Welcome to the first issue of Alumnae Connections for the 2007–2008 school year. This issue is full of the latest news about Emma Willard School. Please be sure to let us know if your email address changes so that you continue to receive the latest issue of Alumnae Connections. Just email alumnae@emmawillard.org.

Trudy Hall,
Head of School

Greeting from the Head of School

Those of us who are part of the Emma Willard family know that our school stands in a class all its own, and we can happily claim many Emma “firsts,” starting with our founder’s vision that the world needs educated women. Today, I am proud to share with you another exciting Emma first, one that speaks to how widely we are known for excellence. Emma Willard has been selected to participate in a pilot scholarship program funded by the Shelby Cullom Davis family. In supporting highly motivated, high-potential students from across the U.S. and around the world, Gale Lansing Davis '63 and her family hope to create a cadre of future leaders, Americans and non-Americans alike, ensuring a network that will be constructive and beneficial for all. To learn more about this exciting and profound gift, click here.

Emma Willard is the only girls’ school among the five American boarding schools selected (our partners in the pilot are Andover, Lawrenceville, Taft, and Westminster), and the opportunity comes at a moment when we are well positioned to respond. It is not simply a question of our outstanding curriculum, renewed facilities, or strong board leadership. Emma Willard has something which no other school has: Emma girls and Emma alumnae. Every day young women who have passed through these halls achieve personal and intellectual breakthroughs, and nearly every week they offer their communities something new, whether by organizing a race for charity, researching a cure for cancer, or giving voice to those who need their help. As each alumna knows, Emma girls have a passion for doing amazing things and a gift for encouraging and celebrating each other along the way. What better environment for fostering cross-cultural understanding?

At this time of year, we traditionally gather with family and friends to give thanks for all that we enjoy. Thank you for being a part of the Emma Willard family.

With warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday season,

Trudy E. Hall Head of School

Campus Update:

Women, Power, and Responsibility

One of the great promises of the coming century is the role women will play in its development. What will the world look like when women hold positions of greater global influence than they have at any other time in history? How will they leverage that power to achieve their visionary goals? What responsibilities will come along with this increased power? Will it make a difference?

On Saturday, September 29, Emma Willard School asked nine accomplished women from various professional fields to explore these questions before an audience of students, alumnae, and invited guests. The symposium, titled Women, Power, and Responsibility, featured a keynote address by the internationally known anchor of BBC World News, Katty Kay, followed by an open panel discussion moderated by Lyne Pitts ’72, the vice president of NBC News.

Panelists included Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Elizabeth Colton ’66, founder of the International Museum of Women; Deb Adams, founder of Just Cause Marketing; Ann Cotton, founder and executive director of  the Campaign for Female Education; Christel DeHann, founder of Christel House; Dina Dublon, a women’s issues advocate and board member of the Global Fund for Women; and Kathy LeMay, CEO of Raising Change. The symposium also featured a videotaped greeting by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, introduced by U.S. Representative Kirsten Gillibrand ’84.

For a sampling of pictures of the weekend and a downloadable sound file of the symposium, visit www.emmawillard.org/celebration.

Head of School Trudy Hall and keynote speaker Katty Kay listen to an introduction by U.S. Representative Kirsten Gillibrand '84.

Photo by Steven Ricci

Grand opening

Dean of Students Judy Bridges and alumna Linda Glazer Toohey '66 serve up refreshments to students.

Students enjoy the spacious social areas of the café.

The new 2e Café opened on Sunday, October 28, to much fanfare. The café is named for and was funded by alumna Linda Glazer Toohey '66 and daughters Megan '00 and Liz '03. It was created from space that once housed the old kitchen facilities and now connects Kellas and Sage halls at the first floor level. The space is devoted to student use with plenty of seating, dry erase boards for communications and announcements, and a kitchen area where student groups can prepare and sell refreshments. It is expected that the 2e Café will be a hub of activity every day of the week.

With the opening of the 2e Café, construction on community life spaces is nearly complete. Day students have moved their things into new, spacious lockers, and boarders and day students alike are making themselves at home in the new Student Center and Sage Study.

