Update The Official Newsletter from the
westfieldalumni.org Office of Alumni Relations
Summer 2013
Greetings from the Alumni Association President Dear Alumni,
My year as President of the Westfield State Alumni Association has been full of excitement! Most recently, we held our first “Westfield State Alumni Service Day” with events in Westfield and Pittsfield, MA. The photos here show alums repainting the storefront of Shenanigans Pub under the direction of Alumni Artist, Omarthan Clarke. The day was long and hot but, the end result was an “Irish castle” in Downtown Westfield. While we were painting, Nancy Woitkowski, Alumni Liaison to the Berkshires and her team were planting for Pittsfield Beautiful. The third year for this event brought new beauty to the downtown area. Special thanks to all of the alumni and friends that participated in these events. It is our hope that we can showcase many more alums and their projects next year on June 7, 2014 for our 2nd annual Westfield State Alumni Service Day! If you would like to “host” an event, please let us know so we can advertise it in your area. Projects involving schools, downtown revitalization, interaction with other alumni and the community or another idea you might have that fits in your town will work for this awesome day of connecting. Thank you! We are gearing up for elections and are seeking new voices for our executive council. Please read more inside and on the website and join us! The council is actively involved with our scholarship fundraiser, our upcoming retreat and, of course…our 175th Anniversary Homecoming Weekend programming on October 19, 2013. I am enjoying my time as President and look forward to the next few months. Please contact me directly with any questions, ideas, comments or suggestions at kellinielsen5@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Kelli Nielsen Class of 2004
In This Update…
Letter from Keli Nielson
1
Alumni Association Elections 3
175th Celebration
2
Ireland Trip
4
Search: Westfield State Alumni
WESTFIELD STATE
Believe it or not, December 28, 2013 is the 175th Anniversary of Westfield State, your alma mater! 175 years of history, experiences, education and community! Watch for our upcoming calendar of events so you can be a part of the celebration at www.westfieldalumni.org/175.
1838 ★ 2013
HOMECOMING Saturday, October 19 175th Homecoming Weekend Mardi Gras Celebration Mark your calendars for the 175th Homecoming Weekend Mardi Gras celebration on October 19! We are honoring our institution with a fantastic, New Orleans inspired jamboree to highlight all the wonderful things that make Westfield State an inspiring educational institution. Our day begins when we honor our Distinguished Alumnus with a morning ceremony, then we’ll adjourn to the Horace Mann Center parking lot to join the Westfield State Alumni Association Executive Council as we kick off our annual Tailgate Party featuring Billy G and the Blue Zone. After Tailgate,
we will “second line” you, New Orleans style, over to the main event! We’ll enjoy Louisianainspired food, delicious drinks, and great New Orleans Jazz and Westfield State’s own Big Band while we catch the Owls Football team take on Mass Maritime in a game that’s sure to bring out your alumni pride. Following the event we’ll bring the party down to the Westwood Restaurant and Pub to round out our celebration. For more information and to register, please visit westfieldalumni.org/homecoming.
Stay Connected! Log on to our alumni website at
westfieldalumni.org
WANT TO GET INOLVED? We hope so… it is time for our annual elections to the Westfield State Alumni Association Executive Council. If you are missing interaction with other alums and/or want to visit campus, run for a seat on the Council. We meet 5 times a year to plan events, fundraise for
scholarships, honor colleagues and friends and most of all, to have fun. If this sounds like something you want to do, please go to westfieldalumni.org/elections to find out the details. The deadline to submit your intent to run is August 5. Questions? Contact Kathi Bradford at kbradford@westfield.ma.edu.
An Evening at Join us for a night under the stars at Tanglewood on Saturday, August 24th for John Williams’ Film Night Concert, featuring The Boston Pops and renowned vocalist Audra McDonald. This concert is one of the signature events of the Tanglewood season. Concert time is 8:30 pm. Be sure to arrive early to join our Berkshire Liaison Nancy Woitkowski and Westfield State alumni, friends, and staff at a prime space on the lawn. Look for the Westfield Banner – we will be located on the right hand
side of the shed as you are looking in towards the stage from the rear. Start the evening with a drink and hors d’oeuvres. A special dessert will be served during intermission. Tickets are just $21 each, and by purchasing through our online portal you will save the $6.25 handling fee! Visit westfieldalumni.org/tanglewood for more details and to purchase tickets. We hope to see you there!
The Class of
2008’s 5th Year Reunion
Saturday, September 7th 6:00 – 9:00 pm The Harp, 85 Causeway Street, Boston, MA Are you working in a career you love? Do you credit Westfield State with your success? Want to give back to your alma mater and make a difference with our current students? Consider being an alumni mentor! Interested alumni participate in one of four “Networking Nights” throughout the academic year. Each event features select majors and highlights alumni working in those various fields. If you would like to participate as an alumni mentor, please contact Kelly Galanis at kgalanis@westfield.ma.edu or 413.572.5228. Include your name, employer and title, major while at Westfield, and contact information. We look forward to working with you!
Several members of the class have been working to make our reunion an awesome time. Based on popular demand we have selected the HARP in Boston’s North End (near The Garden) as the venue for our 5 YEAR REUNION! We will have raffles, giveaways, food and more – all for just $10.00 per person! As you will recall Senior Week sold out fast and there was a wait list! Get your tickets now at westfieldalumni.org/2008. The Harp will keep the space closed to our class and friends from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. A Facebook group has been established so make sure you add yourself to it for updates as the event nears. See you there!
Alumni Relations P.O. Box 1630 Westfield, MA  01086
One of the best ways to continue your life-long learning process is through travel.
8-Days/6-Nights March 7-14, 2014
For full details, including registration form, and the most current information, please visit our website.
9-Days/7-Nights October 6-14, 2013
westfieldalumni.org/Ireland