Countdown to Reunion: Catching Up With Damaris Santos-Palmer

Damaris Santos-Palmer Santa Cruz, CA

Damaris is a blogger and freelance writer, and also writes the beautiful blog Kitchen Corners. Of her blog, she says:

Kitchen Corners is about me, and about my family, and about you because you are the reason I write. It is you who I talk to about my life and it is from you that I get feedback and the energy to continue doing what I do.

Kitchen Corners is a silly name for a blog. It started out as Within the Corners of my Kitchen, but that was too long and I occasionally have the pleasure to leave my kitchen and travel, so that title had to go. Then the blog became Kitchen Corners, because it's short.

But I love Kitchen Corners, even with all it's imperfections and silly name.

I've been blogging since 2007. Kitchen Corners has changed from a recipe blog to a giveaway/product review/design/anything-I-can-think-of-blog. However, now I do giveaways on my Facebook page, and have fun random conversations on twitter, and share my food design obsession on my design blog. It's better this way, because now I can focus on what I really love to do which is have conversations about life and food with you.

• What are you most proud about accomplishing since graduation?
Having two kids

• What's your favorite MHC memory?
Big sister during freshmen year

• What do you miss most about MHC/the Valley?
Having intellectual conversations and silly conversations all within the same lunch hour with friends in Wilder

• What are you looking forward to at reunion? Seeing people I miss

Let '06 alumnae know what you're up to! Email amy.cavanaugh@gmail.com with updates. See you in South Hadley!

Peter Berek is Retiring - Share your memories!

This was passed on to us from an '03 alum. Since many of you probably took classes with Peter Berek, we want to make sure you have a chance to share your favorite memories!


Dear Mount Holyoke Alumna,

If you haven’t already heard, Professor Peter Berek is retiring this May! Over the last 20 years, Prof. Berek has been teaching English to Mount Holyoke students – you may recall him from English 200, the first-year seminar “Pasts and Presences,” or his Shakespeare class – and has served as dean of faculty and provost (1990-1998), as well as interim president of Mount Holyoke (1995). For many of us, Prof. Berek has also been an advisor, mentor and friend. Indeed, he’s a Mount Holyoke institution! (You can read more about Prof. Berek's many accomplishments here.)

In honor of his retirement on May 18th, we are soliciting your farewell thoughts and memories of Professor Berek to compile in a scrapbook that will be presented to him during his retirement ceremony on May 18th. Please consider contributing your memories of Prof. Berek or farewell message and send it to: peterberekmemories@gmail.com. Your submission may be any length (preferably no more than 1,000 words), and may include photos or drawings. Please email your submission by April 30.

If you have any questions, you can contact me at jessie.babcock@gmail.com. Thanks!

Jessie Babcock
MHC Class of 2003

Countdown to Reunion: Catching Up with Amanda Englund

Amanda Englund, Portland, Oregon

• What are you most proud about accomplishing since graduation?
Starting two small businesses and becoming a mother.

• What's your favorite MHC memory?
Sprawling out in the library during finals, sharing the crack-out sensations with my friends.

• What do you miss most about MHC/the Valley?
The green farm land, having access to 5 colleges worth of information and a free bus system.

• What are you looking forward to at reunion?
Showing off my beautiful son! And reconnecting with friends I haven't seen in so long!

• Coolest thing I've done: Traveled in Japan and Costa Rica, learned to prepare placenta medicine for mamas, became the editor for an awesome feminist parenting magazine and got married to my first and long lost love. My husband and I started a commercial kombucha brewery and are about to take over the Pacific Northwest! Oh! And I sang in a Reggae band for a little while too...

Let '06 alumnae know what you're up to! Email amy.cavanaugh@gmail.com with updates. See you in South Hadley!

Extending Deadline for Nominations

Good news! We're extending the deadline to submit nominations for the 2011-2016 Class Board Term until April 15th. Please send your nominations to mhc2006nominations@gmail.com.

Your Class of 2006 Nominating Committee,
Annie Brinkmann, Allison Doran, Blythe Keller & Paige Ryland

Sign up for reunion!

It's finally that time — sign up for reunion! Fill out this form and get it in by April 15. Just 46 days to go!

2011 Class Board Elections

The Nominating Committee is currently accepting nominations for the following positions to be filled during the next class election. Elections for class officers will take place during reunion weekend, May 20-22, at the class meeting.

The positions to be filled are:

President
Vice President
Reunion Chair
Secretary
Scribe
Treasurer
Head Class Agent
Web Coordinator
Nominating Committee

All positions are co-chair optional. Nominated candidates need not be present at reunion to be elected.

For more information on each position, please see
http://alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/volunteers/res/classres/coh2009.pdf (pages 11-20).

Submit your nomination(s) to mhc2006nominations@gmail.com no later than April 5. In your email, please include the name of the person to be nominated, the position the person is nominated for, and the person's contact information.

Sincerely,
Your Nominating Committee
Annie Brinkmann, Allison Doran, Blythe Keller & Paige Ryland

Reunion Survey

We need your help creating signs for Laurel Parade and planning other reunion events! Take this quick survey to help us learn what you've been up to since we graduated and which M&Cs you wish you could still eat nightly. We'll use the answers to make signs to carry in the parade.