As you are all very aware, time is flying by all the more swiftly – EEEK!!  Our 45th Reunion Friday through Sunday, April 19-21, 2024, will be upon us before you know it! 

For a couple of decades, for reasons most of us can relate to (kids, career, unexpected bumps in the road of life) I didn’t attend ASC reunions. They were always in the back of my mind though, and never managed to make it to the front. If it hadn’t been for a cluster of old dorm-mates who doggedly included me in their emails, texts and WhatsApp chatter over the years, I might have lost touch completely. When they finally did persuade me to attend a reunion (maybe our 30th?) I could have kicked myself for missing so many. What I discovered (or rediscovered) was how smart, funny, and kind we are!  How our many lived experiences (high, low, good, bad) have enriched us and made us strong, complex, and interesting.

Research has repeatedly shown that social connections are associated with health, longevity, and one’s sense of happiness and belonging. The time has come for us to reconnect, relive memories and refresh friendships!  If you have been out of touch for a while, I invite you to rejoin us in remembering the impact Agnes Scott and classmates made on our lives.  I encourage you to rediscover fellow Scotties you might have lost touch with!

Team 45th Reunion is intent on every one of us in ’79 feeling connected to something bigger than us, and that bigger-than-us thing is Agnes Scott College and its mission: to educate women to think deeply, live honorably, and engage the intellectual and social challenges of their times. And then, let’s laugh together!  (Remember the spoons hanging from our noses a few years back?!) Here are highlights of our specific ’79 get-togethers, with more on campus throughout the weekend:

• An informal “pre”- party on Friday April 19 (location TBD) to get our classmates involved in getting to know each other again.
• We cannot wait to relax and enjoy each other for our official Class Cocktail Party on Saturday:  Delicious food and drink (thoughtfully planned for specific needs) in a beautiful space on campus, The Elmore Reading Room in McCain Library, and more team-building fun! 

•  And for the grand finale, Anne Griner Watkins will be hosting an amazing send-off Sunday brunch at her home—conveniently located near the airport for those who need to catch flights home. 

Here’s a website tailored to our class of 1979 with key info for you to bookmark:  https://alumnaeweekend.agnesscott.org/class-of-1979/

Everything is here including who your class officers are, how to reach us, letters sent out by us to you on paper and email, and lodging info with ASC Discounts.  Timing:  Hotel registration is already open and early registration for ASC reunion starts February 1^st. 

I look forward to forging new friendships and solidifying old ones! Please join us to appreciate each other as well as our alma mater.

The new academic year is now well up and running, so it’s a good time to bring you news of Agnes Scott.  I had the opportunity to hear from President Zak during reunion boot camp (more on that later) and I am delighted to share with you news of the many great things happening at the College.

First, some accolades*:

• #1 in Innovation (for the 6^th year in a row!) Nationally!
• #2 top performer on social mobility!
• #3 for First-year experiences. Nationally!
• #6 best alumni network**

And perhaps most impressive (but not a surprise to us) – among the top 15 undergraduate teaching programs in the country!

And some data:

• There are 240 first-year students, who, along with transfers, make up the largest number of students on campus – ever.
• There are 3 Fulbright scholars.
• There are new programs, including a new Physician Assistant program, new Masters in Psychology, a new Creative Arts major (which is now the number one major) and what I find fascinating, is a new program combining Neuroscience and Philosophy.

More data:

• Tuition/Room and Board is $63,000.
• Almost 100% of students receive some form of financial aid

All of this combines to create an environment that prepares students to live successful, fulfilling lives.  Your continued support helps make all this possible. 

This is also a great time to continue celebrating our relationship to the college and to each other, by planning to attend our 45^th reunion April 19-20!  The reunion team (Sandy Fowler, Sandra Eichelberger, Karol Hammer Stephens, Elizabeth Wells Lang, Virginia Rockwell, and -virtually from France- Susi Gomez Boutier), met at the College in September and is planning for great events, but they won’t turn out to be a great unless you are there!  So please make plans to attend.  If you have ideas or want to help with the continued planning/organization, please reach out to me at fowlersmd@yahoo.com.

And let’s start thinking ahead about electing our new class officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Fund Chair/s, Reunion Chair/s) instead of picking whoever left the room!  The Alumnae Board has worked hard on formalizing these positions, which you can check out under the Reunion Planning Resources tab on the Alumnae Weekend website (agnesscott.alumnaeweekend.org).

As a refresher, our current officers are:

Sandy Fowler, President, fowlerslmd@yahoo.com

Helen Hill Waters, Vice-President, helenwaters@aol.com

Melinda Tanner White, Acting Secretary (for Leslie Doyle) mtwhite2@yahoo.com

Fund Co-Chairs, Eleanor Graham nancyeg57@gmail.com and Karol Hammer Stephens krhstephens@yahoo.com

Reunion Co-Chairs, Susi Gomez Boutier susiboutier@gmail.com and Virginia Rockwell virginiarockwell@me.com

I shared with my 92-year-old father President Zak’s recent news about the college rankings and this is what he said: “You must be very proud to be an alum of ASC, as are we.  We had no part in your decision to go to ASC.  You did that all on your own to select a college that was right for you.  You obviously made the right decision.  I’m sure you feel that you owe a great measure of your success in life to your education there.” 

That is so true, and why I continue to support the college with both my interest in her goings on and financially.  I hope you will join me in both, especially for the Fall Giving campaign, which is coming up soon.

And lastly, please make sure that the College has your correct email address!  Karol Hammer Stephens and Sandra Eichelberger (sandraei@yahoo.com) are working hard on cleaning up our contact info, so please reach out to them with any additions or corrections.

*US News and World Report Rankings 2023

**Princeton Review 2023