Wells College Association of Alumnae and Alumni

The cover of the 1994 Cardinal is a stunning work of art! Created by Robyn Gallimore-Jones '94

A LITTLE WELLS BELLS FOR ELECTION DAY! Enjoy the sounds of our soothing bells on this voting day (from pre-COVID, in case you are wondering why unmasked people are gathered at the doors of Main in the beginning)

HAPPY 215TH BIRTHDAY, HENRY WELLS!

AN AUTUMN FOREST IS SUCH A PLACE THAT ONCE ENTERED YOU NEVER LOOK FOR THE EXIT! Mehmet Murat ildan Enjoying the beautiful weather a few weeks ago , theatre students entered the old Wells amphitheater behind Macmillan to spend class time performing with nature as their scenic backdrop. #wellscollege

SPECIAL FRIEND This is for a friend that is special, Every time we chat, I smile. My friend doesn’t see flaws,... accepting my difference with open arms. It’s me and my partner in crime, always having a sensational time. Silly, gentle hearted, and caring, It’s awesome to have someone that keeps me laughingLena Holdman #wellsfamily

GUTEN TAG! Tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 11), our students will once again celebrate the Wells tradition of Weihnachten. You might be wondering how this tradition started and how it has evolved over the decades.... The origin of the word Weihnachten comes from the observance of what is commonly known in English as Christmas Eve in the German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland. From its beginning, Wells College usually celebrated Christmas in some way, as it started out as a college with Christian values, as Henry Wells stated. During the fall semester of 1955, finals were moved to January that year and the first Weihnachten was celebrated in the Dining Hall. Organized by the Wells Service League, the party for students, faculty, and staff had music, the reading of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Moore, and a small gift exchange. The residence halls provided decorations and lights for the tree. Over the years, the tradition added Aurora children, dance, caroling, hot chocolate, and skits. In the 1990s, to be more inclusive and welcoming to students of other beliefs, the tradition changed to celebrate the Winter Solstice instead of aligning itself with any specific religion; however, the music, dance, skits, caroling, and hot chocolate part of the tradition continue. TSCHÜSS! #wellsfamily #wellscollege

I DEFINE CONNECTION AS THE ENERGY THAT EXISTS BETWEEN PEOPLE WHEN THEY FEEL SEEN, HEARD, AND VALUED; WHEN THEY CAN GIVE AND RECEIVE WITHOUT JUDGMENT; AND WHEN THEY DERIVE SUSTENANCE AND STRENGTH FROM THE RELATIONSHIP Brené Brown The strength of the Wells community is measured by our connections to each other. We know how powerful the Wells Connection has been for our alumnae and alumni and we want to bring that connection to our current students. Our students are eager to ...hear your story and ask you questions about your major, graduate school, career path, and so much more. You can be one of their best resources as they create their own path. Please take a few minutes to update your online profile, including any graduate school and/or career information: http://www.alumni.wells.edu/updateyourinfo If you have questions, please contact the Office of Alumnae and Alumni Engagement at [email protected] or 315-364-3200 THE POWER TO CONNECT Make Purposeful Connections. Create Opportunities. Share Experiences. (Christin Schaaf '99 & Kaylen Furr '21 pre-COVID)

"Up here, with June, the sycamore throws Across the window a whispering screen; I shall miss the sycamore more I suppose, Than anything else on this earth that is out in green."... from "From a Window" by Charlotte Mary Mew

Our Amanda Casselman '11 took these stunning photos after one of her Thursday night classes. Amanda is teaching "Corrections: CRIM 302" for Wells this semester. Thank you, Amanda! #wellscollege

WE CAN’T MASK OUR SUPPORT FOR OUR THEATRE DEPARTMENT! Last weekend, the Wells Theatre Department presented (Un)Masked, a production incorporating the use of masks, small numbers of actors and actresses on stage, and multiple scenes from various plays. The hardworking students were presented with wonderful goody bags to celebrate their success!... Thank you to all of the alumnae listed below who contributed goodies (a special shout out to Sloane Bailey ’87 for heading up this endeavor) and to Kaylen Furr ’21, Rachel Porter ’06, and Kelly Brown for putting the bags together. List of Contributors: Sheri DeFrees Allen ’87 Sloane Bailey ’87 Crary Reynolds Brooks ’87 Deborah Callahan ’85 Nancy Connors ’92 Colleen Corcoran ’90 Carol Lynn Courtney ’80 Jen Dimond ’92 Dulcie Corkill Elwood ’73 Giavarna Faison ’14 Sarah Bryce Heppner ’05 Delia Case Ingham ’87 Renee Forgensi Minarik ’80 Cherie Mitchell ’87 Christine Moleski ’87 Jennifer Pelton ’92 Gail Pesyna ’70 Christin Schaaf ’99 Heather Coburn Snyder ’87 Rachelle Stanko ’90 Jennifer Zalewski ‘99 #wellsfamily

UMNTU NGUMNTU NGABANTU Thirty-five years ago this coming May, Naomi Tutu, daughter of South African Bishop and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu and Leah Tutu, a community activist and labor organizer who played a prominent role in the formation of South Africa's first trade union for domestic workers in the 1980s, spoke at the Wells College Class of 1986 Commencement. At that time Naomi and her then husband, Corbin Seavers, founded the Tutu Foundation for Development ...and Relief. The Foundation provided scholarships to South African refugees in other African countries, helping them obtain skills to both sustain themselves in exile and find meaningful work upon their return to their homeland. At age 25, Naomi was the youngest Wells College commencement speaker ever and her address received a standing ovation. We’ve attached her speech (slightly excerpted, according to the August 1986 Wells College Express, from which we copied it). A few highlights that certainly still fit today’s world: The proverb I referred to is in my mother tongue Xhosa and says, ‘Umntu Ngumntu Ngabantu’: ‘A person is a person through other people.’ It is a proverb that I want to use as the basis of my address to you today. In its most elementary sense, the proverb means that we are only human, in the fullest sense of the word, through our interaction with other human beings. However, this saying has two deeper meanings, and these are really what interest me. The first is that any action you take on behalf of or against another person you have in a real sense done to yourself...that the only way to maintain their humanity and dignity is to safeguard the humanity and dignity of all those with whom they come in contact. The second deeper meaning of the proverb is that an individual is nothing on his or her ownYour parents, teachers, sisters, brothers, husbands, friends, and others who came before you whose names you may never have heard, all in some small or not so small way worked to make your particular journey easier for youFor it is very true that there really is no such thing as an individual achievement. my father would say, ‘When a man or woman stands out above the crowd it is usually because he or she is standing on the shoulders of others.’ In a sense our proverb gives the next part of that saying which could be, ‘We must all take a turn at being the shoulders that support another in her glory.’Please be there to offer yours when you are called upon. #wellscollege #wellsfamily

Everything looped, spiraled, circular (thought) But the labyrinth’s not a maze but a singular way to strike ‘the profoundest chord’ across aspirefrom (to walk the labyrinth is amazing) by Cynthia Hogue... On a wonderful October day, Lili MacCormick (widow of Prof. Chalmers MacCormick) spoke to Wells students about labyrinths during their Creation Narratives East and West class, taught by Barb Blom ’82, at the United Ministry in Aurora on Main Street. #wellscollege