Hood Magazine | Spring 2021

WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER #HOODSTRONG COVID-19 PERSPECTIVES | DEAN OF STUDENTS OLIVIA WHITE RETIRES | CLASS OF 2020 HEALTHCARE HEROES

REUNION IS ALMOST HERE! JUNE 2021—MORE DETAILS TO COME #HoodCollegeReunion2021

Legacy HOOD COLLEGE

RING

Through its beautiful simplicity, the ring is a tangible reminder to the wearer of the influence of Hood in their life and a symbolic connection to thousands of other alumni who wear the Hood “H” with pride.

Be a Part of the Hood College Legacy Ring and Scholarship Program Thanks to generous donations from alumni, juniors have the opportunity to submit an essay to apply for a legacy ring—one previously worn by an alum and donated—or for the ring scholarship to purchase a new ring.

Learn more about how you can ensure the tradition of the Hood ring will continue for generations to come at hood.edu/legacyrings or contact Britton Muir, assistant director of alumni and constituent engagement, at muir@hood.edu.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

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Laurie Ward EDITOR

Meg DePanise ’15, MBA’20 ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN

Renee Rohwer Derek Knecht

COVID-19 IN CONTEXT

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mary Atwell

Archivist, Collection Development Services Manager

Kathleen Bands, Ph.D.

Professor of Education and Director of the Doctoral Programs

Mason Cavalier ’19

News Editor, Media Coordinator

Delaney Crawford ’22 Geoff Goyne

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Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications/SID

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

“I WANT STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO SOAR BEYOND THEIR POTENTIAL, NOT JUST IN THE HERE AND NOW, BUT IN LIFE AFTER HOOD.”

Nancy Gillece ’81

-DEAN OLIVIA WHITE, PH.D.

Lanee Higgins ’14 Susan Kolb, Ph.D. Director of Athletics

Wallis Shamieh ’15

Vice President, Institutional Advancement

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Jaime Cacciola ’04

Director of Grants and Sponsored Programs

Kellye Greenwald ’86

Director of Alumni and Constituent Engagement

Britton Muir

Class News Editor, Assistant Director of Alumni and Constituent Engagement

Malinda Small ’81

Executive Director of Individual Giving

Emily Wise VanderWoude Director of Leadership Giving

Brooke Sensenig-Winn, MBA’18 Director of Annual Giving

PHOTOGRAPHY

Magda Broche Mason Cavalier ’19 Derek Knecht Maggie Thomas ’15, MBA’18

ADDRESS CHANGES Please report all address changes to the Hood College Office of Alumni and Constituent Engagement at 301-696-3900; 800-707-5280, option 1; or advancement_services@hood.edu.

Hood Magazine is published twice a year by the Hood College Office of Marketing and Communications.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

If you have a letter you would like to send us for possible inclusion in the next issue of Hood Magazine, please email us at marketingoffice@hood.edu.

Editor’s Note On page 10 of the fall 2020 issue of Hood Magazine, Fannie Birely Delaplaine, Franny Delaplaine Randall’s ’45, H’06 grandmother, was incorrectly referred to as Franny’s mother. Franny’s mother was Ruth Carty ’13.

We apologize for the error.

IN THIS ISSUE 02 SOCIAL SNAPSHOT 03 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 04 NEWS MAKERS 10 GIVING BACK 14 FREDERICK FOCUS

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16 L EARNING CURVE: COVID-19 IN CONTEXT 22 GRADUATE SCHOOL 26 STANDOUTS 28 ATHLETICS 32 FEATURE: THE LEGENDARY LEGACY OF DEAN WHITE

42 HOODPROUD: CLASS OF 2020 HEROES 46 CLASS NEWS 56 POINT OF VIEW 64 A LOOK BACK

Social Snapshot

FROM @HAPPENINGATHOOD

With so much of the Hood community affected by the pandemic, we wanted to use this space to focus on the Hood alumni and faculty who are doing their part to keep us safe by giving and receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Thank you!

#HOODPROUD OF OUR FIRST RESPONDER ALUMNI!

Karen Digman ’05

Ariane Marin-Paixao ’20

Ellie Marquez ’20

Reem Zietoon ’17

Heather Dunn Cox ’06

Justin Everett ’11

Be Social About It!

Are you getting vaccinated? Share your reasons why and your experience with your friends and family to help encourage them to do the same. We’re in this together!

Message from the President Dear Hood Community, In early March 2020, I was in Florida with Nancy Gillece ’81, vice president for institutional advancement, visiting alumni and friends of Hood. As we traveled from the gulf to the coast, we discussed whether COVID-19 would lessen attendance at the upcoming alumni lunch. I was glad we were flying home the next day so I could be on campus to deal with the growing concern over COVID-19 and to celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary.

However, in the next hour, the University of Maryland announced they were moving to online instruction, and the need to act could not wait for my return. I focused on creating a to-do list and scheduled an Emergency Response Team meeting for the next morning. And then my son called. Suddenly, I was not just a college president navigating the unknown, I was also a mom.

“Mom, it’s over,” he said in despair. His president had just announced that spring break would start early and then the college would move to remote instruction indefinitely. He was told to pack up and take his belongings, just in case they would not return.

My to-do list was momentarily forgotten—I grieved with him for the loss of one of the most joyous and precious times in college—the last few months of senior year. My mother and president roles blurred. I thought of all “my” seniors and their families and knew that when I announced that same necessary decision, it would cause heartbreak. My mind raced back and forth between my son and my concern for the Hood community.

Today, we are still facing a reality that was unimaginable this time last year. There are days I wonder whether I will ever do anything other than solve problems stemming from the pandemic. At the same time, I remind myself that this disruption to higher education and my son’s education pales in comparison to the tragedy this pandemic has wrought on humankind.

From the onset of the pandemic, we have worked to ensure the continuity of teaching and learning and the safety and well-being of our campus community. Together we did just that in the fall, enabling us to be back on campus this semester.

Our stellar employees overcame substantial challenges to teach, feed and support our students, to keep our campus clean, to upscale our technology, and so much more. Also instrumental to our success was the strong partnership and support from Frederick Health and the Frederick County Health Department. Our students’ families demonstrated tremendous patience as we navigated a very uncertain terrain. And of course, none of this would have been possible without the overwhelming support of the many Hood benefactors who helped us meet the needs of our students, keep the College on stable footing and advance the Forging the Future campaign. Finally, I am so proud of our amazing students who, on a daily basis, demonstrate great resolve by following the protocols—it is their choices that make the difference.

Right now, it may seem there is not a lot to be thankful for, yet we must try to find the lemonade in the COVID lemons. I am thankful for you, my extended family, who banded together for the good of all of us, who have stood with and supported me in these very difficult times. I am so deeply honored and proud to serve as your president. I will continue to strive to sustain my community and my family and look forward to the day when I will joyfully welcome all members of the Hood community back on campus, celebrate my son’s graduation and even have that silver anniversary dinner with my husband.

Sincerely,

Read the full transcript of “Navigating the COVID-19 Crisis as a College President and a Mother” hood.edu/frompreschap

ANDREA E. CHAPDELAINE, PH.D.

NEWS MAKERS Three New Members Appointed to Board of Trustees The Board of Trustees welcomed three new members during its October meeting: Edith Howard Hogan ’59, P’86, RD, LD; Mary Catherine “Cathy” Nace ’80, MD; and Robert C. Wehner Jr. Hogan graduated from Hood in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in home economics. Following commencement, she did graduate work at the Harvard School of Public Health before being appointed by President Reagan to serve the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service, where she conducted award-winning work. Hogan previously served on the Board of Trustees from 1977 to 1989. She was awarded Hood’s Distinguished Alumna Award in 2009. In 2019, she provided a gift to establish a new master’s program in nutrition.

Nace is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who received her medical degree from Uniformed

Services University in Bethesda and completed her residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington. With more than 25 years of service in the Army, Nace served in a wide variety of positions in medicine, Hogan education and research, earning multiple accolades for her exemplary work in women’s health.

Wehner is a group vice president in the Retail Banking Division at M&T Bank, serving as market manager with responsibility for the greater Washington area. Wehner leads the efforts of 90 retail branches and over 500 employees across Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. He holds an MBA from John Carroll University, a Bachelor of

Nace

Wehner

Science in Business Administration from the University of Dayton, and has also graduated from M&T’s Senior Leadership Development Program through the University of Michigan and the Graduate School of Retail Bank Management through the Consumer Bankers Association.

New Degrees Launched in Art Therapy, Public Health and Sustainability Studies Hood has launched three new degrees in the fields of art therapy, public health and sustainability studies. All three programs began accepting students during the fall 2020 semester.

Art therapy is a human-service profession that engages clients in using art media as opposed to verbal-based forms of therapy as the key component to mental, physical and emotional healing. The art therapy undergraduate program blends aspects of science and art, giving students the skills and confidence to guide others through methods of emotional healing. It offers intensive clinical

partnerships that are a part of the nursing, social work and counseling programs.

The new degree in public health is positioned to be the first accredited Bachelor of Arts in Public Health in Maryland. The program allows graduates to tackle issues such as emerging infectious diseases, lack of safe water, health care legislation and global health challenges, preparing graduates as entry-level professionals in sectors including government, education, nonprofit consultation and advocacy organizations. The undergraduate program will help students advance into graduate public health

programs and to a certification in public health (CPH) offered through the National Board of Public Health Examiners.

“Public health students can engage in experiential learning, which qualify them for the professional workforce along with personal life lessons to build capacity in themselves and communities, that they serve—one community at a time,” said Assistant Professor and Director of Public Health Sherita Henry, MPH, DrPH.

For information on sustainability studies, read story on page 10.

Scott Pincikowski Publishes German Literature Book German Professor and Director of Study Abroad Scott Pincikowski, Ph.D., co-edited the book “EndTimes in Medieval German Literature: Sin, Evil, and the Apocalypse,” available now via Amazon and Camden House.

The book explores how end-times were envisioned in medieval German literature and culture, putting into stark relief the medieval audience’s contemporary captivation with the end of the world.

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Current visions of the apocalypse encompass climate change, terrorism, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and war. The essays, written by well-established scholars, examine the medieval period’s fascination with the apocalypse by applying the most current methodological approaches to a wide range of literary genres such as the courtly romance, post-classical romance, heroic epic, legend and medieval block books.

Drawing upon methodologies such as adaptation theory, gender analysis, space and place studies, reception studies, and memory studies, the book

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uncovers the rhetorical, didactic, narratological, mnemonic, thematic, cultural and political functions of end-times in medieval German texts.

NEWS MAKERS Hood Celebrates Opening of Beneficial-Hodson Library and Learning Commons Hood held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the newly renovated Beneficial-Hodson Library and Learning Commons. The ceremony was hosted live on the College’s YouTube channel.

The renovations, which cost approximately $7.2 million, have transformed the Beneficial-Hodson Library into the Beneficial-Hodson Library and Learning Commons, a new and dynamic learning space on the Hood College campus.

Ribbon cutting participants from left to right: Board of Trustees member John Tisdale, J.D.; President Andrea Chapdelaine, Ph.D.; Chief Information Officer Bill Hobbs; doctoral student Michael Dillman ’02, M.S.’06; Student Government Association President Lily Bean ’21; Board of Trustees member Marlene Grossnickle Young ’76, H’14, P’09; Library Director Toby Peterson; and Dean of Student Success Jennifer Schum, Ph.D.

Read more on page 12.

New Residence Hall Opens Established to accommodate the growth of Hood’s resident student population, the new 201-bed, apartment-style residence hall is now home to students after opening at the start of the fall 2020 semester.

Construction on the new hall began in the summer of 2019 with the demolition of the Marx Center and was completed in the summer of 2020. The hall was designed by ETP Architecture and Engineering.

Behind Memorial Hall and adjacent to the Coffman Chapel, the outside of the hall is defined by the new covered porch and patio space, which provides a student life-centric area that offers social opportunities to students, akin to the quadrangle that separates the five existing residence halls.

The hall’s unique accommodations include dedicated reading nooks, group study rooms and lounges on each floor. Additionally, the main floor of the hall

is home to a common-area lounge, kitchen space, multi-purpose and seminar rooms.

The hall’s living spaces are unlike any other on Hood’s campus, with apartment-style rooms of two, three and four-bed suites and semi suites. Room layouts and sizes were determined by a planning committee that included students, administrators and the director of residence life.

With construction on the new hall now completed, renovations to the existing residence halls are being planned for future phases in Hood’s residence plan.

“It is very exciting being part of the first group to live in the new residence hall as this is a historical moment for Hood College,” Cailyn Barthlow ’22 said.

“This new building has a variety of resources and accommodations for students to take advantage of, and I believe these will benefit our residential and academic experiences during our years at Hood.”

NEWS MAKERS Delaplaine Foundation Inc. Grants $25,000 to Rosenstock Hall Renovations “ We are eager to see this become yet another distinguishing feature for students, who will receive an excellent education that prepares them for purposeful careers in media and related Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. has awarded Hood College $25,000 in capital funds to assist in the renovation of the third floor of Rosenstock Hall into the Delaplaine Foundation Multimedia Center.

“This grant is for Phase III of the Delaplaine Foundation Multimedia Center. We’re excited to see the Multimedia Center continue to expand and to date, we’ve made three grant awards totaling $80,000 towards this project,” said Delaplaine Foundation Inc. President Marlene Grossnickle Young ’76, H’14, P’09. “We are eager to see this become yet another

industries.”

- Marlene Grossnickle Young ’76, H’14, P’09 President, Delaplaine Foundation Inc.

distinguishing feature for students, who will receive an excellent education that prepares them for purposeful careers in media and related industries.”

“The Delaplaine Foundation has been instrumental in helping us develop the space and tools we need

to build the communication arts media lab into a state-of-the-art location,” said Katherine Orloff, program director for communications arts. “This grant takes us closer to our goal.”

The award will help the College convert Rosenstock 306 from a classroom into a broadcast studio and the existing tutoring space into a photography studio. Additionally, a lounge and meeting area will be established and new glass walls will be installed in a current testing room to create a space for the Blazer Radio broadcasting booth. The existing broadcast studio will be repurposed to accommodate podcasting shows and smaller video programs.

Associate Professor of Journalism Elizabeth Atwood, Ph.D. said this on the award: “We are grateful for the continued support of the Delaplaine Foundation, which has recognized how important it is to give students the tools they need to be proficient communicators across media platforms. This gift will help us offer greater opportunities for our students as we prepare them for careers in mass communications.”

H O O D I N T H E N E W S | FA C U LT Y E X P E R T S C I T E D I N T H E N E W S

Jogging While Black: Seeking Justice for Ahmaud Arbery Professor Terry Scott, Ph.D., shared her thoughts on the killing of Ahmaud Arbery as a modern-day lynching.

From WYPR Midday segment “Jogging While Black in Georgia: Seeking Justice for Ahmaud Arbery,” aired May 12, 2020: “I think sometimes we tend to think about lynching as really this kind of relic of the Jim Crow past.

And it’s a case like this that demonstrates for us that lynching really is a very modern affair in a very unfortunate way. It is horribly sad that we have to come together to talk about this in this particular moment, particularly given the pandemic that has already exposed so many of the racial and structural inequalities that exist in our country, and then this.

“The state validated the racist vigilantism as a viable form of justice by failing to make any arrests or press any charges. There would be no charges pressed until national pressures shamed the state and local entities into doing so.

“The definition of crime changes, historically and today, when race and a racial hierarchy is involved.

So what this case continues to reveal is that for many whites in America, both historically and today, a challenge to the racial hierarchy is a criminal act.

Black existence becomes a crime far too often.”

Listen to the full interview at hood.edu/Scott-WYPR-Midday

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NEWS MAKERS H O O D I N T H E N E W S | FA C U LT Y E X P E R T S C I T E D I N T H E N E W S

Hood Succeeds with On-Campus Learning President Andrea Chapdelaine, Ph.D., discussed Hood’s strategy for safe on-campus learning and thanked the community for doing their part.

From Frederick News-Post op-ed “How Hood College succeeded with on-campus learning,” published Nov. 23, 2020: “There have been many stories regarding outbreaks of COVID-19 on college campuses, sometimes leading to closures. The decision to resume on-campus learning this fall at Hood College was one of the most difficult of my presidency, but remote learning in the spring had proven to be a formidable barrier to our students’ continued academic progression.

“On Aug. 3, when students started returning to campus, I had my doubts that we would make it.

I am happy to share that, with finals ending on Wednesday, Nov. 25, we did make it, which has in fact been the case for the majority of colleges and universities.

“Due to the efforts of trustees, faculty, staff and students, and in partnership with public health leaders, we created a plan that guided us to this moment. We conducted weekly surveillance testing, administering more than 2,500 tests, and never saw a cumulative positivity rate over 1.2 percent.

We provided faculty, staff and students with masks, hand sanitizers and digital thermometers, and instituted a mask mandate from day one. Social distancing signage and protective barriers were placed in classrooms, labs, the dining hall, offices and all public areas. We pitched tents to increase outdoor seating for eating and classrooms. Every campus community member committed to the following pledge:

“With my mind, I will take responsibility for my own health so as to protect others and help keep the Hood community safe from the spread of COVID-19; with my heart, I will encourage others to comply with College protocols; with my hands, I will do my part to keep campus safe, every hour, every day.”

Read the full story at hood.edu/Chapdelaine-FNP

A New Way of Living for Older Adults Professor Emerita Lynda Sowbel, Ph.D., described how seniors fight loneliness during the pandemic.

From Frederick News-Post story “A new way of living: Older adults fight loneliness during COVID-19 pandemic,” published Dec. 30, 2020:

“‘I would say COVID has been a crisis for a lot of people,’ said Sowbel, who has been practicing clinical social work for more than 30 years.

“Older adults and people with pre-existing medical conditions have a greater risk for serious illness and possibly death if they contract COVID-19, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

“She primarily sees adults and older adults; her specialties include helping clients through bereavement, grief and aging.

“As a result, more seniors are isolating, or interacting with others less often. With that new way of living can come feelings of stress, anxiety and loneliness, according to Lynda Sowbel, a doctor of social work and retired Hood College professor.

“‘Isolation and loneliness can affect people at any age,’ she said, ‘but it may be a little more amplified in older adults in the sense that some of them are afraid to go out, or their families are afraid for them to come out.’”

Read the full story at hood.edu/Sowbel-FNP

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FACULTY & STAFF NEWS

Retired Staff

Ron Wiafe Appointed as Dean of Students Hood is pleased to announce the appointment of Ron Wiafe, Ed.D., as the College’s new dean of students. The dean of students is responsible for leading the student engagement and residential life staff in their work to support student learning and success, as well as advancing Hood’s mission to foster a vibrant, inclusive campus.

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Debbie Ricker, Ph.D., said this on the appointment: “I am delighted to welcome Dean Wiafe as Hood College’s next dean of students. He is an experienced, student-centered leader who will bring a wealth of knowledge, energy and vision to our student life team. I look forward to working with him and other members of the Provost Council as we bring together key aspects of the student life division and academic affairs.”

Wiafe holds a bachelor’s degree in business from West Virginia State University, a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Akron, and a doctoral degree in higher education from the University of Pittsburgh.

As a higher education professional for more than 17 years, Wiafe has held a diverse array of roles in both student affairs and enrollment management.

He joins Hood after spending the previous five years as director for student rights and responsibilities at Gettysburg College.

“Relationships are critical in carrying out the mission and vision of Hood College,” said Wiafe.

“I am really excited to establish relationships with faculty, staff and students to support Hood’s core institutional values of Hope, Opportunity, Obligation and Democracy.”

President Andrea Chapdelaine, Ph.D., said, “I am proud to welcome Dean Wiafe to the Hood community. His comprehensive knowledge and wide-reaching professional experience will further strengthen our commitment to building a holistic and robust experience for each of our students.”

GET TO KNOW THE DEAN...

Fun Facts About Dean Wiafe 1. I enjoy going on bike rides with my family.

2. My children tease me often about my inadequate cooking ability.

3. I won a dance a contest by doing popular dances from the ’80s and ’90s.

New Hires join Hood College Staff Amanda Rzepkowski, MPH, joined Hood at the end of January as the new director of wellness. Rzepkowski’s experience includes developing an employee well-being program for the Johns Hopkins Health System and developing student wellness programs at her alma mater, James Madison University.

Assistant Director of Graduate Admission Vanessa Solis joined Hood in May 2020.

Originally from Ecuador, Solis earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Universidad Espiritu Santo in Guayaquil. In her role, Solis organizes recruitment efforts and provides guidance to graduate students. Solis is also is the Graduate School point of contact for diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Hood welcomed Sarah Tansits in September 2020 as the interim director of student engagement and orientation. She oversees orientation, the Pergola Connect events platform, student programming, leadership programming, and serves a cross-campus liaison for the many student-led groups and clubs at Hood. Prior to accepting her position with Hood, Tansits was the director of student engagement at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. Tansits graduated from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2009 with her bachelor’s in communicative disorders, with a minor in psychology. In 2018, Tansits continued her education at WCU and earned her master’s degree in higher education counseling and student affairs.

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Carol Wuenschel, executive director of human resources, retired at the end of January after 23 years of service to Hood. Throughout her tenure, she demonstrated the highest ethical and professional standards in supporting the needs of employees and managers. Carol led Hood’s Title IX function and served as an adjunct faculty member in The George B. Delaplaine Jr. School of Business where she mentored future human resource officers.

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Teresa Cevallos, BSN, RN, P’14, P’16 also retired at the end of January after 12 years at Hood. She started as a staff nurse, then as director of health services and finally as director of wellness. In addition to her professional expertise, her genuine care and concern for the well-being of students, faculty and staff has had such a positive impact on our campus community over the years. Teresa had planned to leave her position as director of wellness at the end of the spring 2020 semester but agreed to stay on to help the College navigate the pandemic.

CONGRATULATIONS

Retirees!

19,810

Retired Faculty At the end of the 2020 academic year, Hood announced the retirement of eight long-time faculty members. At the end of the 2021 academic year, three more will join their ranks and add “retiree” to their impressive titles. The 11 faculty members, who spanned art and archaeology, biology, history, English, music and physics, racked up nearly 350 years in service to the College. Among them are former department chairs, directors of a master’s program, chairs of the Faculty Senate and deans of the Graduate School. They’ve been published and lectured or performed world-wide.

At Hood, students have the opportunity to take courses outside of their major, to explore other options and interests. It’s impossible to measure the number of students who were positively impacted by these 11 educators. Since 1976, when Ann Boyd began at the College, through the upcoming Class of 2021, there have been more than 19,000 graduates. It’s a safe bet that every one of them was influenced by at least one of these amazing educators.

1976 2021 STARTED

For a video tribute, visit hood.edu/happyretirement

TOTAL GRADUATES SINCE 1976

1970

1979 2020 STARTED

RETIRED

Ann Boyd, Ph.D. Professor of Biology and Program Director, Master’s in Biomedical Science

RETIRED

Terry Martin ’76, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology 1980

1981 2020 STARTED

1983 2021 STARTED

RETIRED

Kathy Falkenstein, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biology

RETIRED

Allen Flora, Ph.D. Professor of Physics

1984 2020 STARTED

1989 2020

STARTED

RETIRED

Kathleen Bands, Ph.D. Professor of Education and Program Director, Doctoral Programs

RETIRED

Frederick Bohrer, Ph.D. Professor of Art and Archaeology 1990

1990 2020

1990 2020

Mark Sandona, Ph.D. Professor of English

Wayne Wold, DMA Professor of Music

STARTED

Thank you for your service!

7 DEPARTMENT CHAIRS

11 EDUCATORS

RETIRED

RETIRED

1992 2020

STARTED

1 PERFORMED FOR A U.S. PRESIDENT

RETIRED

3 DEANS OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

7 PROFESSORS 1 INSTRUCTOR

1998 2021 STARTED

Ricky Hirschhorn, Ph.D. Professor of Biology

RETIRED

2000

3 DIRECTORS OF A MASTER’S PROGRAM

1 VICE PRESIDENT

STARTED

Emilie Amt, Ph.D. Hildegarde-Pilgram Professor of History

2 CHAIRS OF THE FACULTY SENATE

1 ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT

2012 2020 STARTED

2 ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS

RETIRED

Vince Kohl Instructor of Composition SPRING 2021

2010

COMBINED YEARS OF SERVICE TO HOOD COLLEGE

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GIVING BACK

Hood Receives Grant from the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund THE GRANT MATCHES $1M GIFT FROM ARAMARK FOR NEW SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES PROGRAM

By Mason Cavalier ’19 With a generous $1 million grant from the Maryland Department of Commerce E-Nnovation Initiative Fund and a match from Aramark, an endowed chair in sustainability studies will be established, further strengthening Hood’s role in meeting the demands for science professionals.

“The purpose of this program will be to develop an understanding within our students of the challenge to provide basic human needs for a growing population without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same,” said Drew Ferrier, Ph.D., professor of biology and director of the sustainability studies program. “This [endowed chair] will focus on the operations of regional sustainable food systems, forge new partnerships with local organizations, provide learning opportunities for our students, and investigate ways in which to enhance local food security and food system efficiency.”

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“The Maryland E-Nnovation Fund is pleased to fund the new Endowed Chair in Sustainability Studies at Hood College,” said Kelly M. Schulz ’06, Maryland Secretary of Commerce. “The E-Nnovation program brings together the State of Maryland, business and higher education to fuel economic development, and Hood is in a pivotal position to build a healthier and more sustainable Maryland.”

Hood will offer the only undergraduate degree in sustainability studies in

“ THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM WILL BE TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING WITHIN OUR STUDENTS OF THE CHALLENGE TO PROVIDE BASIC HUMAN NEEDS FOR A GROWING POPULATION WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TO DO THE SAME.”

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GIVING BACK “ THE E-NNOVATION PROGRAM BRINGS TOGETHER THE STATE OF MARYLAND, BUSINESS AND HIGHER EDUCATION TO FUEL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND HOOD IS IN A PIVOTAL POSITION TO BUILD A HEALTHIER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND.” —KELLY M. SCHULZ ’06

Maryland, intertwining the connection between public health and the environment. The program is “quickly picking up momentum,” according to Ferrier, with some students already transferring to Hood to take part in the one-of-akind program.

