October 2018
Hi Everyone,
Just thought I’d touch base and bring you up to date on a couple of things and get us started thinking about future plans.
First of all, thank you so much for electing me and a wonderful group of women to serve as class officers for the next five years. Some of us, “the Severance mafia,” have known each other for decades, but it was clear from our meeting at reunion that we were all at the start of amazing new friendships. I will provide a list of all of us, with phone numbers and e-addresses, at the end of this letter.
The Sister List, created and curated for many years by Sue Klee and now managed skillfully by Mary Edwards, continues to be a source of information and support. Mary also manages the class web site. There are not enough thanks for it all. The List always has always been an important part of each day for me and has become even more so as I age. To join requires nothing but a call or email to Mary (781-662-8804, propperson@alum.wellesley.edu). After that you be as active as you want, become a lurker—not read the posts, not respond, not post yourself—or join in as often as you want or a subject inspires you to. It is a community based on shared beginnings and shared journeys and is enriched by everyone who participates.
Susan Eyre, Meg Holzer, and I spent the weekend of October 12-14 at the college at meetings for class and club presidents, class vice-presidents, and others. Though we were the oldest class there, I don’t think we either looked or acted that way! We wished there had been more time for training about the duties and responsibilities of our offices, however we now feel empowered to create our own plans and programs. It was inspiring to hear about all the college now offers its students in addition to excellence in teaching: extensive financial, social, and emotional support, intern opportunities, preparation for the future. The session on the Wellesley Racial Justice Initiative was particularly meaningful. It was sobering to learn that the comprehensive fee is now more than $70,000 and about the deferred maintenance that must now be addressed to protect both buildings and students.
We have been so good as a class in maintaining our Forever Friendships and creating new ones through our mini-reunions: locally organized ones like that taking place in Washington this week, and larger ones involving more people and more planning. We are hoping to have two of the latter before the next reunion, one in the east, one in the west. Susan and Meg will be in touch soon to ask for suggestions and present their own ideas, but don’t hesitate to get in touch with them.
Sherley, Fayal, our class secretaries, were not part of the weekend program, but we had a wonderful lunch at the Lulu on Friday before it began. Wellesley students eat well. The choices were astonishing: crepes Suzette, e.g.! Friday night Susie and George Vrotsos invited us, Sally Hammerness, Ronnie Selig, and Betty Richardson for a delicious dinner. And Saturday night Sally, Susan, Meg, and I had dinner at Ken’s—a reminiscent meal and a real nostalgia trip. It was a wonderful Wellesley weekend, in which we felt that all of you were with us. Strong memories of our life at Wellesley so long ago were the context of what we heard and what we hope we can do together in the next few years.
With love,
Ann
We will keep cards and letters coming and hope to hear from you as well. Here’s how to contact us (and this time I hope I spelled every one’s name right):
Ann Eisenberg Cooper, President: ancoop@yahoo.com; 802-349-0161
Susan Cole Eyre, Vice President: sce0604@gmail.com; 914-381-9329
Meg Holzer, Vice President: margaret.holzer@csun.edu; 818-347-9602
Sherley Goodwin Gardner-Smith, Sec.: slgsmith58@gmail.com; 617-833-1275
Fayal Barnett Greene, Secretary: fgpr@aol.com; 207-844-8975
Carol Garfiel Freeman, Treasurer: cgfreeman58@gmail.com; 301-518-6772
Anne Yost Harper, Wellesley Fund Rep.: harper@alum.mit.edu; 617-661-5929