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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Class of '67 Scholarship Update - Awesome News

It has been a while since we have had a report about the Class of '67 scholarship. The College, all of you, and the rest of the world were closed down for some time with staff working from home and only some faculty and students returning to campus. With all that time on your hands, you were obviously thinking about how to donate to our scholarship fund since you couldn't travel or shop and had extra to spend! Be that as it may and regardless of your investment strategies and thanks to so many of you who have contributed, we are beyond excited to have reached a total in the fund just this past month that will allow us to provide a full scholarship to one student every year going forward. In prior years, we have provided approximately 75% of the cost of attending for a year. According to the College, the fund currently has about $1,720,500 invested.

The scholarship recipient this past year is a freshman from Delaware. She penned a letter expressing what this scholarsip has done for her. "Without a scholarship from Swarthmore, I wouldn't have been given the resources to develop and continue developing. In addition, I feel that once I return to my hometown, I am going to bring a sense of possibility. The children from my town, including myself, have been given the impression that just because our parents are immigrants and can't fully speak English, we don't have an opportunity to accomplish something beyond high school. We can imagine and lay out a list of reasons why college can't be something we are able to do and we also struggle to find the necessary resources to guide us through the college application process. I went through that. I didn't think I could get into a college like Swarthmore when I visited last fall.  Like the rest of my friends and classmates, I was doubting myself and my chances to have better opportunities. Without a scholarship, I wouldn't be where I am right now. This has been an opportunity that has opened many more ahead of me."

There were many reasons why our class did not leave more than a 'statement' as a graduation gift to the College. Most have come to see the impact that spending 4 years in this particular college community had on each of us. It was the institution that brought us together but it was the makeup and chemistries of this remarkable class that propelled us into the outside world to accomplish all sorts of meaningful things. In looking at the recipients of our class schoarship over the past few years, it seems clear that each of your donations will help to offer the same opportunity that many of us had and will launch new students into the world to do even greater things.

Many thanks to all of you and if you still want to add to the fund be sure to designate your donation to The Class of '67 Scholarship.

Life in the Time of COVID19

If there ever was a time to reach out and connect with others, it is now. Our lives have been altered, in some ways, permanently, and while many of us are retired, we are missing the day to day connections that we have with family and friends. While initially, i thought many would suffer from loneliness, I realized that there are many seniors whose connections are limited normally and may be lonely but that all of us are experiencing isolation, a separation from normal even fleeting contact with others. Somehow FaceTime, Instagram, and phone calls just aren't a satisfying substitute although better than nothing. The College has been scrambling to gear up for distance learning as well as ways to support faculty and staff. You have probably seen Val Smith's note about what actions the College has taken, not the least of which is accommodating 90 students who are unable to return to their homes. I can't imagine how difficult this must be for someone so young to be unable to return to family. You may have heard of the College's Student Emergency Fund which was established a number of years ago to provide relief to students facing unexpected financial difficulties.  In the past few weeks, through that fund alone, the College has fulfilled nearly 70 requests to help students pay for food, utilities, rent, transportation, laptops, home Internet access, and other expenses. These expenditures, on top of the hundreds of plane, bus, and train tickets arranged by the Office of Student Engagement substantially exceed the fund’s capacity.  Here is the link in case you wish to donate to the fund. https://lifechanging.swarthmore.edu/gift

On a more positive note, as of the first of the year, The Class of 1967 Scholarship had a market value of $1,054,460.85 with an estimated annual distribution of $48,221.52. Obviously, this was before the market meltdown but the investment is there for the long term and will recover. Now is a good time to consider donating to the fund as its value will increase when this epidemic has run its course. (There is not a direct link to our scholarship. The funds would need to be designated as such at the time of the donation.)

This is the time to reach out to classmates. Be sure to include your personal email in your note so they can reply directly to you. Stay well, self isolate, use your elbow to cover your mouth, wash your hands, go for a walk maintaining at least 6 feet of distance. And if you cannot get outside, here is a link to some photos of the campus this spring to remind you that the world is still a beautiful place. https://www.swarthmore.edu/minding-the-light/one-big-beautiful-campus

Belle Vreeland Hoverman & Don Marritz

A summary of the Class of '67 Panel 'Swarthmore and Climate Change' has been posted on the Class Forum for all to read. Thanks to all the panelists for their thoughtful contribution to this timely topic: Menno van Wyk, Spencer Putnam, Phyllis Wang Wise, David Singleton '68, Stephen O'Hanlon '17, and especially, Charles Bailey for chairing the panel. Please feel free to share. Charles, Franklin Apfel and I will be working on a plan for distribution and welcome any suggestions or comments you may have.

*A transcript of the recording of the session is available on request.

