Fall 2014 Kirkland Letter
Dear Kirkland Friends,
Imagine drinking a cup of fresh apple cider straight from the press and the air filled with the warm smell of apple cider donuts. This was Fallcoming for me!
You may recall last year’s letter in which I mentioned a "zany but satisfying" project undertaken by Mark Kahn H'70 and several friends in response to what he saw as a lack of outdoor seating options. A number of us responded to Mark’s request for Kirkland chairs. And this past Fallcoming, I assisted the guys in putting together 34 additional chairs – there are now a total of 60 chairs on campus. While I took a moment to wonder what was I doing with these Hamilton men (mostly from the classes before mine), I followed my braver side and made new friends that I believe will be long lasting. I had fun. All of the chairs are fitted with a brass plaque dedicated to whomever we pleased and the chairs were placed around campus. Students, faculty and visitors love the chairs; they are a great addition to the campus.
The highlight of the weekend was the dedication of the Kennedy Center for Theatre and the Studio Arts. Kevin Kennedy H’70 and his wife Karen have been steadfast supporters of the project, which began over a decade ago. In his dedication remarks, Kevin spoke of his Hill experience as “the one time in my life” he could experience speech, dance, math, French, English, and history. (One of my Adirondack chair-builder buddies shared stories about Kevin and himself in their Kirkland dance class.) Kevin credits the College with teaching him to think broadly, what he calls “the essence of a liberal arts education.”
If you go to http://hamilton.edu/alumni, you can see more photos of the addition including the Kirkland Wall.
Our Wall is the result of the Kirkland Arts Challenge created by Carol Travis Friscia K’77 and our Kirkland Alumnae who supported the Challenge. Everyone who matriculated at Kirkland is inscribed on the wall. I am so moved by this monument and the efforts made to acknowledge and memorialize our steps along the path of Kirkland. Our names on this impressive wall cause a definite visual moment for anyone who passes by. I highly recommend being present next June at our All-Kirkland Reunion to see our Wall and experience our Kirkland today. While there are no additional names to add to the Kirkland Wall, we will gracefully pass our legacy and presence on to future generations of women and men on the Hill.
This leads me to share the following with you. Please take out your planner and make a note that you will be on the Hill, June 4-7, 2015, for our All-Kirkland Reunion. Try not to overthink it. Just do it. I hope to see many of us gather next June, putting to the side anything that might try to keep us away and, leading with strength, the energy that initially brought us to Kirkland way back then.
I will also add here that our contributions and donations to whatever fund to which we feel devoted continue to be needed and appreciated. The Kirkland Gifts Initiative supports our efforts. Please join me in supporting the College this year by sending a check.
Peace & love & looking forward to seeing you this June, 2015,
M. Lori Richard Reidel K’77
lorir@vwg.com
