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The Dartmouth
March 28, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Events honor alumni contributions

Correction appended

The College's fifth annual Alumni Appreciation Week a tradition created in 2007 to connect students with visiting alumni and help undergraduates recognize alumni contributions to the College features dinners for members of the Class of 2011, a reception with Trustee Bradford Evans '64 and alumni tailgates, Hill Winds Society Alumni Appreciation Week co-chair Yuxiang Zhou '12, said.

Alumni Appreciation Week, which began on April 24 and will conclude on April 30, helps educate students about alumni contributions to the College through various planned activities, such as a rugby game tailgate and a postcard signing session to recognize contributing alumni, according to James Barkley '06, assistant director of young alumni and student programs at the Office of Alumni Relations.

Although the majority of alumni on campus for Alumni Appreciation Week are class officers, live in the Hanover area or are visiting their children for First-Year Family Weekend, the numerous activities scheduled throughout the week offer alumni unique opportunities to interact with current students and discuss the state of the College, according to Zhou.

Approximately 20 alumni and 180 members of the Class of 2011 attended each of the three Daniel Webster Dinners organized by the College this week, according to Barkley. Each reception featured a speech by College President Jim Yong Kim or acting Vice President for Alumni Relations Patsy Fisher, as well as remarks by acting Dean of the College Sylvia Spears, Barkley said.

Kim's speech addressed students' impending graduation and transition out of Dartmouth, as well as the importance of remembering the benefits of a Dartmouth education, Molly Schloss '11, who serves as an intern for the Senior Class Gift, said in an interview with The Dartmouth. During Monday's Daniel Webster dinner reception, Schloss encouraged her fellow seniors to donate money to the College as alumni since fundraising efforts raise money for financial aid for members of the Class of 2015.

While the post-graduation transition can be difficult for many recent graduates, Alumni Appreciation Week events sought to explain and dispel any confusion regarding students' future role as alumni, Chris Han '11, a member of Hill Winds, said.

"As we transition to alumni-hood, the things that we've enjoyed the traditions those are things we'll take with us and that we'll enjoy, but we have a duty to make possible for future generations of Dartmouth students," he said.

Senior Executive Committee President Shayla Mars '11, Class President Roger McArt '61, Pete Bleyler '61 and Bruce Johnson '61 also spoke at the dinners, according to Barkley. McArt and Bleyer's speeches focused on the importance of donating to the College and alumni club involvement.

Students who attended the dinners also learned about alumni resources including a class website and alumni newsletters and magazines, according to Zhou.

Hill Winds organized a reception with Evans a Morgan Stanley senior advisor that will take place on Thursday evening at the Top of the Hop, Zhou said. The reception will give Evans the opportunity to discuss his experiences as a student at the College and the nature of current student life.

On Sunday, Hill Winds hosted a kickoff event in Collis Common Ground at which students signed cards to alumni to thank them for their contributions to the College and to invite them to visit campus, Zhou said. Students signed approximately 500 cards on Sunday, and Hill Winds aims to have 3,000 completed by the end of the week, according to Zhou.

The Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley organized a women's lacrosse tailgate for this coming Friday, according to Diana Lawrence, director of Alumni Relations communications.

Hill Winds also organized a rugby tailgate on Saturday, Zhou said. Hill Winds hired a bus to shuttle people between Blunt Alumni Center and the rugby field on Saturday in an attempt to increase attendance at alumni tailgates, which has been low in past years, according to Zhou.

"Hill Winds feels the actual interactions between students and alumni have been quite limited, so we're trying to start this initiative to have people interact with alumni either through sending them postcards, interacting with a trustee at a reception or going with an alum to the rugby game," Zhou said. "I think by doing these concrete things, students can actually feel the alum's passion for the College and also alums will be updated about student and College life."

The original article stated that Bradford Evans '64 spoke on Wednesday night when in fact his speech is Thursday. College President Jim Yong Kim did not speak at every reception acting Vice President for Alumni Relations Patsy Fisher spoke on Wednesday night. Roger McArt was incorrectly identified as SEC president when in fact he is the Class of 1961 president.

**The original article also incorrectly attributed Daniel Webster Dinners and the lacrosse tailgate to the Hill Winds Society. In fact they were organized by the College and the Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley, respectively.*