“We see a bright future for the program—both in terms of its ability to attract students to Hood and provide broadly trained graduates who will make a good living while making a positive impact in the communities where they choose to reside. ... These aspects of the program also continue to at-

tract interested alumni and community members, so our networks are growing rapidly,” he said.

The program will prepare students for personal and professional achievement in STEM-related fields and will emphasize three interrelated areas that form a framework for studying the complexities of sustainable societies: water, energy and food. This program will be supported by the College’s experiential anchors, including the Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies (water), biofuels research (energy) and the Frederick Food Security Network (food).

In addition to sustainability studies, public health, nursing and nutrition programs will build the foundation for a proposed school of health sciences through the College’s Forging the Future campaign. The school aims to ensure students are well prepared to face the most pressing issues in global health today. Hood graduates will be able to think outside the confines of a specialized field to recognize the physical, social, biological, behavioral, historical and political impacts on human health.

Hood College’s Roots Run Deep

DID YOU KNOW…Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charity organization of your choice?

Thanks to the generosity of donors over the decades, many have helped cultivate, grow and strengthen the value of a Hood education. With your $2,000 gift to the Hood Fund, you can honor a roommate, friend, professor, spouse or yourself with a personalized plaque next to a campus tree.

Visit smile.amazon.com to register and select Hood College as your charitable organization today!

AmazonSmile and the AmazonSmile logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. https://org.amazon.com/agreement?p=trademark

Contact Brooke Sensenig-Winn, MBA’18, director of annual giving, at 301-696-3717 or winn@hood.edu.

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GIVING BACK

Hodson Trust Grants $3.43 Million Towards Scholarships, Learning Commons “We are tremendously grateful for The Hodson Trust’s continuing support during what has been an undoubtedly challenging year across all of higher education,” said President Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D. “The Trust’s annual gift to the College allows access to a Hood education for students who might not otherwise been able to attend college.”

Forging the Future Moves Forward with Learning Commons Renovation One of the priorities of Forging the Future: The Campaign for Hood College, the Library and Learning Commons renovations were funded by a total of $7 million in philanthropy. In addition to contributions of The Hodson Trust and other donors, Hood received a Capital Grant from the State of Maryland.

The renovations include modern glass wall installations on the south and east sides of the building which serve to increase natural light within the building and improve energy efficiency. With revamped student study pods, lecture spaces and the addition of a new computer lab as well as 16 new collaboration rooms, the new learning commons features 50 percent more study seats and tutoring spaces

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than previously. The learning commons will now also be home to the College’s Office of Student Support Services and the information technology help desk.

“Only 5 percent of the funding for the renovations came from College resources,” said President Chapdelaine. “We are so grateful to the generosity of The Trust, the State and our donors.”

With the library and learning commons complete, the College’s campaign continues to raise funds for the remaining priorities, including expanding the science and technology center and the establishment of the School of Health Sciences.

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The Hodson surname is widely recognized across the College’s campus, with six spaces across campus bearing the name, including the Hodson Fitness Center, the Hodson Outdoor Theater, the Hodson Swimming Pool, the Hodson Auditorium, the Hodson Science and Technology Center and the recently renovated Beneficial-Hodson Library and Learning Commons.

t tu den ase S e r c n I ps arshi Scho l ge B. Geor e of h T nd ho o l Expa Jr. Sc e n i la Delap s es n i s Bu pact g h-Im i H e r es Ensu actic nt Pr Stu de f ool o e Sch h t h lis ces Es tab Scien h t l a He and ience c S e nd th Center Expa o logy Techn to r y in Libra m r ng sfo earni Tran m ic L a n y a D ons Co m m Fund Ho o d e h T Grow

X

Hood College has received over $3.43 million from The Hodson Trust to support student scholarships and the renovation of the Beneficial-Hodson Library and Learning Commons. Of this year’s award, $1.5 million is the final of two payments designated to cover the costs of the renovation, while $1.93 million will be utilized for The Hodson Trust Academic Excellence Scholar­ship Fund.

Did you know you can give to Hood College while preserving your assets?

Support wha t matters the most to you and y our legacy!

These two options can be used to make any type of gift to Hood—for the Hood Fund, a reunion gift or a restricted purpose. The benefit is that both can provide savings to you as you achieve your philanthropic goals and support Hood.

1. I f you have appreciated securities that have been held for more than one year, you can reduce or even eliminate federal capital gains taxes by transferring shares to Hood.

2. If you or your spouse is 70 ½ years of age or older, you can give up to $100,000 per year directly from your individual retirement account (IRA) to Hood, free from federal tax.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MAKING A GIFT, visit hood.edu/makeagift

or contact Malinda (Lindy) Small ’81, executive director of individual giving, at small@hood.edu.

SPRING 2021

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FREDERICK FOCUS

Hood Partners with Community to Provide COVID-19 Relief Hood partnered with several local organizations to provide help toward COVID-19 relief efforts. The Department of Nursing donated six bins of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Frederick Health Hospital in response to the equipment shortage. These bins included safety goggles, face masks, N95 masks, gowns and gloves. Hood also donated pocket-sized hand sanitizers to Frederick Health from its marketing give-a-way items.

Georgetown Hill Early School, which operates Hood’s

Child Development Laboratory School, operated a day care for children of essential hospital personnel. The College also made

space available for doctors and nurses to stay so they don’t have to go home and risk spreading infection to their families.

In partnership with the American Red Cross, Hood’s “SleevesUp” challenge saw people from the Hood and Frederick community donate blood. Due to the pandemic, blood drives across the U.S. were canceled resulting in 86,000 fewer donations per week.

Pictured: Former Georgetown Hill Director Emily Kraatz Adesina ’14, M.S.’19 works with two children of hospital personnel to provide day care while their parents fight COVID on the frontlines at Frederick Health Hospital.

HOOD COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORTS HOUSING FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

BLOOD DRIVE CHALLENGE

The College made space available for doctors and nurses to stay so they didn’t have to go home and risk spreading infection to their families.

In partnership with the American Red Cross, Hood’s “SleevesUp” challenge saw people from the Hood and Frederick community donate blood.

DAY CARE FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

PPE DONATIONS The Department of Nursing donated six bins of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Frederick Health Hospital in response to the equipment shortage.

Hood’s Georgetown Hill Child Development Laboratory School, operated a day care for children of essential hospital personnel.

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SleevesUp

HOOD COLLEGE CARES BLOOD DRIVE CHALLENGE

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SPRING 2021

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COVID-19 IN CONTEXT FACULTY AND STAFF EXPERTS PROVIDE PERSPECTIVES ON THE UNFOLDING PANDEMIC FROM A VARIETY OF DISCIPLINES.

HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED MENTAL HEALTH? ARE WE WORSE OFF OR MORE RESILIENT? The pandemic and the ensuing quarantine have had an overwhelmingly adverse effect on mental health, for most individuals, from most walks of life. I’m currently running a study on the quarantine experiences of individuals in our mid-Atlantic region—the results, while still preliminary, are showing clear and significant increases in both anxiety and depressive symptoms. The stressors are wide ranging. Single people are experiencing social disconnection and intense isolation.

Partnered couples are being forced to spend all of their time in each others’ space, often lacking privacy or “me time.” The lucky members of the workforce have been forced to work from home in an unstructured fashion, while others have been forced to risk infection as essential workers, and many have lost jobs entirely. Parents are having to work and home-school their children. Perhaps most striking is the sense of communal grief that we’re all experiencing—we have all lost our pre-pandemic life, something that we never thought possible, and that has led to a sense of drastic “un-tetheredness.” Likewise, many of us have very genuine fears of future losses—of jobs, health, and even of our own lives or the lives of our families and friends. The study I’m running does indicate that some individuals have protective factors, which make them less likely to experience the worst effects, factors like strong communication skills, natural mindfulness and good coping mechanisms. However, I think it will take many years before we recover from the traumas that we’re collectively enduring.

Andrew Campbell, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology and Counseling and Director of the Master’s in Counseling Program

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LEARNING CURVE

WHAT BEST EXPLAINS INDIVIDUAL RESPONSES TO COVID-19 MANDATES AND RECOMMENDATIONS? Partisanship outweighs a host of other factors when it comes to attitudes and behaviors in response to the pandemic. From the perceived threat of the coronavirus back in March 2020 to mask wearing and support for the vaccine in 2021, partisanship has consistently shaped localities’ responses to the pandemic. In short, Republicans are more concerned with government actions hindering individual freedom and thus are less likely to comply with CDC guidelines, while Democrats favor greater federal oversight and coordination. Given the lack of consensus among elected officials, the two major parties have created competing narratives that have hindered our nation’s response to COVID-19. Any initial hope that a national crisis would unite our nation and end political polarization is far from realized.

Carin Robinson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science

WHAT GROUPS HAVE BEEN MOST AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC AND WHY? The pandemic has exacerbated existing inequality in society, which means people who are marginalized are the hardest hit by the virus.

For example, Black, Hispanic and Indigenous people in the U.S. experience some of the worst forms of oppression and are dying from COVID-19 at nearly three times the rate of white people, resulting in devastating cultural loss. Despite being at higher risk for contracting the virus and dying, they are not prioritized when it comes to vaccinations. According to a new Kaiser Health News analysis of 16 states, white people are receiving the vaccine at nearly three times the rate of Black people, widening the racial gap in healthcare. Probably the most devastating thing about this pattern is that frontline healthcare workers are part of the groups most impacted by structural racism and are more likely to be exposed, get sick and die, even as they try to save the rest of the nation.

WHAT HAS COVID-19 REVEALED ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH IN AMERICA? COVID-19 has revealed that there is an ongoing need for public health initiatives, formal committees and relevant legislation on a local, state and national level in America. Further, public health should be considered a proactive approach in America and globally. Unfortunately, America has been horribly affected; the necessary public health infrastructure is not yet fully implemented to create assessment, policy development and assurance relevant to the COVID-19. However, I am hopeful that the nation is moving in that direction with a synergistic approach.

Sherita Henry, MPH, DrPH, Assistant Professor and Director of Public Health

Simone Kolysh, MPH, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology

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LEARNING CURVE

IN CONTEXT

COVID-19

HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED FRONTLINE WORKERS AND HOW CAN THEY BE SUPPORTED?

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Frontline workers, many of whom were already working in understaffed and under-resourced places before COVID-19, have been asked to do the unbearable for a year. Two recent Hood social work alumni shared with us that their hands-on work requires them to distance themselves from family members in their own homes to prevent spread. They are overworked and have had to go without sufficient personal protective equipment. Working in residential facilities means having to tell individuals with memory problems over and over why they can’t see their families. Because of strict visitor policies intended to slow the spread, social workers must tell concerned family members that “they have to watch their loved one die or suffer alone through the iPad.” Not surprisingly, current research supports that the mental health of frontline workers has been impacted in a variety of ways. Increased reported stress, anxiety and depression related to the experience of working during the pandemic is prevalent, particularly for those working in healthcare settings. Many report feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, which can lead to experiencing compassion fatigue, burnout or PTSD. While many people have an expectation that the type of work that they do may be inherently stressful, most also have an expectation that along with self-care, stress management and occupational support, there will be periods of less stress. COVID has reframed this—frontline workers have not had a period of decreased stress in more than 10 months.

Frontline workers have been putting in long hours, making difficult decisions, lacking the ability to engage in previously enjoyable leisure activities, and managing concerns about the health and safety of loved ones. Additionally, they are at high-risk to develop symptoms of anxiety, depression and trauma-related diagnoses. Workers are doing tasks outside the normal parameters of their jobs, working harder and longer, and juggling the management of parenting and household tasks.

Access to mental health services, support with parenting, and time for and access to self-care are all necessary to support the needs of the frontline workforce. We can best support frontline workers by doing our part to stop the spread: wear a mask when in public, avoid gatherings, understand that COVID-19 and its effects are very real, and get vaccinated when approved to do so.

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Catherine Breneman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Social Work; Michelle Gricus, DSW, Assistant Professor of Social Work; and Jamie Keaton Jones, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Work

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LEARNING CURVE

ONE OF THE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN DECREASED POLLUTION. WILL WE BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN ANY OF IT GOING FORWARD? Societal changes caused by the pandemic have had far-reaching beneficial impacts on the environment. For example, the DC metro region has experienced reductions in such air pollutants as nitrogen and sulfur oxides, ozone and fine aerosol particles since the onset of the COVID pandemic. Greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, are also reduced in our area. While some of these reductions may be due to regulatory enforcement, much of the improvement in air quality is tied to a reduction in regional traffic. As more people worked from home and conducted business in the virtual world, we have seen the environmental benefits of less commuting. I feel that workers and businesses have also found the personal and financial advantages of these new work-fromhome policies. I hope and believe that these policies will out-live the pandemic and, therefore, sustain at least a portion of our pollution reduction gains into the future.

Drew Ferrier, Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Director of the Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies

WILL THE PANDEMIC FORCE US TO LOOK AT PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO ISSUES SUCH AS FOOD SECURITY IN THE FUTURE? The pandemic has brought the issue of food security to the forefront of everyone’s attention. Our community needs to look carefully for additional solutions to reduce food insecurity in Maryland. The pandemic has shown us how vulnerable communities can be when faced with a crisis. Overnight, hundreds of families in Frederick found themselves food insecure. A recent report from Maryland Hunger Solutions documents a surge in applications to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In one month, between March and April 2020, there was a 400 percent increase in the number of SNAP applications. Job losses and the lack of available food (resulting from panic buying and hoarding) were to blame. Horrifyingly, food waste paradoxically increased within households who overbought, simply because they couldn’t eat the fresh food fast enough.

Stakeholders should be looking for more practical solutions to improve food security, such as self-reliance and resiliency programs, or outreach programs that teach pandemic etiquette and reduce panic buying and food waste. Providing unused green space for the community to use for collective growing programs would help provide access to fresh produce. There are many potential solutions that could effectively tackle the issue of food insecurity and we should be thinking about how to prepare our community for the next crisis. Experts predict we could see a new emergent disease capable of causing a global pandemic every 10 years. There are myriad and unpredictable ways that our planet will respond to climate change or respond to the current drastic loss of species diversity, so we better get planning for what’s to come.

Claire Hudson, M.S.’07, Coordinator of the Coastal Studies Program and Interim Manager of the Frederick Food Security Network

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LEARNING CURVE

HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP IN K-12?

The pandemic has helped shine a light on and exacerbated inequities in access to educational opportunities. There are stark differences in students’ access to technology and internet, especially in rural areas. Some children are spending their time in private learning pods staffed by qualified teachers; others are spending their days alone at home while their parents are at work performing essential services. Even the best school systems are struggling to stay on pace to cover the regular curriculum. We’re going to see learning gaps for years to come.

Christy Graybeal, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Education and Mathematics, and Department Chair of Education

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DO YOU THINK THE PANDEMIC HAS PERMANENTLY ALTERED THE HIGHER EDUCATION LANDSCAPE? I do believe the pandemic will have a permanent impact on higher education, both on each institution and the sector as a whole. Our faculty and students have vastly expanded their skills in using technology to teach and learn. I am sure that knowledge will continue to be used to good effect even when in-person learning can fully resume.

And for some populations or programs, such as our graduate students, we are likely to see a permanent increase in fully online programs.

Moving beyond pedagogy, like many other industries, there have been changes in how we provide students access to needed services, do business and how we work that have been positive and therefore will be retained. However, the loss of an individualized education and close community that is the hallmark of Hood has been challenging to our students’ academic success. They miss campus, their peers and the many experiences of campus life that make college years so special. Further, the majority of colleges that successfully resumed in-person learning were smaller private colleges. Therefore, I believe the impact of the pandemic will be to reaffirm and strengthen the value of small colleges like Hood. With regard to higher education at the macro level, unfortunately, there has been a sharp increase in the number of colleges and universities that are struggling financially and even some that have closed. The diversity of colleges and universities in the U.S. is what makes our higher education system the envy of the world, enabling students the freedom to choose the institution that will best meet their needs, so that is a real loss. Although it is hard to predict if this will be a permanent change, and I certainly hope not, there was a significant national decline in college attendance from underserved students this year. This will only widen the equity gap and thus requires our collective efforts to counteract and reverse that trend as quickly as possible.

Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D., President

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR EXPERTS? SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION TO MARKETINGOFFICE@HOOD.EDU AND YOU MIGHT SEE IT ANSWERED IN THE NEXT ISSUE.

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COVID-19

The vaccine is one big ticket out of the pandemic, but we have a lot of work to do. We need people to get vaccinated, and there are still many who do not trust the process or that it can make a difference.

We need a strong, well-supported public health workforce to roll out mass vaccination in communities. The vaccine is two doses, so getting all those to return for the second dose is a challenge.

We still must follow guidelines such as wearing masks, avoiding large gatherings, social distancing and hand washing. A vaccine does not suddenly halt disease spread. Experts are saying that by fall 2021, we may see some return to normalcy if we can continue to vaccinate people. Data will tell us if case rates are coming down, so good data collection and action based on the data will be of ongoing importance. I think we will always be (and need to be) more conscious of disease prevention and the need to protect each other—we are in this together.

IN CONTEXT

ARE THE VACCINES OUR TICKET OUT OF THE PANDEMIC? WILL LIFE EVER RETURN TO THE WAY IT WAS?

Jennifer Cooper, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, CNE, Assistant Professor of Nursing

To read more of this story visit hood.edu/LearningCurve.

Answers to “What are the impacts of panic buying?”, “Will the work landscape stay more flexible and digital in the future?”, “How has the pandemic affected those with a substance use disorder?”

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The 2019 doctoral cohort’s advancement to candidacy ceremony. From left to right: Jerry Jones III; Lura Hanks ’98, M.S.’03, DOL’19; Jonathan Spaans, MBA’01, DBA’19; John Mauck; Kathy Swire ’83, M.A.’93, DOL’19; Linda Chambers, DOL’19; Danny Rumpf, DOL’19; DeVeda Coley, M.S.’00, DOL’19; John Butler, M.S.’13; Eric Louers Phillips, DOL’19; Michele Baisey ’98, M.S.’02, DOL’19; Richard Curtis, MBA’19; Josh Work ’09, M.S.’15, DOL’19; Peggy DuFour, DBA’19; and Preetha Abraham, DOL’19.

A Dream Realized

By Kathleen Bands, Ph.D.

“Dreams come in a size too big so that we may grow into them.” In so many ways, the dream of having a doctoral program at Hood seemed like a dream too big. And yet, after almost two years of program development, Hood College faculty and the Board of Trustees approved the doctoral program in organizational leadership. We launched the program in 2016 by enrolling the inaugural cohort. It was a dream that would “prepare leaders and transform communities,” the program tag line. As I reflect on the program that is now recruiting its sixth cohort, little did I know that serving as the first program director would provide many extraordinary experiences with the students enrolled in the program. I worked with exceptional leaders in the inaugural cohort—truly leadership pioneers who shaped the program through their passion, commitment and purpose to emerge as scholar practitioners.

I vividly remember the first orientation for the inaugural class. Sitting 22

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before us were leaders from K-12 and higher education, business and industry, government and the nonprofit sector who enrolled to study organizational leadership. This was our vision—to bring a diverse group of professionals to learn, grow and develop as a community dedicated to making a difference.

THEIR INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY AND THEIR LEADERSHIP PRACTICE PROVIDE A POWERFUL PLATFORM TO SERVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AS ENGAGED CITIZENS. It was a humbling and an awe-inspiring experience to see the inaugural cohort poised to embark on this journey. They embraced this work, tackling complex issues and finding opportunities to collaborate and help shape the doctoral program. Fast forward to spring 2021, the inaugural cohort has now graduated and is the first to wear the Hood College doctoral regalia. With each

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cohort, the faculty and students have learned and grown together.

While I had the privilege of serving in various roles at the College over the years, it has truly been the time in the doctoral classroom that has been so impactful. Despite holding important leadership positions, doctoral students find the time to read, reflect, write, learn and apply content from their courses to their leadership practice.

Today, we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic along with difficult issues including systemic racial and social injustices. Despite complicated issues, I know that the leaders enrolled in the program have embraced the challenges and this work is reflected in their research and dissertation work. In our doctoral students, I see Hood’s core values in the work they do.

I marvel that each cohort enrolls with the hope of a doctoral degree where they apply their education to solve realworld problems and issues. The inau-

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL gural cohort was intent on using their experiences, talents and competencies to change and innovate to make a difference and create a more equitable world.

Despite demanding professional roles, they treated each assignment, each project and each class as an opportunity to learn, to grow and to develop their personal and professional goals. The students understand that they embrace their responsibility to serve with integrity and good stewardship to make communities a better place. This obligation encourages the cohort to motivate each other to achieve their personal and professional dreams. The cohort also believes that education is a true gift to empower the leaders to find solutions to issues and challenges as scholarship practitioners.

Their intellectual curiosity and their leadership practice provide a powerful platform to serve in their communities as engaged citizens. They understand the value of serving as authentic leaders and good citizens in a democracy.

The inaugural cohort embraced both

the College’s values and led with Hood’s motto in mind—Corde, et mente, et manu with heart, mind and hands.

I am so humbled and proud to have been part of Hood College for more than three decades. My time has included so many impactful leadership experiences ranging from serving as department chair to associate dean and then dean of the Graduate School and vice president for enrollment management. Each position taught me the importance of hard work and dedication, about trust and integrity, the value of relationships and how to build strong teams. Yet, it was those leadership roles that, as much as I enjoyed the challenges and responsibility, always illustrated how much I love the classroom and the teaching and learning that comes from working with students. It has been the doctoral program where I feel I did some of my best and most impactful work because of the extraordinary people in the program. Our doctoral students and leaders inspired and motivated me to continue to learn, develop and grow!

I am reminded of the quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, “The world belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” I hope you will have a chance to meet members of the inaugural cohort who realized the dream of being the first at Hood to earn a doctoral degree and continue their dreams of making a difference—transforming communities. And as leaders and graduates, they continue to support and give back to the program as mentors and resources so that others can also realize their dreams. Our dream of a doctoral program became a reality and I know will continue to “prepare leaders and transform communities.”

Kathleen Bands, Ph.D., professor of education and director of Hood’s doctoral programs, retired in August 2020.

Advance your career with a doctoral degree.

DOCTORATES IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PREPARING LEADERS, TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES LEARN MORE: HOOD.EDU/DOL OR HOOD.EDU/DBA NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2021

GO FURTHER! HOOD.EDU/GRADUATE SPRING 2021

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THE GRADUATE SCHOOL $2.2 Million Grant from HRSA Promotes Diversity in Counseling Program

Hood’s counseling program has received a $2.2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This grant, to be dispersed over the next five years, is for the master’s program in clinical mental health counseling. The goal of this award is it to increase diversity in the profession by strengthening the recruitment and retention efforts and graduation rates of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including underrepresented minorities.

In response to the underrepresentation of racial/ ethnic minorities in the field of clinical mental

health counseling in the Frederick region, this money will fund Hood’s “Helping the Helper: Supporting Disadvantaged Clinical Mental Health Students” project, to increase that diversity.

“This grant is a huge step in the right direction for our work in the counseling field,” said Andrew Campbell, Ph.D., director of the counseling program. “It will fund new students coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in an effort to provide them with the means to pursue their graduate studies and give back to those same communities. Particularly given the current

political context, I think this is a wonderful step for Hood to take.”

In times of changing economic and societal conditions, mental health issues increase for many people. According to the Pew Research Center, a third of Americans have experienced high levels of psychological distress during the coronavirus outbreak, including 55 percent of those who describe their financial situation as poor, making counseling services ever more important.

Hood Selected for New Initiative to Support Graduate Student Mental Health and Wellness Graduate student mental health is becoming a prominent concern across higher education. Recent data suggest that anxiety and depression are significantly higher for certain graduate student populations compared to other demographics.

Hood’s Graduate School competed for and won a national grant, co-sponsored by the Council of Graduate Schools and The Jed Foundation, which is focused on exploring and creating a framework for supporting graduate students’ mental health with an emphasis on underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities.

Mental-health listening sessions with approximately 100 Hood graduate students were conducted in Au-

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gust and September. Two of these sessions offered a space for graduate students of color specifically.

Students most frequently expressed concerns over finances, career prospects, and general health and wellbeing such as sleep deprivation, lack of exercise and food insecurity.

“Unfortunately, it was very difficult to tease apart the COVID-related impacts on the stress categories versus the inherent importance of those categories to the graduate student experience pre-pandemic,” Dean of the Graduate School April Boulton, Ph.D. said. “In general, students reported generalized and mounting anxiety related to COVID, including the unanticipated, but necessary, reliance on virtual

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instruction. Nationally, stressors appeared to be amplified for marginalized student populations, especially racial minorities.”

Boulton and Graduate Student Success Coordinator Taylor Hahn shared the collected data at a two-day national workshop. They then created a list of best practices and actionable steps, which have been shared with Hood’s Graduate Mental Health Task Force for implementation. The task force is made up of Boulton, Hahn, the Reverend Beth O’Malley, P’23, McHenry Dean of the Chapel, wellness director, counseling and other department faculty, and Frederick Health counseling staff.

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

Student Spotlight:

Chiranjibi Ghimire, M.S.’19

Chiranjibi Ghimire earned his master’s in information technology from Hood in 2019. He now works as a data analyst for the Maryland Department of Health where he is part of the Coronavirus Testing Task Force team.

What brought you to the United States to study the sciences?

My father always wanted me to become a scientist and he motivated me to study science after finishing high school. Although I was born in a rural area and had limited resources, it was easy to follow

my interests and dreams because of my educated parents. I studied science back home in Nepal and I came to the U.S. in 2013 to fulfill my American dream.

master’s in information technology. I was looking for a prestigious and affordable university and Hood College quickly became my first choice.

I got a graduate research assistant position at the University of South Dakota while pursuing a master’s degree in physics. I had an opportunity to learn some hands-on physics experiments, which were not available back home. As a research assistant, I also got to work with leading scientists from various fields. I learned computer programming languages and data analysis techniques along with core physics experiments and theories.

Tell us about your position at the Maryland Department of Health.

Why did you decide to pursue a degree in IT?

