought a chateau near the city of Bordeaux in France. We have visited several times and it is a beau tiful region of France. The chateau is now available to rent and you can find Chateau Robert on Facebook also. It will be exciting to see how many of us will be at the last reunions at Western.”

Janet Hunkel was reflective. “Western was a godsend for me. I would have been lost in a large university, flunked out, and passed out on drugs. I have so much to be thankful for those precious days and only wish I had given each moment more thought at the time. Western formed me into the leader that I am now — only time has modified my outspokenness. Suzanne ‘Dippy’ DePeyster and I are well and celebrated our 75th birthdays with friends at Dippy’s home in Vermont.”

Karen Kling Plumb has been getting caught up on missed celebrations. “Everything is slowly going back to what our new ‘normal’ will be. When I look back at 2021-’22 I guess we were able to do a few more normal things. We were finally able to visit our son and grandchildren in May after almost two years. It was wonderful to be with them. We also traveled to Nashville for a Plumb family reunion which had to be rescheduled since 2020. We are celebrating a belated 50th wedding anniversary with a Great Lakes cruise going from Chicago to Montreal in September (2022). Looking forward to the 2024 Western reunion, and perhaps 2023.”

Gretchen Schmidt Grzelak sent greetings from Wisconsin. “This has been a year of reunions after a long time away from friends and family. Luckily we were able to pick up where we left off. Now enjoying their compa ny in person. Some of my favorite pastimes are playing Mahjongg, gardening, and taking on some long overdue renovation projects. My husband, Tom, and the dogs, Molly and Hannah, continue to be the center of my daily life. My son, Michael, moved to Florida last year and seems to like it there. Looking forward to his first visit home in a couple of weeks. Soon it will be time to focus on the next Western Reunion. Always a wonderful time. May God keep you safe and healthy until we meet again. ”

Susan Hodge took flight. “The CAF Air Power History Tour came to my town this summer. They brought the B-29 Bomber ‘Fifi’ (one of only two still fly ing), a B-24 called ‘Diamond Lil’ and a P-51 Mustang, everyone’s favorite warbird. But what I really enjoyed seeing was the T-6, the P267. This P267 was based in Sweetwater TX, which was the WASP (Womens Airforce Service Pilots) training airfield during WWII. The WASPS were trained to fly every type of military plane and the T-6 was their basic trainer. When T-6 pilot Laura told me some of its history I signed up for a flight. The WASP motto: We live in the wind and the sand … and our eyes are on the stars.”

News in Brief: I received notice that Penrhyn “Penny” Earle Cook had a photo exhibit in Bridgeport, CT, in May-July.

Donna Blodgett wrote that she survived Covid lockdown by quilting and reading.

See you all on campus!

Nancy Wilson Kobayashi ’69 422-6-715 Tokiwa Kamakura, Japan nancykobayashi22@gmail

I thought I’d share this memory from my best friend, Dr. Dee Newell ’70 [aka Virginia Banks-Bright per WCAA Directory]. It is one of about 25 video memories that appear in my autobiography, Reign of the Jingle Queen.

“Debbie McDuffie , on this cold, snowy morning here in Youngstown. OH, I am finally getting my video together for you. I’m trying to remember when we met, I think it was the fall of 1967. You came into New Dorm, where I was living, and you moved down the hall from me. You were this sophisticated girl from New York and I’m this country bumpkin from North Carolina and science major. And you were always going to be a music major. We used to study together in my room. Remember that? And I had the, I think I had the record player, we called it. We listened to all kinds of great music, classical and. I don’t know if we were into jazz. I was going out with Paul Payne Miami, OH ’70) then who introduced me to jazz. We listened to that sometimes, and we had so much fun to gether. I mean, you taught me about music. I’ll never forget that. You taught me about the fugue. That’s one of the things I remember about music. Contrapuntal, I think, was the word that you taught me. And it was so such a great word that I still remember that.

“There was another story I remember, now let’s roll ahead. It’s about 2001 and there was a documentary that Luther Vandross did on BET, and he was talking about his music. And he said, Eddie Murphy made a lot of babies off his music and then he was talking about arranging and stuff and he goes, you know when I do that wooo….? That was producer Debbie McDuffie’s idea. I’m screaming! I’m in this room with friends, doctor friends of mine. We were all eating lunch. And I’m like, Debbie McDuffie, oh my God, I know her! We were in college together!

“Everybody knew that I was going to be a doctor, and here we are! In the midst of COVID, which has changed my life. I’m glad to be working, though, and I’m just glad to be a part of your project. You have so many people that you have inspired …”

Debbie McDuffie ’71

1830 Holly Flower Ln. Fleming Island FL 32003 msmcdmusic@gmail.com>

Deb and Dee

Susan Hodge taking a ride in aT-6 trainer.

Suzanne “Dippy” DePeyster (left) and Janet Hunkle blow out candles on their 75th birthday cake at Dippy’s home in Vermont.

To take the lead from Betsy Salt ’74, I’ll remind you that we will mark 50 years of the last graduating class from Western in 2024. There are two more opportunities to get together — June 2023 and June 2024. I’m holding a space on my calendar! I have only managed to make one reunion, in 1996, and I’d like to make at least one more. My memories of Western College are precious — memories of places and people. And the inspiration that students and faculty were to me has carried me through the many chal lenges of life in the last 48 years. Thanks to all of you who responded to my call for Class Notes this fall.

