60th REUNION PREQUEL
Who would have imagined so much fun could be packed into a two-day reunion? Much of the credit goes to Martha Dolkart Bernstein, as well as to thirteen of our classmates who made the trip to South Hadley. But shemade it happen!
Most of us arrived Tuesday, April 16th, to register at Willets-Hallowell and enjoy a sumptuous lunch with Danielle Lund, Director of Engagement. We then had a top-notch tour of “Maker Space,” a new concept to many of us. This was followed by a tour of equally interesting space, the Art Museum, which in Fall 2026 will mark its 150th anniversary. It is simply stunning.
Then we walked across campus to the Archives where we could view our personal biographical files (and those of our mothers), as well as other mementos (Junior Show, photo albums, reunion costumes, etc.) The staff had laid these out for us on a large table and invited us to keep on sending photos and letters about our time at Mt. Holyoke, to add to this treasure trove.
During Social Hour that evening, we had an informal conversation with Robin Randall, VP for Enrollment. She spoke about strategy, platform alignment, and the LINK program. We were assured that enrollment issues are being addressed at every level, and we can expect MHC’s admissions rate will improve with President Danielle Holley’s leadership.
Wednesday we went to Amherst for a tour of the Dickinson Homestead. Upon returning to campus we had the opportunity to attend other classes as well as a choral rehearsal at Abbey Chapel. Such a treat!
Back at Willits, Eleanor Townsley, class honorary and Director of Nexus, joined us to discuss internships and job search. It is no surprise that the Career Development Manager’s role has become increasingly important today, and we were once again assured that Mount Holyoke is on top of it.
Whereas we enjoyed two days of sunshine splashed on bushes and trees in full bloom, and walked around Upper Lake at least once, on Thursday it rained! Weather notwithstanding, at our last lunch together, we went on swapping ’65 stories and laughing together as always.
We agreed that our “Prequel Reunion” was a wonderful idea, well-managed – thanks especially to Martha – and we look forward to everyone’s help planning our best reunion ever: #60!!!
Remember to put May 23-25, 2025, on your calendar! And please say “yes” when our Reunion Co-Chairs (Sallie Wright Abbas and Sunny Eaton Steadman) ask you to sign onto a Reunion Committee.
Welcome to the Mount Holyoke College Class of 1965
THE STATUS OF LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION
Our November 11th mini-reunion featured a conversation on this timely topic, between Lynn Pasquerella (MHC President from 2010 to 2016), and Mary Graham Davis, Board of Trustees Chair during her tenure.
Lynn C Pasquerella, a 1980 graduate of Mount Holyoke, is currently president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Her most recent book is WHAT WE VALUE: Public Health, Social Justice, and Educating for Democracy.
Mary Graham Davis opened the discussion by noting that “the way Lynn thinks about education is about its role in democracy and its role in helping people through their lives (by) giving them decision-making and critical thinking capabilities.”
Lynn noted that recent surveys show declining confidence in higher education. According to a Wall Street Journal poll, those who already have a college degree are the most skeptical of its value.
Nonetheless, Lynn insists that liberal education is more important than ever! “It teaches us to speak across differences, to be mindful of the dangers of ideological filtering, to imaginine what it’s like to be someone different from oneself, to propose, construct, evaluate arguments, and think with precision, coherence, and clarity. These are the skills at the heart of a liberal education which enable individuals to entertain the possibility that some of their most fundamentally held beliefs might actually be mistaken.”
Lynn continued, “The most significant challenge we are facing right now is Legislative over-reach into the Academy. This happened in the Civil War and World War One and in the Civil Rights movement and the “Red” scare. But what’s different now is the nature and scope of the intrusion, thanks to the internet and, in the state college systems, to the power of governors to appoint boards of trustees.” Noting the current situation in Florida, she observed that “the more we politicize education… the more we erode the fundamental standards that are central to the democratic purposes of higher education.”