I like my current job because I have the opportunity to serve Marylanders and improve their health and safety. I am working with the Coronavirus Testing Task Force team to ensure all of Maryland’s nursing homes follow guidelines and perform compliance risk assessments. I feel proud to be a part of the Maryland Department of Health and have the opportunity to work on COVID-19 related matters.

Although I was a physicist by profession, my interests leaned toward data analysis and algorithms. I was impressed by computer algorithms’ power to analyze and visualize complex physics laboratory data in a simple form. My supervisor and other colleagues suggested that I dive into the data science field because of my strong background in mathematics and statistics.

I always wondered how I could apply my core skills in the data science field. After I decided to switch my degree, I moved to Maryland to start my

After my graduation, I was looking for an opportunity to leverage my skills and expertise. I did an internship with a startup company for six months. After that, I spent six months searching for a full-time opportunity. Eventually, I got an offer from the Maryland Department of Health for a data analyst position.

To learn more about Hood’s IT program, visit hood.edu/ITdegree.

GET YOUR MASTER’S IN

CYBERSECURITY OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ONLINE OR ON CAMPUS HIGHLY AFFORDABLE | COMPLETE IN 15 MONTHS

APPLY NOW! HOOD.EDU/GRADAPPLY

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STANDOUTS

2020 Alumni Awards LINDA J. ALLAN ’70, M.S.’78 Distinguished Alumna Award

Linda J. Allan ’70, M.S.’78 is the 2020 recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Award for her professional accomplishments and unmatched enthusiasm and dedication to Hood. Linda is both a current and emerita member of the Board of Trustees.

After graduating from Hood, Linda utilized her degrees in biology and biomedical sciences to work 10 years in cancer research in Frederick.

A career change to the IT field and a move to Washington, D.C., in 1980 gave Linda exposure to large federal contracts and programs. She was

the executive vice president for NCI Information Systems from 1991 until her retirement in 2008, growing the company’s revenue from $1 million to $390 million.

In addition to her incredible professional career, Linda has been a generous and unceasing supporter of Hood. From hosting alumni events in her home to spearheading fundraising efforts to her service on the Board, Linda has been a consummate influence on her fellow alumni and an invaluable resource and advocate for Hood for more than 40 years.

MARYANN WHITEHEAD SCHERZO ’60 Excellence in Service to Hood College Award Maryann Whitehead Scherzo ’60 received multiple nominations from her fellow alumnae, all of whom spoke enthusiastically about her lifelong dedication to their alma mater, saying that no other alumna could be more deserving of this year’s Excellence in Service to Hood College Award.

Since graduating from Hood, Maryann has spearheaded fundraising for her class, truly setting the example of giving back. She has never missed her class reunions and has organized and hosted many alumni gatherings. In the 1970s, Maryann

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served as president of the Alumni Executive Board, and continues to encourage her fellow alumnae to stay involved and give back to the College.

After completing her degree in early childhood education, Maryann went on to further her education at Rutgers University and Kean College of New Jersey. She enjoyed a long teaching career, and after retiring, turned her love of antiques into a boutique business.

STANDOUTS

HONORING ALUMNI FOR THEIR SERVICE AND COMMITMENT TO THEIR PROFESSIONS, COLLEGE AND COMMUNITIES.

MAAMEYAA T. BOAFO ’05 Outstanding Recent Alumna Award MaameYaa T. Boafo ’05 is the 2020 recipient of the Outstanding Recent Alumna award in recognition of her accomplishments in the performing arts. Most recently, she co-starred on the NBC series “Bluff City Law,” but her theater career began at Hood where she earned bachelor’s degrees in French and broadcast journalism.

MaameYaa earned her MFA in acting from the Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Born in Pakistan and hailing from Ghana, MaameYaa now calls New York home. Her acting roles have included Ophelia in “Hamlet,” the Courtesan in “A Comedy of Errors,” and Paulina

in the critically acclaimed “School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play,” for which she won the Drama League’s Distinguished Performance award.

MaameYaa has taught at the George Street Playhouse, where she and a company of players visited schools in the New York metropolitan area, performing plays that deal with cyberbullying and conflict resolution. She remains dedicated to promoting inclusion for people of color in all aspects of the performing arts.

KARIN NINESLING INFUSO ’70 Excellence in Service to Hood College Award Karin Ninesling Infuso ’70 was nominated for the Excellence in Service to Hood College Award posthumously by her classmate Dr. A. Karen Blair ’70. They met in 1966 on their very first day at Hood and formed a friendship that lasted 47 years until Karin’s unexpected death in 2017.

After graduating from Hood with a degree in English, Karin continued her education by earning a master’s degree in literature from Montclair State College, which helped launch her teaching career. After retiring, Karin continued to teach as a volunteer writing tutor.

“She was a kind and enthusiastic supporter of people, whether it be a needed winter coat, a hospital visit, a sympathetic ear or simply a kind word. She seemed to intuitively know what would help make someone’s day better.”

Karin served as her class’s reporter for almost 20 years. As class agent, she kept her fellow alumnae apprised of alumni events, and never ceased to urge her classmates to give back to Hood.

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Karin died in December 2017 after a brief illness.

Dr. Blair established a scholarship in her name.

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ATHLETICS March 2020 will forever be a time that we remember—COVID-19 turned our world upside down.

For anyone who has been involved in sports, as a player, coach, administrator, fan or parent, one can appreciate how sports impact the lives of so many.

Sports are more than just wins and losses. Sure, we like to win, but the reason people love sports is because they bring people together. Players from all over the world come together to play a sport they love. Students come out of their residence halls to cheer on their classmates. Families travel for hours to see their children play. Professors take time to support their students. The value that sports adds to our lives is priceless and cannot be replicated in any other way.

For the past year, there has been an absence without competition. However, as an athletic staff we have tried to mentor and coach our studentathletes to help them understand that while adversity is often times out of our control, how we handle it is a direct reflection of who we are as people. When fall sports were canceled in August, we faced two

options: complain or train. We spent hours creating the safest protocols possible. Consistent with the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) and the NCAA, our teams used a phase-in process over several months that eventually led up to masked, intrasquad scrimmages. Phase III is the highest phase we allowed our student-athletes to reach. Within this phase we took temperatures of all of our athletes and coaches prior to any training. Training was limited to 50 student-athletes and staff members. Coaches and student-athletes were masked at all times. After each practice, the equipment was sanitized and stored. Team meetings were held through Zoom or socially distant outdoors. Student-athletes were tested at 25 percent each week. Symptoms were monitored daily through the #CampusClear app. The list of protocols goes on and on.

Despite all of the changes and added protocols, our staff came together to provide our studentathletes with an exceptional experience. Our coaches focused on individual skill development and team tactics. Our athletes had more opportunities to

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grow faster and stronger by working with strength and conditioning coach Erika Moyer in our Hodson Fitness Center. Head baseball coach Michael Impellittiere, MBA’18 ran leadership development courses throughout the semester. Rev. Beth O’Malley, McHenry Dean of the Chapel, provided opportunities for our athletes to grow spiritually. Together, our staff and athletes formed a student-athlete advisory board that provided a platform to discuss social injustice. Collectively, our student-athletes and coaches sought opportunities to give back and volunteer in the community. We will continue to take this challenging time into our own hands and create our own opportunities to learn and grow together.

I am proud of the resilience I have seen in our student-athletes and staff. We are all hopeful that we will soon see college sports return in full force, but until they do, we choose to keep our attitudes positive and take what we’ve learned over these difficult months to better ourselves even more.

Go Blazers!

By Susan Kolb, Ph.D., Director of Athletics

“ When fall sports were canceled in August, we faced two options: complain or train.”

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ATHLETICS New Coaches Named for Esports, Women’s and Men’s Soccer Tyler Combs, esports head coach Molly Kovarik, women’s soccer coach Jesse Zafiratos, men’s soccer coach

The Blazers have welcomed a new trio of head coaches. Tyler Combs began his tenure as the esports head coach on Dec. 1, with Molly Kovarik taking the reins of the women’s soccer program the following week. Jesse Zafiratos started as the men’s soccer head coach on Jan. 4.

A veteran coach and player in esports, Combs founded Supernova LLC in 2014 and, in addition to playing and coaching, serves as the group’s CEO. Over the past six years, Supernova has produced professional players in numerous games, including League of Legends, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Valorant. Additionally, a total of 11 Supernova players have gone on to play collegiately.

“I am overwhelmed with happiness to be given the opportunity to be the head coach of esports at Hood College,” Combs said. “Esports has always been

a field where I have had a ton of interest since my first steps into the collegiate scene and I had made it my goal to be a part of it in some way.”

Kovarik comes to Hood from Washington College, where she served as an assistant coach for the 2019 season. During her season with the Shorewomen, the team produced one All-Centennial Conference selection. Prior to her time with Washington, Kovarik spent two years as an assistant coach with the Eastern (Pa.) University women’s soccer program. The Eagles had five All-Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom performers and qualified for the MAC Freedom Championships in 2017.

“I am honored, grateful and beyond excited to be named the head women’s soccer coach and compliance coordinator at Hood College,” Kovarik said.

“I cannot wait to work with these dedicated young women to further the momentum of the program

and am humbled to be a part of the Hood College athletic tradition.”

Zafiratos has head coaching experience at both Rosemont and Penn State Brandywine. He ended a five-year playoff drought for the Ravens by taking them to the CSAC Championship game. That came on the heels of a USCAA National Championship in 2018 as the head coach at Penn State Brandywine.

In three years on the sidelines at Brandywine, he won 50 matches, three straight conference championships and was named the Philadelphia Inquirer Small College Coach of the Year.

“I am honored to be named the next head men’s soccer coach at Hood College,” Zafiratos said. “I am very excited to work with this great group of student-athletes, and to contribute to an already amazing athletic department.”

Hood Partners with BSN SPORTS and Under Armour

By Delaney Crawford ’22 The Hood College athletic department announced a new partnership with Baltimore-based sports equipment company Under Armour. The five-year partnership, which will be serviced through BSN SPORTS, makes BSN SPORTS the provider of all apparel and equipment for Hood’s intercollegiate, intramural and club sports.

“After they invited us to Baltimore to see their facilities, it struck me as a better opportunity for our department,” Director of Athletics Susan Kolb, Ph.D. said. “Under Armour presented us with a competitive offer and it was a change that our coaches and student-athletes were excited about. So far, I have been very pleased with the products we have ordered.”

Bill Stote, BSN Collegiate Select senior vice president, added, “This agreement with Hood College affirms our highest aspirations for BSN’s Collegiate Select program—delivering elite, customized products and services to our college customers. We are excited to partner with the Blazers to elevate the performance and impact of their top-notch and growing athletic program.”

Blazers Esports Competes in Valorant Championships Playing in its first varsity season, the Valorant team from Hood’s esports program qualified for the New England Collegiate Conference Fall Championships.

In the first round, the fourth-seeded Blazers took on the five-seed, California State, Dominguez Hills. The Blazers picked up a dramatic win in the best-of-three series after falling to the Toros 13-11 in game one.

Hood won the next two games 13-4 and 13-10 to win the match. Hunter Nelson ’22 and Owen Paolicelli ’24 led a balanced attack with over 70 kills apiece.

New England Collegiate Conference

Fall Championships

The playoff run ended in the semifinals, where top-seeded Sacramento State swept the Blazers, 13-9 and 13-6.

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ATHLETICS

FACES IN THE CROWD

Faces in the Crowd

Erika Moyer Serves as Panelist for Town Hall on Race and Social Justice Erika Moyer, Hood’s head strength and conditioning coach and diversity, equity and inclusion representative, served as a panelist during a town hall for student-athletes, coaches and administrators to discuss social and racial justice on college campuses.

The town halls were hosted jointly by the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) and Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). The #MACunited Inclusion and Social Justice sessions were open only to administrators and coaches from both conferences, while the second session was open only to student-athletes from the two leagues.

Each panel session featured coaches and administrators from each conference, as well as additional breakout sessions to develop more in-depth conversations with peers.

Raphaella Henson-Vendrell ’22

Moyer, one of two panelists in both town hall sessions, was excited for the opportunity. “I am honored and excited to join the other amazing panelists in order to give my perspective and life experience as it relates to social justice and the student-athlete experience. I’m thrilled that both the MAC and the MIAC have made this discussion a priority as we move forward in the fight to break down the barriers that Black student-athletes, coaches and administrators are confronted with.”

Raphaella Henson-Vendrell, of the cross country and track and field programs, was selected to participate in the 2021 NCAA Division III Student Immersion Program, held virtually Jan. 13-15. The program allows for student-athletes to fully attend the NCAA Convention, which exposes the students to Division III, its members and its governance process. The goal is to build a pipeline of talented ethnic minority candidates with an interest in Division III coaching and/or administration, in an effort to ultimately diversify the division.

Dr. Jennifer Cooper Chosen for 2021 NCAA Division III New FAR Orientation Hood’s Jennifer Cooper, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, CNC was selected to attend the 2021 NCAA Division III New FAR Orientation held virtually Feb. 18-20, 2021.

Dr. Cooper is an assistant professor of nursing and serves as the College’s faculty athletic representative (FAR). Each NCAA institution designates a member of the faculty to serve as a liaison between the institution and the athletic department and to represent the institution at NCAA conferences. Each institution determines the exact role of their FAR, but a common responsibility is ensuring the institution maintains the appropriate balance between academics and intercollegiate athletics.

“While I have always appreciated collegiate sports, I now have been provided with a unique perspective in my new role as FAR at Hood College,” said Dr. Cooper. “As a nurse, I know that sports promote physical and mental health. Coaches and athletic staff are part of the team that supports students in their overall college experience. This orientation can prepare me to support this valuable connection between sports and academics!”

Logan Rhoads ’24 Lacrosse player Logan Rhoads was awarded the 2020 Bob Scott Award, presented by US Lacrosse and voted upon by high school coaches. Rhoads was chosen to represent Southern New Jersey for his efforts while playing at Cherokee High School. The Bob Scott Award recognizes one lacrosse player from each geographic area who goes “above and beyond” in service to their team, school and community.

“Dr. Cooper’s understanding of the rigorous challenges our student-athletes face, combined with her empathy and belief that athletics are instrumental in the overall educational process, leads me to believe that she is an excellent fit for this FAR role,” said Susan Kolb, Ph.D., Hood’s director of athletics. “Gaining this experience for Dr. Cooper to meet other FARs and work with representatives from the NCAA will not only benefit her, but our academic mission for Blazer athletics.”

The New FAR Orientation program is offered in response to the NCAA Division III FAR Engagement Working Group’s recommendation to implement a seamless education model to orient new FARs and support them through their tenure in the position. It includes pre-work activities, which have been designed to maximize the time at the orientation and the overall impact of the program.

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Ryan D’Allesandro ’21 Baseball player Ryan D’Allesandro was named a Maryland Collegiate Baseball League All-Star this summer when he played for Rockville Express. In 24 innings pitched, D’Allesandro only allowed 10 hits and three walks. He had 21 strike outs and did not give up a single run for a perfect ERA of 0.00.

Help Support Hood College Athletics!

Although things look different here at Hood, what has not changed is the commitment our student-athletes have to their education and to developing their individual skills to ensure they are ready for the first opportunity to compete again. The Blue & Grey Club helps build a stronger athletic program while also assisting in the education of our student-athletes.

Join the Blue & Grey Club now by making your gift at hoodathletics.com/bluegreyclub.

You can also contact Kayla Knott ’17, assistant director of annual giving, at knott@hood.edu or 301-696-3919 to join.

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THE LEGENDARY LEGACY OF

DEAN OLIVIA It’s safe to say that Olivia G. White, Ph.D. is one of the most beloved and celebrated staff members that the Hood community has ever had.

Her dedication to the College and more importantly, its students, has created an unmatched legacy of not only strong leadership, but of selflessness, resilience, acceptance, fairness and joy. Her retirement as vice president for student life and dean of students at the end of 2020 marked a bittersweet milestone in Hood College’s history as we say goodbye, wish her well in this new chapter of her life and honor the contributions she made during her 28 and a half years of service to Hood.

BY WALLIS SHAMIEH ’15

If you attended Hood College at some point in the last few decades, you know about Olivia White, and she knows about you. She knows your family, your interests, your strengths, your weaknesses and your potential. Ask anyone who has had the opportunity to work with her, both students and coworkers, and they will tell you that she influenced their life for the better.

“As a student, Dean White made you feel seen and special,

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like you mattered. Then you realize, it’s not just you, she has the unique ability to make everyone feel that way,” said Nikki Bamonti ’00.

Bamonti, like many other Hood graduates, found her way back to her alma mater where she now serves as director of admission. She continued: “Being able to work alongside her was such a joy. Nothing compares to watching a new cohort of students and families feel the warmth of the light that is

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Olivia. Her spirit of welcoming and acceptance has become the standard on campus because she taught us how to treat each other, and to so many of us Olivia is Hood.”

White embodies each of Hood’s core values—Hope, Opportunity, Obligation and Democracy—in all that she does. So much so, that the Hood family often refers to Olivia as the unofficial “O” in Hood.

“Every college or university should be so blessed and incred-

WHITE

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“My first interaction with Dean White was not because I was being an honorable and model Hood Student. She summoned me to her office and challenged me to be better. Based on this stern yet comforting conversation, I would become better. A better student. A better leader. A better individual.

on campus, the need and impact of diversity in all aspects of Hood College, and helped me create an environment conducive to student growth educationally, socially and spiritually. I was able to be a part of Hood’s history as a groundbreaker for the new athletic center. Yep, me, holding a shovel right next to the president.

I wouldn’t be half the individual I am today without her guidance, her motivation and her ability to see things in me that I didn’t yet understand about myself.

Throughout the years, Dean White has continued to support and encourage me, long after graduation. She was one of the first individuals I shared the news that I passed the Maryland State Bar.

That’s what true educators do. They help students to see their full potential and push them to do the things they don’t quite understand yet. Dean White pushed me to be a great leader on campus, helped me advocate for the advancement of students

If you attended Hood College, you know Dean White and she knows you. She was good at that. Thank you, Dean White, for knowing me. Happy retirement.”

Tiera Hawkes ’11, Esq.

ibly fortunate as to have a Dean White as part of its senior leadership team,” said Hood College Trustee Marlene Grossnickle Young ’76, H’14, P’09. “The wisdom, wit, brilliance, grace, values and genuine warmth of Dean Olivia White uniquely equips her to reach out to others, engage and empower them, and to make a powerful, lasting difference in the lives of those with whom she comes in contact, both professionally and personally.”

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To say Dean White left a lasting legacy and will be missed is an understatement.

“She has been someone we all turned to when we needed a shoulder to lean on, a laugh, wise counsel or just someone to listen,” President Andrea Chapdelaine, Ph.D. said. “I depended on her tenacity and commitment to our students, tirelessly, each and every day. She loves Hood and Hood has loved her back.”

For many of us it’s difficult to imagine a Hood after Dean

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White or even one before she arrived. It was in 1992 when she and Hood first crossed paths.

White’s husband worked in Equal Employment Opportunity management in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Knowing government work could make for a career ripe with opportunities, the two relocated their family from South Carolina to Maryland.

It was White’s turn to find where she belonged and that she did. At the time, she had a friend

who was the dean of students at Montgomery College in Rockville and was familiar with her impressive work ethic. Through a network in education, her friend was able to recommend two jobs: one was at George Washington University and the other was at Hood College.

“One cold day in March, I came to interview at Hood, and the rest is history,” said White.

SERVICE IS A WAY OF LIFE White is a self-proclaimed Charlestonian, raised by a family with a deep affection for education and knowledge. Her father had a passion for reading anything he could get his hands on, including the encyclopedia, and for serving others in their small-town community. He started an organization called The Jenkins Terrace Club to help his neighbors and did everything he could for others, including making hospital visits, home visits to the sick, attending funerals and filling the gaps wherever it was needed. Her father’s example was the foundation for who Olivia White would grow to become.

“He wanted to make sure I had an opportunity to learn and to be exposed to things. And, not just on the academic side, but also in service, through his engagement with the church and community,” said White. “I was really blessed to have him as my dad.”

Olivia took her faith, love of education, community and service, given to her by her family, into her own career, where she discovered her love of working with students.

“I want to be like her one day. That’s what I think of when the name Dean White is brought up.

She is a leader who molded me into who I am today, professionally and personally.

My relationship started with Dean White the day I stepped on campus, but not as a student. I remember coming for a visit with the men’s soccer team and staying overnight. Early the next morning, this cheery lady came over to our table while we were eating breakfast and seriously made us feel at home right away. She didn’t say who she was. I asked, and after she introduced herself, I was sold. Hood College was my place. It was the cherry on top of a great visit, that the dean of a college would take time to do that.

Dean White will always be a part of my family, whether she knows that or not. I will always remember the moment when I realized that Dean White was more than just a professional mentor to me. I had a plethora of knee issues during my time at Hood (while trying to play as much soccer as I could). I recall sitting on my couch in New Jersey after another tough surgery, and the next thing you know, a package comes in the mail. It’s a teddy bear and a card from Dean White, wishing me well and telling me she was thinking about me. It was one of many cards that I received from her, which truly speaks of how much she cares about you as a person.

Dean White was a dean for the students. And I’m fortunate to not only have had four years with her, but know that I can call or text, and she’ll always answer if I ever need anything.”

Douglas Raftery ’12

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“I can recall in college a time when the president invited student leaders and members of the community to a breakfast where he would give a state of the college address. I was the secretary for the SGA and was seated next to Dr. John Sharry, dean of the dental school. He asked me about my plans and when I told him I was a biology major, he introduced me to the dentistry program,” said White.

Following White’s time at the College of Charleston as a student, she accepted a job as a recruiter for the program. There was an initiative to increase the number of women and minorities in dentistry and part of her

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role was to visit all of the colleges and universities in South Carolina to talk with students.

“This is when I discovered a love for working with students— talking not just about going to dental school but learning their personal stories, challenges and goals,” she said.

This was White’s aha moment.

A LEADER OF STUDENT LIFE Student life encompasses more than classrooms, lectures and textbooks, and nobody knows that better than Dean White.

“Student life, in many ways,

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is about the experience that a student has. It’s about the time spent both in the classroom and out of the classroom. It’s about their personal, physical, intellectual, social, spiritual and emotional wellness,” White said.

“All those pieces come together to contribute to a student’s growth and wellbeing. Student life encompasses the whole person.”

During her time at Hood, Dean White stayed true to that definition, integrating her department with just about every other department on campus, and teaching staff and faculty the importance of a holistic student life.

“Dean White is so much more than a dean to me. She’s one of my role models, who I hold in very high esteem. If I had a trophy room of people who I consider superheroes who inspire me, she’d be on a shelf right next to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I wouldn’t be moments away from being sworn into the bar without her.

I was a member of the SGA for my full tenure at Hood, and in my final year, I served as SGA president. As president, I met with Dean White weekly at minimum in her homey, elephant-clad office to go over positives and negatives the Hood community was dealing with, opportunities for students, projects for the SGA to take on, and selfishly for me, my future. I don’t know how many people were fortunate enough to meet with her weekly, or frequent The Orchard with her downtown for lunch, or get countless stories and amazing advice from her on life, college and the world

beyond, but I am forever grateful for the lessons I learned from her. I can’t even find the right adjectives to describe Dean White.

Indescribable. A true leader. Inspirational.

She taught me and made me want to be a better leader, student and human being.

As a freshman, I joined the SGA to find friends, and I exited with leadership accolades, experience giving speeches in front of the school and getting into law school. I couldn’t have done any of that without her (or attended a hats, gloves and bowties luncheon without her). When it comes to the community, she really embodies that Hood Hello. You’re not just a face. She knows your name, your major, and what clubs and sports you partake in.

She not only cares about your time at Hood, but also how to shape you into a successful graduate ready to take on the world. She will truly be missed, and I definitely owe her a lunch or 10 in Frederick.”

Logan Samuels Bennett ’17

Alumni Executive Board member

“Through Dean White, I have learned the importance of a student-centered approach, leading with kindness and grace, being hospitable to everyone who enters my office, nourishing potential in all of my students and advisees, and spreading the true spirit of Hood College to a new generation of students,” said Atiya Smith, Ph.D., of the Hood Class of 2003 and now assistant professor of psychology and counseling.

“It’s all about the students,” said President Emeritus Ronald Volpe, Ph.D. “From academ-

ics, to admissions, to athletics, it’s about the students—and Olivia understood that. She educated the campus community and broke down silos. She single-handedly extended her reach into each department so that everyone understood that all life on campus is student life.”

And, whenever things got difficult for students, White came through.

During a tumultuous time in the early 2000s, when the fate of the College was uncertain, White helped transition Hood from a women’s college to a co-

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educational one. It was a monumental change for the community, leaving many students feeling anxious.

“I brought the financial sheets to show the students, and Olivia brought her big heart,” said Volpe. “She reassured students that this was going to work, and Hood would continue to be the same institution they know and love. And if they needed to, they were always welcome to come cry it out in her office.”

Admission events and new student orientation were another area White shined. Her

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“I got to know Dean White my sophomore year at Hood through the SGA. We met late in the evening on Thursdays and Dean White never missed a meeting, even though they fell long after the conclusion of regular work hours. From those meetings, Dean White invited me to stop by her office anytime. She made sure I understood that I was expected to drop in and share a Hood Hello to her and Melanie Eyler, her right-hand lady, anytime I was in Alumnae Hall (which as a student of sociology was often in those days). Quick hellos soon turned into long conversations about my aspirations, world views, family and friends, thoughts on current events, both on and off Hood’s campus and everything that fell in between. Dean White taught me to raise my hand. She taught me that my ideas and my voice mattered, and to

ask myself the question, why not me. Dean White encouraged me to say ‘Yes!’ when presented with opportunities, especially if I’m not entirely sure where it may lead. It’s also worth noting that if you entertained opting out of something Dean White thought you should be participating in or contributing to, she had a wonderful habit of volunteering/volun-telling you your role and added value. Even today, five years removed from my undergraduate career, I think Dean White has more confidence in my path than I do at times. All this aside, it’s challenging to put into words the impact that Dean White had on my time at Hood, and continues to have on my life. I can say that my life certainly wouldn’t look the same or be nearly as full without her influence. I’ll be forever grateful and indebted to her.”

