Beloit College Alumni

The task of writing a solicitation letter might seem daunting. It can be a real challenge to write a creative, energetic, stand-out letter — the kind that draws your classmates in, and moves them to give their financial support to the College.

However, drafting a letter (or letters) can be easier than you think. Just plan ahead and allow yourself ample time to draft the letter. Write from your heart and with conviction. Remind them of old times and bring them up-to-date on what's new and interesting, either in your life, in the lives of your classmates, or on campus. Check out the College's website for important College news!

Bunky Gayle, Class of 1947 to 1954
Carolyn Hauswald, Class of 1963
Craig Heiser, Class of 1964
Dorothy Sinson, Class of 1953
Kevin Stevens, Class of 1987

Bunky Gayle — Class of 1947 to 1954

Fall of 2003

Dear Classmates from 1947 to 1951,

First: A few words about the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). You have read the good news that Ole' Beloit was among the top four colleges shining through as examples of the Real World of active and collaborative learning, of student-faculty interactions, of enriching educational experience, and of supportive student environment. Now Beloit Senior Rankings of 2000 compared to 2002 showed consistent improvement in Seniors' Ratings. Getting better and better is our alma mater! And your gifts are making a Beloit education affordable for lots of students!

Second: Speaking of donations is my job as class Agent. Please lend an ear, an eye, and a helping hand. To attract more foundation and grants, we need to increase the percentage of alumni giving from last year's 53% up to 58%. That means eight more alums donating a gift of any size will help attract those groups whose funding we need. If you have already made your gift this year, thank you.

Third: Whatever I say about how the College has managed to stay within budget, on target with the Strategic Plan, and hire one new faculty member when many colleges are cutting faculty positions is insignificant compared to reading the President's Report which is available at www.beloit.edu. Please take the time to review it and let me know what you think at thegayles@aol.com.

I am so proud of the work that is taking place at Beloit! A friend whose granddaughter is a freshman called her grandmother to say she's impressed with admissions, her advisor, and the orientation process.

Loyally,

Veronica B. Gale

P.S. If you have already made a gift to Beloit this fiscal year, please accept the enclosed peel-off adhesive decal as a token of appreciation. If you have not made your gift yet, your pledge card is on the back side.

Carolyn Hauswald — Class of 1963

Fall 2003

Greetings '63 Classmates

Only 40 very short years ago we were enduring incredibly hot first weeks of school, meeting new people some of whom have become life time friends, walking from building to building rather than just down the hall to our next classes, being "checked out" by the upper classmen, and feeling very grown up and independent. Many of us gathered back at Beloit during Homecoming/Reunion this fall and shared stories and memories of those four unique years and heard about all that has happened to us in our "real" lives.

Since it is our reunion year, the College is anticipating exuberant benevolence from our class this year and there was an announcement of our giving during the weekend festivities. It would really be "sweet" (that is the current in word) if we could hit 63% but that will take a bit of doing. Last year we did the most astounding thing. We increased not only our dollar contributions but for the fourth year in a row we increased the number of people contributing. Thanks! The astounding thing is that participation increased by .3%. Since there are 199 of us still alive and kicking and counted as the denominator (that's the bottom number), this means that the number of people contributing increased by .6. I called the College and asked how that could possibly be. I would have thought that each of us is a whole person and that it would be impossible for 60% of one person to give. I was told that the College computers calculate the percentages so I guess this is the result of College math, the finer points of which always escaped me. Perhaps one of us was 5.4 months pregnant–really frightening thought. On the other hand perhaps one of us is only a little more than half there–much more likely. But how does the College computer know this stuff?

According to my calculations we need 26.4 more people to contribute if we are going to hit 63%. Now if you know someone that is not contributing I have a few suggestions about how you can help. 1) Talk them into contributing, 2) Contribute $10.00 in their name and send them a note telling them that you did this for them. If you are one of the non-contributors be aware that there are people thinking about you. I know many of us are on tight budgets but all gifts are important.

While the math is mystifying the need is simple. A $100 contribution is worth a $2,000 increase in the endowment. All colleges depend on their "kids" to grow up and support them. I guess we are officially grown up now and it is time to be counted as one of the success stories of Beloit.

You might even include a brief thank you note for what Beloit College did for you along with your contribution.

Thanks for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Carolyn Hauswald

Craig Heiser — Class of 1964

Fall 2003

Dear Classmates of 1964:

A few weeks ago I took the opportunity to return to Beloit. And was I surprised by what I found! A great many things had changed significantly. The city of Beloit and surrounding area had many new and remodeled buildings. But many familiar landmarks were gone: Beloit Corporation, Wagon Wheel Lodge, Hilton Hotel, Goodys, Joe & Mary's, and the Italian American Welfare Club. Unbelievably some "old friends" had not changed: Tilleys Pizza, The 88, Gun Club.

The College, like the city, has changed substantially with new and renovated buildings. Again some buildings appear not to have changed at all: Middle College, Eaton Chapel, Morse-Ingersoll and World Affairs Center. The 800 block of College Street has the same buildings but with some new names and uses. The campus seemed smaller and the trees appeared taller than I remember.