Photos by Mark Van Wormer

Keep current on campus activities with Emma Now

To see what's happening at Emma, be sure to visit and bookmark Emma Now. To purchase images of ongoing Emma Willard events and activities, go to Your Favorite Photos and Mark Van Wormer Photography. Photos of events such as Revels, dance assemblies, and school plays are available for viewing and purchase on these sites.

Join us September 26–28 for Reunion 2008

No, that’s not a misprint. Though the “Save the Date” magnets sent out in September did announce a return to a June date for Reunion 2008, after much contemplation and consultation with alumnae and students, we have decided to move reunion to the fall. If you did not make it back to campus for our symposium and campus-wide celebration this fall, you may not have heard from fellow alumnae what an amazing weekend it was. Everyone emphasized how much they enjoyed their interactions with students and faculty, how impressed they were with the seminars and classes they attended, and how wonderful it was to see the campus filled with life.

Here is a sampling of the comments we received: “Being at EW with students present was a treat....It was great to talk with the students about the school, teachers, and their goals....The students were so proud of the school and enthusiastic about sharing their thoughts about Emma....Reunion in the fall really showed off the campus at its best....the very best and most exciting reunion I have ever attended....No future reunion schedule while school is NOT in session can possibly be as enjoyable....the time I spent with those marvelous EW girls was priceless!”

We hope that you will plan to come back to Mount Ida to renew old friendships and to meet (and inspire) the next generation of Emma Willard women next September.

Keep an eye on your mailbox for details about your class reunion in the coming months. If you are interested in volunteering for reunion, please contact your staff liaison (listed below).

Staff liaisons:

Classes of ’38; ’58, ’63, ’68, ’73: Molly Price, director of alumnae relations; mprice@emmawillard.org; (518) 833-1772

Classes of ’43, ’48, ’53, ’78: Margaret Roach, associate director of alumnae relations; mroach@emmawillard.org; (518) 833-1324

Classes of ’83, ’88, ’93, ’98, ’03: Marlena McNamee ’98, assistant director of alumnae relations; mmcnamee@emmawillard.org; (518) 833-1775

Alumnae News

Reunion 2007

Members of the Class of 1957 show off their IDEA bags.

Back to class in the film lab

The 2007 Distinguished Alumnae Award winners

The Class of 1997 enjoys dinner Saturday night.

A clear blue sky greeted over 200 2s and 7s as they returned to Mount Ida for Reunion 2007 September 27–30, 2007. The 50th reunion class returned Thursday afternoon for a special tour of the new community life spaces and a reception and dinner hosted by Trudy Hall in Wellington-Lay. The next morning they headed back to class, meeting students and sitting in on a variety of classes, from film to philosophy. Friday afternoon AAC President Erin Crotty ’84 and Trudy Hall presented the Distinguished Alumnae Awards to 2s and 7s in a packed Kiggins Auditorium.

Alumnae spanning 1940 to 2007 returned to campus to be a part of Celebration 2007, including the symposium Women, Power, and Responsibility (see description above), the dedication of the new community life spaces, and the “We are Emma” celebration Saturday evening. The weekend concluded with the Alumnae Memorial Chapel service, featuring a combined alumnae-student choir led by Maestro Russell Locke and Dr. Debra Spiro-Allen, director of choral music.

Click here to view more pictures of the weekend. Download an order form for class photos here.

Chance favors the prepared dreamer

 When asked by a Money magazine reporter, “What’s your greatest financial dream?” Vanessa George ’83 gave her answer without thinking twice.

“I want to create a scholarship endowment at Emma Willard School,” she said.

Now, paired by Money with a financial planner, she is making her dream come true. With a seed gift of her own, George has established The Kayla A. George Dare to Dream Fund at Emma Willard, opening the fund to gifts from others who share her passion for expanding access to an extraordinary Emma Willard education. The scholarship will be awarded annually on the basis of financial need with preference given to African-American girls. 