Caitlin Battey ’15

Alumni Executive Board member

contagious enthusiasm and incredible ability to remember the names of each student and parent she conversed with so perfectly showcased what a Hood education is all about.

“One of my favorite things about Dean White was her accessibility. At every new student orientation, she’d give out her personal cell phone number, her office number and her home phone number. When I was a Blazer Ambassador, we’d all laugh and shake our heads. Parents loved it and felt safe knowing that they had the dean of students’ phone number,” said Lily

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Bean ’21, current SGA president.

Of course, part of caring for students is holding them accountable, for the good as well as the bad.

“There were many times when Olivia and I would have to meet with a student who was being called to accountability for some poor decisions. It was in those difficult situations that Olivia was truly masterful,” President Chapdelaine said. “I would just sit back and watch her work her magic. She has the rare ability to make students feel heard and supported, while at the same time getting the students to take

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responsibility for their actions.

Many parents have told me Olivia was so helpful in these moments and the students would come to appreciate and respect her role in getting them back on track.”

During the times of our lives that were especially difficult, like the aftermath of 9/11, political turmoil and eventually, a global pandemic, White found a way to overcome her own hardships and put students first.

After the most horrific terrorist attacks of our time, White jumped into action and put together a program to reassure

students at Hood, especially those from Middle Eastern countries, that they would be safe, continue to be educated and be cared for, no matter what.

Healing was her top priority, not for herself, but for her students.

Students knew they could lean on Dean White no matter what obstacles or challenges they were facing, from academic challenges and uncomfortable growth, to personal hardship and unforeseen setbacks. They knew they’d always be met with a fair, supportive and accepting heart.

“Dean White played a central role in developing Hood into the community that it is today. She embodies the type of warm, self-

less and strong leadership the College seeks to expose its students to,” said Caitlin Battey ’15.

Bean adds, “She has always been a shoulder to cry on, a sounding board, a knowing smile, a wave across campus. She is one of those people who treats everyone like they’re famous, when she’s the real celebrity.”

White said of her students, “I hope they always knew that I cared about them. I hope they knew that I treated each one of them as an individual. I hope that they knew that I was there in any situation that was presented. I hope that they knew that I was one of their biggest cheerleaders. I want for them to be able to soar beyond their po-

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tential, not just in the here and now, but in life after Hood.”

A FREDERICK FAVORITE Dean White’s legacy of service reaches far beyond the campus of Hood College into the Frederick community. From joining the Rotary Club of Carroll Creek to sitting on several nonprofit boards including Heartly House, Advocates for Homeless Families and The Weinberg Center for the Arts, to serving with Frederick County Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Dean White gives everything she has to others.

“Service is what I know,” White said. “It’s a part of my being.”

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White was recognized for her service in 2017 with the George Delaplaine Distinguished Citizen Award.

“She embodies all of the principles that are inherent to Scouting—trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and so much more,” said George B. Delaplaine Jr., H’08, chairman of Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. “Her service and devotion to her career in education, the students she guided and counseled, and her service to the community at large made her a perfect candidate for the award. Just as Scouting shapes the entire young person in character and integrity, Dean White spent her entire career doing the same with students.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR OLIVIA WHITE? So, Dean White, you’ve retired from a long, impactful, successful career. What are you going to do now?

“As the NFL players would often say, I’m going to Disney World!” she joked. “My Disney World is a mixture of everything you would see in Disney: enjoyment, fun, living life to its fullest, being creative, taking all the things you’ve learned in life to date and building on them as you continue learning. That’s my Disney!”

As a recent retiree himself, President Volpe has a few words of wisdom for White as she begins her retirement: “Don’t make any quick decisions about anything. Relax, enjoy the moment, and smell the flowers. Get caught up on that stack of books, novels and journals you’ve been meaning to read. And then, dream your dreams. Ask yourself what is still left unfulfilled and do it. But, stay close to your family. And lastly, don’t forget to come visit me.”

Trustee Emeritus Philip Berkheimer, who retired just over a year and a half ago, like all of us wishes for a few more years of Dean White.

“My wife, who’s a Hood alum and therefore acutely intelligent, has really been considering evicting me and that has only been made worse by COVID-19,” he said laughing. “Since I know that you’re still operating on all eight cylinders, my heartfelt advice to you, Olivia, is to do yourself and Hood College a big, big favor and work for 10 more years.”

White’s plan is to not have much of a plan at all. Outside of reading, writing, service and one day, travel again, she doesn’t have a timeline for her retirement. She also hopes to compile a collection of letters, poems and cards her father wrote to pass along to her own children.

“I want them to know how awesome, wise, brilliant and compassionate their grandfather was,” she said.

No doubt she is all of those things too.

“The ripple effect that she cast on decades of students, their families, faculty, staff, fellow members in leadership, associates and the community will continue to reap a great harvest in the lives of all she

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touched,” Young said. “She has guided, counseled and inspired students to set lofty yet realistic goals in achieving an education to put them on the path of leading lives of great and meaningful purpose.”

The Hood College community will sorely miss having Dean White on campus, but the differences she has made in the lives of students and staff will continue to be felt each and every day.

And she will always have a home in Hood.

“Hood has given so much to me and to my family, and will always be a part of my family,” White said. Her daughter is even a Hood graduate. “I look forward to all of the exciting things that will happen as we realize the work that’s ahead of us in this community. I truly am excited for Hood.”

On behalf of the entire Hood community, thank you Dean White. Thank you for every long day. Thank you for every late night. Thank you for every time you put others ahead of yourself. Thank you for every time you helped a student overcome an obstacle or helped someone make a tough decision. Thank you for all the times you helped smooth things over when the going got tough. Thank you bringing joy to every situation and making work fun. Thank you for helping make Hood the incredible place it is.

Thank you for everything.

Happy retirement.

Wallis Shamieh is a 2015 graduate of Hood College and communications specialist at Postern in Frederick, Maryland.

“During my sophomore year, my father was hit by a drunk driver. Though he survived, the recovery process took months and was very stressful. This was a very challenging time for my family, and I considered withdrawing from the College. I spoke with Dean White to update her about the accident and my plans. She was very supportive, but also encouraged me to stay. Her words of ‘you are a part of our family and we will support you in any way that we can’ stuck with me. Within the following weeks, my family received encouraging cards, flowers, supportive phone calls and monetary gifts from fellow students, faculty, staff and members of the senior team. Through this, I saw that I was cared about and valued as a Hood College student. I saw that Hood was in fact my family and in an interesting way, these supportive gestures enhanced my love and connection to the College. With a new view on human life and a deeper connection to Hood, I was motivated to put my all into my academics, various leadership opportunities and select

extracurricular activities on campus. I relied on my faith, turned to my support systems and focused on the first of the four columns of Alumnae Hall—Hope. Throughout this, Dean White was there checking in, making sure I had a good balance between academics and extracurriculars, and cheering me on as I made my way to graduation.

At the start of my senior year, Shriner Hall was scheduled to re-open and I was both excited and honored to be elected as the first president of the ‘new’ Shriner Hall—a dorm where I started my freshman year. This was such an exciting day that was two years in the making. After reading my speech during the Shriner dedication ribbon cutting ceremony, I hugged then-president, Ronald Volpe, and a few other attendees. After hugging Dean White, she said, ‘I’m so proud of you and I’m so glad you decided to stay.’ She then went to hug my parents, who were sitting in the audience. A few tears were definitely shed that day.”

Atiya Smith ‘03, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology and Counseling SPRING 2021

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HOOD PROUD

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Michelle Revesz, BSN, RN’20

HOOD PROUD

MEET HOOD’S CLASS OF 2020 HEALTHCARE HEROES

By Laurie Ward

The 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birthday was May 12, 2020. (Coincidentally, May 12 is also Founders Day at Hood.) Many credit Nightingale as the founder of modern nursing and in honor of her milestone birthday, the World Health Organization designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. It was also, of course, the year where the profession has never meant so much to so many.

As hospitals navigated how to care for the growing number of patients in ICU, doctors, nurses and other health care professionals had to quickly adjust to what oftentimes felt like a losing battle, all the while, trying to protect themselves. For two 2020 nursing alumni, they never could have guessed that their careers would begin under these circumstances.

“After graduation, I was able to see firsthand what the virus could do before we even knew much about it while working as a nursing assistant at Frederick Health and being on their designated COVID-19 unit,” said Matt Viti, BSN, RN’20. “Being able to witness that environment of the scary unknown was really humbling.”

Michelle “Shelly” Revesz, BSN, RN’20 has been working in the COVIDICU wing at Meritus Health in Hagerstown, Maryland, since May 2020.

“This pandemic has affected each of us differently, some more than others. I know I am speaking for all healthcare workers when I say we are experiencing an overwhelming amount of frustration, exhaustion and heartbreak.

Veteran nurses are leaving the bedside permanently. Others, like myself, are dealing with new graduate burn out.”

Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing

THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DESIGNATED 2020 AS THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE NURSE AND MIDWIFE

Both agree that the experience in the past 11 months has made them better nurses. “This pandemic is teaching me how to care for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. By the end of the pandemic, I will have experience with meticulous supportive care such as ventilation; use of sedatives and neuromuscular blockage; hemodynamic management; and preventing and treating pneumonia,” Revesz said. “I am learning how

We are the ones f ighting the virus face to face, every day.

- Shelly Revesz, BSN, RN ’20

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HOOD PROUD I am an ICU nurse, starting my career, during the middle of a pandemic. We are in the second COVID wave and it’s the worst health care has ever been. In the ICU, we are treating the sickest patients ever seen, under the most difficult conditions. We are exhausted, being stretched thin beyond our capabilities, both emotionally and physically, as we wake up every day to face more tragedy. I haven’t been sleeping well, nights before I have work I get anxiety and anticipate working the next morning. When I lay in bed I think about what it feels like to be intubated, on complete life support, and strapped to the bed. I wonder if they’re comfortable, because I’m lying in bed comfortable.

SHELLY’S JOURNAL EXCERPTS Shelly Revesz, BSN, RN’20 keeps a journal as she cares for patients in the critial care unit of Meritus Health in Hagerstown, Maryland.

One patient resonates with me that I think about sometimes. I had him for three days, not all back to back days.

He was in his 70s with no medical history admitted with COVID pna [pneumonia]. The first day I had him he was maxed out heated high flow, but was doing well and we had started weaning him. I had helped him get washed up and got him in the chair for lunch. Before I left the room, he had me take a picture of him on his cellphone of him sitting up in the chair so he could show his family. When I left the room his wife called me crying “thank you so much for getting him up in the chair, he hasn’t been out of bed since he was admitted. This is the best 46th wedding anniversary gift we could have gotten!” Later that day he showed me their wedding pictures. Second day I had him was similar to the first. He was doing well, got him out of bed, was breathing okay, Shelly’s Excerpts seemed like a successful day.

Third Journal day he was intubated and on the ventilator. He had gone into respiratory distress during the time I was gone and now was ventilator dependent. We FaceTimed with his family so they could see him, lying in bed unconscious hooked up to all different equipment. The next shift he had already passed away. All I could think about was his family and his wedding photos that he showed me just days prior.

On a positive note, we extubated three COVID patients today. THREE! Almost a fourth! That’s a miracle these days! One of them was my patient. I was tearing up today calling her family to share the news that she was off the vent.

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HOOD PROUD to be the only connection between families and their hospitalized loved ones; and how to provide emotional support without face-to-face contact.”

And even as they are the caregivers, they know the risk to themselves.

“We are the ones fighting this virus, face to face, every day,” Revesz said.

“We are the frontline. We know that every day we work there is a chance that we will get exposed to the coronavirus,” said Viti.

Revesz has rules for her family if she were to end up in ICU with COVID: “convalescent plasma, steroids, Remdesivir (anti-viral), proning, two weeks on a vent, NO trach, NO peg.”

At the end of the day and despite the risks, they know they are there to do a job. “We don’t complain about it because it is our job, we are there to protect the public,” Viti said.

“We are the heroes right now. We have the compassion and resilience no one else can comprehend,” Revesz said. “I am proud to be an ICU nurse right now, even in the middle of a pandemic, because it is an honor to be able to serve others in need.”

We are the frontline.

We know that every day we work, there is a chance that we will get exposed to the coronavirus.”

- Matt Viti, BSN, RN ’20

MAY 6-12

Jeremy Boydston, M.S.’20 Biomedical Science Scientist, National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC), Fort Detrick “The pandemic has impacted me just like everyone else, and I work at the laboratory most days and telework when possible. Our building has state-of-the-art ventilation systems that make the NBACC an exceptionally safe workplace. We’re very busy performing SARS-CoV-2 research seven days a week, and that can be stressful at times.

However, most staff feel incredibly fortunate to be able to contribute to lessening the impact of the pandemic by providing data that allows policy makers and the general public to make well-informed decisions.

I’ve seen several friends and family members contract COVID-19 and knowing that I have the opportunity to be a part of the solution has been extremely rewarding.

Luckily, I’m in a position to generate data that may directly impact the course of the pandemic, and I’d already understood that we would be on the scientific frontline of nearly any infectious disease.

I hope that our data help everyone understand the importance of ventilation and mask wearing during a pandemic caused by a respiratory pathogen.”

NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

POST A THANK YOU | BUY A NURSE LUNCH | PUT UP A THANK YOU SIGN | EMAIL OR MAIL A GIFT CARD | ORDER COFFEE AND DONUTS FOR A UNIT | MAIL A THANK YOU CARD SET UP MEALS FOR A NURSE’S FAMILY | WRITE A PERSONAL NOTE | SAY ‘THANK YOU!’

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CLASS NEWS REMINISCE, UPDATE AND RECONNECT

1942 Kristine Forster Brecht kristenbrecht@hotmail.com Two years ago, Lois Hoffberger Feinblatt was still traveling to participate in family events. Marion Smith Wood and her husband of then 74 years were in a skilled care facility and very interested in world events! Sadly, Marion passed in 2018.

Anne Mary Messerly Sullivan had moved to a care facility after a stroke, her daughter Christine Sullivan Hampton ’74 wrote. Anne died peacefully in 2019. This round of news from the class is most slim. COVID has definitely restricted the class members. Edna Alice Cramer Hoffman’s son Andrew writes that in 2019, she moved from her home of 90 years into Somerford assisted living facility in Hagerstown. Socially distanced Edna celebrated her 100th birthday in June 2020 with him, his wife and two grandchildren and was featured in the Hagerstown “Morning Herald”! I wonder how many class members are still around at 100? Though suffering from poor eyesight and hearing, Edna remains in good health! Unfortunately, Edna passed away in February, 2021. Jean Brown Forster also suffers from greatly diminished eyesight but is also most eager to keep in contact with her family! Jean has 12 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren from whom she loves to receive calls in her Foxdale Village care facility in State College. She was diagnosed this summer with lung cancer but is very positive about life and was thrilled to cast her vote for Joe Biden! We hope she will make her 100th birthday in May 2021 and that COVID vaccinations will finally allow us to be with her! Both class members send their love to Hood classmates and following years’ of colleagues. Jane Taylor Slabaugh writes “Your quest for news was so inspiring and appreciated. Hopefully this note will survive till your next call from Hood and your loving care for your mother - Hi Jean! And the rest hello and God Bless all. Sent with the help of my caregiver.”

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1953 Johanna C. Essex 516-487-1883 johalessex@gmail.com I received a long Christmas note from Nancy Brown Kohlheyer, describing life in Belgium due to the virus. She is in lockdown and can only go out one day a week to go shopping. But all else being equal, she 46

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is fine and looking forward to getting back to a normal life. Elaine Green Powell is well and enjoying life in Concord. Like all of us, her life is somewhat curtailed due to the virus; her children and grandchildren are fine and keep in touch via computer.

Bev Rosenberg Sager took a bad fall in her foyer and broke her elbow and did some damage to her rear. She and Marv hope to go to their home in San Diego in Feb. for a month. Pat Lloyd Fordham’s big news was that she is selling her house in NV and moving to KS to live with her daughter. It will be a fresh start with new adventures—they are both excited about living together and are planning trips, etc. There will be lots to keep them busy. Hal and I have had the first vaccination and should be taking the second one the beginning of Feb. Like everyone else, we are pretty much stuck in the house—and when we do go out, we wear our masks—you would be surprised at how many people do not wear masks except in stores. We do read a lot, and I have been watching the home shows on TV. The gym was closed, so we have been walking—Hal more than I. Sorry for the short notice for news, but due to the slow mail I received the mailing from Hood just 7 days before the class news was due. Have a Happy New Year and stay healthy.

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Jean Baker Leister Weikert 717-624-3960 Marylyn Walters Corey reports being healthy and living alone with family close by. She spends time painting and gardening and took a trip south to visit 3 kids. Were so thankful that we heard from Nancy Davis Sackman and her husband George that after having to vacate their Santa Rosa, CA home because of the terrible fires, they are able to return to their home after 10 days. Thankfully are also calls from Kaye Petersen Boothman of Hardwick, MA. Kaye sounded great, walks daily and speaks of adjusting to her husband’s passing 4 years ago and no longer having their llama farm.

Fortunately, 2 women are using a paddock on the farm for their horses, thus feeling less isolated.

Sounding happy is Nolah Sawyer Fulk, who is preparing to move in Feb. from her large home with many antiques to Gainesville, VA. You can imagine she is very busy coordinating a home sale, estate sale, moving and physical therapy! She feels as though she will be “returning home,” near where deceased husband Paul and daughter Michelle had

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lived. Michelle and her husband have searched for years for a large enough home for them. Luckily, Nolah has found a prospective buyer for her large Pitman, NJ home. Marilyn Ogden Heath and Alan are still in Venice, FL; both are healthy. Recently having her vaccination shot, she and Alan flew to IN for a granddaughter’s wedding in Sept. They have 6 children, 3 unmarried, 3 married, 4 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Mollie Heineman Lueder sounded resilient. She and husband John reside in Vero Beach, FL. John has dementia and is hard of hearing. Molly seems very aware of her double responsibility. It was good of her to chat and encourage me as we encounter aging. Having fibrillations resulted in her experiencing numbness of feet. We regretfully tell of the passing of Mary Starr “Skippy” Smith Adams of Newtown, CT, Donna McDowell Boswell and Florence Hood Kvalnes. A letter to Betsy Oehrle was returned in the mail with no forwarding. In addition to Betsy, there are 12 lost members of our class: Patricia Ashcroft Sarandria, Alice Marylyn Bond Brown, Eleanore Crozier, Sheila Delaney Marks, Flo Garcia Botero, Margaret Glover, Barbara Hoffman Steiner, Dixie May, Charlotte Pearlman, Pamela Seltzer Rusthon, Ann Rae Timanus Erickson, Jane Watson. Living with COVID information and government politics requires discernment, patience and sound health.

I found inauguration highlights of poet Amanda Gorman, suggested by First Lady Jill Biden, to be contemplative. Excerpts from The Hill We Climb: “we’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace… and so we lift our gaze not to what stands between us, but what stands before us…that even as we hurt, we’ve hoped, that even as we’ve tired, we’ve tried…we will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be…we seek harm to none and harmony to all…if we merge mercy with might and might with right, then love becomes our legacy.” As we celebrate the distribution of the vaccine, pray for our resilience in our healing.

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1957 Molly Smith Sperandio mollymom76@gmail.com My dear classmates, we move forward positively the best we can, wear the mask, social distance, get the vaccination; we will survive this! Alice Riddle Metry reports she and Fred are dealing with medical conditions that limit Fred from driving because of a stroke and use of the computer for Alice because of

In 10 words or less... What

has the pandemic taught you?

Never take one moment with family and friends for granted. –Maria Sorrentino ’95 Persistence. –Christine E. Hall ’08 Maggie Thomas ’15, MBA’18

macular degeneration affecting her eyesight. They have not been back to FL since COVID hit but enjoy seeing their family members in the home they’ve lived in for 50 years. Ann Spengler Larkin: My son and I were able to have Christmas dinner together; we felt safe as neither of us had been with any others. My granddaughter lives in OH and is doing a Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic; my grandson is in the Harrisburg area and has had at least one business trip to Frederick. Neither was able to come home during the holidays. Antoinette Zawatzky Peirson: I am glad to be at Roland Park Place and will soon receive the vaccine. It has been boring and limiting with room service food delivery, but the administration keeps us updated with current news.

The temporal scanner has been refined to the point that we are expected to check in once a week near the front desk. We plant our feet on the X mark on the floor, smile and are told that our temperature is normal. This is tied in with an earlier photo which shows our face and name. I keep in touch with Eda Scheir Rubin who is fine and busy. Barbara Thomas Yinger: I’m sad to say our daughter Laura died in June from a massive heart attack. She was actively involved in her work and family, no history of heart issues, only 61 years old; a parent’s sadness for sure. We drove out to IN for her memorial in spite of the pandemic and 2 weeks before my scheduled knee surgery. Thank goodness my pre-surgery COVID test was negative and I can walk just fine.

Bob and I have continued to stay away from the virus and look forward to the vaccine soon. Living in this retirement community has proven to have its advantages keeping us safe. I talk with Barbara Kaufman Harrison and Sue Bond Almy frequently.

Hattie Snyder Bingham: The best news I received in 2020 was that the urologist made an incorrect diagnosis and my doctor at George Washington Univ. Hospital, who performed the original surgery, declared no obstruction, no scar tissue and no infection. A radioactive test was done and both kidneys are functioning well. This was such a relief after thinking for 9 months that I had to have risky surgery. What I had when admitted twice into the hospital here were extremely bad kidney infections.

I had never been so sick and scared when taken to the CCU because all my vitals went crazy due to a blood infection. We think the newly constructed villa at Willow Valley Communities near Lancaster, PA will be ready to move into around the end of August. I am not looking forward to all that moving involves, selling the house, etc. but look forward to moving to such an outstanding environment. Louise Reed: Skin cancer surgeries, asthma and arthritic joint changes cause her to have to wear braces on an arm and ankle and have kept her busy with doctors’ appointments and the need for a full-time

aide. She still has 1 son and family fairly close for visits while the other is in MD. She had to give up her car so is mostly homebound. Miriam Spalding Keyser: Lots of restrictions have been added, but our community is doing well. We leave to shop and go to the library. There have been a few cases in the independent living area and 1 death, but we expect to get the vaccination before long; the longterm care people have had them for over a week.

We have done a zillion puzzles it seems and been reading all the time. We can eat in the dining rooms but must sign up on Sunday morning and be given a code indicating where we are eating, the date and time and with whom we are eating - limit 4 at a table. Many people just get food bags delivered to the door for 3 days. We try to eat with others and so we call until we get through to register for table seating at different venues. I still swim twice a week at 7:30am and walk the grounds in good weather.

Nancy Tressel Brown: Medical issues abound.

Nancy was on dialysis for kidney disease and was able to beat that to the surprise of her doctor. She is recovering, working on getting her strength back. Her husband Roger had a bout with COVID, was hospitalized, but now doing well. Sue Bond Almy: Independent living in a retirement facility saw lockdowns and no visitations but following guidelines has kept Sue and her husband well. They will receive 1st first dose of the vaccine Jan. 31 and the second on Feb. 23. The family was able to celebrate Thanksgiving together at her daughter’s home, but Christmas was celebrated in the garage, complete with decorations, with Anne’s three sons, wives and two great grands. It was different but done out of concern for the elders’ health being uppermost in their thoughts. Sylvia Felcyn: We are in a retirement life care village in an Atlanta suburb 10 minutes from our daughter Lindsay. Life here has been often spent quarantined. I spent time in ICU for a kidney stone emergency in October; now am fine. My husband Keith just had his 90th birthday in December. We are thankful 2020 is over and we will have a new administration. Molly Smith Sperandio: In 6 months of 2020, I sadly had to deal with the loss of 2 of my 4 sisters, my last brother-in-law, a nephew and grandnephew. I’m lucky to have my daughter and family living with me, and am content to read, play games on my cell phone and watch TV. All my volunteer activities, which kept me scheduled and socialized were gone, but I managed to work all 3 elections which were true and honest! Our church reopened following CDC guidelines, but I’m finding more people are getting used to “meeting on Zoom” or watching on Facebook or YouTube. I look forward to starting AARP Tax consulting in Feb. as soon as the powers that be figure out how we will be doing it with social distancing. I am also entering a 2-year SPRING 2021

clinical trial for a vaccine being produced by Tampa General Hospital and USF Medical Center.

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Marilyn Garis Kellow maggiehood1958@gmail.com Cynthia Williams Bohaker says that there is no exciting news from ME. All is well with her family. They Zoom regularly and play games online. Jane Walton Godfrey repeats what everyone is saying that it has been a long winter. Fortunately, her oldest daughter and family live close so they can see their 3 oldest grandchildren and 2 youngest great grandchildren.

You can imagine she is very busy coordinating a home sale, estate sale, moving and physical therapy! A year ago, Polly Sherman Leigh was entertaining visitors from HI, WI and VA, going to tai chi and yoga classes, attending a college Music Appreciation class, enjoying the San Diego Symphony, spending time with her sons and families in CA. They had tickets in March to fly to Honolulu to see her son run the Hapalua Half—NONE of this ever happened. Everything in southern CA has been shut down. Technology has become her friend. Facetime with her 6-year-old grandson and Alexa in 3 places in her apartment, and also company of her cat, Tinker. Anne Van Looy Mallett and Jim live in a senior complex of 150 apartments with all amenities, great food, near the beach, church, city, etc. Their family is scattered and growing as grands marry. Anne Walton Merriken lives in Norman, OK. She says that the virus has been especially bad there. Since they have no family members in OK, they have not seen family in well over a year. She is thankful for their health and hopes and prays that with the vaccine, 2021 will be better for all of us. Joan Bennett Moran writes that things are satisfactory in her area. FL was never totally locked down, but they have faithfully observed the masking, hand washing and distancing. FL has the advantage of warm weather and plenty of outside activities. Jeb misses her close friend Carol Horwath Klecka who passed away Sept. 14, 2020. She has been in touch with Ginny Manning Peltzer and was happy to have Carol Huelsen Warrington and husband Bob return to Venice last week to stay until the weather in Cape May, NJ, gets warm again. Jeb says we all need to pray for our classmates, our families, our friends and our country. Sara Lea Callaway Redmon had hip replacement March 5. The day before, she went to the grocery store to stock up for her confinement.