Cris Arguedas: “My year has had the highs and lows of life. Most significantly, my beloved brother Peter died last summer. I think of him often and miss him enormously. His death brought me closer to my oldest brother, Art; so that was an example of the intertwining of life’s events in a vivid way. I continue to enjoy retirement. I play golf two or three times a week and work endlessly on my game. Often, I play with Ada Harrigan ’73, which is one of life’s pleasures. I read, take classes, and have discovered classi cal music for the first time in my life. I think after 40 years of being a lawyer, I needed to spend time doing something without words.

Carole and I celebrated 37 years together, and we continue to feel enormously lucky. We took a very nice trip to London, the Cotswolds, Belfast, and Dublin. Which was great — until the end when we both got Covid. Our symptoms weren’t bad but we were quarantined due to the travel restriction for about a week in a hotel room, which was not too fun. My best to my Western friends. I still think of Western as a very special place and time in my life.”

Kay Thomas Berger: “I appreciated the tribute to Professor Nelson in the Bulletin; she was tough but a great professor. Winter stuck around a long time this year and our fruit trees had to contend with frosts as they came into bloom. [Kay lives on a farm near Willow Springs, MO.] My travels included a quick trip back to Akron, OH, where I’m from. My 70-yr. old brother had a quadruple bypass that came on suddenly. My daughter and 7-yr-old granddaughter were able to make the trip with me and we were able to visit with my 84-yr.-old aunt, my mother’s last living sibling. A trip two years. ago had to be canceled because of the pandemic. We all greatly appreciated the visit. My best news is my new grandson, Beau, born Feb. 17, 2022.

Jay Griswold: “Not much to say for myself

in these mean times. OK, I did manage to avoid catching COVID, and didn’t get eaten by a python down in the Everglades, where I do spend a lot of time, though I have been chased twice by alligators. Funny thing, an alligator chasing you sounds like a suit of armor rolling down a gravel road. Otherwise, I just spend a lot of time fishing, which is my passion these days, and writing a little. I can’t say that Florida is very inspiring, but I don’t have to put up with winter down here.”

spending time with my mother and family. I am planning a ‘round the world cruise’ in the coming years, the only remaining item on my bucket list.

[Note: Jay is a writer and poet and offered this poem for the times…]

For my birthday

I got a pair of socks From the Veterans of Foreign Wars With an urgent plea For donations now. I also got a bill From Lee County Electric For $73.69

For my birthday

I went to the pier Even though it was windy And caught two pompano, One of which Will be dinner tonight.

For my birthday

I thought for a moment About having a beer, But since I haven’t had a drink In fourteen years It was a bad idea And so I didn’t.

For my birthday

I wanted to write a poem And sat for awhile With my pencil poised Over a blank sheet of paper Waiting for footsteps To appear in the snow,

And for my birthday, Without provocation, Russia invaded Ukraine.

Christine Cowden: “I am enjoying being on the board of Trustees with so many re markable women planning our final WCW reunions! I met Ann Pagano ’74, a wonder ful companion to brainstorm our ideas. After a lifetime of dance, thanks to Jefferson James FF, Disney Entertainment and the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, my retirement days are spent trading on the stock market with my husband, clas sic car shows, working out at the gym, (love synchronized swimming and archery) and

Angela Guidice: “I am retired from my 40+ years working as a training consultant around social justice issues, with a focus on race and racism. I still consider myself an activist and challenge racism in any way I can. In many ways, my work was built on the formative experiences I had at Western College, where I had the privilege of living in a multi-national environment. I have loved this work and continue to keep it close to my heart. Until recently, I was an avid gardener of both vegetables and flowers. Mostly, I gar dened in a community garden near where I live. I miss getting my hands in the dirt, so I have a little table-top pod garden on my dining room table. For 30+ years, I lived in Roxbury, MA, in the house that my wife, NiaSue, grew up in. Four years ago, we made the very difficult decision to ‘downsize’ so we packed up 12 rooms and moved to a fourroom condo in Revere, MA, where we live right across the street from the ocean. I love listening to the waves and watching the sun and moon rise in our bedroom window. We have a son, Mario, who is 28 years old, and we appreciate the joy he brings to our lives.

“Both my life and work have centered around building community. I hold Western deep in my soul as a model for what a community looks and feels like and am forever grateful for that opportunity. I still mourn the loss of Western as an autonomous institution and hope that we will all still keep connected in some way. I would love to hear from anyone in my class, or other classes as well. Peace and love to all of you.”

Pamela Carlson Hammers: “We have had some difficulties this year but are slowly get ting back to normalcy; whatever that means these days. I am still seeing a lady who has pronounced dementia, accompanied by anxiety, three times a week. As long as she is given her medicine, she is stable. Sometimes her caregiver forgets so we both suffer! I keep her busy coloring, taking walks, and baking muffins. I remind myself that I cannot take her behavior personally. We went to Lewes, DE, for two days for my birthday in August. It was good to get away. It is near Cape Henlopen Park which is on the Atlantic shoreline. It is always relaxing to walk the beach.”

E. Maria Janavicius Vasys: “This year has been a rollercoaster! Although I’ve avoided COVID so far (fingers crossed), I’m now being treated for chronic myeloid leukemia. That’s my second cancer diagnosis to be treated by a single daily pill! Cataract sur geries the second half of August were suc cessful (why not take advantage of fulfilled deductibles?). My four children are more scattered (Denver, LA, and Ohio) which just gives me incentive to travel more. Last sum

Jay and awardwinning book, 2005

mer we had a sibling reunion in Colorado, and this December cousins on the other side of the family will travel to Florida for a wedding. March 2023 will include a trip to Tromsø, Norway, for work (University of Wisconsin/Madison) and to see the northern lights! No standing still for me. ”

As for me, Faith, I am trying to cut back on consulting and just serve two little churches part-time. I bought myself season tickets to the Gutherie Theater again this year to ensure that I play a bit! (Pun intended!) I have a membership to the Minnesota Historical Society, as well. I spent the year traveling to Arizona and Chicago to see my sons and their families. My youngest son and his wife had a baby in May, so I now have a new granddaughter, Addie. She is, of course, adorable. I traveled to Orlando in June to experience Disney World/Universal with my two older grandchildren, Ashlyn (15) and Evan (12). I had more fun than I expected. Got to experience Hogwarts and Star Wars/Rise of the Resistance. I also camped twice this summer, hiking and visit ing historic places. On my trips to Chicago, Maria Vasys and I get together for lunch in Madison, which has been great! I am hoping in 2023 to make it to the Western Reunion and to the UK.