Mary: “Can you talk to us about the parallel stream of programs in place that allow our students to explore career-oriented options?”
Lynn: “This is something that we’re watching closely. Higher education is viewed as too expensive, too difficult to access, and ..[fails to teach].. students 21st century skills…There are those who believe that colleges are bastions of liberal progressivism and [are] brainwashing the next generation... But when we look at the bipartisan concern about higher education, it comes down to: Are we preparing students for the workforce of the future in ways that enable them to thrive upon entry and then to advance in the workforce?”
(She went on to observe) that CEOs and managers surveyed want graduates who can think critically and communicate orally, speak across differences, work in teams…who are resilient, adaptable, and flexible in the face of change, and who can learn from failure.
Mary noted that at MHC in recent years there have been several career-oriented innovations, including a number of internship programs, the creation of “maker space” on campus, and the introduction of career planning beginning freshman year.
Lynn and Mary discussed at length the number of institutions that are cutting out their language, philosophy and other humanities courses. Data suggests that this correlates directly with rising authoritarian attitudes both in the US and globally.
Mary raised the question of how to reach that segment of our population who have not had the advantage of a liberal education.
Lynn replied with her own story. Neither of her parents had had the opportunity to graduate from high school. When she received her PhD in philosophy from Brown, her father refused to attend the commencement ceremony saying, “Don’t you think this makes you better than us because you’re not?” Lynn said, “It was clear to me the extent to which he was threatened because he thought it would separate us… that I somehow viewed him as lesser. {Fortunately,] I was able to sit down and have a table conversation with him.”
A take-away question: How can we have table conversations across the country with those who are not only skeptical but disdainful of what we do? Lynn concluded that “We need to do this… to strengthen our society at a time when it is more fractured than ever due to political polarization and partisanship.”
Welcome to the Mount Holyoke College Class of 1965
TAKING ACTION; INSPIRING HOPE
Sally Williams Farrow has worked at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, a small sustainable farm on the Merrimack River watershed, for forty years. There she has been able to share her passion for the earth, its resources and plants and animals with the public and particularly with Lowell youths.
Sally told us how through education, research, and advocacy, her students have been inspired to get involved in mitigating climate change. With 18+ acres of sustainable gardens at Drumlin Farm, students can learn about sustainable farming, food justice, food waste, and the importance of growing locally.
The farm provides a home for wild animals that wildlife rehabilitators and veterinary doctors have determined cannot be returned to the wild after they are injured or orphaned. Some live on the farm and may be viewed by our visitors and program participants. Some, very remarkable wild animals, are able to be “animal ambassadors,” like this screech owl:
Special Education Students are involved in MAPLE (Mass Audubon Accessible Programs and Learning Experiences), and participate in the Harvard Forest schoolyard lter hydrology research program, to observe how the depth of the Drumlin Farm ponds changes over time.
By introducing Lowell youths to the importance of green spaces, animals and plants to our health, they are encouraged to take action. Which they have, building fish ladders, starting recycling programs, planting trees and creating pollinator and rain gardens.
They have spoken at Land Trust conferences, mentored younger students and participated in Earth Day celebrations and Riverfest in Lowell, and advocated for the environment by meeting with local US and state representatives.
And they founded their own Environmental Club, T.R.E.E.S. (Trees Respecting Environmental Excellence and Stewardship)
In 2019, at the beginning of Covid, some of the TREES students joined the EYTF (Environmental Youth Task Force). It is one of 10 youth environmental groups around the United States that are part of Smithsonian Youth Earth Optimism. In 2021, the EYTF students traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the Folklife Festival where they hosted the Youth in Action booth.
Sally said that these Lowell students have learned to act through Project-based Learning, i.e., Learning by Doing, and that by taking action, they inspire HOPE.
Certainly Sally’s students have inspired her, and in turn, she is an inspiration to each of us to take action and be a part of the solution to our climate crisis.
