The Word From Washington

 What We Learned from the Reunion Survey

This fall, 837 alumni, faculty and staff shared their thoughts about the possibility of separating Reunion from Commencement Weekend. The Reunion Task Force, composed of alumni and staff, was led by the co-chairs of the Classes & Reunion Committee of the Alumni Board, Peter Shafer ’86 and Heather Spurrier ’00. The task force researched the topic and recently presented the executive summary of their findings to President Reiss. In the new year, be on the lookout for an announcement about Alumni Weekend 2013.

 Town and College Announce Agreement on Armory

The Town of Chestertown and Washington College have announced an agreement that will, if fully realized, transfer ownership of the Chestertown Armory to the College. President Reiss stated, “We look forward to working with the Town as we go forward with plans to build a state-of-the art waterfront campus — plans that will incorporate the historic Armory property and be a point of pride for Washington College and the entire Chestertown community." Read the full article.

Leverage Your Washington College Alumni Network

Have you joined the WC Alumni Group on LinkedIn yet? Over 1,000 of your WC friends have begun networking on that site. See where your fellow alums are now, and perhaps make a career connection or find an old friend! If you're currently job hunting, try the new LinkedIn feature that conveniently displays your college alumni network when you search companies. For instance, try searching for IBM on LinkedIn, and you will see the WC alumni who work there. Pretty neat, eh?

 Flock to a WC Chapter Event in Your Area

You don't need to return to campus to feel part of the WC flock! Alumni are networking in Baltimore, meeting up with old friends in Chestertown, and celebrating the holidays together in big cities. If you haven't attended a WC chapter event lately, consider leaving your nest  to say "hello" to old friends. Even Gus, though he prefers the comforts of Chestertown, flies off-campus occasionally! Recently, the Talbot Chapter invited Gus to meet some fine, feathered friends at the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, MD. His next stop? Wilmington's toast!

Your WC News in 3 Minutes or Less!

WC Names New Vice President for Advancement Gretchen Dwyer, a fundraiser and 16-year veteran of development andalumni-relations work, has accepted the position of Vice President for College Advancement and Alumni Relations. A native of California, Gretchen earned a bachelor’s degree in English and African Studies from St.Lawrence University in Canton, NY, and a master’s degree in literacy, language and cultural studies from Boston University. Gretchen, her husband, Tom, and their three children will arrive in Chestertown in December. Read more... Veterans Deserve a Chance to be Rhodes Scholars In The Chronicle of Higher Education, President Reiss makes the case that the Rhodes Scholarship should eliminate discrimination on the basis of age.  He explains that this award, which has been sending Americans to the University of Oxford for over a century, should provide veterans a chance to be Rhodes Scholars.  Read the full article and learn more about the Washington College student who, as a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, brought the issue to light. New Members Join WC Alumni Board The Alumni Board welcomed its newest members in October: Elizabeth O'Hara Lazo '93, Wayles Wilson '03, Bruce Alexander '94 M'00 and Richard Grieves '83. It was the first meeting of the academic year for the Alumni Board. All committees reported on their progress and reviewed goals for the year. Afterwards, a reception at the Alumni House was held for the board, and a feathery VIP guest officially welcomed the new board members.  Washington College Freshmen Dig the Pig  Named after Alexander Hamilton (the first United States Secretary of the Treasury and a loyal supporter of George Washington), Hamilton Pig - or "Ham" for short - is a piggy bank symbolizing the importance of giving back to WC. Each freshman received a Hamilton to feed with change. Occasionally, students bring their pigs to events, donating their savings to The Washington Fund while having a “squealing” good time! Read more about Ham and "friend" him on Facebook.