Faith Crook Perrizo ’75

541 Deer Ridge Ln. S. Maplewood, MN 55119 fperrizo@gmail.com

and gardening on a grand scale. She lives with her husband Ken, her stepson Frank, a large dog named Marley, and a cat called Nibbler. Halloween is Leslie’s favorite holi day and the entire family gets in the spirit by turning the entire front yard into a (spooky but fun) Halloween display. Her hobby of collecting dolls and their accessories from the sixties and seventies always has her on the lookout for miniature props that she can use in her Barbie Displays. I’m going to contact her in the near future and find out if that includes GI Joe accessories- as I would like to find a loving home for David’s childhood collection, and I would be thrilled if they could find a home with her in Wisconsin.

In April of 2020 Marty Coleman turned 65 and retired…. and reinvented himself! After moving to a suburb of Texas (Rowlett) to be near one of their daughters, who was then expecting their first grandchild, his wife Linda landed a great job and Marty began training for the Boston Marathon. While he received a medal for participating that year, he had to run it virtually due to the Pandemic. He started training with a group and ran the Oklahoma City Marathon in October of 2021; once again he qualified for Boston. He ran the Boston Marathon this past April and loved every second of it. He had 11 friends and family members waiting for him at the finish line and said it was “glorious.”

As Jerry Garcia said “What a long strange trip it’s been.” The last few years have cer tainly been that! It’s been wonderful hearing from my classmates this fall; it’s so nice to catch up with Western friends.

All’s well in my world. I am in the midst of helping to try to locate my Hudson High School classmates as we’re planning our (gasp…) 50th reunion, which will be held next August. This part of the planning is reward ing and fun, as it primarily consists of skip tracing people who have been missing for years- and in some cases, decades. There is a certain thrill in finding someone you haven’t been able to locate for almost fifty years. My husband, David, and I will have returned from our month on Cape Cod by the time this is published, and as always, it’s a time to see our friends, eat lots of seafoodand relax and rejuvenate.

It’s always a treat to hear from Leslie Arena Crocker. She recently retired and while she considers her life “rather unexciting” she cer tainly manages to keep busy with traveling, volunteering with the Alliance for Animals,

Since Marty was spending so much time at home, he started on some serious DIY proj ects. He built a 100-foot brick path that leads to a car port on one side of his house and a 400-foot deck (that he also built) on the other side- and as I write his he is building a new canopy roof over the deck. He did some projects inside too, the biggest of which was building a Murphy Bed in one of their guest bedrooms. He also spends a lot of time with his grandson who is about to become a big brother, so he’ll be a grandfather again!

It’s the first time I have heard from Chris Ambach Kitchings, who married classmate Ken Kitchings in Kumler Chapel in 1977. They settled in Old Lyme, CT, and raised

three children, a son, Charlie, and two daughters, Gillian and Grace. All three of the children are married and each of them

have two children of their own, who range in age from 1 year to 18. While of retirement age, they are anything but retired.

They purchased the Old Lyme Inn in 2011. Their main impetus for purchasing the Inn was so Ken would have a space in which to open a jazz club. The Side Door Jazz Club has world class musicians performing every Friday and Satur day night and has been recognized by Downbeat Magazine as one of the best Jazz Venues in the world. Ken also plays the drums in a jazz trio that performs every Sunday during brunch. Please check out the websites www.Oldlymeinn.com and www. thesidedoorjazz.com to see their welcoming inn and read about the jazz club. In addition, visit www.thebowerbird.com in order to see the gift store they also own. It’s been open since 1989 and contains over 5,000 square feet of delightful “impulsive necessities”. And yes ... they ship!

Here’s Branton Shearer’s message, which I would like to share in his own words, in its entirety:

“My joy now comes twice a week when I spend full days with my 4-year- old grand son, Alan. The gleam in his eyes is my clear light into the future. We have hours of playful fun creating, building, reading, singing and racing around and dreaming of things to come — not to mention conversations with our imaginary friend Kabbadootz.

“Meanwhile, real life demands attention as I become disentangled from work obligations. I slowly dismantle the global house-of-cards that I’ve spent 30+ years creating. If all goes well people in the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia (and maybe Korea & Brazil) will carry on with this precarious enterprise of helping schools, students, or ganizations and families. www.MIResearch. org. I’ve recently engaged in several reflec tive ‘life review’ writing projects which have been deeply helpful to gain wider perspec tive during the unraveling. Yes, some good things have come from these critical Covid lockdown months!

“What does this ‘late life’ stage hold? I don’t know, but maybe grandson Alan has the idea. Before his visits I build an elaborate

Ken and Chris

Lego structure on his play table. He rushes in and asks breathlessly, What’s new? He proceeds to gleefully destroy my creation saying, That’s not right! He’s engrossed for the next few hours telling his own story with Legos and That’s the right way to do it! I’ve learned to be careful what I say to him in the morning because my words will likely be flying back at me by the afternoon in his own sweet voice. What more could I ask for in life? Cheers.”