 

Reunion Summary

It has been a month since we gathered on the campus for our 50th reunion. 118 attended: 80 were classmates; 31 were Swarthmore grads married to classmates from other classes and 7 spouses who graduated elsewhere. The College looks remarkably the same but has changed in many ways: the campus is more lush - Sharples is now hidden by a forest of trees and there is a large vegetable garden out the back door that is part of the sustainability effort. Catherine is gone but there are new greeters to check you in before you eat.

 

We had numerous activities to choose from but most attended those specifically for our class. We started off on Friday with two panels that focused all of us on how we connect and what we look forward to. The 50th marked an opportunity to look forward as well as back so we talked about change and what it meant as many of us retire from our day jobs and contemplate how we will spend the next years whether 5 or 25. That panel was lead by Heidi Hartman and Jane Lang. Alexander Nehamas and Tom Laqueur got us thinking about what friendship means. It may be hard to define but we all found that friendships made many years ago carry huge weight. Rob Lewine entertained us Friday evening along with three of his band mates from LA. Barbra Stubbs Cochran was the Collection speaker and put the current political assault on the press in perspective. And not to leave off controversy, we had a panel discussion and breakout sessions to discuss and make recommendations to the Board of Managers regarding the College’s position on divestment only to find that the Board of Managers is agnostic when it comes to the their investments. A summary of that panel will be posted on this web site in the next few weeks. Recordings of all our other talks are currently available on the College’s web site. And check out this video from Sabrina Cecconi (Apfel): https://www.dropbox.com/s/86a8uuik4q56pme/swarthmore.mov?dl=0

 

We heard from President Val Smith about the state of the college. Approximately 20% of current students are the first in their families to attend college. 53% of all students receive financial assistance and the average amount received is $48,720/year. The Class ‘67 Scholarship is currently is funded at just under $1.5 million thanks to generous donations from many of you. It was obvious to many of us that without financial support we would not have been able to attend college. (It’s not too late to add to the scholarship.) One of the highlights of the weekend was the memorial service in the Meeting House organized by Marge Abbott Small where we had an opportunity to remember each one of the 39 classmates who have died since we graduated.

 

There are photos from the weekend posted in the column to the left. The web site will remain active for at least another year. Please continue to communicate with each other. Your emails go out from the website but does include your personal email and the recipient can answer you back directly. Update your profile. Write about what you enjoyed most about the weekend. Upload your photos.

 

And lastly, we have now become Garnet Sages which means that Don Marritz now has the responsibility of writing updates on us for every issue of the alumni bulletin. Below is a note from him:

 

Classmates: The school's appetite for news about us is unquenchable.  It (or they, in the current vernacular) want/s more.  More! Please send me news that you'd like classmates to know about.  ASAP. Still an 800 word-limit each issue, but from now on, we get published in every edition of the College Bulletin, 'cause we're so old.

Don Marritz, Scrivener

dmarritz@gmail.com

A safe and happy 4th of July to all!!

Belle

In Memory

Marge Post Abbott will be overseeing the memorial service Friday afternoon in the Meeting House for classmates who are deceased. If any of you have the time or the inclination and since so much information is now on line, please help out by posting an obituary for any classmate as well as any memories you might have on the 'In Memory' link of this web site. Many thanks.

Belle

Class of '67 Schedule of Events and a bit of information.

Here is an updated list of events that our class will be a part of. There will be numerous other events and activites over the weekend, but these are specific to our class. Some, such as music wih Rob Friday night, Collection and the List Gallery opening will be for the entire college but will feature our talented calssmates! And while the official List Gallery reception willl be Saturday afternoon, the Gallery will be open all weekend so you can stop by any time to take a look.

Download an app for your phone at guidebook.com or on the College web site at alumniweekend.swarthmore.edu, Plan Your Schedule. All activites as well as updates for the weekend will be listed there and you can tailor your schedule so as not to miss a thing. 

On another note, registration will be in the Alice Paul Lobby all weekend but Thursday it will close at 9 PM. Please let me know if you will be arriving later than 9 PM on Thursday.  Registration Friday and Saturday will be open until 11 PM. There is parking in the lot immediately adjacent to the dorm. There will also be parking across the street at Cunningham lot but it is only accessible using the OneCard you will receive when you register. OneCard will get you into the dorm and your room and is similar to a hotel key card. The dorm is on Chester Road past Bond but before you go under the railroad bridge and across from Cunningham Fields.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. See you all soon!