Little did she know that would be her last in-store grocery experience for a year! She is enjoying texting, Facebook, emails, phone calls and genealogy. Mary Allen Reynolds says things are calm in Pittsburgh. Zoom and FaceTime are a mainstay in

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Daniel Jacobs ’14 and Gretchen Whitesell ’15

keeping in touch. Some venues are open with timed participation. She is still exhibiting flower arrangements for Ikebana International. Ellie Baumgart Ritchie hopes to spend more time at the NJ shore and attend her grandson’s graduation in May. She and Joanie Enterline expect to get vaccinated this week. Penny Hunt Solum has no real news from CT, just the usual rules regarding the virus, but with hopes and prayers all of us stay safe and well until this pandemic is over! She wishes a happy 2021 to all. Anne Merrick Vosti says this has been such an incredibly painful year for all of us, in so many different ways that perhaps the most appropriate words are to send prayers of healing for our country as well as ourselves. Her good fortune is that she just received the vaccine and thus will be able to greet 3 more great grandchildren in the late spring.

Her wishes and hopes are to all of our classmates that each of us will be able to be actively involved, interested and healthy! Jo Olmstead Witherington is busy with her Narrator group. She has produced a video of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” which can be seen along with other videos on YouTube (search CFCAArts Narrators). It was -2 degrees here in WI this morning, with 10-12 inches of snow over the past 4 weeks and more predicted this weekend.

Sewing face masks, and knitting and crocheting prayer shawls and lap robes, and walking the halls in my condo building keeps me occupied. My prayers and thanks go out to all of you. Please stay in touch, Maggie.

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1959 Anne Wilson Heuisler aheuisler@comcast.net Catherine Brooke Buckingham is a great-grandmother! William was born Nov. 25. Tarun Comegys Johns remembers fondly her childhood, living in the country: “I climbed the tower to the water tank, telephone poles and trees; I never fell out of any of them! I am so happy to have grown up when I did.”

Nancy Curran Crowley has been able to Zoom with her family who are scattered all over the US. For her it has been a year of reflection and prayer.

Mary Ann Guild Simmons said she lives in her motorized chair. She cannot walk at all yet, even after 5 ankle surgeries since Jan 2020. She lives alone in her home, but friends bring food often, and she is “grateful for the two outstanding classical music radio stations in this area.” Gayle Hamilton Blakeslee savors memories of foreign travel to Botswana and her seasons of living in Rome. Now, she said, “I watch the birds, take walks and long to hug my children and grands.” Linda Mohler Humes has been cooped up since March. “Meanwhile, I 48

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Helena Hammond-DoDoo ’15 and Curtis Stubbs ’16

order groceries online, do curb-side pickup at the pharmacy, mask up when I do go out, and wait for the vaccine. I don’t know what I’d do without Zoom and FaceTime.” Judy Moreland Granger wrote that several family members have had COVID, but all are now well. Judy is “so excited to have a female VP—100 years after my grandmother, at age 42 could first vote!” Rachel Ravey Johnson was in strict quarantine in preparation for vacation in Canada—“total isolation in a cabin on a lake, no driving out at all. The Mounties do DAILY checks!”

Katherine Stirling Dow died Sept. 2 at 82 at her Andover, MA home, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. She is survived by her son, Michael.

She was predeceased by her husband James K. Dow Jr. and her son David S. Dow. Born July 12, 1937, in London, Katherine grew up in several different communities as her father’s work and military service during WWII took the family to many places. She graduated from Bradford Junior College in Haverhill, MA, and Hood. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in her 50s, Katherine remained active until a back injury limited her mobility. She maintained close friendships with her fellow Hood alumnae throughout her lifetime. Mary Louise Trout Haddad died Dec. 30 of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

Before her illness, Mary-Lou led a most productive life, taking a leadership role in civic and philanthropic activities in Boyertown, PA. Mary-Lou is survived by her husband Charles their 3 children and their families, and her Hood close friends Gayle Hamilton Blakeslee, Judy Moreland Granger, Anne Wilson Heuisler and Carole Jones Rogers. Charles wrote a beautiful eulogy, which is posted in our online column. Carolynne Veazey Lathrop wrote that her son was performing at his church Nov. 1, “probably the last concert of the season since it is now too cold to play outside.” Carol Wick Ericksen wrote that “we treasure our friendships from our years at Hood.

A big part of our lives.” A photo of her hole-in-one last summer is posted in the online column. Letha A. Williams died on Dec. 5 of pulmonary fibrosis.

Born Nov. 27, 1937, in Harrisburg, Letha spent most of her childhood years in DE. After living in several east coast states, she settled in CA but spent the final two decades of her life near Tucson. She was preceded in death by her only son Sean. Letha was a lifelong Episcopalian and Republican, having spent much of her life working and volunteering for her church, as well as for various campaigns.

Della Wilson Holtzapple wrote, “I traded in my organ shoes. Just couldn’t handle a ‘Zoom’ service.”

She now makes quilts and has begun her “piano repertoire with religious daily practice.” Sue Wilson Officer had emergency surgery and spent several weeks with 24/7 home care. She wrote, “It has

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Lydia Emory ’16

been an awful year, but I am still alive and doing fairly well.” Patricia Worthington Morrison died on Feb. 10, 2020, after suffering for many years with colon cancer. Born June 23, 1937, Patricia graduated from Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, PA, and attended Hood. She lived in Annapolis until she and her partner of 38 years Joseph Sidoti moved to Naples in 1988. Patricia was predeceased by one son and is survived by a daughter, another son and a grandson.

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Sally Fletcher Murray murraysfm@comcast.net Congratulations to Maryann Whitehead Scherzo on her well-deserved “2020 Excellence in Service to Hood College” award. Maryann’s decades of dedication, loyalty and support have inspired our class to stay connected to Hood and contribute generously to the College. Thank you, Maryann.

Class reporter Audrey Heyman Rooney is tied up with 3 major projects. She is planning a move in the fall from Lexington, KY, to The Summit in Lynchburg, VA, near her son. Meanwhile she is organizing the 7th annual Audrey Rooney Vocal Competition under the auspices of the Kentucky Bach Choir. The choir artistic director and Audrey review virtual auditions from all over the country. Ten finalists perform for a panel of 3 judges with the winner awarded $2000.

Audrey also is writing her 3rd book of poetry. Lu Young Kelly: “Being an octogenarian and diabetic, I’m considered ‘high risk’ during COVID so have been close to home. My almost daily treat is a walk down the big hill from my Condo to the City Park which abuts Puget Sound. I’ve done a great deal of cooking and baking for neighbors. Fran Fisher LaCroix lives 90 miles north of Seattle in short-term memory care where she is her same upbeat self.” Helen Price Ballantine: “Bob and I have been hunkered down in NJ, grateful for each other! Great grandson Parker James was born on Easter this year which has brightened the days even though we can’t see him in person. We read, go to church online, chat with friends and family and hope that we can return to some semblance of normal before long.” Avery Kimerly Burns: “Like everyone slogging through this COVID nonsense, I thank God every morn when I wake up. So now in addition to Zoom gatherings, tons of reading and computer solitaire and crosswords, what else do I do? I used to walk until the weather changed. In Nov. I reverted to pre-retirement days and am doing virtual story times, bi-weekly. Am planning on continuing as long as I can and as long as my church will have me. Haven’t had any reactions from kids, but their

In 10 words or less...

I’m an introvert. I miss people more than I expected.

What has the pandemic taught you?

–Heather Gehron-Rice ’93 Resilience is found in the most unlikely places.

–Jennifer Bunge Malme ’92

parents seem to enjoy it.” Barbara Taylor Hyde resurrected her sewing machine to make masks, got reacquainted with her Steinway, runs Zoom meetings as her church’s moderator and organizes Food4Kids—a Friday backpack program she began 5 years ago which provides non-perishable food for 60 children identified by their principals in 4 elementary schools. She took a hiatus this year from teaching skiing at nearby Mt. Snow but still skis for fun including a traditional family ski on New Year’s morning with Barb at 82 the oldest and grandson Cooper at 15 the youngest. Poppy Herndon McCarty: “2020 at our house in Amarillo, TX was pretty much like many others, limiting exposure, following protocols, staying in touch with friends & family and on New Year’s Eve we received our 1st dose of the Moderna vaccine. Even though Amarillo has been a ‘hot spot’ twice, the city did a great job of distributing the doses. We do feel blessed!” Poppy tells a funny story about ordering toilet paper online.

It took 98 days in transit from China to Korea to LA to TX! Marty Evans Marcello: “Tom and I stayed close to home for most of 2020. Did lots of reading, crossword puzzles and neighborhood walks. Our 3 daughters, son-in-law and 2 granddaughters live close by in Fryeburg, ME. They took over the shopping all last spring. Last summer we tended our flower gardens and blueberries and I continued rock climbing on the cliffs nearby. Can’t wait to be vaccinated!” Karen Nordberg Sanders: “Don and I did travel a bit but only in the US. We often travel abroad, so we could have been caught in some country with closed borders. We did visit with friends in SC and then with family in TX during October. We were about to visit our older son in Ft. Worth when he came down with COVID. We ended up holed up in a motel in Amarillo when several bad storms prevented us from going home to CO. We are still relatively healthy, with several Zoom meetings each week, so we can at least chat with some friends.” Grace Elliott: “Since I live in a MD community of 9,000 seniors, I’ve canceled my social activities like bridge and lunches out. I’ve substituted more reading and have found it very rewarding. Currently, I’m fascinated with Peter Frankopan’s The Silk Roads: A New History of the World.”

Gretchen Beckhelm in IA relieves the monotony of confinement with weekly card games/laugh-fests with her sister Babs. 78 years ago, during WWII the sisters played together in Meyran when their mom was housemother while Dr. Beckhelm, head of the music dept., served in the Navy. In VA, Don and I are buoyed by the help of family and friends, our funny little dog and the anticipation of emancipation by vaccination. Soon, I hope! Stay well.

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1961 Katharine Baum Wolpe kwolpe@gmail.com Marty Kaiser Canner plcanner39@gmail.com Anne Bierstein Grenfell has already received the COVID vaccine, since she is a teacher and hospice volunteer. She tutors, writes, crochets, reads and cares for ailing residents of her condo building. She has had several TIA episodes, but is grateful for overall good health. Shirley Garrett Haley has used the pandemic quiet time to read, talk to good friends and smile at the memories. Vivian Bruckel Harvey’s usual 3-month winter stay in Guatemala was extended by an extra 10 weeks in 2020 with the closing of the international airport in March. Vivian and her dog Sadie returned to OH in mid-June. She has not traveled since then. She hopes to attend our class reunion in June. In Jan. 2020 Jeanne Duncan Jehl and husband Joe took a short cruise to Costa Rica and Panama, where they went hiking in the jungle and snorkeling on a coral reef. On the last day, the ship lost its air conditioning. They finished the trip on a bus back to Panama City. Jeanne says they are very fortunate to see their children and a grown-up grandchild and be involved in meaningful work in the community. She and Joe long for a peaceful nation and world. Hilda Koontz continues giving lectures on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), currently using Zoom to communicate with her audience. In Feb. she will begin training as a Stephen Minister. Anita Ranaldo Miner took 2 delightful trips (CA and FL) in connection with her deacon ministry at the beginning of 2020. She has not traveled since then. She did talk by telephone to Christine Steere Lamb after Christine moved from ME to the Baltimore area. Lou Huebl Moran’s husband Bob died in 2016. We send our condolences to Lou and family. In 2018 Lou moved 6 miles from her home of 40 years to Messiah Village in Mechanicsburg, PA. Her son Ashley, daughter-inlaw Viviana, and 7-year-old grandson Brayden live less than 2 hours away. Her daughter Renee and family live in Castroville, CA. Renee’s 2 sons are in their final years of college. Lou is a member of the food committee and a helping hands committee at Messiah Village. Other 2021 goals for Lou are to exercise more, make the quilt she has had in mind for 15 years and organize her poems and musings.

Jan Dobbs Pedersen and husband Tom have gotten through the pandemic by eating chocolate, painting watercolors and Zoom, which helps them connect with their children Carrie and Paul in NJ and Katie in GA. Carrie is an editor for Princeton Univ. Press and

SPRING 2021

Katie is an architect. Jan keeps in touch with the Kindred Spirits by email. Dorothy Willis Rainwater had a difficult 2020. Two of her cousins and 4 Peace Corps friends passed away. We send our condolences. Nurses are needed so badly she has received many notices of job openings. She wonders if the senders realize she is almost 82 years old. She is tempted to apply. Carol Handwerk Reynolds and husband Al use email and regular mail to keep in touch with family and friends. They still hope to celebrate their marriage appropriately, attend our 60th reunion at Hood and travel south to visit Al’s valued places. They also look forward to spending time with grandchildren and great-granddaughters. Sandra Murphy Schmidt and husband Bob have been living happily at Charlestown Retirement Community in Baltimore County for 7.5 years. Their travels have been on hold since they canceled a Med-Cruise in Sept. 2020. “This coming year has to be better.”

Beverly Yarroll Sweetman missed celebrating Christmas at her Vermont cabin as her family usually does. One of her granddaughters had her 1st child in April and another grandchild Chelsea was married in an outdoor wedding in Sept. Katharine Baum Wolpe reports that life in NYC is completely different due to the pandemic restrictions. Katharine attends church services on Sundays and monthly Democratic Club meetings on Zoom. She missed her usual family visits at Thanksgiving and Christmas but sees her friend Philip by taking the subway to Brooklyn every week. Marty Kaiser Canner and husband Paul are thankful that the inauguration of President Biden took place without incident after the violence and threats of violence that occurred during the preceding two weeks. Judy Arenson Friedman lives 9 months in Boca Raton and returns to NYC and the Berkshires for the other 3 months.

Her 2 sons and their families all live in NYC.

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Regina Schlank Pyle reginapyle@me.com Debbie Patterson Clark: I moved from southeastern MA the end of Sept. back to central PA where I grew up. I am 10 minutes away from my youngest daughter and grandchildren; living at Phoebe Berks Village, a Continuing Care Community. Caroline Fischer Giles: We are awaiting the vaccine which will hopefully allow us more freedom in visiting family. I have joined the dining committee here at Riverwoods. Brian has reconnected with his guitar and joined a group called The River Ramblers.

Sunny Griffin: COVID has been a blessing because of Zoom. I have been in 3 plays, take ballet class, line dance and yoga, was able to be with family all

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In 10 words or less...

What has the pandemic taught you?

Community is everything, so build a community you can trust!

Barbara Maly Fish ’64 and her husband Peter

Chrysti Hogan ’86

over the country for Christmas and birthdays—all on Zoom. Rusty Papst Hougland: Each month only 1 event is on my calendar: the Literary Ladies Book Club meets, steadfastly, outdoors. However, July has 2 events. Ann Holmes Flatt and I have optimistically made reservations for a week at Three Mile Island AMC Camp on Lake Winnepesaukee, NH. Doris Dalziel Kimball: I have worried about the mentality of both Trump and his base. Belief in his fantasies astounds me. Is there a personality trait that predisposes certain people to want to believe conspiracy theories? Could we have done anything to debunk them? Penny Misirian Mardoian: I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with my son and his family in their new home in Phippsburg, ME and mine in South Bristol. An added blessing was spending 6 months with my 24-year-old grandson who was working out of my home. Kathy Morisse: Two of the things that have kept me going these past months have been having friends come and visit on my back patio (me on one end and they on the other) and having easy access to the towpath along the Potomac River. Fresh air is wonderful. Marvia Slade Perreault: I’ve adjusted to life in the pandemic—only go out for doctors’ visits (way too many), pharmacy and groceries, always being the good person by wearing a mask. Luckily, I have friends here at Mallard Landing with whom I can converse via phone. Bobbi Pretzsch: We are downsizing, selling our house and fixing up our new home in a retirement community. We canceled our ski vacation with the family in March 2020 and probably will have to cancel our Colorado ski vacation this March.

Regina Schlank Pyle: I have been under strict self-imposed “house arrest,” staying close to home and my “pod” small. Being sick doesn’t concern but the unknown long- term effects do. I have nothing about which to complain other than missing traveling. Barb Kirby Stewart: Our area of Down East ME has been “socially distancing” since last March except outside activities during the summer and fall. Meanwhile, I volunteer at our library behind a plexiglass shield, quilt, rug hook, bake, walk and do exercise DVDs. Sara “Sally” Zimmerman: I walk most afternoons in a park near my house in northeast Tampa. A paved oval path, wide enough to accommodate foot traffic defines the park’s perimeter. The few of us walking the path greet each other with friendly faces and a word or two. Liz Decker Rogers: I have had the good fortune of being able to spend time with my oldest son Matt, his wife Deepa, granddaughter Maya and grandson Kishan. I didn’t get to Granada and Matt’s family and getting into a world-wide meditation group saved my bacon!

Helen Updike: Retired 2 years ago from partnership in NYC investment management firm. Renovated a 50

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Natalie Guerra Maltais ’15

–Alyssa Eshleman ’13, MBA’17

cottage in my hometown, near my daughter Edith, her husband and my grandson. In front of my house, I’m creating a pollinator garden and mico-mini meadow, letting local wildflowers thrive behind the house. Liz Kovacs Washburn: I remember the day at Hood when candidate John Kennedy drove through in a convertible and we were ecstatic.

In 2020, I was ecstatic to see people jumping for joy when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the election. Jody Merritt Watson: The lockdown has brought us a revitalized banjo, a ukulele and an American Curl cat. He has rounded ears. We’re both upright and mobile. Let’s hope we all survive the inauguration! Judith Simonsen Ziobro: We have undertaken some home improvement projects— although spread out nicely on a calendar, they all seem to come together at the same time in real life.

Zoom and FaceTime are great, but not the same as hugs from grandkids.

(not IF) something happens, we don’t want to be two long plane rides away.’ Since Jen and husband Adrian live in the US and Linda and husband Chris live in England, we were moved to a senior living community in MI just 10 minutes from Jen and her family. It is great being close to them even if we can only see Linda on Skype. The grandkids, Connor and Leah, are all grown now. Leah is a language teacher, currently in Spain teaching English to Spanish students. Connor lives here in MI. We like our American House Senior Living community and enjoy regular visits with family. We sold our NM home and miss the weather and the friends we had there. We also sold the 32-foot RV we used for exploring and vacationing. Although I have always intended to return to Hood for another class get together, it does not look as if that is in the cards. Jim totaled our car and neither of us drives any more as insurance is too expensive.”

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1965

Barbara Maly Fish 919-475-8301 barb2fish@yahoo.com

Emily Kilby erkilby44@gmail.com

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Judie Kip Davis wrote from her new home in Arlington, VA. She and her husband moved from WA to be closer to their younger son, who is stationed at the Pentagon, and his wife Megan and children Emery, a high school senior, and Lincoln, a 5th grader.

“I am looking forward to taking them to Frederick and some of my favorite east coast places.” Their other son lives in Seattle and works for Google.

Judie now lives near the home of my daughter, so Judie and I hope to get together when the pandemic is over. Betsy Benson Walker and her husband Ben are concentrating on staying COVID-free, sane and hopeful. “Our grandchildren keep us current through FaceTime and an app-updated digital picture frame ... a graduation, a wedding, starting college, new jobs/internships, a new great grandchild. We are weathering some health challenges stoically, reading lots of good books. Ben watches YouTube programs and I work puzzles, knit, and do crewel.

Our deck, the birds and squirrels, and our ever-faithful German shepherd remain constant pleasures in this mostly homebound pandemic lifestyle.” Diane McKay Nuner and her husband Jim retired to NM from their home in NJ and spent a happy few years there enjoying the lovely weather, low cost of living and friendly people, which they found to be not that different from TX where they had lived for a while.

The Nuners were active in cave exploration, and socializing and travelling in their RV. “Then over a year ago, our daughters Linda and Jen ganged up on us. ‘You’re not getting any younger and WHEN

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Starting with news of three classmates’ deaths in 2020, none pandemic related: Judith Harding Moore died with her husband William on Dec. 4 from accidental carbon monoxide exposure in their Sabillasville, MD, home. HannahJane Hurlburt, of Greenwich, CT, passed away peacefully on Dec. 3 after a struggle with esophageal cancer. Judith Brewster Johnson, “publicist, videographer, author and bonne vivante, of North Chatham, MA, passed away on Jan. 26, in Chestnut Hill, MA, in the presence of her brother and sister-in-law, after a weekend of deep thought and conversation.” The obituaries of these three women describe creative, accomplished lives lived richly and well-loved, as seems to be the case with all members of our extraordinary class. You can read Judy Harding Moore’s and HannahJane Hurlburt’s obituaries by going to legacy.com for the Frederick-News Post and Greenwich Time listings and for Judy Johnson’s to capecodtimes.com. Like the rest of us, Kathie Cribbs Tromble and husband Bert’s life in Finksburg, MD, has been COVID-restricted, but their 4 children—a teacher, 2 lawyers and a doctor— and 9 grandchildren provide plenty of fodder for a newsy Christmas letter. Lifelong singlehood has proven to be great preparation for the pandemic for people like me and Lynn Farnell, but Lynn’s Christmas letter admitted that the solitary thing was wearing a little thin. She and her sister Jean Farnell Bednarski ’68 managed to squeeze in a “beyond wonderful” trip to Africa in March 2020, including a safari in Botswana where Lynn’s bad

Maintaining connection to other people is vital.

–Carla Jackson Hairston ’90 Technology will fail at the most inopportune time.

Rachel Krieger Murphy ’04 with her instructional assistant

–Brigid Ayer ’15, MBA’18

cold with cough prompted the authorities to send a doctor and tech in full medical gear to the Kalahari safari camp to run a COVID test on her. She was negative, and the grand adventure continued. At the end of the month, the two squeezed back to the U.S. just before the shutdown of international travel. After that, Lynn’s life has been restricted to mostly at-home activities in Natick, MA, sprinkled with a few back-and-forth sister visits. In late January Lynn traveled to Lancaster, PA, to help her sister recover from shoulder surgery. Ann Fulton Warren and Tom are yearning for some travel, too, but they’re staying comfortable and healthy in their Potomac home. Their nearby granddaughter spends some weekdays at the Warrens’ home remotely schooling, while their daughter’s oldest son is a residential student at the Univ. of Richmond, where the younger son, a high school junior in Rye, NY, has already been accepted through early admission. Ann plans to benefit from their proximity once normal social interactions resume. Fredrica “Rickey” Godshalk, MD has been enjoying her 12-acre farm in Nicholasville, KY, north of Lexington since 1985. Prior to retirement, she had taught at the Univ. of Kentucky Medical Center for 15 years.

Ricky continues to keep 3 horses but hasn’t taken any of them to dressage shows recently, which she had done on a regular basis. Rickey remembers our Hood 25th reunion fondly and reports enjoying her UMD Medical School 50th in 2019 but was disappointed to not see fellow Hood and medical-school classmate Connie Boyer Holbrook at the event.

Nancy Hoveman Schultze’s recovery from a COVID infection that put her on a ventilator for almost all of April 2020, followed by months more in the hospital and rehab, is practically a miracle story. She’s been in her Marriottsville, MD, home since early last fall assisted by round-the-clock aides and is now focusing on regaining her mobility after March 2020 spinal surgeries corrected a dangerous impingement on her lower spine. Unfortunately, the second surgery also brought her in contact with the new respiratory infection, and the post-surgical therapies got pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. In late Jan., Nancy could move around her house using a Rollator and had achieved enough self-sufficiency to spend her weekends without the aides. Progress is slow, but the neurosurgeon expects her to be able to walk a mile unassisted by Nov. 2021. Nancy is deeply grateful to her children and grandchildren, her late husband’s most cherished legacy, for their unflagging support and assistance during the pandemic year. Barbara Hyde Sands, of Reading, PA, is reliving the college experience through her brilliant granddaughter, a freshman at Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA, planning to major in astrophysics.

The beautiful campus reminds Barb of Hood. But the astrophysics!

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Dianne Beebe Barske eldibarske@gmail.com As I write this, COVID is still dominating our news and activities. Life seems somehow smaller, less varied and vibrant, as we continue with COVID concerns. I received few responses to my plea for news. Little sparks of excitement arose from those who had received their vaccinations! Page Florence Hamner, who called her news “vapid,” shared 2 things she recommended to enliven the homefront setting. She got hooked on a reality TV show, “Life Below Zero” and found herself diving into another diversion, duplicate bridge online (Bridge Base Online). A lot of us seem to have realized the blessings of the internet, Zoom and other online activities during this strange time. Susan Worth Fiala commented, “We are so thankful for the internet,” allowing her to stay in touch with friends and family. She has spent time doing needlepoint, volunteering as her church treasurer, and making ornaments for her grandchildren “and other children I love.” Grandchildren have provided joy to many of us. Pat Vozar Bailey called her grandchildren “the greatest blessing during these many months.” She’d been taking care of the youngest ones in a “safety bubble” in her home while their parents work as teachers. She adds that if it weren’t for COVID, she and her husband—known as Nonnie and Bop to the little ones—wouldn’t have this time to watch them grow. A proud bright spot is eldest grandson Tyler finishing his undergraduate degree, online, at Temple Univ., in 3 years with at 4.0 GPA. “The other 3 grandkids are all online learners as well and doing great jobs at juggling all the technology.”

Anna Buhr Cole is another happy grandmother.

“Our biggest news is that we have a grandson! His name is Ben, 3 years old in January. He is very tall for his age and a lot of fun, even if COVID keeps us distant!” Anna works online as a volunteer for the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, cataloging books.