Another first-time contributor to these pages, Steven Mueller, now answers to his nick name — Buck. After his year at Western, he took a year off before attending Antioch College, where the work/study program opened the door for him to both learning and travel, and many jobs along the way. He settled in Eugene, OR, where he’s been both a graphic designer and a musician. His wife, Karen Irmscher, is a retired teacher and au thor. Buck’s step-family includes three adult children — all of whom live in Washington state, three grandchildren, and two greatgrandchildren. He feels he is blessed with lovely friends, a comfy house and a region with spectacular mountains, rivers, lakes, forests and beaches.

Buck and Karen love to travel and have been to Europe, Japan, Thailand, and Costa Rica (among many other places) but they have a love of Hawaii and have lost count of the many times they’ve been there. They have been dancing the hula for 20 years and are even enrolled in a hula school. Ten years ago he became certified as a therapeutic musician on the guitar and since then he has played for thousands of people in the hospital and in hospice care. In that role he feels challenged to keep learning music in every conceivable genre, which he feels is a great problem to have. Buck closes with these words: “Nowadays I’m semi-retired. It feels like the seventh inning stretch of life. We recently did our estate planning, and I’ve started to write my memoirs — not to be pub lished but as a way for me to remember and accept all that’s gone down over the years. So as part of that I’ve been thinking about

my one year at Western, the freedom and discovery, the loneliness and missteps, and adventures and the friendships. I would love to hear from any fellow alums that might care to reach out, at planetbuck1@gmail.com.”

I believe that Buck has described our all too brief time at Western perfectly.

And so my friends, another year comes to an end and a new one begins.

I wish you all a joyous holiday season and send you all good wishes for 2023.

Be Well. Be Strong. Be Western.

Kim Rotonto Dregalla ’77 6971 Darrow Road Hudson, OH 44236 kimdregalla@aol.com

Your chance to sleep in “Miss Peabody’s” bed …

The bed fondly referred to by Western College students as “Miss Peabody’s bed” was actually donated by Mrs. Martha Hinkle, wife of trustee Philip Hinkle, for use in the Guest Room in the second Seminary Building. Over the course of Western’s history, it became a tradition for students to sneak into the guest room and sleep in Miss Peabody’s bed. Currently, the bed resides in Patterson Place where it has accommodated many campus visitors over the years.

Mr. and Mrs. Hinkle lived in Cincinnati and were friends of Miss Helen Peabody. Mr. Hinkle served as a trustee of the Semi nary from 1859 until his death in 1880. He opened a contracting business in Cincin nati in 1833, Hinkle, Guild and Co. which manufactured a mail-order style house that could be partially disassembled, shipped, and then reconstructed on a building site.

Martha Gaither Hinkle was Mr. Hinkle’s second wife. She was born in 1820 in Washington, D.C. They married in 1850 fol lowing the death of his first wife, Frances Hough Quinn in 1849. Philip and Frances had five children, ranging in age from 4 to 14 years old when he and Martha wed. One can imagine that Martha assumed a great deal of responsibility in her new role as a step-mother of five.

The bed as it resided in Peabody ...

When the first seminary building burned in January 1860, Mr. and Mrs. Hinkle frequently hosted Board of Trustees meetings in their home. Mrs. Hinkle loved Western and maintained an interest in the seminary even after her husband’s death.

In conjunction with Alumnae/i Weekend, June 9-11, 2023, Westerners will have an oppor tunity to bid on the Hinkle/Peabody bed. It is one of the WCAA’s most prized possessions and the Board of Trustees elected to offer it to Western alumnae/i for purchase. Bids will be accepted online and in-person during the reunion.

In the fall of 2023, items not otherwise transferred to the Western College Memorial Archives, Miami University Art Museum, McGuffey Museum, and Oxford Community Arts Center, will be offered at auction by an online service. Stay tuned for more details next spring.

The Notice reads:

The Occupants will be held responsible for all damage done to the Walls or Furniture of this Room

Drive no nails, Tacks, or Pins. Scrape no Matches on the Wall. Secure the Shutters when the Wind blows. Keep the Bucket Dry after Eight o’clock. Try to keep the Ink inside the Bottle.

By Order of the Executive Committee, P. Hinkle, Chairman

The home of Philip and Martha Hinkle, Cincinnati, Ohio, https://www.ohiomemory.org.

Last chance to confess: Did YOU sleep in Miss Peabody’s bed? Tell us your story: wcaa@miamioh.edu

In Memoriam

Beatrice Low Notley ’42

Trustee 2000-2006

Class Representative 1974-1992, 1999-2013 July 2022

Carolyn Fath Thielen ’42 March 2021

Joanna “Jo” Harmeyer Ach ’47 July 2022

Marjorie Arnold Thompson ’47 October 2022

Mary-Garnett Tillinghast ’47 July 2022

Doris Lindgren O’Keefe ’49 May 2022

Frances Disner Biddle ’50 January 2022

Jane Lloyd Cantoni ’50 Trustee 1990-1995 September 2022

Carol McCown Fales ’50 February 2022

Nancy Goosefrey Coyne ’51 February 2022

Betsy Feuss Gardner ’51 January 2019

Jean Dresser Rekow ’51 May 2021

Joan Landenburg Trefts ’52 August 2021

Quindara Dodge ’53 May 2021

Elizabeth Brown Peelle ’54 April 2022

Barbara Bracken Mushake ’55 March 2020

Laura Johnson McFarland ’56 August 2020 Vasso Papagregory Louvakis ’57 Unknown

Frederica “Freddy” Barber Miller ’57 July 2022

Jane Toy Thomason ’59 Class Representative 1990-2016 June 2022

Marta Chanis Pierce ’61 December 2020

Kathleen J. Turner ’64 June 2022

Martha Dailey Alexander ’67 April 2022

Jane Simmons Fairbrother ’68 May 2021

Nancy Yang Hsiung ’70 May 2022

Bulletin policy is to list deaths of Western College alumnae, former administrators, faculty and staff in “In Memoriam.” WCAA trustees and Bulletin class representatives will be so designated and their terms of service noted. Obituaries are not printed, but class representatives are notified and encouraged to include personal remembrances in class notes at their discretion.* Administrators and faculty members with exceptional, long-term service will be eulogized in the current or a subsequent issue. Deaths that occurred more than five years prior to publication are not included.