One thing that has not changed about Beloit is its reputation for excellence. Many departments are recognized as among the best in the country in scholarly surveys. This group includes anthropology, biology, chemistry, economics, English, geology, modern languages and sociology. The diversity of the student body of almost 1,200, the special programs, and outstanding faculty, and unique learning opportunities on campus and abroad also contribute to this excellence.

One of the foundations for this well-earned reputation is the support of Beloit's alumni. Consistently Beloit is ranked near the top in alumni participation. In turn this justifies grants from foundations and corporations. This combined funding is needed each year to: provide financial aid to deserving qualified students; recruit and train a great faculty, improve technology and update facilities.

Your gift, regardless of amount, is critical to maintaining this tradition of excellence. The Beloit Fund permits you to support the greatest need or select a program that is significant to you. These are:

Student Scholarships and Financial Aid
Faculty Development and Research
Internships
International Programs

There are many ways to make your gift: check, credit card, periodic installments, company match, etc. They can be made at any time through May 31, 2004 for this fiscal year. The income tax benefits can be utilized earlier if gifts are made by December 31,st 2003.

All of us are challenged with the current economic uncertainties that make contributions a luxury. Please remember that what we face now is not a great deal worse than conditions in the late 1950s when others made sacrifices that enabled us to benefit. It is now our turn to give in tough times to benefit others. I encourage you to consider a gift now regardless of amount.

It will be a great way to start the celebration of the 40th anniversary of our graduation. Please join us now and plan to return to Beloit October 8-10, 2004. If you want to help plan this party contact me or the Alumni Office. Finally, please overcome your modesty and send me some news about what you are doing now. The rest of us are interested so e-mail me something at CHH@wolfecon.com. I will be sure your news is published.

See you in October, 2004!

Craig Heiser

Dorothy Sinson — Class of 1953

Fall 2003

Greetings to the Class of 1953:

57 class members attended our recent 50th reunion. The weekend can best be described by heard and over heard comments like:

What a lively bunch
Don't we all look great An invigorating weekend
A good turn-out for such "old farts"
It's all about RE-CONNECTIONS
I get good vibes about the College including the President Stupendous
What a lot of neat people in one class.
I'm soooo glad to be back.
I'm estatic, I knew it would be good, but not this good.
The bottom line is, you know, we are a wonderful class.

A belated and heartfelt acknowledgement of outstanding service for our class reunions goes to Dick and Shirley Henkel Minks, who did more than anyone to get this reunion together, and they have served on previous reunion committees. Thanks also to the rest of the reunion committee, Bob Kuranz (who assembled all those pictures), JoAnn Colvin Mullen, Lloyd Smith and the many other phone-callers.

An analysis of our four years at Beloit by John and Carloyn Liegler Benson, Elmer Rudy, Jerry Houghton and Jo Ann Colvin Mullen was thought-provoking, comprehensive and very nostalgic. Each entertainingly pulled together a year at Beloit, thank you.

Without Betty Bingham and Tony Paris as masters-of ceremony we would have still had a great weekend, but not really a great one, as we did.

Last, but least, we appreciate our College contact Barb Thurler, in the Alumni Office, who was tireless, extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and always there for the committee. Thanks also for the great turtle pins.

We proudly witnessed Larry Pakula receive the Alumni Distinuished Service Citation. Congratulations again, Larry. Previous winners from our class include: Stanley York-1978, Robert Beebe-1984 and Joan Sullivan Berna-1993. Please take the time to nominate other worthy persons from our class for this award.

One comment heard more than once at reunion was.."oh, if only ___were here, he/she would have loved it". We also took a moment to honor the memory of those in our class who are deceased.

News Around the Campus:

Rare books are on campus and they can be handled with the exception of a 1776 copy of the Declaration of Independence.
U.S. Poet Laureatte, Billy Collins, will be on campus this fall reading his poetry, hopefully in the garden.
Beloit applied for and was granted a Fullbright Scholar-in-residence: Dr. Wanjiku Chiuri, Dean at Egerton University in Nahuru, Kenya is teaching at Beloit this year.

Recent Grants Include:

$200,000 from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation for the Logan Museum's education outreach.
$75,000 from the Rath Foundation for the purpose of achieving an updated master plan for Beloit College (the last master plan is 20 years old).
Barnes and Noble is now running the College bookstore (Turtle Creek) located in downtown Beloit. Visit there web site at www.beloitbkstore.com
President Burris, "our budget is balanced"
The first section of student townhouses is now open with 48 student accomodations.
Enrollment this year is slightly over 1,200 with over 1,750 applicants. The best in 25 years.
Beloit students represent 47 states and 40 nations.
The National Survey of Student Engagement (275 schools, 63,000 students interviewed) again puts Beloit near the top in academic challenge, student/faculty interactions and supportive campus environment.
As President Burris states; "Our greatest strength at Beloit is that we are first and foremost for our students. We are a community"

So far our class, in it's 50th Reunion year has contributed $127,301. This amount represents 55% of us or 107 people. To those who contributed, I say "thank you, thank you". To those who are going to contribute before the fiscal year ends on May 31st, 2004, I also say thank you. And to those who haven't decided to contribute, I say "Red Alert" as corporations and foundations critically look at the percentage of alumni giving when deciding on worthy schools for grants. If you have not made a gift in a while or ever to Beloit please send at least $10 and watch our giving percentage "skunk" the other classes percentages.