Belle

Swarthmore Reunion Talks

 

Tour of Barnes Collection for 30 classmates

Thursday noon. Bus leaves form teh Rose Garden

 

Changing Perspectives on Change

Heidi Hartman ‘67 and Jane Lang ‘67

Friday 10-11 AM; Science Center, Chang Hou Hall (Room 101)

 

Lunch with President Val Smith in Clothier, 2nd floor

12-1:30 PM

 

On Friendship

Alexander Nehamas ‘67 and Tom Laqueur '67

Friday 2-3 PM

 

Civil Rights Sing-A-Long

Co-sponsored with by Swarthmore Folk, Swarthmore Black Alumni Network, and Class of ‘67

Friday 3PM

 

CLass of '67 Memorial Service in the Meeting House

Marge Post Abbott ‘67

Friday 4-5PM

 

Rob Lewine ’67: Thge Swarthmore Tour 2017 with Howard Greene, Willie Etra and Larry Treadwell

Friday evening Lang Music Buliding Concert Hall 8:30 PM

 

Parade Lineup on Magill Walk 9:45 AM                                                                                    

Collection in the Amphitheater: Barbara Stubbs Cochran ‘67

 

Fossil Fuel Divestment – Moving beyond Confrontation to Consensus

Charles Bailey ‘67, Spencer Putnam ‘67, Menno van Wyk ‘67, David Singleton '68, Stephen O’Hanlon ‘17, and Phyllis Wang Wise '67

Saturday 3:30-5 PM in Science Center, Chang Hou HAll (Room 101)

 

List Gallery Opening Reception Saturday 3-5:30 PM

Kaete Brittin Shaw ’67 and Robin Hannay Nelson ‘67

 

Saturday: Reception 6PM in Science Center Quad and dinner in Clothier, 2nd floor 7PM

 

 

Dear Classmates,

In a previous century, at our 20th reunion, a “Show and Tell” was organized to give us an opportunity to share our creative endeavors.  We will have a repeat performance for our 50th reunion and ask that those of you who would like to participate get in touch with me so we can coordinate this event.  There is no limit to the media to be included: visual arts, the written word, music, mixed media etc. as all are appropriate.

We will be setting aside an area at our class dinner Saturday night.  This way we can share and interact with each other at our own pace.  Please let me know if you would like to bring something for the display so that we can have adequate space.

Looking forward to seeing you all,

Muffin Reid

elenorgreid@gmail.com

Look Who's Coming!

This Friday, April 28, is the last day to register for housing for our reunion. The 'Look Who's Coming' section is now operative and can be found on the page you use to register. Alumniweekend.swarthmore.edu

Many of you have filled In your profile letting us know what you have been up to all these years. Those who have signed up but haven't posted their profile might want to do that before we all show up in May. You might also consider posting memories or thoughts about those classmates who are deceased. And remember, our reunion starts on Thursday, May 25 with check in to the air conditioned Alice Paul dorm at 3 PM. There will be plenty to do and see with panels that our classmates have organized both Friday and Saturday as well as activities thatvthe College has put together for everyone. Let me know if you have questions or concerns. See you in just over a month!

Belle

Reunion Photos - 2007

Reunion photos from 2007 have been posted thanks to  Kim Tingley. If anyone has other photos from over the years, please send them to me via Dropbox, Google photo, Wetransfer or other free methods and I will be happy to post them for you.

Belle Vreeland Hoverman

This just in!!

Registration is now open for our 50th Reunion. Copy and paste: alumniweekend.swarthmore.edu and click on Registration in the right hand column. You will have an opportunity to register for all or part of the weekend depending on how many days you will be able to attend. For those arriving before noon on Thursday, May 25, there will be a bus leaving for a tour of the Barnes Collection in Philly for the first 30 people who register. That same site will also have a section titled 'Look Who's Coming" that will include a regularly updated list of everyone who has registered. But don't wait to see who is coming. Send a message through this site to those you would like to see and encourage them to come, too. See you at the end of May!!

Seven Weeks to Go

This past weekend I was at Swarthmore for a volunteer summit to hear about the College's capital campaign and to check out some details about our reunion. The theme rang true - Changing Lives, Changing the World. The students are incredibly bright; they are a very diverse population and are incredibly engaged. The Colloge struggles with how to continue to focus on a liberal arts education when the most commonly declared major is computer science. There are numerous new buildings. Many old ones have been updated or renovated and there is an inn right next to the train station that has a restaurant worth eating at and even serves alcohol. 

Many of you have asked about registration for reunion weekend. Be assured you have not missed it. The schedule for the entire weekend and a link to register should be available in the next 1-2 weeks. I will post our schedule later this week. Remember that we gather a day before everyone else on Thursday, May 25.

Garden behind President Val Smith's home - first of the cherry blossoms and daffodils.

