Alumni Newsletter
[Reunion 2013]
It may be winter, but we’re planning fun in the sun
Recent temps in Beloit are already on the rise, and it’s not all global warming. Your fellow alumni and the alumni office are planning Reunion 2013–June 14-16, 2013. We’re not revealing the schedule yet, but we’ll tempt you with a few clues…
1) “Hey, you were in my ___ class!” Friday night is perfect for these special events.
2) Pillow, sheets, key, fun.
3) Captured memories.
4) It may be summer, but these are still in session for alumni.
Visit the reunion site for answers to these clues, to visit your class page, and to sign up for your reunion committee. Get involved! Contact us at alumni@beloit.edu for more information!
Let’s Get Together
It’s always a great occasion when Beloiters can enjoy time with fellow Beloiters, why not share that same experience with current Beloiters on campus and across the globe? Beloiters Unite! is April 17, 2013, spring day on campus, and the alumni board is busily planning events around the world for the 6th straight year. Nearly 60 volunteers helped us unite at 24 locations in 2012…let’s see if we can top it. Interested in an event in your area? Contact us at alumni@beloit.edu for more information on hosting, and keep an eye out in March for registration information.
How “Beloit” of us[Fast Forward]
Beloit is yet again at the forefront of innovation. The college is embarking on a new approach to fundraising, and we’re moving fast. This new approach enables us to focus on mission-driven campaigns that invigorate our work and Beloit’s reputation. If you missed it, you can learn more about what Fast Forward is here; including specifics about each module and the November announcement of our out-of-the-box approach from President Bierman. We’re excited and moving swiftly so you’ll be hearing from us soon. In the meantime, if you can spare a minute, help us prove Beloit’s value and distinctiveness by sharing your story with prospective students, parents, and your fellow Beloiters.
Grants to students enable steps toward lives of purpose and consequence
Josh Moore, Assoc. Dir., Office of International Education
Soon after arriving in a maternity clinic in rural Senegal to shadow a midwife, Jenny Gilbertson’12 was asked to assist with her first delivery. Still negotiating an unfamiliar environment and a language barrier, she fought off panic as the nurses placed the young expectant mother in full labor on a bare hospital bed with no sheets.
[Jenny Gilbertson in Senegal clinic]Thus began a whirlwind three-week independent project that Gilbertson hoped would give her a practical understanding of maternal and infant mortality in West Africa as well as reproductive health challenges in the region. Despite the short time span, “I was able to do more hands-on work than I could have dreamed of,” she reported, encountering issues ranging from pre-natal health and health problems of sex workers, to the care for survivors of rape.
Her three-week stay in Senegal was made possible by two grants offered to Beloit College students to allow them to engage in self-designed projects abroad. Made possible by generous gifts from alumnae and trustee Nina Weissberg’84 and her father Marvin Weissberg, and by Betty Chenoweth’55, 20 such grants were awarded to students in academic year 2011-12. Totaling over $44,000, they stand out as one of the most robust funding opportunities available for students to put the liberal arts into practice at Beloit College. Read Jenny’s full story and see photos of the child, Jennifer, she helped join the world.
Save the date--Weissberg Lecture is April 12
Diego Garcia-Sayan, former president of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, is the 2012-13 Weissberg Chair. His lecture, slated for April 12, will focus on transitional justice and political change in Latin America. His residency and lecture is made possible through the Weissberg Program in Human Rights. Learn more.
George S. Parker Exhibition Fund unlocks opportunity for Wright
Thanks to the George S. Parker Exhibition Fund, the Wright Museum of Art is able to significantly expand its current repertoire of exhibitions to include traveling exhibits and loans of artwork. Now through January 22, the Wright is displaying Looking Ahead: Portraits from the Mott-Warsh Collection, a traveling exhibition of collected portraiture created by artists of African descent. The exhibition was the perfect backdrop for the Wright Museum to work with the community as well. Children from the Merrill Community Center and the Stateline Boys & Girls Club were the first guests, spending time on an interactive tour and scavenger hunt with Miguel Estrella’12 and then receiving a sketching lesson. You can read more about the kids’ time at Wright here. Read more about Looking Ahead here.