There is a collective sadness among the Class of 1999 as we think about the end of The Bulletin nearing. Marnie Shindelman shared that Western changed the path of her life and continues to impact others through her teaching. She is excited that her long-term boyfriend’s daughter is hoping to attend New College, which mirrors Western in many ways. Professionally, Marnie has a new set of work titled Restore the Night Sky, which exposes the privatized prison system ICE has built for those seeking asylum in the United States. The images are night land scapes shot by the light of these prisons; she hopes to eventually include all of the ICE detention centers in this project. View this impressive work at http://marnishindel man.com/.

Marie Potoczny recently graduated from The College of William & Mary with a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. She has a private practice now in Richmond, VA, and had a short story published this past summer in the Beloit Fic tion Journal titled “The Noblest Profession.” Patti Mossey and Amanda Bell recently reconnected through a shared love of pro fessional dog sports.

As for me, I am still here at Miami in the Global Initiatives office. The COVID years here at Miami have been challenging, but this fall has felt somewhat back to “normal.” I am so grateful for the proximity to Western, where I often take lunch-time walks over the stone bridges. Please let me know if you are in the Oxford area at any point!

Karla Schneider Guinigundo ’99 guinigkm@miamioh.edu

to longboard world champions and know I’ll keep my day job. Maybe six or seven years ago, I helped organize our informal reunion near Santa Cruz, which was lovely and I was happy to see Bridget Enderle organize a second one in 2019. It is dearly lovely to see as many of our friends as possible at once. Five years ago, Beth Schuh and I welcomed our daughter Moira into the world. Moira’s lovely and just started kindergarten. Beth is doing well and is now nearly a year deep into a graduate program to become a therapist. Beth and I have been married since 2008.”

Katherine Johnson Tomlinson has been an executive recruiter with Quest Diagnos tics for five years. She and her wife, Arica, welcomed their daughter in 2021. When not chasing a toddler, Katherine is an avid gardener. She recently won two first place awards and two second place awards for her dahlias at the Badger State Dahlia Show. Katherine continues to propagate and develop new cultivators for dahlias and other flowers.

Dr. Mark Mussman has served as the Di rector of Education at the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition since 2015, where he writes articles for the street paper, Street vibes. In 2022, his book Steal the Street was released, a collection of over 50 articles about homelessness and gentrification. He continues to create apps about housing affordability on the Google Play Store and videos about current housing topics on You Tube. Dr. Mark has been spending time with his long-term partner, Key Beck, kayaking with Shirley Phillips at Hueston Woods, walking the hills of Cincinnati, and engag ing in discourse about the future of society.

Class of 2001 are up to remarkable, ad venturous, tender, and tough things in their lives. I hope their updates inspire you as they did me:

Kevin Degnan wasn’t sure if he’d done an update before so provides the following synopsis: “In the 20 or so years since 2001, I’ve gotten an M.A. in English from Ohio State, which I have used to teach English at various community colleges in Columbus and San Diego before ultimately moving to the LA area in 2013 to teach at El Camino College. Surfing has become a big part of my life. I competed with the Pacific Beach Surf Club and have had the pleasure to lose

Annie (Montgomery) Ruble lives in Fair field, OH, with her family. Dominic is nearly 13, in the seventh grade, holds his second Dan black belt in tae kwon do, and an orange belt in judo. He plays video games like Red Dead and Sea of Thieves and listens to music like AJR. Sofia is 11-and-a-half and in the sixth grade. She reluctantly attends tae kwon do because exercise is a healthy choice but would much rather talk to her bestie on FaceTime and watch YouTube vids of her favorite bands, BTS and BlackPink. If you want to know what is going on in the lives of the people of K-pop, she’s your girl. Craig still runs his own small landscaping busi ness and appreciates making his own hours.

As a nurse practitioner, Annie runs The Little Clinic in the Kroger in Hamilton, and occa sionally goes to the Oxford location, which is fun. There have been many changes both uptown and on Western in the last 20 years, but some things remain the same! (B&D is still yummy!) At the beginning of the pan demic, they adopted Rocco, a cuddly, sweet and energetic boxer/Boston mix. He keeps mama on her toes! This summer, they got to see Virginia Adams and family in from Maine, and how the kidlings have grown!

Laura Scudiere is currently working as the health officer of the largest county in Wisconsin, by landmass. She lives with her husband, Robert Mentzer, who is Assistant News Director at Wisconsin Public Radio, and their son, Forrest Mentzer, who is a student and baker. Laura continues to work toward ensuring that everyone has the op portunity to access health care. In her free time, she continues to live in her skin and plans to do so for a while yet

And I’m not sure which class Ann Petlow belonged to but she sent me an update so I’m making her an honorary member of our class for this Bulletin edition: Ann Petlow, AASECT certified (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors & Thera pists) educator, ‘09, is teaching STI/preg nancy prevention curricula in Toledo Public Schools. Additionally, she runs a furniture flipping business, Flip Around & Find Out. Lastly, she has pending representation with WeSpeak model management out of NYC. [According to WCW-WCP listserv, Ann E. Petlow is class of 2010]

As for me, Kat Cochrane-Yamaguchi, I find joy (most) workdays doing career-de velopment programming for women facing various life transitions. We work through the process of “Who am I? What do I want to be and do? How do I get there?” and I often reflect on Western — how precious it was to have peers and a community that valued physical, emotional and psychological safety so we could be brave and grow.