To see the article in the October issue of Money, click here. To make a gift to the Kayla A. George Dare to Dream Fund, call Anduena Cake in the Development Office at (518) 833-1770 or send a check to Kayla A. George Fund, Emma Willard School, Development Office, 285 Pawling Avenue, Troy, New York 12180. Please make checks payable to Emma Willard School.

You can make a gift online by clicking here and typing “George Fund” in the space provided for “This gift is made in honor of.”

Alumnae directories still available

There are a limited number of copies of the latest Alumnae Directory (published earlier this year) available for purchase. Please call Jill Smith at (518) 833-1787 if you would like to purchase one.

Want to reconnect with EWS alumnae in your area?

Did you know Emma Willard alumnae have formed clubs in several cities that sponsor casual get-togethers and activities throughout the year? There are clubs in Washington, DC, the Capital District, Los Angeles, Boston, and the San Francisco bay area. Alumnae-organized regional clubs in Atlanta, Chicago, and New York are forming now. Fill out our online interest form if you'd like to be a part of them!

Young alumnae: Looking for a summer job?

The GirlSummer Residential Program is looking for young alumnae interested in returning to campus for the summer to be part of the dynamic staff led by EWS science instructor Joe Tamer. GirlSummer is soliciting applications for two positions: resident assistants and resident faculty. Resident assistants (typically college freshmen or sophomores) design resident programming for campers after the academic day is complete and supervise weekend field trips to Saratoga and other fun area destinations. Resident faculty (typically college seniors, recent grads, or grad students) teach three to four classes a day in a specific discipline and accompany the students on an academic field trip to New York City. Courses include Creative Writing, Spanish, French, English as a Second Language, Mock Trial, Model United Nations, Digital Media, Fine Arts, Performing Arts, Social Computing, Astronomy, and Modern American History.

The camp runs from June 21 through August 8, 2008. Room and board are included with the position. If you are interested, contact Mr. Joseph Tamer at (518) 833-1398 or jtamer@emmawillard.org.

EWS Around the Country

For more information on all events, visit the Emma Online events calendar.

Education at Emma Willard: The Last Fifty Years, with Jack and Marcia Easterling
Friday, November 16, 2007, 6:00 p.m.
The Reform Club, 104 Pall Mall, London

Join hosts Tim and Lucy Schwab Blythe ’80 for a reception and discussion with two of Emma Willard’s longest serving faculty members. Wine and canapés will be served.

Read more about the program and RSVP online for this event.

Inside Emma’s Archives
Thursday, November 29, 2007, 6:00 p.m.
The Pyramid Club, 1735 Market Street, 52nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA

Join host Ginny Hinrichs McMichael ’74, Emma Willard alumnae, and friends for an illuminating evening with Dr. Robert Naeher, history department chair, and Ms. Nancy Iannucci, archivist and librarian.

Learn how history “comes alive” for students as they use Antebellum and Civil War-era archival documents to conduct original inquiry. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Read more about the program and RSVP online for this event.

Eastern MA holiday brunch
Saturday, December 1, 2007, 12:00 p.m.
11 Brookfield Road, Wellesley, MA

Come kick off the holiday season with a festive brunch hosted by Bonnie Scott Jelinek ’63 and hear all the news from campus, including photos of the new community spaces and video highlights of the symposium and celebration in September.

To RSVP contact Sue Koerner Pearson ’83 at (508) 435-7697 or email spearson5@comcast.net.

Revels
Thursday, December 13, 2007, 8:00 p.m.

Join fellow Capital District alumnae for a rousing performance of Revels! You are also invited to join us for dinner beforehand at 6 p.m. in Kellas Commons (formerly Kellas Dining Room).

Please note parties are limited to six due to space constraints. To RSVP contact Jill Smith at (518) 833-1787 or RSVP online for this event.

Friday, December 14, 2007, 8:00 p.m.

Join fellow young alumnae from the classes of ’05, ’06, and ’07 for Revels! You are also invited to the young alumnae hospitality suite before the performance at 6:30 p.m. in Kellas Commons (formerly Kellas Dining Room).

To RSVP contact Jill Smith at (518) 833-1787 or RSVP online for this event.