View from the Terry Shane Garden up the hill towards the Meeting House and Pearson

Civil Rights Activism Project

February 1, 2017

Several members of the class of 1966 are working with the Swarthmore Library to document the civil rights activism of Swarthmore students during the early 1960s. The goal is to compile existing information, conduct oral histories, and collect documents (old letters, anyone?). Classes from1963 through 1968 are invited to participate. Go to  http://swatstories.swarthmore.edu/civil-rights-activism/ for a brief description. The alums involved are Tom Webb, Frank Cochran, Daniel Pope, Ellie Arguimbau, and Carl Abbott. Carl is happy to be a contact for the Class of 1967 (abbottc@pdx.edu) and will be at the '67 reunion in May along with Marge Post Abbott. If you have something to share, please also post it on the General Chatter and Discussion Board under the Civil RIghts Activism at the top of this web site.

Belle Vreeland Hoverman

A Word About the Class of ’67 Scholarship

 

Need blind admission policies have become the routine in major colleges and universities across the country. Swarthmore is no exception. Swarthmore started offering admission without regard to a family’s ability to pay in the 1950’s and is one of only a small group of colleges in the country to meet all demonstrated needs. Here are some statistics:

  • $47,034: Average aid award for all aided students
  • 58% of current first-year students receive aid from the College
  • 32% of students receiving financial aid have a family income of $60,000 or less
  • 20% of current first-year students are the first generation in their family to attend college
  • 94% of Pell Grant recipients and all students who entered in 2010 graduated within 6 years

The Class of ’67 Scholarship was established in 2012 0n the occasion of our 45th reunion. The renewable scholarship is awarded to students on the basis of academic merit and financial need.

The scholarship was first distributed in 2013 to Ruth Talbot ’15. Ruth received this scholarship through her graduation in 2015. Last year, Moniher Deb ’19 received the scholarship and this year it will go to Alice S Dong ’20. We will post a bio of Alice in the next week and hope she might be able to join us when we return in May.

The amount awarded each year increases as the amount raised for the scholarship increases. The amount awarded over the past five years is as follows:

  • 2017 - $19,114 (estimated distribution)
  • 2016 - $18,068.64
  • 2015 - $13,372.29
  • 2014 - $10,005.77
  • 2013 - $8,244.56

As of January 2017, our class has raised $872,000 for the Class of ’67 Scholarship. The hope is to raise enough money to be able to support one student for four years – tuition, room, board, books, and incidentals. Many have commented on the opportunity we had when we were admitted to Swarthmore. The value of that education has not changed although it has become prohibitively expensive for many. Giving even one student that opportunity is a legacy we can be proud of.

Belle Vreeland Hoverman

Yearbook photos have all been uploaded to everyone's profile, assuming you had a photo taken. Copies of the Cygnet seem to be few and far between. If anyone has a copy they would be willing to loan so we can post all those pictures, please let me know. (Go to Classmate Profiles and send me a message.) Thanks.                       Belle Vreeland Hoverman                                                                          

50th Reunion Update

 

It is now just a little over 4 months until our 50th class reunion. Reunion schedules are beginning to gel so here is a run down of some of the events that are planned specifically for our class. The 50th typically begins on Thursday, May 25th, a day before the rest of the alumni arrive. We will be staying in Alice Paul, a new dormitory that has air conditioning and is just off Chester Road and is close to parking and the train station. Golf carts will be available to transport anyone who needs them.

While check in is at 3 PM Thursday, there will be a bus leaving at noon for a tour of the Barnes Collection in Philadelphia for 30 people. A casual dinner is planned for Thursday evening and should accommodate any latecomers. Friday will be our day with brunch and a panel in the morning and the afternoon. Alexander Nehamas will lead us through a discussion On Friendship and Heidi Hartman and Jane Lang on Changing Perspectives and Priorities. We will have lunch and a Q&A session at noon with Dr. Valerie Smith who is finishing her second year as president of the college. There will be a short memorial service late Friday afternoon. Saturday afternoon will give us an opportunity to hear a discussion on issues surrounding fossil fuel divestment with Spencer Putnam, Charles Bailey, Menno van Wyk and hopefully a member of the Board of Managers. There will be a reception at the List Gallery later Saturday with both Kaete Britten Honig Shaw and Robin Hannay Nelson displaying some of their work. Saturday evening is our class dinner in Tarble in Clothier. Clothier is no longer an auditorium but meeting space upstairs and down. There will be an area for the class to bring artwork, published books, etc. to display in one end of Tarble in Clothier. More on that later.

The College has numerous events planned for Friday evening until Sunday morning that we will be able to enjoy along with the rest of the alums. More activities are in the works for our class and will be posted on our website as soon as details are firmed up. And there will be detailed information on the Class of ’67 Scholarship in the next week as we introduce you to the current scholarship recipient and those in past years who have benefited from your generosity. Please take sometime to add to your profiles to let us all know what you have been up to over the last 50 years. Urge your friends to do the same if they have not signed in yet.

We are looking forward to an enjoyable weekend and hope to see you all.

Belle Vreeland Hoverman