Happy One-Year Anniversary!

Virtual celebration with online Kirkland College community

During the summer of 2009, we three sat around a dining room table in Arlington, Va. surrounded by plates of delicious fruit and cheese. We brainstormed our way through projects that the Kirkland College Archives, Media and Publications Committee might tackle to encourage storytelling, preserve artifacts, and capture memories. After much spirited discussion, we decided to create an interactive web site where alumnae and friends could post their thoughts and memories, reconnect, and document aspects of the Kirkland experience for future generations.

We’ve put in countless hours developing, researching, and writing articles; learning how to navigate WordPress; and personally connecting with former teachers, staff and friends—and even other Kirkland women we might not otherwise have met. The bonds we formed reach across this country and across an ocean.

As we toast you—the women, faculty, parents, staff, and friends of Kirkland College—we also wish to thank the following for their contributions and support: Hamilton Archivist Katherine Collett, Sharon Rippey and Pauline Caputi at Hamilton College’s Alumni Office, Connie Halporn, Rebecca Pressman, Penny Watras Dana, Jan Sidebotham, and Elisabeth Horwitt Putnam.

And we’d like to share a few notable milestones:

We also have two announcements to make:

We are now linked to Jean McGavin’s (K’76) storytelling site, StoryChip, where you can submit longer, more personal narratives.

Connie Halporn K’78 is coordinating Particulars, a new “mystery photograph” feature for our site that will focus on images from the archives at Burke Library.

We do this work on a volunteer basis in between jobs, family, and community involvement—without any financial assistance or remuneration. The impetus comes from remarks in the foreward of Samuel F. Babbitt’s Limited Engagement:

“What is missing, unfortunately, is the texture of the place as seen and felt by students and faculty in and out of the classrooms and residence halls and offices. I wish it were possible here to show those aspects, since that was what Kirkland was about. But those memories and experiences are for others to write about in their turn.”

Writing about our unique history and traditions will not only preserve our legacy, but will also help current students and faculty learn about what Kirkland was and how Hamilton has evolved. That’s why we encourage you to log on, share a thought or an image, and encourage those who shared the experience to do the same. Professor George Bahlke’s death on Feb. 1, 2011 underscores the urgency of capturing our Kirkland impressions.

Here’s to another productive year filled with more of your recollections and personal narratives!
Cheers!
Jo Pitkin K’78, Jennie Morris K’72, Judy Silverstein Gray K’78