Annie Ruble ’01 and family

I have three amazing kids, 15, 14, and 5, who love each other and us very much, especially when we do “Forced Family Fun Time” aka Cubic Eff-T. My oldest is only two years from the age I was when I met some of the most inspiring and influential people in my life — YOU, Western friends. I cannot wait for her to find her people as I did. May you experience joy in abundance this fall (and winter)!

Until next year …

Update from WAAMU (WCP Alumni)

Yamaguchi ’01 katcyamaguchi@gmail.com

Kat

Dear Western Family,

Mike Loeffelman: “Greetings from Ithaca, NY. My family and I are enjoying life in the Finger Lakes; especially all of the wineries! For me, the last several years have been focused on my health. In January 2021, I was given the gift of a double lung transplant from an anonymous donor. I have been amazed by the care that I received from the staff and doctors at the Cleveland Clinic. I am also thankful for the support that I have received from my family and friends. In ad dition to the lung transplant, I also required a kidney transplant. My sister, Kate Black ’06 alum, was confirmed as a match and she agreed to donate. The kidney transplant occurred in July 2022. While I have a long road of recovery, I now have a renewed outlook on life and I am looking forward to next steps.”

Lyndsey Godwin: “Lots of change in the last year. Living just outside of Durham, NC, with my spouse, LP, and our four cats (Yes, we are a stereotype.) I am working with GLSEN, a 30-year-old LGBTQ+ or ganization focused on making education spaces where everyone can thrive, specifi cally LGBTQ+ youth. We are working hard to transition the organization into one that centers racial, disability, and gender justice. It’s complex and engaging work.”

Thanks!

Joy Usner ’03 usnerjm@miamioh.edu

Welcome, all Westerners! Reminder: As per the Spring ‘22 issue, we are running all updates received by the office in whatever issue is current, regardless of whether the class is an odd or even year. Thus, news from Wendy Kendall Hess ’83, Ed Adams ’85, and Doris Schnetzer ’93 appeared in that issue.

Ihope this fall message finds ev eryone well. As I write this mes sage - late again - I am enjoying the first days of Fall that Ohio has finally brought us. For friends far, I am sure you remember the beautiful warm spells that sprinkled in our Autumn semesters, and the shock of those first snow flurry days.

The Western Alumni Associa tion of Miami University (WAAMU) continues to strive to establish itself as an affinity group at Miami. We met in June as part of Reunion Weekend and focused on a few specific areas.

When not tending to official duties, Audree finds time to take Lincoln, Eleanor, and Abigail to Quarry Trails Metro Park in Columbus.

We are working to establish lines of funds that will directly impact the current Western students, faculty and which will also contribute to building our legacy in our community at Miami University.

We also hope to explore additional options for engaging alumni with each other and the students currently at Miami University.

As an affinity group, we recognize the amazing resources and op portunities we have to not only make contributions to the community that means so much, but we also hope to reconnect many of alumni with the great work being done at the Western Center and in the Western Program.

And since our meeting in June, the news of, not one, but two School of Interdisciplinary Studies alumni have been announced as Trustees of Miami University. We are thrilled Steven Anderson ’79 and Elizabeth McNellie ’86 have been named to the Board and look forward to seeing their impact at Miami University. Congratulations to Nicole Fleetwood ’94, recently chosen to be Miami’s spring Commencement speaker.

And lastly, in the Fall of 2023 we will be hosting the 50th Five-year Reunion. The year of 2023 will be a big year for the Western Family and we hope to have an event that embodies all Western.

May the Circle Be Unbroken,

Audree (Riddle) Boggs ’10 WAAMU Board President

Message

from

the Director Peabody Hall

The good news about our majors continues in the 2022-2023 academic year following the graduation of more than 30 Western seniors in May. Numbers have rebuilt swiftly in the fall semester to around 70, with expectations that we will exceed our enrollment goals with more than 80 students in 2023. Coming out of the COVID pandemic, we have enjoyed many conversations with prospective students who are excited about exploring multiple areas of interest rather than specializing in a single field. I wonder if there is a connection between the shutdown and this burst in creativity?

Nik

I am teaching the project workshop again this year and have learned to do more listening than talking as I grapple with the project ideas pitched by the seniors. These include drug use in the NFL, cognitive therapy in childhood, generational wealth and poverty, and ethical issues in biological research.

Career plans among the seniors are similarly varied, from ideas for small business start ups to more traditional jobs in finance and the pharmaceutical industry. One of our majors wants to work in local government on town planning and another is applying to creative writing programs in graduate schools. As we head into winter all things seem possible and we feel privileged to be part of the education journeys of our exceptional students.

— Nicholas P. Money, Director, Western Program for Individualized Studies

Rebecca Nagle to Speak on Tribal Sovereignty, as this year’s Western College Legacy Seminar Speaker.

The Myaamia Center is leading this year’s universitywide focus theme exploration of SOVEREIGNTY; and the decision to bring Nagle lies at the intersection of her work on tribal sovereignty and the ways in which it does and does not fit with mainstream understandings of reparative justice.