Here, I will add our own grandparent news. Elliott and I— known as Ninah and Bunga—are awaiting the arrival of our 5th grandchild, a grandson, due any day now. We have 2 adult grandchildren and currently 2 little ones, all living here in OR. It truly is a blessing, no long plane trips to see them, as would be the case if we had stayed in AK! I want to leave the remaining column space for Ginny Wheeler Jones, who has graciously agreed to chair our Hood reunion, once again! Pat Kehoe Tylander is Ginny’s “planning helper.” With all the foggy timeline SPRING 2021

Sarah Tapscott Rosier ’15 and Owen Rosier ’16

focus caused by the pandemic, it may come as a revelation that our 55th Hood class reunion is fast approaching! Ginny reports: “Though there are still a lot of ifs, uncertainty and hope involved because of COVID, Hood still has our reunion scheduled for June 10-13, 2021. As you may know, it will be a double reunion celebrating this year’s classes plus last year’s, as their reunions were canceled. Yes, I have agreed to chair our reunion again! Surprisingly, chairing the 25th and 50th did not scare me away!”

In addition to Pat Kehoe Tylander, several other classmates have offered to help in the planning.

“We began working with Kellye Greenwald ’86 in the alumni office early in the fall. Our focus will be, as we can have classmates gather safely, to have time together to talk and catch-up as a class! In order to do that, I have requested that we have a Class of ’66 hospitality room available on campus for the weekend, where we can gather when there are no all-College events involving us going on. I do plan to have some of my Hood memorabilia on display there again! I have asked that we have tables reserved for us on Friday night at the Maryland dinner, designated by our signature yellow balloons!

Similarly, I have asked that we also have reserved tables at the all-College dinner dance on Saturday, designated by yellow flower centerpieces and perhaps our yellow balloons.” Thank you, Ginny and Pat, for all the planning you are doing for our 55th.

It’s not an easy thing to be doing with all the COVID concerns!

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1967 May Mumma Ohman May.mumma.ohman@gmail.com Pat Rosner Kearns: “I retired in Aug., sold my house of 48 years and move out Jan. 27. Son Neil postponed his wedding twice due to COVID and his bar exam. Good news! He passed the bar exam.” Pat is determined to visit her grands on the west coast. Jane Rowell Arnold works as the director of admissions at the Episcopal School in NYC. “Husband Alex and I are living in our house in Marblehead, MA. I see Lois Kievit DeWinter quite often. She outranks me with 7 grandchildren; I have just 4. I helped Barb Cummings Stacks celebrate her 75th birthday on Zoom. Don’t know when we’ll return to NYC.” Jane Huber Wallace: “This is my first communication with Hood’s 1967 class. My life has been very hectic, moving every 2 to 3 years as my husband climbed the corporate ladder. But since my husband’s unexpected death in May 1993, I have learned how to be a strong-willed independent woman. I now have a daughter (a nurse practitioner) and a son (an oncologist). I live in Chicago with

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In 10 words or less... What

has the pandemic taught you?

The importance of compassion, empathy, family, friendship and simple things.

–Susan Santora ’85 Jahtay Teh ’13

my son, and my daughter lives next door. They are taking good care of this cranky old lady. I have had MS for over 40 years. I am a firm believer in concentrating on things you can do something about and accepting those you cannot change.” Susan Bracken “is moving to the Berkshires from NC, reluctantly but enthusiastically (it’s difficult leaving Ginny Price Bracken and Brack).” She remodeled half of a 1900s farmhouse. Daughter Kate and family live in the other half. In 2004 she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and has undergone deep brain stimulation surgery to mitigate some symptoms. Come visit: 366 Park Street, PO Box 25, Housatonic, Great Barrington, MA. Johanna Van Wert Thompson: “Michael and I had COVID in early March—some of the first people in Williamsburg to contract it. We fully recovered. We had to cancel our trip to Norway. Several of our Hood classmates meet monthly on Zoom to catch up and relive our Hood experiences. [See names online].” Ann Donnalley Hamm shared news of her daughter’s wedding, her partner’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, plans to travel in 2022, and lots of great family news. A lovely long letter—read online! Kris Campbell Joyce. “BJ and I have been obeying all the directions and are finding an interesting life through Zoom. We also walk a mile each day. Son Keir cooks meals with his dad via Zoom. Daughter Tara is nearby so she visits. I am still doing my art but not teaching just now.” Gail Witham Pohl. Overseas travels were canceled but they traveled in the U.S. “It was eerie to be in DC with only a handful of cars parked in the metro lot and be the only ones in our metro car.” She sees 13 of their grandchildren regularly and still teaches a Bible study group. Judy Lehman Ballinger “Not much has transpired here. I’ve been staying home, seeing lots of people via Zoom. Does anyone else wonder how much of back-to-normal we don’t really want? (More time to relax, paint, read, walks, etc.) Susan Wadia-Ells announced the publication of her book—Busting Breast Cancer, available on Amazon, IngramSpark or bustingbreastcancer. com. Cynthia Newby: “I have to share what Ruth Conger Crespi sent me, bearing witness to the creativity of Hood art majors.” Ruth explained “The Christmas card I sent was quite simple. I painted a watercolor of trees and then photographed it on my iPhone. I edited the picture with an app called Prisma. Lastly, I printed it on my own printer on inexpensive card stock. I had ordered the envelopes on Amazon and sized the prints appropriately. I painted on the snowflakes with white watercolor paints.” Read more online. Susan Turner Hanifl: “Easter Sunday 2020 Paul and I led a sing-along for residents in our condo building. We continued every Sunday at sunset until we went north. We enjoyed 52

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Being resourceful and being content. –Amy Vaughan-Roland ’06

Meg Lee ’96

seeing our grandchildren in MN. Back to Naples FL. I had a hip replacement in Aug. and am so glad to have that pain gone.” Re: grandchildren—Earl and I—May Mumma Ohman are FINALLY going to be grandparents! Our daughter is expecting a baby girl this June!

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Sharon Burns Walsh sharon.walsh68@gmail.com COVID was raging when I reached out to classmates in Jan. for news. By the time you read the column, let’s hope all of us have been vaccinated, and our lives show promise of greater normalcy. Fellow sailor Martha Robinson Bliss has led a fascinating post-Hood life. She left Hood to live abroad in Finland. There she sailed to the former USSR; Tallinn, Estonia, and Greece with adventures “that included meeting Greek shipping magnates and 2 kings! A far cry from Frederick.” She married Henry R. Hinckley, had 3 kids and lived in ME until her divorce. She returned home to NJ where she “met the love of my life and married him (Dan Bliss).”

Dan had an 8-year-old and 5-year-old son, and Martha had an 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old twins (boy and girl), so “we ended up with twins and triplets!” They lived for over 30 years in Spring Grove, PA where she worked as a teacher’s aide in special ed, taught Jacki’s aerobic dance and did lots of sailing. In 2017, she and Dan moved to Rock Hall, MD to be near 3 of their 10 grandchildren and their Catalina 400 sailboat (which they can see from their deck). Since Ron and I enjoy sailing our boat to Rock Hall, we hope to see Martha and Dan on our next trip there. The irrepressible Betsy Kerns Perlstein wrote that “we took lemons and made lemonade!” during the COVID restrictions. “Our usual mode of travelling was out, so local motorcycle rides were all we could do. Our immediate family kept a very tight ‘bubble,’ so we upped the ante by acquiring a camper. The summer passed seeing Jules and I and our daughters’ families communing with nature. Our first forays into the camping life were to our beloved hunting and fishing club, Mink Pond. Since the clubhouse was closed, we were privileged to spend the nights, campfire cuddled and night sky bedazzled.

We caught giant trout and bass, cooked them over the fire and delighted in our good fortune...until one fateful evening. A dinner of finely marinated steaks attracted a bear and we cowered in the camper as we watched her eat our dinner! Nobody slept in their tents that night. We also camped for a week at Parvins State Park, 2 miles down our road. Hey, we were getting out! Hiking, paddle boarding and eating enough to keep my COVID 15 going. Then in

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the fall we hauled our house on wheels to Bellplaine State Park in south NJ and breathed in the smell of summer’s last gasp. I feel so fortunate that I have been able to stay safe, yet live my life to the fullest, a kind of life that might not have existed before 2020. These times were different but simpler.

There were no obligations, no rush to fit all that is on your plate into 1 day, only time to reflect on things that we otherwise are too busy to notice.”

Barbara Gerlach’s family unfortunately had 3 cases of COVID—son-in-law Scott, son Peter, and Scott’s daughter—all of whom were working during the pandemic when they became ill. Thankfully all recovered. “My answer to the pandemic has been OUTSIDE. Outside to work in my garden. Outside to hike in Rock Creek Park. Outside for distanced walks and backyard dinners with my family. Outside for masked conversations with neighbors. Outside to stand vigil for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, to march for Black Lives Matter.” She is grateful for her safe home, nearby children and grandchildren, Zoom time with family and friends, writing and art to channel her creative energy, and a new president and vice president. She reports that she and Sue Warsaw Stinson have been “walking and talking” together every few months since the midterm elections and through the presidential election and the GA run-off. Sue has been very active in Greensboro, NC. Like Barbara and Sue, I participated in Black Lives Matter demonstrations and worked at the local Democratic HQ for a couple months before the election. I have stayed busy with volunteer work for our local historical society and also transcribing handwritten historical documents for the Nabb Center at Salisbury Univ. When warm weather returns, Ron and I look forward to exploring local waters in our kayaks and getting back to sailing on the Choptank River and Chesapeake Bay. More than anything, we want to go visit our two grandchildren in Germany!

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1969 Sayre Rooney Steere sayre1126@gmail.com Virginia Monaco Hatfield was first to check in with the news of the birth of her 1st grandchild, Lina Sam Benhain, on Aug. 4—the “one bright spot in 2020” she claims. Ginny and her husband live nearby to their daughter, so they get to help out with Lina on a daily basis. Our condolences go to Pat Warren Carlson who lost her husband of 36 years in early Nov. He died peacefully at home which was a blessing. Pat had robotic surgery 5 days later to remove a small nodule from her lung. Surgery was successful and all is clear. One encouraging note was pur-

Kevin Johnson ’12, MBA’15

Blaine Daisey Jr. ’17

chasing a summer home in Lewes Beach, DE and furnishing it almost entirely online. Pat is thankful for a supportive blended family and granddaughters who continually delight. Christy Lundt Lambertus has been able to continue work from her office (with an assistant), staying in touch with clients by email, phone, etc. She has kept her husband home (house arrest) because “his immune system stinks.” Marty Silcox Hankins did lots of FaceTime and Zoom with her kids and grandkids over the holidays. Her pottery business (shilohpottery.com) continues to flourish despite the pandemic. She keeps in touch with Lila Wisotzki, Susan Basford, Donna Holst Carr, Sue Korff Hammer, Linda Isreal Lamm, Susan Taylor Shoch, Sue Barncord Rinker, JoAnn McManamy and Penney Weatherby Brown on Facebook. Jill Stanley reports that she and Adam are healthy, so far. She was grateful her daughter and family, including 2 grandsons, stopped by to see them in IN on Father’s Day, as they relocated to Portland, OR. Jill and Adam are on the Board of the National Square Dance Convention in IN and have missed dancing in recent months. But she has seen fellow dancer, Betsy Seele Gotta, several times on the dancing circuit. Esther Kofod Whitfield reminds us that her book, The Libyan, in which Hood plays a small part, is still available. She actually gave me a copy; it’s quite compelling and I highly recommend it. Pat Etzel Parker is looking forward to her daughter Maia’s wedding at her home in mid-Sept.

“Something to think about in these troubled times.”

Barb Sims is on Zoom for weekly chats with friends and chorale rehearsals and enjoys streaming various programs and concerts. The silver COVID lining for Susie Holzmann Richardson is that she, Linda Richards McKnight Hoover and Susie Lawrence have been talking weekly. She’s amazed by the power of connecting with each other and the deep roots of their friendship. Carole Downing Staton and Roy finally got to visit with daughter Jennifer and family (grandchildren 9 and 3.5) over Christmas.

Son Andrew returned to Hill AFB in Salt Lake City from his latest deployment to UAE on Thanksgiving.

Son Eric lives nearby. The Statons “very quietly” celebrated their 50th anniversary in Oct. Chris Diehl is completing her final semester of teaching online at Southern Connecticut Univ. Dave and I, Sayre Roney Steere, rejoiced in Oct. when, after 2 daughters and 3 granddaughters (ages 16, 14 and 12) we finally got a boy! Orin Clarke Nester was born to our youngest—the one who got married in July 2019. We were on hand for his birth as well as the 1st week of his life, helping out as best we could.

Since then, visits have been few and far between.

Eternally grateful for Zoom. Meanwhile Dave and I take daily hikes along the beautiful trails here in our

William Haller ’14 and Megan Cevallos Haller ’14

Elaheh Eghbal ’13 and Bre Carbaugh ’13, M.A.’16, C’16

neighborhood. I also exercise online, plug away at stitching projects and “puzzle.”

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Marj Menchy Berkheimer mench49@gmail.com Hello Class of ’70. 2020 was definitely a year we won’t forget. I hope you and your families stayed safe and that better days are ahead for all of us.

Nancy Schneider Alder, in Gettysburg, PA, was able to foster 25 kittens in 2020. Luckily Nancy was also able to visit with her daughters and 7 grandchildren during the pandemic. Peggy Muncie’s main objective was to keep safe and healthy in Greenville SC. She and Stephen broke out of their COVID bubble and drove to Miami to visit grandson Bradley for Christmas fun. Ellen Sacks,in Brooklyn, NY, is not retired. Her law offices closed March 13 and she has been learning about virtual court appearances from her 3rd floor home office!

Son William ’09, moved from down the street to Albuquerque, NM. If you know Ellen and Hank, you’d know that cooking for and feeding others is a big part of their lives especially at holidays. Needless to say, that was quite limited this year. Betsy Houghton Fulmer, in Maitland FL, was initially in the class of ’71 but graduated with us in ’70. She’s excited that both classes will celebrate our 50th reunion together in June. Betsy is a descendent of Susan B. Anthony and because last year was the 100th anniversary of voting rights she kept busy doing virtual appearances in the costume and persona of Cousin “Susie B.” COVID cases in assisted living facilities caused Betsy to bring her 35-year-old daughter home to live which was a major life change. Hopefully, this can improve as we get the population vaccinated. Mary Ryan Reeves “aka Sam,” in Frederick, has been spending her time creatively during Pandemica designing scarves, posting her art for sale on FineArtAmerica.com and crafting illustrations for a 2nd children’s book. She has illustrated Sarah and the Dragons by Michael Stern, Claire, the little girl who climbed to the top and changed the way women dress by Debbie Scalas Glokas. Both of these books are available from Amazon. And she also is designing a coloring book, Claire’s Closet. Claire is Claire McCardell, a Frederick native and a student at Hood for 2 years. Donna Newman from Atlanta, GA: Since pre-Thanksgiving, Donna has been dealing with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Slugging through semi-weekly chemo treatments and then having another scan to check on the tumor sizes. Donna no longer can digest food and must rely on a PICC line. She good naturedly reports that ice cream is her go-to treat. I hope you SPRING 2021

Tim Sylvia ’19

Maddy Collins ’19

enjoy every possible flavor that you can, Donna!

She says she is trying to keep an upbeat attitude and will gladly accept prayers coming her way. We will be doing that and sending love too. Linda Allan writes: “we got a contract on our house in Rehoboth Beach and drove up from Naples to purge and pack for a March 15 settlement. After that date, I will be in FL full time. I just want to give a shout out to all of our classmates regarding their contributions to our Class 50th Reunion gift to Hood. We set a high standard for future classes to reach! True to form, Class of ’70 will be having our 50th celebration in our 51st year, if all stays on track with Hood’s response to COVID, which has been stellar since this pandemic started. I hope all of our classmates will try to make the reunion because, after hibernating for many months, we need a good party! After all, we are all eligible for the vaccine due to our age no matter how young our minds and hearts may be.”

From me, Marj Menchey Berkheimer in Frederick MD: I’ve repurposed some of my in-person volunteer work into writing many cards for senior citizens and shut-ins. I joined the Frederick Rotary Club in the fall and have enjoyed getting to know new friends and new ways to serve our community. We carefully visited with friends outside, always wore our masks, followed the rules of protecting ourselves and others, yet succumbed to the virus on December 20. We are blessedly doing fine and look forward to getting vaccinated soon. KEEP SAFE! And see you in June!

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1971 Mary McMunigal Burland mburl5@verizon.net Welcome class of ’71 to 2021! Although it’s hard to believe, in June we’ll be celebrating our 50th Reunion. In 1971 when we graduated, most of us were 21, and now in 2021 we are 71. The years in between have flown by, and in June we’ll be one of two reunion classes to march into the Alumni Luncheon. Reunion Weekend is a time to reminisce about our years at Hood, to renew our friendships with classmates we haven’t seen in many years, and to celebrate this milestone anniversary with those who share our memories of Hood. While we are aware of the possibility that our reunion may not take place this year, I hope that you are making tentative plans to be in Frederick to celebrate this special anniversary with those who shared your years at Hood. Cynthia Liebig Allen and Lynn Patterson Jacobs have been busy planning a memorable weekend for us by adding a “touch of ’71” to the traditional reunion events. Edith Purdie and I have contacted many of you to encourage you

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In 10 words or less...

What has the pandemic taught you?

Saturday night Zoom + Coblentz crew (Mary Beth too) = sanity –Kimberly Tordoff Sexton ’89

Melanie Jacobs Srivisal ’99

to make a generous contribution toward our 50th reunion gift. Our memories of our years at Hood are in part the result of gifts made by those who attended before us. Now it is our turn to contribute so current students can have memories that only a Hood education can give. We know we can count on you! Sadly, there are classmates we have been unable to contact as Hood does not have current phone numbers and/or email addresses for you. If you haven’t heard from us, this may be the reason.

We urge you to notify the college via alumoffice@ hood.edu to update your info so that we will be able to speak with you. In the coming months you’ll be receiving more information about our reunion from the College and from Cynthia, Lynn, Edith and me. In addition, there is a Facebook group page for “Hood College Class of 1971” where important info will be shared. Please check out this page and become a member of our group. Finally, the most important part of any reunion is the people who attend. We are having a great time planning, but the very best thing will be seeing YOU back on campus during the weekend of June 11-13, 2021 to enjoy our “place in the sun in ’21!”

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Carol Schlosnagle Bradford cbradford043@gmail.com Cynthia Clifford cynthiaclifford999@gmail.com Ann Francis Phillips writes that with travel out of the question and planning future trips almost impossible, she’s doing more cooking from scratch and revisiting bread recipes she hasn’t made in 40 years. She adds that one benefit of isolation is picking up the phone and surprising an old friend with a chat—and she’s looking forward to more surprise calls as we get closer to our 50th reunion. Becky Riehl has become a huge duplicate bridge player— and fortunately the Villages Duplicate Club has set up all their games online so she can play daily. She also spends time outside playing golf—in this time of pandemic, they use their own golf carts instead of riding with others. Becky’s also secretary of a boat club and enjoys exploring central FL’s chains of lakes in her own pontoon boat. Marti Murray Robinson is completing her 2-year spiritual direction program through the Haden Institute in Ashville, NC. She continues to study Jungian psychology through online seminars and courses. If the coast is clear, she’ll fly to Lisbon, Portugal this fall for a Jungian study/travel program. She keeps in touch with Pat Kidd ’74, Deborah Kohler ’74, Carol Crawford Heffler and Connie Meek ’69. She reminds us to all look forward to our 50th reunion in 2022. Janice 54

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Williams Martin writes that she and Al miss seeing their sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren in CO and MS, and meanwhile consider Zoom a real blessing. Al continues to volunteer with Meals on Wheels, very carefully, while Janice is at last finding the time to compile scrapbooks. They optimistically hope to visit family in person in 2021. We (Cynthia and Carol) continue to enjoy sharing the class reporter role—and would especially like to hear from some of you who haven’t written before. Meanwhile, be safe and be healthy.

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1973 Leslie Hawkins hawkins.leslie.a@gmail.com Peggy Weinbeck says it took her several tries but moving to VA Beach has finally taught her to retire, taking advantage of her time there to get exercise outside and at recreation centers, the beauty of the beach and Chesapeake Bay. She’s on the auxillary board for Sentara VA General Hospital, doing work from home for their membership committee. Beth Layfield Law lives about 20 minutes away so she looks forward to getting together for dinners after the pandemic, as well as enjoying all the amenities of the area that have been curtailed. She has creative dinners with daughter Lindsay, like lunch in their cars parked next to each other, while her son Matthew in CA checks in with her daily.

Jill Schonek Pollard says the “Shriner Shiners” (Alicia Parlatore, Toni Lucia, Jill Schonek, Sherry Bronski, Patt Henry, Patti Suydam and Sally Parkhurst Van Why) have had mini reunions most years, but this year turned to mini-Zooms, starting out with updates, then a topic, which included which class you wish you’d taken and favorite memories at Hood, and contacting a long-lost classmate and telling the group her life since Hood. Jill is living in Sarasota and would love to get together with other Hoodlum living nearby or visiting. Sally Parkhurst Van Why was saddened by the death of her 4-year roommate, Kathy Nixdorf Wilson in August. So many memories came up as she sent Kathy photos in her final months of their fun years at Hood.

Since then she and Kathy’s husband Bill have been touched by the donations to the ParkDorff Award in her memory, and she recalled that when they started it, there was no award for early childhood education majors. They planned it in their Shriner room and have given annually since 1974. Kathy’s memory lives on with this award. Charlie Miller Ponticelli writes that she is flunking retirement, as she was persuaded by Senate staff to accept an appointment to the “Independent Mexico Labor Board” created by USMCA (formerly NAFTA), on top

THE MAGA ZINE OF HOOD COLLEGE

SPRING 2021

Amanda Tapscott ’19

of her work since 2013 for American Committees on Foreign Relations. She also excitedly announced that she and Tony will finally be grandparents as son Mike and his wife Whitney are expecting a baby girl!

Janis Wilson Polastre writes that she and Bob are spending time in the surrounding state parks and have a vegetable garden supplemented by a weekly farmer’s market and a local CSA, so they’re freezing many fruits and vegetables. They had their first dose of COVID vaccine at a pharmacy clinic and are seeing their children and grandchildren on FaceTime. As for me, life has been fairly quiet in our COVID world, although I finally got out of town in Oct. for a hiking club trip to Flagstaff, AZ. It was great to be hiking in the mountains, with the cottonwood leaves turned to gold among the pines. Hiking and daily walks in Tucson’s beautiful fall and winter weather has been lifesaving during this isolation. Please stay safe, and keep the news coming!

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Pat Kidd pat.kidd@hotmail.com As we roll into the spring, it appears that many of us are hunkering down, just waiting for that shot in the arm and all the possibilities that reopen. This has certainly been a challenging year and, speaking for myself, I’ve had to come to terms with being one of the “young old” now. Never thought of myself as vulnerable before! Just a few classmates have reported in. This from Elizabeth Guertler Godfrey, who was lucky to escape to the south: My family made it through okay so far. Luckily, I have solitary habits, especially reading and hiking with my dog—although I did have to take up knitting to stave off boredom.

After much deliberation, my husband and I decided to take our RV to FL for the winter as usual. We figured it’s easier to play outside when it’s warm and just as easy to isolate. So, we are presently camped just north of Flagler Beach and we’ll stay put here until March, rather than adventuring around. Since the local Publix grocery store is handling the COVID vaccines here, we lucked into getting scheduled for ours. There are some advantages to getting older!

Good vibes to all for a better year. Beth Rittenhouse reports: Our daughters and their husbands were with us for a few days over Christmas. Otherwise, life remains simple, inside and away from mask-less people. Dot Files says snow in central TX is about as exciting as the news here gets. Vaccines are in short supply. Hopefully by the time this goes to print, we’ll at least be on a list. Until then, we spend lots of time hanging out at home. Eben and I are basically healthy, with minor aches that come from working around the house and land.

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Your Hood friends can help you through anything!

–Christine Butler Carlson ’90 Patience, gratitude, perseverance and how to run Zoom game nights!

–Lori Acree Ropp ’90, P’24

1975 Debbie Page Rath dp95942@aol.com Jan Vasa Di Beneditto’s husband officially retired last year, and they moved from MD to Southbury, CT just before the COVID outbreak! They’re not as active as they would like to be but manage to spend some time with their daughter and granddaughter, who keep them busy. Jan joined a community choral group that practiced outdoors, masked up and taped selections for local distribution before the holidays. Other than that, they have been focused on their new home. Dory Barrows Smith and her husband Steve were able to take a trip last March to New Zealand. It was well worth the 13.5-hour flight. The 2 islands had everything from glaciers to rainforest, geothermal springs to lots of sheep. They realized how lucky they were upon their return to quarantine and lockdown and grateful they had a trip to look back on as the year wore on. They miss their 3-year-old grandson. Zoom is a godsend but doesn’t replace the in-person visits as he changes so much. Their focus has been house projects, eating and exercise to reverse the eating! She sends best wishes and a happy 2021 to all. Barbara Baird Rogers and Jim took advantage of COVID and put their house on the market in late May. Surprising to them, it did sell which left them scurrying to buy a new house. They ended up right around the corner in a pretty house that is more cozy, less expensive in every way to maintain and they love it. Jim and Barb are so amazed and thrilled that this year also brought them an 8th grandchild, Asher James Rogers. His birth was very traumatic since their daughter-in-law Veronica almost died giving birth.

She had a massive clot spanning both lungs and others in her legs. An emergency C-section resulted in, most thankfully, a healthy baby. After 12 days in the ICU, Veronica finally began to recover and is just now home and totally clot free. They are so thankful!

