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Wi n t e r 2 0 1 2Update

The Official Newsletter from the Office of Alumni Relations

President’s Letter 1

Snowcoming 2

Updates 3

Travel 4In This Update…

From the Desk of Evan DobelleHow proud I am to know that Horace Mann’s legacy of service and scholarship continues to inform all we do at Westfield State. It is there in our classrooms and exists in our community.

It’s been quite a semester. The October Nor’easter and its aftermath will not soon be forgotten, but what will also be remembered is how our faculty, staff and students came together to help those in need. Westfield State was there to serve our city and our campus–maintaining an emergency shelter, clearing the debris, feeding the children, elderly and infirm ensuring the safety of us all and doing all that could be done to help those in need. It was an unparalleled response.

With gratitude for the extraordinary learning community that is Westfield State, Kit, Harry and I wish you and your family a safe, warm and wonderful holiday season and a peaceful and optimistic new year.

Sincerely,

Evan S. Dobelle

From Paul Nesbit, ’84It is with great pride that I write to you as President of the Westfield State Alumni Associ-ation. It is my honor to serve all of you in this capacity for the next year. I am uncertain as to how many of our 37,000 Alumni realize this, but you are ALL members of the Westfield

State Alumni Association. This is quite an impressive membership.

One of my goals for this year is to increase partici-pation in the Alumni Association. This can be done in numerous ways. If you live nearby and can attend an

event at Westfield State, please know that you are always welcome. If you can volunteer at an Alumni Association event, your assistance is always appreciated. We have a number of events that range from Homecoming to concerts and Reunion Weekend in June. Perhaps you are interested in joining our Executive Council; we will sponsor a think-tank retreat in July to which all Alumni are invited.

As members of the Alumni Association, I encourage you to take the time to speak to young people as they make their choice for higher education. We can all build the Alumni Association for the future!

Thank you, Paul Nesbit, ’84

Live near the campus? Check out these holiday family events

in the Westfield Business District!

Otherwise known as SNOWCOMING 2011, was a re-sounding success, despite the unfortunate weather. The cold, snowy day did not prevent the hundreds of alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff from reconnecting and visiting the campus. We started the day with a Faculty and Alumni Coffee Hour and our Alumni Association Executive Council’s pre-Homecoming Tailgate Party in the parking lot of the Horace Mann Center. With burg-ers from The Summer House’s, Steve Grimaldi ’92, and a performance by Billy G and the BlueZone featuring alumni John ’72 and Cathy ’73 Garcia the crowd geared up for the main event!

It was a winning day on the athletic front, where our Owls men’s soccer and Owls football teams each won their games. The GameSide tent at Alumni Field, sponsored by the Owl Club and the Main State Homecoming Tent were able to enjoy some delicious beverages sponsored by Tom

Conte, parent of Dave Conte ’13 and Don Q Rum. We thank Tom and Don Q for their generosity! Homecoming attendees enjoyed delicious carnival foods from vendor JND Amusements along with beer and wine from Sodexo. Even children joining their parents for the day enjoyed arts, crafts and games at our Kid’s Zone.

We announced our first ever Distinguished Alumnus Award winner, Raymond Chelte ’67 (see photo) and in-troduced our newest Alumni Association President, Paul Nesbit ’84. Live bands, The Meishlunday and L’Angelus performed as the wicked winter storm brewed outside!

If you were not able to make the event, be sure to check out our photos online at http://westfieldstateimages.smugmug.com/Events/Homecoming. Our sincerest thanks all who made the trip for Homecoming 2011. Mark your calendars now for October 20, Homecoming 2012.

HOMECOMING 2011…

Tuesday, December 20Latkes and Lights! A Chanukah celebration for everyone: 6pm Menorah Lighting outside Westfield Athenaeum and 6:30pm, Community Chanukah Party, Amelia Park Children’s Museum, FREE!

Wednesday, December 21Snowfire! (Cocoa, cookies and carols around a roaring Snowfire) 6:30–8pm, Amelia Park, FREE!

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Congratulations, Owls!

The Honors Continue!

Updates from Alumni RelationsWESTFIELD STATE ALUMNI TRAVEL

There is still time to join us for our trip to the Costa del Sol, Spain on April 13–21, 2012 or our Boston to Bermuda Cruise, May 25–June 1. Upcoming travel includes: Christmas Markets Riverboat Trip down the Danube (Germany/Aus-tria), Fall 2012 and the Tuscan Experience (Italy…Remember “Under the Tuscan Sun”?), Spring 2013. Please contact Kathi at (413) 572-5404 or go to westfielda-lumni.org/travel for more details.

NEW MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL:

Thank you for voting for your newest rep-resentatives on the Alumni Association

Executive Council, Christopher Kinback ’09, Angela Vatter, ’93 and Ashley Zo-lenski, ’05. Returning for another term: Suzanne Boniface, ’92 and Eileen Rockwal, ’91. Watch for information about our upcoming election for ALUMNI TRUSTEE!

REUNION WEEKEND 2012

Mark your calendars TODAY to return to Westfield State for REUNION WEEK-END 2012! Honoring classes ending in 2 or 7, plans are already in the works for 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, MTG, Track and Cross Country and MORE…Watch the westfieldalumni/reunions website for more details!

CALLING ALL ‘70’s ALUMS…

Pam (Morrissey) Rice, Paula Mildred (Brouker) Leroux and Jeannie (Barnes) Ahern, Class of 1977, invite you BACK TO CAMPUS on Saturday, October 20, 2012 for the 70’s DECADE REUNION! Mark your calendar to return for an eve-ning of dining, dancing and fun! More details to come at westfieldalumni.org/ 70decade

• U.S News and World Report ranked Westfield State in the top tier of Northern universities and colleges in the latest Best Colleges edition

• The prestigious Chronicle of Higher Education named us one of its Great Colleges to Work For.

• The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce recently selected us as its 2011 Large Business of the Year.

• The editorial team at GetEducated.com ranked our online management program as a top Best Value for consumers in the online education sector.

Stay Connected! Log on to our alumni website at

Alumni RelationsP.O. Box 1630Westfield, MA 01086

Riverboat Trip Down the Danube

Fall, 2012Tuscan

Experience Spring, 2013

Share that Once in a Lifetime Travel Experience with Westfield State University!

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