Nagle recently received The American Mosaic Journalism Prize, an unrestricted cash prize of $100,000 per recipient that is awarded to freelance journalists for excellence in long-form, narrative, or deep reporting about underrepresented and/or misrepresented groups in the American landscape. In addition to her work featured in The Washington Post, The Guardian, USA Today, Teen Vogue, The Huffington Post, the prize was a recognition for the This Land podcast that she created and narrated.

The Western Center is in the exciting last year of its biennial theme of Reparations as Restorative Justice, and we have learned so much both in the courses we have offered on the subject and with the experts who have come to campus to help us explore the topic. Our final expert on the topic will be Rebecca Nagle, an award-winning podcaster, journalist, activist, and expert on tribal sovereignty, who is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and long-time advocate for the eradica tion of violence against women. Nagle will give a public talk on March 8, 2023, as this year’s Western College Legacy Seminars speaker. The talk will happen live on campus and will also be available either via streaming or recording.

The decision to bring Nagle to campus is a collabora tive one between the Western Center and the Myaamia Center. For those less familiar with the Myaamia Center’s mission, the Myaamia Center is a Miami Tribe of Okla homa initiative located within an academic setting [Mi ami University], and it serves the needs of the Myaamia people, Miami University, and partner communities through research, education, and outreach that promote Myaamia language, culture, knowledge, and values ( https://www.miamioh.edu/myaamia-center/about/ ).

I highly recommend that you listen to This Land in preparation for Nagle’s talk, as each season provides an in-depth but easy-to-understand introduction to tribal sovereignty through the lens of two landmark SCOTUS cases. Season 1 covers the lead up to the McGirt decision in 2020, which essentially ruled in favor of tribal law, recognizing that a large portion of Eastern Oklahoma remains tribal land despite the state of Oklahoma’s as sertions to the contrary. Season 2 provides crucial details needed to understand the Haaland v. Brackeen case heard earlier this fall, such as why the Indian Child Welfare Act has been such a popular legal target of far right political movements in the U.S.

Throughout my classroom teaching on such topics, students often assert the value of bringing speakers like Nagle to campus to teach them about the past and pres ent experiences of groups that most of our primary and secondary educations largely exclude. This promotion of diverse perspectives is both part of Western’s legacy and crucial to democracy. I thank you for helping us to continue that work.

— Jacqueline Daugherty, Director, Western Center for Social Impact and Innovation

Rebecca Nagle

Nota Bene Visitors Here . . . at Patterson, in Archives . . .

Over the years, Patterson Place has been host to generations of famous visitors from around the world. Most come to pay their respects or be shown around the his toric building cum museum. But his fall, the WCAA Board of Trustees was treated to a lovely musical performance by some very special guests.

A Miami University grad from India, Srinivas Krishnan ’88 (M.S., M.En.), was leading a group of young students on a tour of various cities around the U.S. Naturally, Oxford was one of their stops. Mr. Krishnan is more than a Miami alumnus, he is also a former visiting professor. And it was while at Miami in 1995-96 that — noticing a lack of musical diversity — he founded Global Rhythms, a world music ensemble combin ing instruments from Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe to produce a beautiful eclectic experience. In 2015, he received a President’s Medal lion from then-president David Hodge, honoring him for his 20 years of work in “creating and producing an extraordinary musical experience, promoting respect for the talents and contributions of others and a deeper understanding and appreciation for the world’s many wonderful cultures.”

During his semester of teaching and directing Global Rhythms, Srini often stayed at Patterson Place — his “home away from home.” No wonder he felt Western’s warm welcome! [To wit: Srini’s thank-you note to the Board, next page.] Himself a master percussionist who has collaborated with renowned artists around the world, perhaps Srini can be prevailed upon to return and join the ensemble for an encore.

Mixing pleasure with business: Hosting special guests from India

Sailing into the past: Navigating the Western Archives

I was deeply moved meeting all the Trustees of Western College this time. My respect and love to each of them.

Thank you so much for your presence and your willingness to accommodate the children from my country. It was the high point of our visit to Miami considering everyone knew how many great people from around the world have been blessed by Patterson Place.

This visit has ignited a vision within me and I pray that the skies allow for many more celebrations that create a one world.

... Stay blessed, all of you.

Mr. Srinivas Krishnan

ter news is that over the past two years Miami has been putting Multifarias online and they are both easy to find and fun to read. You can google “Western College Mul tifarias.” Check out the 1923 pen and ink draw ings of campus, starting on page 17. When brows ing Multifarias check the year periodically, for sometimes the database will revert back to 1910. Don’t ask me why.

The good news is that Western alumnae and the WCAA have done an excellent and extensive job with the Western holdings. You can find just about anything from your Western experience in the archives, although if you want to learn about your favorite bar, you may have to look elsewhere. The bet

The Western Round-Ups have also been digitalized. You can find them by googling “Western College Round-Ups.” You may want to bookmark the link to find the Round-Ups again. When I reviewed dozens of Round-Ups doing my class flag research in 2019, I found it useful to get a few navigation tips by calling the staff at Special Collections (513-529-3323). If you go to the Special Collections page at the Miami library you will find this phone number as well as email contacts.

’69 classmate Louise Wiedmann Koch on Reunion 2019 Archives tour

Their staff is as competent as any archivists I have known and I have worked with the Smithsonian.

One key thing to remember: archives store a tremendous amount, but only a small percentage of that content will be digitalized. Sometimes items are stored but not fully inven toried. The Western archives consist of shelves of boxes and lots of framed pictures. If you do get back for a Reunion be sure to take the archives tour. If you wish to learn something specific and are working remote, try to find the complete Western inventory list online and start from there. Navigating

archives is a learned skill, one that I have honed with years of experience. I hope these tips will help you explore our rich heritage in the years to come.