Barb will conclude her 3rd year as president of The National Society of the Colonial Dames in America in the Commonwealth of PA) this May. It’s a heredity-based women’s social service organization that emphasizes preservation, patriotic service and educating underserved children about (pre-1776) colonial times. She enjoys that Deedee Gustafson Dohan and her husband Andy live nearby, and they keep up with Sandra Barrett Copenhaver ’76 and her husband Chad who live in SC, and Mary Aurand Brown (in MI) texts Barb every time she sees Marcia Coyle ’73 on PBS NewsHour! Rhea Bel-Jon Calkins and Steven, like many, have been living an isolated life; they have seen no friends or

Rosemary Reardon Keibel ’78

family since March, get home deliveries and keep out of town other than once every week or so for money and mail. Unfortunately, as cautious as they are in their personal lives, her work with the girls and their scholarships exposes her to 80+ girls a day, so she was so very thankful that she and Steven hit the proverbial lottery and got their first vaccines at the end of Jan. She knows it will still be a long time before they can go without masks and social distancing, but Rhea cannot tell us how liberated they both feel. Her BFF Margery Berringer-Schuran and her husband Horst also got their shots, so they will have someone to visit and hug soon. Despite all the bad news about how tough it is to get vaccinated, please keep trying. Be safe until then! Kathy Keiser Ferris wanted to let us know that Heidi Chesley Sandberg passed away last Aug. from complications of cancer. Kathy misses her friendship and sense of humor. Kathy quit her long-time genetic counseling job last March and is now working from home part-time for a medical utilization management company. She doesn’t miss the long days and DC beltway commutes but didn’t expect to be spending so much time at home. Kathy keeps sane with Zoom and telephone calls, fire pit gatherings in her backyard, too much baking, and lots of hiking and walking. I’m sitting here writing this in our house with no electricity due a winter storm. I’ve registered for my COVID vaccine however I have no idea when it will happen. I also adopted a kitten Katie from our local Humane Society; she has kept me company and provided me with the much-needed companionship. Hope everyone in our class stays healthy and safe.

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Nancy Ludwick Warrenfeltz nlwfeltz@hotmail.com Anne Fairweather Harper reports that thankfully, all is well in sunny Santa Ana, CA. Due to COVID she hasn’t done any traveling since March 2020 but was very fortunate to have memories of a wonderful year of travel in 2019. When Anne needs an escape, she looks at her photos of Europe and Africa, two trips that left an indelible mark on her life. She is looking forward to when she feels safe getting on a plane again. Anne enjoys keeping up with Hood friends on Facebook. It’s fun to share the experiences of our current lives. Kurt Holter and Libby Crouter Holter were lucky to take a cruise in Feb. before the pandemic hit. They both retired in 2020, just in time. After 44 years in the business, Kurt is now a casual amateur photographer once again. Libby worked for Frederick Health as an RN for 30+ years.

They spend time in Ohio visiting their son Colin, SPRING 2021

Kelsey Gage Staggers ’05 and Amanda Reinken ’06

daughter-in-law Jessica and grandson Campbell, who will be 2 years old in April. The Holters hope to visit son Andy in Chicago as soon as possible.

They are looking forward to returning to Hood and catching up with classmates! Torie Hoveman Seeger doesn’t have much news since COVID has taken over most of her plans. She and Geoff were to go to Iceland, but that has been postponed—to when, they aren’t sure. They had planned to start re-doing their den in early 2021 but did it last year because they had the time and nowhere to go!

They love it and have been enjoying it ever since!

The Seegers’ son Ben was to be married last April, but that didn’t happen. The wedding will be this April (with just family attending) and their reception will be delayed until there is a better handle on the COVID issue. They are reading a lot and Torie has taken up knitting again. The house is cleaner than it’s ever been (including the basement)! The worst is not seeing the grandkids as often as they are used to. The oldest texts Grandpa, so they do stay in touch. It was definitely a year of firsts for Craig and Barb Woolmington Smith. They moved to their new home in western NC (that they designed and built).

They quarantined, and landscaped, planted, seeded and mulched the yard that had been a construction zone. They said goodbye to Craig’s 89-year-old mother after a very short illness. They cleaned out her home and assisted living apartment, going through 5 decades of memories. They saw their son Harrison get engaged to his lovely girlfriend. They enjoyed Christmas with Harrison who flew out from Los Angeles for 3 weeks. Barb and Craig sent their sweet kitty Peepers to heaven after 18 long years.

Larry and I canceled trips just like everyone else in 2020. We were able to see all of our grandkids, which made the year better. Larry’s mother passed away on Dec. 15. She was 90 years old and enjoyed a wonderful life. I hope everyone is planning to attend our 45th reunion in June 2021. Please email me your Hood news. I will include it in the next publication. Thanks!

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1977 Liz Anderson Comer ecomer@eacarchaeology.com Ann Kowitski Barber is happy to announce that granddaughter Anna Elizabeth arrived Sept. 24 to the delight of her parents and brother Jack, 2! Ann loves seeing them as they live close. “Retirement is sometime in the future, but hard to believe I’ve made it to Medicare age!” Denise Swan Isacson retired after almost 42 years at Delta and a generous package to entice senior flight attendants to leave! She is spending time on Hilton Head and

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POINT OF VIEW

I Found Freedom in Chaos How 2020 Made Me Feel Free

by Lanee Higgins ’14 The year 2020 shattered our sense of normalcy. The events of 2020—the global pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, the presidential election—challenged who we are. In the 2020 chaos, I found freedom.

In 2020, I vowed to never silence myself again. Being a Black woman in America, I’ve internalized so much of the racism that I have experienced. In 2020, I began unpacking that hurt and embracing myself openly and loudly in every aspect of my life. I’ve lived with this internal pain since my white teacher put her hands on my afro puffs when I was eight years old. Two decades of self-hate and silence were undone in 2020. It’s freeing to feel that my voice matters—that I can breathe, sing, laugh, rejoice, speak. I can say “No.” The vow that I made to myself set the tone for the rest of my 2020. And I will be heard because as our Vice President Kamala Harris said, “I’m speaking.”

2020 led to one of my best years as an educator. Buried under the sadness of being unable to teach my students in my classroom I found my creativity in discovering new ways to connect. I’ve gained the freedom to cut ties with my curriculum and to connect to the hearts of my students. My 50-minute synchronous language arts class is a place for my students to laugh, share and connect. For 50 minutes they don’t feel the weight of the world when we’re having discussions, reading articles, and sharing stories, ideas and opinions. I may not be able to tell you if my students mastered state standards, but I can tell you how they are coping with the pandemic. Which one is more important? The answer to that question renewed my purpose as an educator. When I return to the classroom, I return a better educator. I know that I will have to return to enforced curricular expectations, testing and standards, but I will carry with me my students’ lessons of humanity and resilience.

2020 presented opportunities for my business, Winsults— the dangerously fun insult card game that my husband and I created in 2019. The pandemic presented a challenge for us as a new business, but when I found my voice, Winsults found its wings.

Who you are as a person impacts your business. I couldn’t convince others to believe in Winsults if I could not believe in myself. I pitched Winsults to media outlets, networked with others in the gaming industry, and entered various contests.

Winsults has been featured on news segments and in holiday gift guides nationwide. It was featured in The Baltimore Times and Washington Informer newspapers. It won a radio contest and had an ad played on Mix 106.5 Baltimore. I taught the hosts of Good Day Philadelphia how to play on live TV and recently won $15,000 pitching it to recording artist 2 Chainz. None of this would have been possible if I did not find my voice.

Though 2020 was a difficult, chaotic year, it gave me freedom to grow, to thrive and to be human.

In 10 words or less...

What has the pandemic taught you?

Love extra time with my kids, but hate teaching them!

Elias Nicholson ’19 and Brielle Rozmus ’19

–Michele Collett Gary ’99

in Stockholm, Sweden. “Liv (28) is living in our little condo in Stockholm and working for a company that provides data to corporate and residential landlords. She’s currently working from home like almost everyone else and manages quite well. My stepdaughter Jonina and her husband Jacob and their 2 daughters, Iris (5) and Viola (3) live nearby.

So, the sisters get to see each other often. When I’m in the US, I try to visit my mother (96) in NJ as often as possible. Since Mom’s still willing to travel, I flew up to accompany her back to Hilton Head to spend Thanksgiving with me (and our beloved pup Sydney).” Kas Kluth Rohm and husband Greg are both enjoying retirement! “Greg and I have been married for 44 years now (our small wedding took place the Jan. before we all graduated from Hood), and we’re both wondering where the time went.

We now have 3 grandsons who live nearby and are doing their best to keep us on our toes. Life is good and treating us well, and for that I am always grateful!” Kathleen Weslock sends greetings from Bainbridge Island. She accepted new job with Avalara, has a new partner Bill Rossman and a new dog Seth! Sons David and Derrick also moved to the west coast, LA and San Diego, respectively. “Bainbridge Island reminds us of the tranquility of PA, the beauty of the Finger Lakes and Southport, CT. We are on Puget Sound but surrounded by cedars and wildlife. My dearest friend, Susan Berg, gave me the book ‘Where did you go, Bernadette?’ to read before I left: I had seen the movie, but not read the book. It absolutely gets this area and if you have a chance to read or see it it is a complete scream. And, it is true: blackberry bushes are ubiquitous. Don’t cut them down. Another one of my favorite books ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’: the air smells of pines, cedar and freshness, every day. There is a stillness to this island that I haven’t experienced since childhood.

We are happy. The ferries remind me of the Greek ferries to the islands, so it is not a bad way to commute. And, we get to see pods of orcas swimming alongside the ferries. I just put an offer into a home that was originally built in 1905: another statuesque lady that has been ignored for years. She has been in the same family since her “birth” and needs a lot of TLC, which, if all goes as planned, I shall give to her. The seafood/fish here revolves around salmon, halibut, Dungeness crab and some kind of clam that is quite large. I committed to writing a song that goes along the lines of Paul Simon’s 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover and, change the lyrics to 50 Ways to Cook a Salmon. More on that as it evolves.”

Needless to say, the Comer wings have been clipped. Doug hasn’t been on a plane since March.

April Street Der ’08

I think he spends as much time on Zoom as he used to spend in the air. The Museum of the Ironworker in Catoctin Furnace remains closed (as a ca. 1820 worker house, it is too small to safely open to the public) but I did receive an NEH grant to develop something I call NAV touring (Not Actually Virtual).

A guide (located offsite) can provide a guided tour for you via Wi-Fi, remote control lights, doors, etc.

Conversely, a guide on site can provide a tour while you sit safely on your sofa at home. Hopefully it will be obsolete soon! Anne just began the MA program at The New School for Social Research in Anthropology of Design. Jacob moved to NYC (just as everyone else was leaving) and loves the city.

Margaret adores Tallinn and while the university has her teaching remotely, Estonia is still in much better shape than the US! Stay safe and well!

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Debbie Thackston deborah.thackston@gmail.com Mary Marburger Hoffman shared, “The ability to work and teach remotely, and a son at home to run the farm in MD, has allowed my husband and me to spend the fall and winter at our home in ME. It is a blessing to be here. Shortly after COVID shut down businesses and in-person activities in MD, at the encouragement of my students, I began virtual piano teaching. Learning new tech skills and adapting to virtual platforms has blessed me by stretching my mind and energizing my teaching. It was a blessing to have our youngest son complete college, graduate from the dining room table, and commission into the USAF at a small group ceremony. Eldest son returned home from a job in the islands before the country shut down. Virtual platforms have allowed us to stay in touch with all the boys. The nonprofit camp, which I am volunteer executive director of, located in northern NY, was not able to offer in-person courses; but, we developed and produced a virtual, free, water-based STEM camp program. Students from around the country participated and loved it!”

Betsy Ditto Lillard, Donna Peterson, Lynda Pfeifer Sexton, Titi Hiers Conley ’80, Wendy Herrick Mahan ’80, Jackie Esposito Waters ’80 and I have had some delightful Zoom catch-ups. While I look forward to a return of normalcy, I am thankful for the opportunities, lessons and blessings I have had.

Similar to Mary, I (Debbie Eaton Thackston) forced myself to count the blessings I did have during the COVID shut down and quarantine. My daughter delivered her 3rd baby boy on March 28, 2021. I was able to help her with meals, childcare and virtual

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Marcea Horton Cotter ’82

learning for her kindergartener last spring. For this school year, we felt that in-person learning from a former 1st grade teacher/reading teacher was a better plan for his instruction, so I gathered materials and resources spent the fall and winter engrossed in chapter books and topics of his interest!

While I look forward to the days ahead when I can “go back to retirement,” I know that we will never forget this year and the closeness it has brought us all. Malia Harrison Anderson writes, “2020 is one for the books! Everything turned into COVID style— holidays, birthdays, weddings, graduations, etc.

I’ve enjoyed the extra time with my bubble family and have been blessed to still see my grandson.

It’s been difficult not being able to see my sisters, their families and my bestie on the Eastern Shore.

My oldest son Jason and my niece are planning the Harrison Christmas party hopefully to be held at our Christmas in July party—steamed crabs and Santa hats required!” Wanda Munsey Juraschek shared, “My younger sister, who is multiply handicapped, has been living with me since mid-March when her residential school sent students home as a safety precaution. We hadn’t spent this much concentrated time together since we were kids, so it’s been a joy to deepen our bond.” Jill Tuttle Lee reports, “I ended up watching my 2 grandsons 1 day a week to give my daughter a break. We ended up having the best time hanging out, filling bird feeders, doing arts and crafts, and more!” Gini Allen Natter was lucky to stay in “a bubble” with her daughter and her family even though they live 9 hours away. She spends much of her time each week providing care to her elderly dad so staying in a bubble is most important. Other than that golf, beach walks and bike rides take up their time. Pam Yocom Harrison shared that she organized and decluttered her house after 25 years as a way of staying active and productive every day. She discovered many packedaway memories that were a joy to revisit. Many from her Hood days! She also enjoyed having one of her daughters at home for an extended time which might never have happened if not for the pandemic.

Betsey Ditto Lillard announced that both she and her husband are retired and staying safe at home as much as possible. Lots of walks and hiking with their dog. Her daughter lost her job due to COVID and is struggling but is engaged to be married soon.

Their son is doing okay teaching at a college, his partner is also a college professor. She reports, “Our hearts ache for so many who are heartbroken with loss and struggling to cope.”

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In 10 words or less...

What has the pandemic taught you?

Very few things really matter in life.

Lynn Booth Long ’84

Jill Wood Tallman ’81

Liz Bastian Chapin busybethc@aol.com

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1983

Last year many of us celebrated a milestone birthday quietly. We continue to live in our bubbles and look forward to hugs with friends and family in the near future. The year 2020 brought much joy to Susie Hiles Giallonardo and husband Mark as they welcomed 2 grandchildren! In June, their son and wife of Pittsburgh had a little boy Carter. Their daughter and husband of Chandler, AZ also gave birth to a son Will in Nov. Susie loves being “Grammie” and travels when she can for her baby-love fix! She and Mark have lived in FL for 10 years and currently reside in Coral Gables. Shelley Aloi is back at Hood in the doctoral program, DOL 2023, for organizational leadership. Joy Miller Beveridge has been working remotely since March 2020 and enjoys the flexibility it affords her during the workday. She swims a few days a week at Hood’s pool! The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research continues to support many pandemic-related activities while continuing its support to cancer and other infectious diseases. Joy and Don had a wonderful holiday season with a road trip to AZ to be with the Beveridge family pod. Quality time was spent with “grand-joys” Lydia and Annabeth, who are growing up way too fast. As a member of the Alum Executive Board and co-chair of the Board of Associates, she is missing engagements that normally would occur on campus. Hopefully campus activities and events will resume again soon. Ellen Yodzis Patton celebrated the birth of grandkids #7 and #8 in fall 2020! Brooke Willow Patton was born in AK; Hurley Mark Patton was born in NYC. Ellen and Mark were lucky to meet both babies after COVID testing and quarantining on both sides of traveling. During their east coast visit they met up with Bambi Maitland Grundwerg for coffee and virtual hugs. Ellen and Mark are looking forward to another grandchild later this year! Bambi has kept in touch virtually with other Coblentz pals, noting most of them had to downsize plans to celebrate the big 6-0 in 2020. Amongst the warmth of outdoor heaters and fire pits in early Jan., Lisa Bodamer Kida, Donna Trumball Milewski and Liz Bastian Chapin surprised Gretchen Steinmetz Keith for her 60th birthday celebration! Liz continues to work remotely. Despite uncertain times and evolving travel restrictions, days are steady managing future trips and rescheduling travel plans for clients. Fortunate for Liz and husband Chip, their pandemic bubble includes their 2 sons, who live in close proximity.

Thank you to all who shared news and hope to hear

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–Betty Mengistu Betre ’03

from more classmates in the future. Stay safe and be well!

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Andrea Malone Redden ’85

Mary Townley hoodmlt@aol.com I must apologize for missing the last edition of the Hood magazine. The past year has been challenging as I care for my dad and I missed the last deadline.

But here we are in 2021, and I have heard from a couple of classmates. Shelley Wagar: “I retired in May 2019. Dave and I moved to SC later that month.

Dave and I were married in our backyard a few weeks later! We are much closer to my daughter, son-in-law and our now 2-year-old granddaughter Maddie. Life is wonderful in the south and it was the best decision. We have done some camping and when school isn’t virtual, I have been doing some substitute teaching. Like everyone else, we are awaiting an end to the pandemic and then will hit the road with our truck camper and explore.” Lee Ann Near Aikens: “God has been so good to us throughout 2020 and continues to in 2021. Ron and I continue to have the honor to take care of our veterans at the VA hospital. Ron plans to retire March 2021, but I will continue on part-time which I enjoy.

These days I’m blessed to spend time with my 89-year-old father in MD and 88-year-old mother in WV, both still live independently, Mother with her chickens, dogs and cats. In 2020, we gained a wonderful son-in-law Steve. Even though the wedding was postponed 3 months, Victoria was a beautiful bride and all had a great time. Our son Jordan is into his 3rd year of med school and doing quite well. Even during COVID, he has had a lot of hands on with surgeries and regular patient treatment.”

I have been in touch with Deborah Single Hays who moved with her husband to Iowa City last May. She says that they love the area—great neighbors, restaurants and that the city is quite walkable. Her eldest son Mathew is working as a mechanical engineer in OH but is hoping to find a new job closer to DC. Her younger son Timothy is studying engineering at Rice Univ. While in ME this past fall, I met up with Ann Kitson Snook. Her brother moved to a town not too far from where my dad lives. Ann and I spent several hours walking the beach and exploring the pretty town of Bristol. As I mentioned, my life has been different over the last year. I have been spending most of my time caring for my 87-year-old father in ME. He has several serious health issues and only wants assistance from me or my brother.

I get home to Richmond every few months for a couple of weeks. My wife Carol has been working

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SPRING 2021

from home since March 2020. Sadly, she lost her father this past Jan. and then she contracted COVID. Fortunately, her case was not too serious.

Our daughter Emily began a master’s program in clinical psychology at Teachers College-Columbia Univ. in NYC. She is living in student housing and has adapted well to city life. Joanne Lee Davis: “I retired in July 2019 from Carroll County (MD) Public Schools after 30 years as an educator. I was fortunate to retire prior to the pandemic, as I was able to be in my classroom and get all my supplies and special education files in order for the next teacher in my classroom. I continued working in education as a substitute teacher until schools closed in March 2020. I also volunteer with therapeutic riding and in my daughter’s classroom in Baltimore City, as well as continuing to teach Sunday school. I am the recording secretary in my Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Omicron Chapter. During the pandemic, both of our daughters were married. My husband and I gained 2 wonderful sons-in-law. We feel very blessed. Hood provided me with a great education to prepare me for a wonderful career as a teacher and I am now enjoying retirement. Hope everyone stays safe.”

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Susan Flanders Kleinschmidt susankle@comcast.net Ellen-Marie Samsen Knehans emknehans@mchsi.com Happy 2021 to all! In their emails, many classmates sent wishes for health and happiness. Claudia Nichols Nealley writes that they still live in Frederick. “Mark and Maggie were sent home last March and have worked out of our house since. Maggie is about to return to Drew Univ. after 9 months of online classes. Husband Mark misses collaboration with his colleagues; remote work has its perks but social contact isn’t one of them. Son Luke has returned to college as a student in Duquesne’s post-bac pre-med/ master’s in medical ethics. What a time to be studying medical ethics! My school (Calvary Weekday School) closed for the year, so I pivoted and am teaching a small pod of children.

They are sweet and brighten my days.” Her nephew attends Hood and likes the new dorm. He is on the golf team and sad to lose his season. Suzanne Spilman Smith says she survived all of the 2020 craziness in Huntsville, AL. She and her husband sold their home on top of Green Mountain in Nov. 2019 moving into a 2-bedroom apartment until their new home was built. “We went to settlement right as everything was closing down but fortunately,

The importance of faith, friends and family.

–Laurie Machovec Tomcanin ’04 Nobody looks good on Zoom.

Will Shackley ’16 and Heather Moncrieff Shackley ’85, P’16

Sandra Eye Cavalier ’85, P’87, G’17, G’19

we were able to get our belongings into our new home. My job has transitioned from working in the office daily to working in the office 2 days a week and teleworking the rest. I have been fortunate that we have remained healthy during the pandemic.”

Karen Curtis-Craney reports that “In this crazy pandemic, Tom and I enjoyed summer day floating in the Chesapeake Bay with Mike and Tammy Snyder Rall. During the fall we spent a weekend in the PA mountains hiking and hanging around the campfire with Robby and Terry (Teresa) Rappoldt Stickles. So wonderful to see friends outside!”

Jenny Muir enjoyed catching up with some friends this past year. “During the pandemic, I took the opportunity to write letters and connect with Hood friends I haven’t seen or heard from for a while. I heard from Amy Asman, Mindy Brown, Danielle LeComte ’83 and Jacque Lyons ’83. It was great to catch up after so many years. I definitely want to go to our 40th reunion in 2024.” Maria Prezioso Beyer informs us that her family is well, though she lost her mom a bit over a year ago, at home with her 8 children and before COVID. Her son welcomed his 4th daughter March 20; he and wife live close-by and she babysits. One daughter lives close-by and works from home and is able to visit often. Oldest daughter moved to WA with military husband and 2 grandkids. She plans to visit next month. She’s gone to SC to see her husband’s daughter’s crew and they intend to come to MD in March. “I have continued to hang with Olga Hopkins Murray in travels to NH, PA and MD. Our Nov. trip to my home in Italy was postponed, but we are doing a northwest train ride with my husband in June. Very blessed Olga and Donnie get along so fabulously!”

Susan Sutton Bartolotto states “What a year 2020 was for everyone. I unfortunately lost my mom to COVID in April.” She is still in Rochester, NY, working for Fairport Central Schools. Husband John recently started a new job at EIC in Newark, NY. Daughter Sarah and her husband John are living in Quakertown, PA. Daughter Emily is the manager of Heart to Heart Bride in Webster, NY and Hannah is finishing her marketing degree at St. John Fisher College in Rochester. Son Little John is at Baldwin Wallace Univ. in Cleveland, studying international business.

All are hoping for a lacrosse season at BW after John missed his last high school season. Quoting from Teresa Danna Casey’s email, she “lives near the southern NC coast with Kevin, her husband of 34 years. She practiced as a clinical dietitian for 16 years then moved into the federal health policy arena; first working for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and now for the MITRE Corporation.” An active volunteer, Teresa has 3 daughters;

Rebecca Burdette ’84, M.A.’88

Alanna, an attorney; Jillian, a data scientist; and Shanna Casey, MA’19, an artist who obtained her master’s degree in ceramics from Hood. Hooray Hood! Lisa Bergstrom Russell: We’re in Falls Church, VA—close enough to connect and catch up with Ruth Kluth O’Connell, Jodi Bell O’Connell and Sue MacKenzie as well as attend the Hood Reunion a few years back. I enjoyed connecting with you, Susan and other friends. This past year has been quieter, but we’ve been fortunate to continue pretty much as usual. My husband Robin and I are both enjoying teaching and seeing our 3 children and family as we are able—Nicole in NM, Dan and his wife Krissy in Japan, and David in San Diego.

We’re empty nesters, aside from our 3 Australian shepherds who get us outside, enjoying the seasons (especially this week’s snow!). I, Ellen-Marie Samsen Knehans have kept busy teaching online from home and coming to grips with new technology.

Apologies to all for trimming your contributions; I’m limited to 750 words. Keep safe!

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1986 Alison Drum Althouse alison.althouse@gmail.com Josie Espino Calix sent a message to check in with us. She is still teaching Spanish at Central York HS and doing well with her health. Her oldest son is almost 35 years old and lives in UT. Her twins (son and daughter) are both married; her daughter has blessed Josie’s life with 4 grandchildren, Panos, 14; Robert, 6; Emersyn Rose, 4 in Feb.; and Andrew, born on March 18, 2020, just before the world shut down. These grandchildren kept her sane while dealing with all of the changes in teaching remotely. Josie enjoys serving in church, video chatting with friends and family, and taking walks when the weather is nice. Liz Falken Washburn and her husband Dennis recently moved within NC to West Jefferson, a charming tourist location best known for its Christmas tree farms. Since taking up residence, they have acquired 2 Icelandic horses and are enjoying hobbies like kayaking, hiking and vegetable gardening. Liz also teaches English online (to high school students in China), designs and publishes patterns for hand-knit items, and sews clothing and home decor items. Her husband spends much of his time working as a supply minister to Anglican and Lutheran churches in NC, SC and TN. Their 20-year-old son James is a marine stationed on the west coast. He and his girlfriend plan to have a civil marriage ceremony in Feb. 2021 and to hold a celebration for friends and family at a later date. Judy Glaser Shaw and her husband

SPRING 2021

–Celeste Pyles-Greaves ’96

are still living in Vegas. Steve is semi-retired now.

Their youngest daughter is getting married this fall in MD so summer in Ocean City will be extended.

Like everyone, Judy is looking forward to getting vaccinated and enjoying life outside of the bubble!

Sue Hastings has been able to continue working full-time throughout the pandemic, sometimes at the R.H Sheppard office in Hanover, PA and other times at home, which has been a good fit for her.

Chrysti Hogan and her wife Jeanne hosted Chrysti’s mom, Edee Howard Hogan ’59 for Christmas.

Chrysti’s school continues to function in a hybrid model of teaching, with most students in person but some remaining remote. She and Jeanne are hoping to be able to take a cruise this coming July that was postponed from last summer. Christina Hom Wilson shared that she wrote and published a children’s book, “Letters to Heaven,” to give hope to grieving children, especially those deaths during the pandemic when family couldn’t say goodbye. The story is based on an activity that she and her boys undertook during their time after loss. The book is available on Amazon and bn.com. Since FL has been such a hot spot for COVID, she and her family don’t go out a lot, but she is enjoying time at home reading and walking a lot. Holly Junz Handy wrote to share that she and her husband are enjoying their retirement in Schenectady and hope soon to do some more sightseeing and day trips to explore upstate NY. Congratulations to Maureen Rohan Socha, who recently started a new job as executive director of facilities and capital planning at Westfield State Univ. My own update is busier than usual.

