Be In It
14 May 2008 Be In It
Sunlight and laughter filled Comstock Dining Room during the 31st annual Senior Brunch on Tuesday, May 13. Kicking off Senior Week, the William Smith Class of 2008 gathered together in celebration of their mentors and each other. Director of Alumnae Relations Kathy Killius Regan 82 welcomed the women into the William Smith Alumnae Association and offered a brief lesson on the proper Latin words to use when describing graduates of Hobart and William Smith. Summoning memories of their first class gathering at the William Smith Deans Welcome Dinner in 2004, each member of the Class of 2008 also received a small Colorado blue spruce in honor of College founder William Smith. Alumna speaker and Vice Board Chair Maureen Collins Zupan 72, P09 related tales from her years as a business woman and offered the soon-to-be-graduates six lessons for making your way in the world. The friends I made at William Smith College have been some of the most important people in my life. The common experiences that you have shared will always be with you, said Zupan, encouraging attendees to stay connected to HWS. 
Maureen Clarke 08 gave the student address, outlining her journey through William Smith College. Throughout my four years, weve seen many transformations around campus, from large to small. We have also all experienced our own personal transformations, again some significant and some subtle, said Clarke. Weve all been transformed by our experiences on- and off-campus. We have become leading women. William Smith Deans Debra DeMeis, Valerie Gunter and Lisa Kaenzig offered the women a series of wishes for their futures. DeMeis, who recently announced that she has accepted a position as Dean of Students at Wellesley College, was also inducted into the senior class. We are proud to recognize Dean DeMeis as our own and welcome her into our class, said Senior Class President Tara Ware. Several senior women were also recognized during the brunch. Kirra Henick-Kling was honored with the The Judith Haslam Cross 52 Award, and Skylar Beaver was awarded the Elizabeth Herendeen Odell 22 Book Award. Beaver, Katharine Goodrich, Jessie McKenna and Kate Wilson were called out as the class representatives for the Young Alum Participation Initiative. Colleges Chaplain Lesley Adams closed the ceremony by reading Seeing for a Moment, a poem by Denise Levertov. Remember that the world is not something to look at; its something to be in. William Smith women, I know youll be in it.