— Susan Hodge ’69

The latest addition is a video recording of Cynthia Clark’s Reunion 2022 Kumler Chapel keynote address. All reunion videos can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/playlis t?list=PLg8fiRT7fhCTWQPPLkyQc9A38u5XLHBhp

. . . and There, to Cottey College

Road-tripping cross country: Finding another “Western”

On an impromptu visit to this small women’s college supported by PEO, Barbara Williamson Wentz ’68 was so struck by its similarities to Western (minus our stone buildings) that she was asked to compare the two at a meeting of her PEO chapter. Here are brief excerpts from her remarks:

programs, and the fact that Cottey offers opportunities and programs that are interesting and intriguing to young women. Also the number of four-year programs is growing. Cottey has also gained the reputation as an institution that offers young women the opportunity to develop and strengthen leadership skills and achieve success in their fields of interest. ...

President Weitzel also reports that Cottey is:

1. Well managed and cared for by the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty and staff.

2. An institution that puts students at the center of every decision.

3. An institution which listens to the needs and desires of her students and creates programming that is current and applicable to life after college.

4. An institution that offers students the skills, talents and opportunities to be successful in their careers

5. An institution that is made up of dedicated faculty, staff and administration. ...

Ivisited Cottey College in 2016. As husband Erv and I were planning our winter trip with a return to Cincinnati from Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, Erv realized we could include Nevada, Mo [home of Cottey College]. We were greeted as PEO celebrities with a tour by a student after meeting President Dr. Jann Weitzel and lunch with another student. We were so impressed and we kept saying, “It is so much like Western.”

When Dr. Weitzel was asked why she was interested in Cottey, she readily responded that “I was attracted to a liberal arts institution for women that emphasizes leadership and global learning.” (Sound like Western?) ...

... Cottey is still growing due to recruitment, the summer

And more, from Barbara’s later research: The founder of Cot tey College (1884) “was greatly influenced by our Mary Lyon. She reported that the book she read by Mary Lyon gave her purpose in her life and helped her devote all her energies to learning and teaching. In the literature it says that Cottey has gained the reputation as an institution that offers young women the opportunity to develop and strengthen leadership skills and achieve success in their fields. New information about Cottey:US News & World Report has ranked Cottey #1 Best College in the Midwest Region and is also recognized #26 Best Value College in the midwest region.

“ I find it hard to explain why I felt so comfortable other than to say it felt like Western and maybe what Western could be today if we had survived.”

Send your news — and pictures! — for the Spring 2023 Bulletin NOW.

E-mail, or clip and mail the form below to your Class Rep. If your class does not have a Rep, send your update directly to the WCAA. Beat the deadline: Groundhog Day!

WCAA, Inc. 325 S. Patterson Ave. Oxford, OH 45056 wcaa@miamioh.edu

Catherine Ross Loveland ’52 8159 Riverside Drive Powell, OH 43065 614-889-1969 crloveland71@aol.com

Nancy Ryan Rietz ’52 100 Delaware Xing W Apt. 2012 Delaware, OH 43015 740-201-3880

Sandra Franz Barnes ’54 53 White Birch Way Manchester,NH 03102 psjsjbar@gmail.com

Jennie Lou Fredley Klim ’58 106 Springer Ln. Somerset, PA 15501 jlklim321@gmail.com

Jan Sandrock MacEwen ’60 31 Wilton Crest Wilton, CT 06897 janmacewen@optimum.net

Evie Small Hohler ’64 301 Owasco Dr. Port Jefferson, NY 11777 hohlerlj@aol.com

Kathi Ramsey Bumblis ’66 2230 NW Gerke Rd. Prineville, OR 97754 bumblis@comcast.net

Susan Blake ’68 2900 Forest Ave. Berkeley, CA 94705 ssblake68@gmail.com

Kelly Felice ’70 6121 Bob Galbreath Rd. Clinton,Whidbey Island, WA 98236 noaprof@aol.com

Beth Cramp Dague ’72 265 S. Cassingham Rd. Columbus, OH 43209 beth@dague.com

Betsy Salt ’74 642 Mallard Dr. Westerville, OH 43082 esalt@otterbein.edu

Pheetta G. Wilkinson ’76 4500 Butterfield Pl. Cincinnati, OH 45227 pheetta.wilkinson@hamiltondds.org

Western College Program 2.0

Larry Blankemeyer ’78 blanks0330@gmail.com

Janey Drexler Sharp ’80 janey@trusted-email.com

Beth McNellie ’86 emcnellie@bakerlaw.com

Andy Miller ’88 millera@nku.edu

Michael Conaway ’90 msconaway@hotmail.com

Johanna Smith ’94 johanner@gmail.com

Kjirsten (Frank) Hoppe ’98 kcf4489@hotmail.com

Robyn MacConnell ’06 robyn.s.mac@gmail.com

Cayla (Adams) Matsumoto ’10 cayla.matsumoto@gmail.com

Western Program 3.0 WCAA, Inc. wcaa@miamioh.edu

Whose homecoming is it anyway?

At the Crawfords’ Brunch: (standing) Dave Wehrung, Christine Cowden, Pheetta Wilkinson; (seated) Sharry and Harry Addison.

Lots of blue in a sea of red at Miami University’s Homecoming Parade, October 8, 2022. Barbara Williamson Wentz ’68 drove “Joy,” her Toyota Solara convertible with banner-waving Sharry Patterson Addison ’61 and back seat cheerleader Pheetta Wilkinson ’76. Honorary alums Mackenzie and Debbie, in token red turtlenecks, took turns in photo ops.

Ambassador Renate Crawford, with First Dogs Ivy and Newton, meet Robodog while MU band members look on.

Western College Alumnae Association, Inc.