Nearly 1,000 community members enjoyed a night of discovery, learning
Beloit continues to welcome the community to campus. At an event hosted by the college and Kerry Ingredients & Flavours, more than a thousand community members from all over the area enjoyed a night of learning and fun at the first-ever Family Discovery Night on campus in November.
[Family Discovery Night]Led by Beloit College faculty and Kerry scientists, kids and parents engaged in a variety of activities ranging from dissecting animal brains and watching marshmallow animals joust to exploring senses of smell and taste and operating and engaging with robots. Tours were available, the rooftop observatory was open, and sessions on what college life is all about were all part of the evening. This night was made possible in part by a $21,000 grant from Kerry.
Read the full story and see photos from the evening.
Logan awarded $6,000 grant
The Logan Museum of Anthropology received a special gift in December. The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded the museum a $6,000 preservation assistance grant to preserve its photography collection.
"The Logan's photograph collection is a hidden gem, with significant photos that document the museum's history, campus Indian mounds and early archaeological excavations,” said Nicolette Meister, the Logan’s curator of collections who serves as the project director. “Bringing a professional photo conservator to campus will help us preserve these images so we can make them more accessible to the public and help our students learn proper preservation techniques." Learn more about the grant.
Understanding the Fiscal Cliff deal
With autopen to "paper," you may find yourself wondering about the impact of the latest fiscal cliff deal on your financial portfolio. For example, if you are 70½, you could get tax benefits for your charitable distributions from your IRA for 2012 if you act by February 1, 2013. Our connection to industry leaders is your connection, too. Check out the latest information on the deal---including notes on highlights such as tax rates, estate taxes, IRA charitable rollovers---and upcoming negotiations from BNY Mellon. Questions? Contact us at legacy@beloit.edu.
Calling on the “Face-to-Face Network”
Econ Day is just around the corner, February 15 to be exact, and you are invited to share your story at the 27th annual event. Students are eager to chat with you and delve a little deeper into what exactly is ahead post-Beloit. Check out the schedule of events, gather your advice, and RSVP today.
A summer of learning
The Office of Summer Programs would like to remind alumni of great opportunities offered on campus between June and August. Summer Fields brings rising high school juniors and seniors to campus from July 7 to July 26 to participate in a college level course, live in the dorms, meet key college staff and faculty and best of all, earn college credit! The Center for Language Studies is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2013, offering courses in four critical languages--Russian, Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese. The full course runs for eight weeks from June 15 to August 9. Beloit Blocks is a program geared towards college students, allowing current Beloiters and visiting students to complete an entire course in only three short weeks (May 15 to June 5). When thinking about what your children, siblings, extended family or friends should do this summer, considering giving them the opportunity to experience Beloit College just as you did! Scholarships are available for all programs. For more information on courses offered, financial aid and important dates, please visit our Summer Programs site. We hope to see you and your family members on campus this summer!
Beloit out and about
Baltimore, Md., January 30, 2013: Join Rebecca McCoy’00 and Jennifer Burdick’66 for the Beloit Baltimore Book Club at 7 p.m. The group is reading David Simon's The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood. All are invited to read it and share the experience. The group will gather for conversation at the home of Rebecca McCoy’00. Further information and RSVP available here. *In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held February 6.
Chicago, Ill., February 15, 2013: The Economics department and a cadre of students are heading out to reflect on life post-Beloit at Econ Day at the The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in Chicago. Learn more.
San Francisco, Calif., March 6, 2013: Mark Wolcott’76 invites area Beloiters to the Japonesque Gallery to spend an evening with current students, parents, and fellow alumni. The students will be in San Francisco spending their spring break shadowing alumni through the Weissberg Fund for Human Rights and the Bacon Know Thyself Funds so do ask them about their experience. Stay tuned for more information.
Locations around the world, April 17, 2013: Beloiters will gather together to celebrate Beloit in locations around the globe at Beloiters Unite! Currently looking for hosts—volunteer today!
What’s happening on campus this spring? Check out the event calendar for a full listing of spring events! And, our first Lacrosse games take place in March and the Beloit Relays in April--more info on those exciting events will be posted on the web soon!
Make it possible for Beloiters and be a part of something big. Learn more about the Chelonian Society and the Beloiter Fund.