Michael and I became “Pip and Mimi” to the darling daughter of our older son Drew Althouse ’12 and his wife Kristen— Sammie arrived in Sept. and has been the light of our lives ever since. Our younger son Evan got engaged to Gabbie this past fall and we’re planning an Oct. 2021 wedding at her family’s farm in NC. Never a dull moment, even in a pandemic! Please don’t forget— our 35th reunion is coming up this year. Kathrine Anderson Cicala and I are your co-chairs for this event, and we hope to see everyone on campus again in June. Let’s see how many events we can attend together!

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1999 Anne Hambrick-Stowe Rankin annehambrickstowe@gmail.com 717-945-4585 Greetings Class of ’99! I hope the year is off to a good start for all of you! With any luck, by the time this is published and you read it, we will be that much further along in getting back to “normal” and

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Sarah Parsons ’01

Kara Poole ’19

able to do more of what we could before 2020 hit!

I’ve heard from Michele Collett Gary who lives on Cape Cod with her husband Joe of 21 years and their 2 children, Jay, 15 and Rebekah, 10. Being a military wife and a stay-at-home mom has been especially helpful for Michele and her kids during COVID since she is home and able to help with all of the ups and downs of remote schooling. She loves to keep in touch with several of her Hoodlum friends and professors but has lost touch—and would love to reconnect—with others. (Hey, Tamara Welch and Julia Wehmeier: send Michelle an email if you see this: mnj110599@hotmail.com; she’s also on Facebook. Speaking of Tamara, she also contacted me with her updated email address: tamaralwelch@ gmail.com and wants to keep in touch. So, Michelle and whoever else, you can now reach out to Tamara as well. In addition, Michelle Chao Pearson is moving and shaking, having started a new job as a part-time school social worker for MCPS this past fall. Michelle also continues part-time as a psychotherapist and was, as were many of us were, promoted (even if reluctantly) to “distance learning assistant” of a 2nd grader and kindergartener!

Sounds like Michelle is putting her Hood sociology degree to good use in her various helping roles! As for her Hood social life, Michelle stays in regular contact with Jenikka Deering ’98 and Christine Farrell Walsh ’98, as well as Dawn Griffith ’97 and Crystal Carr Townsend ’97. Michelle has also reconnected with Melissa Kelly ’00 and Kelly Swick Gardiner. While they try to connect annually, she and her Hood roommate April Weaver Bishop weren’t able to do so this past year. I know we are all are looking forward to being able to socialize and support Hood events in 2021! In the meantime, be healthy, be happy, be Hood-proud! And as always, please be in touch with any updates or news that you want to share with the class!

2005

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Leslie Beck Hughan lhughan@gmail.com Jessica Holthaus Badour was promoted by the GA Department of Agriculture in Jan. 2021, within the food safety division. Her new (rather lengthy) title is rapid response team program manager and outreach coordinator; in this role, she oversees the rapid response team program and the agency’s all-hazard response efforts to food-related incidents in GA and beyond, along with education and outreach efforts and various other grant projects and deliverables for the agency. Additionally, while COVID canceled the 2020 Reunion, she and fellow alum Kristen Heisey Leiter were able to get together this past

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Carla Kronsbein ’17

summer in the Savannah area. Their 4 kids finally got to meet (Joey and Katherine Leiter; and Caius and Caroline Badour)! Make sure to check out our class’s blog page for photos from their mini reunion.

Cassie Dukes and her family moved to Knoxville in Oct. 2020. She left the Department of Energy Headquarters in DC and joined the Department of Energy site office at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Rachel Collmus Ellick spent the year working with the VA Department of Health on the COVID response and recently accepted a position as the communications coordinator for the Office of Epidemiology at VDH. Emily Brown Hagan completed her 500-hour comprehensive Pilates instructor program with Peak Pilates. She has since completed additional training to become a specialist in Pilates for neurological conditions. Emily currently works at 3 different studios in the Baltimore area and hopes to start her own business soon. Patricia Stevenson celebrated her 15th anniversary at Rowman & Littlefield in 2020. She holds the unofficial position of “junior assistant managing editor,” a bump that was bittersweet after the passing of her mentor. Patricia is on a path to join the management ranks within the next few years.

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2011 Megan Dancause Wysock wysock@stevenscollege.edu Wow, can you believe it has been almost 10 years since the Class of 2011 graduated from Hood College? The class keeps achieving, accomplishing and make strides in this ever-crazy world! Megan Dancause Wysock was married Oct. 31, 2020 to husband Justin in Lancaster, PA. Kathleen Jurek Irwin, husband Daniel and daughter Genevieve gratefully welcomed little sister Norah Lark on Sept.

29. Dana Martindell Perry completed her Master of Science in nursing with a concentration in nursing informatics from the Univ. of Phoenix. Emily Raines will be celebrating her 5th work anniversary as marketing manager for Cetrom, a top cloud hosting provider for CPA Firms in April. She and her husband are welcoming a baby boy in July. Kristina Straub purchased a house in 2020! Meghan Tomlin got engaged on Nov. 3 to her longtime boyfriend Andrew Bush. They are planning a wedding this Oct. in Turks and Caicos. Phillip Yerby was promoted to director at his current employer Weber Shandwick.

2013

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Sharia Barskdale sharia@eclecticfete.com

Elaheh Eghbal hoodcollege2013@gmail.com

Ali Rohrer Peteranecz and husband Kit welcomed their 3rd child Luna Joy in April; Ali is still stunningly gorgeous! Kelly Buriak Stevens welcomed a baby boy in Aug. 2018. She started a new position with Kite Pharma as a senior project manager in July 2019. Nikki Rodriguez May and her husband welcomed new son Ever in March 2020. Mary Chaney has been busy overachieving! She has served as the co-pastor at House of Bread Ministries in New Market, MD since June 2003. Mary is a licensed childcare provider for Frederick County and has served on the board for the Family Child Care Association of Fredrick County since Oct. 2007. She completed her Master of Divinity from Christian Heart Bible College & Seminary in Jan. 2017. Mary is currently pursuing her AA degree in early childhood education from FCC. Katie Hess writes: “Recently promoted, I serve as director of PA Landscape Conservation/director of the South Mountain Partnership at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. I joyfully married David Maher of High Bridge, NJ in Oct. 2019 and we bought our 1st home together in Carlisle, PA, in Jan. 2021. Let me know if you are traveling through the Carlisle/ Harrisburg area—I will take you out for a drink of your choice!”

Hello Class of 2013! Welcome to 2021, finally.

Some news...MJ Swicegood accepted a position as a project manager at IDT Biologika and in Feb. 2020 purchased a house in Germantown, MD. Sara Friedman continues as the business manager at Frederick Books Arts Center where she and the rest of the team are managing with Zoom classes and interns at-a-distance (including Hood interns each semester). She welcomes Hood graduates to join their organization. Contact her at contact@frederickbookarts.org. For Hood students who may remember the 3-day-old kitten that was rescued outside the Hood kiln two years ago...he is doing great and is well-loved by Sara and her spouse. Nicola Sussman and her fiancé are enjoying their home in Downtown Frederick and are looking forward to being married (hopefully this Aug.). Breanne Carbaugh is enjoying her new position at Seasons Hospice as the bereavement specialist and feels she’s in the perfect job. Blair Starnes Dykeman and her husband welcomed their 1st child James Harmon Dykeman in Sept. and brought joy to their family during a difficult year. Andrew Bodine is now a psychotherapist at Silver Psychotherapy LLC in Ijamsville, MD. Carly Oeller had a busy 2020 buying her 1st home, adopting a kitten who she named Pippa, and finishing

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In 10 words or less...

What has the pandemic taught you?

This too will pass. –Patricia Sherzer Marshall ’89 Tionna Bright ’06

2nd place at the Toastmasters Area 51 Table Topics Contest. Katie Triplett graduated in May 2020 with her MBA and began a job with the Arc of Frederick County as a coach and I, Elaheh Eghbal, will be completing my master’s degree in May and look forward to what’s to come. Be well!

2014

Gratitude! –Ruth Ravitz Smith ’83

Kristen Morrison ’10

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Bianca Padilla bianca.e.padilla@gmail.com It’s been a busy year for many members of the Class of 2014! Lena Bushrod and her family bought a house in Frederick and welcomed baby number 3, Laila. Tabitha Browne Milliken is currently pursuing her MPH through Drexel University. Tabitha and her husband BJ are also expecting their 1st child in May 2021. Brittany Davis Semkiw and her husband Brian moved to Lexington, SC in June 2020. Brittany is currently working as a 5th grade teacher in Lexington One School District. Brittany and Brian welcomed their 1st child, a daughter named Charlotte, on Dec. 31, 2020. Kathryn Kopasek Black and husband John welcomed their 1st child Clare on Dec. 3, 2020. Erin Droneburg has been happily living in beautiful Boulder, CO since Feb. 2020, and somehow managed to settle well despite the global pandemic. She loves all the rock climbing, hiking and biking options that Boulder has to offer and the overall slower pace of life. She is eternally grateful for the support from her family and friends back home throughout this chapter in her life (especially weekly Dinner Club with Colleen Brown Boyenton). Jennifer Bentz Crumpacker is expecting a 3rd baby boy in May and started a new job in Nov. 2020 as operations manager of emerging business at SIRVA. Emily Singleton Dimeler and her husband welcomed their 1st baby in Nov. 2019, Savannah Kate Dimeler. She has been working from home as a customer service representative for DH Vision and taking care of their daughter throughout the pandemic. Nicholas Duafala moved back to Frederick in the beginning of 2020 and is engaged to his college sweetheart Ashlea. He started a venture capital firm, SoFin Ventures, focusing on social impact to help build Frederick and surrounding communities in a positive way across various industries. Amelia Lovelace graduated from the Univ. of GA with a PhD in plant pathology in Dec. 2020.

She is starting a post-doctoral scientist position at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, UK. Megan Gregory Hahn and her husband Dan are expecting their 1st child in May. Their dog Presley is ready to start his big brother duties. Megan and Dan will also be celebrating their 2-year wedding anniversary in July. As for myself, Bianca Padilla, I am still a 5th

grade teacher in Montgomery County and a national trainer for MixxedFit. Have a wonderful year Class of 2014!

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2015 Sarah Tapscott Rosier sarah.tapscott12@gmail.com There is no denying that, unfortunately, COVID has put a damper on our ability to come together for our reunion. I know we would love to be together on the Quad, walking downtown and catching up in Whitaker or the dining hall. No surprise though, our class has remained busy and we have continued to explore, work, grow and support our communities, even when socially distanced. Fingers crossed we can celebrate everything together soon! Here is what some of our classmates have been up to: Sara Azoulay Murphy gave birth to her 2nd child Isaac in July 2020. She is currently working as a paralegal at a law firm in Downtown Frederick and will celebrate 5 years with the firm in July 2021. Kristen Geatz got engaged to Nicholas Temple ’13 in Dec. 2020. Meg DePanise MBA’20 was promoted to assistant director of marketing and communications at Hood. Meg and Justin Everett ’11 are expecting a baby in June 2021! Ashley Hayes purchased her 1st home and has started a new position as a research associate for Leidos Biomedical in their Molecular Characterization lab group. Sarah Wagstaff successfully earned a master’s in library and information studies in Dec. 2020 from the UNC at Greensboro. Keesha Fields has graduated with her master’s in clinical mental health counseling and has accepted a therapist position. Tara Biser Little and her husband bought and moved into a log cabin originally built in the early 1800s. They added to the family via an adopted dog named Hank. She also successfully completed her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology at Johns Hopkins Univ. and started a new job in life science sales at Qiagen.

Ryan Baugher began his studies at Catholic Univ. in pursuit of a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and joined the board of directors for a local nonprofit, the G. Frank Thomas Foundation. Julianne Berg is in her 4th year as a membership specialist with the Girl Scouts and is proud of the organization for keeping girls engaged during the pandemic. She is hoping to be able to direct a camp this summer for the girls. Emily Eckard Leedy is working as a home health occupational therapist in the Harrisburg, PA area. Travis Gilbert was recently hired as executive director of the Historic Wilmington Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving historic resources in southeastern NC. He resigned as the educator and collections coordinator at Old Baldy Lighthouse

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after serving nearly 3 years. Maya Jackson graduated from the UMD School of Social Work in July 2020 and began her social work career at Franklin Square Medical Center in Oct. 2020. Maya is still living in Baltimore and enjoying time with family and friends! I, Sarah Tapscott Rosier have been busy at L1 Enterprises Inc. and will soon celebrate 4 years there. On top of that, starting my own wedding coordination business during COVID has been an adventure! 2020 wasn’t all work though. My husband Owen Rosier ’16 and I went on a Pacific Northwest road trip to visit family and appropriately titled it “Beercation 2020.”

2016

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Justin Fox ’16 jmf12@hood.edu Laura Talis Shriver is enjoying her work as a grant writer at Catholic Charities of Baltimore and is still living in Towson, MD. Laura says, “Something that has rung true for me lately is a message in the movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: Mistakes and misfortunes are not failures. When you are knocked down, get back up and try again.”

Tatyanna Hunter got engaged in Dec. 2020 and is planning for a 2022 wedding. She was also promoted to manager at Luv Bridal, in downtown LA. “Hope that everyone is staying safe during this crazy, COVID time! Stay strong and positive! We will make it!” Katelyn Sims Hyman got married on July 25, 2020. Joseph Denicola moved back to MD and started a new job as an indexing analyst with the National Library of Medicine. Connor Asman: “After a layoff and a pandemic job search, I started a new job this Dec. with SubscribePro, a software startup from Baltimore! I also adopted a kitten in Oct. and am moving to a different apartment in Arlington, VA. I found my new job with the help of the career center. I actually first got introduced to the company at one of their virtual career fairs. I definitely recommend talking to Dr.[Lisa] Littlefield, she was very helpful.” Justin Fox has been working remotely for Georgetown Univ. from his home in Arlington, VA. Grant Kane will be starting a master’s degree in educational leadership at Hood in Feb. Dynise Bolden has started a new job as an accountant for the Department of Justice. Mareca Williams: “I recently completed my master’s program and am working as a financial specialist at the White House.

Life is short, remember to do things that make you smile.” After finally defending his Ph.D. (during the pandemic), Rob Millar accepted a position as a policy analyst for a health care research institute.

Shannon McHale earned her master’s in education administration from Drexel Univ. and began her 5th

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In 10 words or less...

What has the pandemic taught you?

Cats are terrible coworkers. –Emma Ward ’16 That I’m not cut out to homeschool! –Kirsten Stromberg Cohick ’07

year of teaching special education. Aubrey Curry (Fetters) married Michael Curry in Aug. 2020.

Living in downtown Pittsburgh with their new puppy Piper. “Hey everyone! Good luck in the new year! #hoodproud.”

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2018 Mat Molina mlm27@hood.edu Kirsten Bangs: “I graduated in Oct. with an MA in forensic psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, DC campus. Leigh Anne Brader: “In 2020, Scott Poole ’15 and I got engaged; we’ve been together for 7 years. 2021 will mark my 5th year in business and 3rd year as a full-time portrait and wedding photographer (Leigh Anne Brader Photography, LLC). In Aug. 2020, Katie Malagari started working at an electronics’ manufacturing company in Frederick as a human resources coordinator. She’s been having a great time learning and growing within the HR depart-

Ashley DeVries, ’18

Susannah Noppenberger ’19

ment. Mat Molina: “I have moved up in ProtestAccess and started mentoring new recruits in content formation and getting more involved in logistics.

I am also preparing again to apply to doctor of audiology programs on the west coast.” Taylor Polito: “I am going back to school to get a master’s in social work from UMD!” Brit Reece: “2020 has been quite a year for me. Lost my job working for an event management company during the pandemic this past July, got a new job by Aug. working for a commercial real estate and financial asset company as a project coordinator. It was truly a blessing in disguise. I make more money now working for a company that values its employees, while on a current career path that I’ve been pushing toward for the last 2 years (project management).

I’m moving back to Frederick in Feb. 2021 after a 4-year relationship ended. Lease is already signed.

I’m moving into a 3-bedroom townhome, whereas I was living in a 1-bedroom apartment in Germantown with my ex. So thrilled to be coming back to Frederick, where I’m near all my college friends and

Nik Smith ’19

closer to my family. The pandemic has forced me to take a look at what my life was like, where it was heading. I had to accept some really difficult truths and be adaptable. I can’t control everything, but what I could control put me in a better position to be stable and to show self-growth in 2021.” Caitlyn-Jean Ward: “I am still working for AECOM as an archaeological laboratory technician in Burlington, NJ; and recently was able to buy my 1st car! I hope to see everyone near and far back at Hood when its safe for everyone to get together!” Amy Warren: “I had my daughter Sabine in Aug. 2020 and will be starting my 2nd master’s program this month in English.” Natalie Yeagley: “It’s been a crazy year. I am currently in the 2nd year of my MA program at the Univ. of TN, where I work as a teaching assistant in the classics department. I am hoping to conduct thesis research and participate in excavations in both Greece and Turkey this upcoming summer (originally, I was meant to participate in summer 2020, but COVID changed these plans).

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In Memorium

Remembering those we have lost.

As reported February 5, 2021

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Ruth Duff Eager ’41 September 2020

Adeline Longaker Maack ’46 September 2020

Barbara B. Jones ’48 October 2020

Georgia Earman Russell ’49 September 2020

Doris Weiss Cohen ’43 November 2019

Margaret Blayney Galvin ’47 July 2017

Corky Edwards Shulman ’48 September 2020

B. Dorothy Fisher Gershater ’50 September 2020

Marilyn Barnett ’44 January 2021

Elaine Hirsh Jandorf ’47 September 2020

Barbara Baxter Christie ’49 August 2020

Diane Bruhwer Bischoff ’51 January 2020

Janet Coblentz Cover ’44 January 2021

Mary Tomlinson Marple ’47 September 2020

E. Jane Strevig Guyton ’49 August 2020

Barbara Lackey Caldwell ’51 April 2020

V. Jean Wheatley Hilchuk ’44 November 2020

Aline Negrotto Reinert ’47 October 2020

Rita Cleland Stephens ’49 August 2020

Joan Haag Osborn ’51 December 2020

Eva E. Bryant ’46 December 2019

Ann Barnum Connellee ’48 September 2020

Doris Kohr Ford ’49 November 2020

Ann Wilson Stockman ’51 September 2018

Dorothy Crosland Dunn ’46 January 2021

Janet Huenefeld Hire ’48 March 2018

Harriet Biddle Murray ’49 January 2021

Shirley Keckler Trostle ’51 September 2020

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Joan Raubenhold Zortman ’51, P’78, P’84 November 2020 Norma Lehew DuPriest ’52 January 2021 Mary Kime McCracken ’52 January 2000 Natalie Morris Cranmer ’53 November 2020 Barbara Morris Harrison ’53 September 2020 Mary Starr Smith Adams ’54 October 2020 Donna McDowell Boswell ’54 April 2020 Penelope Probert Boorman ’55 November 2020 Elizabeth Kieb Diano ’55 November 2020 Phyllis Oates Miller ’55 January 2021 Lani Reighter Rodgers ’55 November 2020 Mera Braungart Coblentz ’56 August 2020 Ann Fockler Hoover ’56 March 2020 Judith Merrill Picariello ’56 November 2020 Cornelia Heitmann Natoli ’57 August 2020

In Memorium

Remembering those we have lost.

Elizabeth Eaton Evans ’58 November 2020 Carol Horwath Klecka ’58 September 2020 Nancy Keim Woodruff ’58 April 2020

Betsy Warwick Rehg ’68 January 2021

Brian M. Zimmerman, M.S.’83 December 2020

Katherine Stirling Dow ’59 September 2020

Denise Howard Mason ’70 November 2020

Esther Geele Bryant, M.A.’86 November 2020

Mary Louise Trout Haddad ’59 December 2020

Jennie Nikirk Wiles ’70, P’90 July 2016

Austin C. Stup Jr. ’89 October 2020

Letha A. Williams ’59 December 2020

Carol Flowers Richardson ’71 March 2019

Leslie Smith Scott ’89, MBA’96 October 2020

Carol Eilerts Geney ’60 September 2020

Deborah Odell Williams ’73 January 2021

Dorothy Reddeman Culb, M.A.’91 August 2020

Nancy Tozier Knox ’60 November 2020

Lynn Hughes Tudor ’74 August 2020

Karen M. Howell-Shirah, MBA’93 October 2020

C. Catherine Gordon Lyons ’60 August 2020

Heidi Chesley-Sandberg ’75 August 2020

Mark S. Kavanaugh, M.S.’98 November 2020

Linda Coombe Claussen ’63 August 2020

Linda Cave Wilhide ’76 September 2020

Kathleen D. Hall ’02, M.A.’05, C’04 January 2021

M. Jane Danner Dibbern ’63 November 2020

Susan Dominach Haas ’79 September 2020

Judy K. Meador ’02 January 2021

Sandra Willison Wunderly ’63 May 2020

Nan Mackey Wachter ’79 September 2020

Jacqueline Blaydes ’04, MBA’06 December 2020

Jo Ann Smith Alspaugh ’65, P’07 October 2020

Joyce Driver Shriver, M.A.’80 January 2021

HannahJane Hurlburt ’65 December 2020

Jeanne Divers Beard ’82 September 2020

Kristina L. Gorman-Wood, M.A.’13, C’12 November 2020

Judith Harding Moore ’65 December 2020

Susan Svienty McCue ’82 September 2020

Susan Detwiler Babbitz ’66 August 2020

Faculty, Staff and Friends Joseph D. Baker, W’49 Board of Associates September 2020

F. Lawrence Silbernagel Jr. Board of Associates December 2020

Phyllis A. Dobyns Administrative Staff December 2020

William R. Snyder, W’49 Board of Trustees October 2020

Gerald D. McKnight, P’81, P’81 Professor Emeritus January 2021

Barbara C. Tyler Administrative Staff September 2020

Paul Spyros Sarbanes Honorary Alumnus December 2020

SPRING 2021

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A LOOK BACK

The Spanish Flu of 1918

By Mary Atwell, Hood College Archivist What a long, strange trip it has been in this year of COVID-19—to paraphrase the Grateful Dead!

Though such a pandemic is new to us, Hood College experienced another world event just over a hundred years ago, the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918.

At that time, there was no flu vaccine, nor were there antibiotics or vaccines for secondary pneumonia infections. Like COVID-19, the disease was fought principally through quarantine and personal hygiene. Unlike COVID, victims of the Spanish Flu became very sick very quickly. Death could come as soon as hours after infection. And, very fortunately for the College, it swept through Frederick City in a matter of weeks.

By the fall of 1918, newspaper headlines across the United States had long been devoted to war news from Europe—WWI troop movements, trench warfare and battle results. The geography of France was followed more closely than that of our own backyards. Consumed with war updates, little attention was paid locally to the massive spring “Spanish” Influenza outbreak in Europe. That would change a few months later when the second wave of this flu hit the United States with a vengeance.

It was a misnomer to attribute the flu to Spain; no

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one knows precisely where it started, but it is now known that infected U.S. soldiers brought it to the Western Front that spring where it spread rapidly.

And the troops brought the virus back to the States in the fall.

September 1918 marked the beginning of Hood College’s 25th anniversary. Students were settling into their studies and the new campus eagerly watched the building progress of Strawn Cottage.

On Sept. 24, the Frederick News-Post included a small note about the Spanish Flu spreading through the states of Vermont, New York and Connecticut.

Just two days later, the paper reported 50 known cases in Frederick County; it was already here by the time that first article was published.

Local coverage of the flu read like obituaries; long articles focused on those who succumbed to the disease, detailing both their lives and their deaths.

Rural communities around Frederick were hit hard, and populations were urged to wear masks, maintain a distance of three feet, eat well and spend time outdoors. Leaders debated the shutting down of large gathering places, such as churches, schools and the Frederick Fair (ultimately canceled that

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year). Schools did close briefly, including Hood. On Oct. 22, students were sent home for a week only to return for a week of on-campus quarantine. But, by this time the Frederick News-Post was reporting that the scourge was on its way out of the county— the deadly virus moved that quickly!

A single brief article in the November issue of the Lesbian Herald, which served as a literary magazine, campus newspaper and alumnae bulletin, was the only mention of the disease and the quarantine that year, yet the flu caused considerable chaos within the city and county.

How did Hood escape the scourge? At that time, the College officially acted as in loco parentis, or “in place of the parent.” Students were not allowed off campus during the week, and then only to a few approved locations. Movements were strictly monitored through dormitory sign-ins and outs. Rules that we would now see as prohibitively restrictive likely saved most of the student body from contracting the deadly Spanish Flu. According to the Lesbian Herald, there were just a few cases on campus, quickly brought to the infirmary, and no deaths.

20%

D IS C O U N T FOR AL L S E N IO R S & ALUMN I IN R E U N IO N YEARS ’0 , ’1 , ’5 A N D ’6

Blazer Bricks

PERSONALIZE YOUR GIVING

Adirondack Chairs Your chance to etch your name into Hood history!

More than 100 years ago, the founders of Hood College laid the foundation for this great institution—brick by brick. Now you can continue this legacy by purchasing your own brick paver in the Jeanne Zimmerman Gearey ’52 Plaza near Alumnae Hall starting at $350, or purchase a signature blue or grey Adirondack chair on the residential quad honoring your Hood student or graduate for only $500. Each chair will have a plate engraved, permanently affixed to the chair.

For more information, please contact Brooke Sensenig-Winn, MBA’18, director

of annual giving, at 301-696-3717, winn@hood.edu or visit

hood.edu/personalizedgiving.

Non-Profit U.S. Postage

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ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Hood College

The Hood Fund touches each and every member of our campus community.

Your gift immediately goes to work to support student scholarships and financial aid, academic programming, resources for dual modality learning, internship and career opportunities, and so much more!

THE HOOD FUND INVEST. IMPACT. INSPIRE.

Learn more at hood.edu/hoodfund or contact Brooke Sensenig- Winn, MBA’18, director of annual giving, at winn@hood.edu or 301-696-3717.

MC-20-121

401 Rosemont Ave. . Frederick MD 21701-8575 hood.edu