Reunion attendees saw first hand that Beloit College is really worthy of your contributions. Step up for Beloit, now.

From Dorothy Sinson Class Agent

P.S. If you have already made a gift to Beloit this fiscal year, please accept the enclosed peel-off adhesive decal as a token of appreciation. If you have not made your gift yet, your pledge card is on the backside of the decal.

P.S.S. We have an accomplished but modest class. Please send news of yourself or spouse to the Beloit Magazine or email to me at dsinson@comcast.net and I will pass it on.

Kevin Stevens — Class of 1987

Fall 2003

Greetings Classmate of 1987,

I hope all is well with each of you. Here in the Midwest U.S. we are enduring another bizarre autumn of freeze this morning and beach weather by the weekend. These are, of course, some of the fond memories we share of Beloit. Only wimps go to places like Arizona State or Florida. Folks of character seek to endure and grow by experiencing the irrational environment of our proud little "Yale of the Midwest." We, my friends, are bonded together by this shared insanity. Living in Beloit for one or more winters surely is an entry of respectable magnitude for our life's journal and part of the callousing effect that helped prepare us for our adventures into the real world.

It seems that a great deal of us don't have the opportunity (or should I say, make the time) to set out and accomplish some of life's adventures we idealize or perhaps fantasize about. For most of us, these unaccomplished dreams are a mental file cabinet of plans and ideas that grow more cluttered as the years pass, answered infrequently by "I wish I had" or "if only I had" or similar gasps of exasperation.

I have my own mental file cabinet, and from time to time open the drawer to take a stab at one of the folders. My folders are filled with some insane stunts I would never be able to accomplish any more, simply because my body no longer bends so much or other regretful reasons. What I try to do however, is look objectively at what's in that folder and then try to decide if it will add something of value to my multifaceted world. For some folks, the phrase mid-life crisis becomes a cliché way of addressing these alleged grasps for youth. I've been recharging this way since I can remember, and my time at Beloit truly encouraged me to keep exploring those folders, as well as conjure up more files. To this day, when I visit Beloit, I experience a twisted emotional array that ultimately makes me think even harder about what my life is, means and where it is headed. For me, the process is somewhat melancholic and even painful at times, yet ultimately very powerful.

One of the files I opened just over a year ago was this folder on becoming a class agent. While I'm not sure how or when the idea entered the cabinet, it seemed like an opportunity to give back a little to Beloit. The opportunity to communicate directly with my classmates is also idealistic and gave me a bit of a warm fuzzy. The reality of this position is that I am here to ask you all to help Beloit continue her mission and offer her support financially as well as by other means. The bottom line is, therefore, my personal request to you all to help us achieve a couple goals.

If you could take a few minutes, look objectively at your Beloit experience. Delve into the painful, pleasant, and the emotional roller coaster that may have been your life for that time. What of value did we take away, and what do we continue to learn from this leg of the journey. Do we perceive a uniqueness in the Beloit experience? I most certainly do. I have matriculated with a number of university and college students through the years, and it is hard for most of them to perceive my experience. I carry that banner proudly. From what I perceive, my fellow Beloiters are surely a unique group of people with a powerful base and strong desire to reach for ideals. This blood runs deep at Beloit, like no other university or similar sized college I am aware of, although there may be a few. Those winters at Beloit are not comfortable, but as a facet of the diamond, they make the gem quite valuable.

If it is not within your means to financially support Beloit, please continue to carry the pride that is being a Beloit Alumnus. For those of you who are able, even a small donation of twenty-five dollars helps us by showing strong alumni participation. This simple participation accomplishes great things, even though the donations may be small. In national college surveys one of the factors is the raw number of alumni who contribute. When the percentage is high, it generates additional support from potential grant providers as well as incoming undergrads. With this in mind even your small donation(and they're all tax deductible) is very powerful.

It was good to see some of you at Homecoming and I look forward to next October. Once again, I thank all of you who have contributed as well as those who will. Please drop me a line at the address below or e-mail me at kevsteve@earthlink.net with news about you and yours. Let me know if you would like the information forwarded for publication in the Beloit Magazine. You can also send that information on line with photos directly to alumni@beloit.edu.

Best wishes for a comfy winter.

Kevin Stevens

P.S.S. Just to let you know, I will be married next June to Alisa Bailey. Alisa is a graduate of Kent State. While Alisa is very compassionate and enjoys visiting Beloit with me, she is also in the category of "not quite getting it." What we came to understand in four short years(for some of us less, some almost six) it will take some a lifetime to understand.