Club do's

December. Club copresidents Catherine Spaneas ’93 and Susan Geary ’99 oversaw efforts for the annual holiday party at the Surrey Williamson Inn on Skidmore’s campus. Special guests President Jamienne S. Studley and husband Gary J. Smith were on hand to ring in the holidays with some 125 revelers. A special performance by the Dynamics, one of Skidmore’s student a cappella groups, set the mood for this festive occasion.

May. Leila Joseffer ’97 decided that Skidmore graduates could and should make a difference, so in May she organized a group of 20 alumni and friends to help sort food for Make a Difference Day at the Greater Boston Food Bank. The next week, Peggy Frew-Nehms ’82 skillfully conducted the club’s traditional Night at the Pops–an evening with the Boston Pops Orchestra at Symphony Hall–for a sellout crowd of 115. A surprise treat and "Pops punch" were waiting at each Skidmore table.

June. Amy O’Leary ’92 led a flock of 37 alumni on a Boston Duck Tour–a day of fun in the sun touring the streets and waterways of Boston on a private amphibious duck!

August. Matt Tobin ’97 and Kimberly Bogle ’96 captained the efforts for an evening boat cruise on the Charles River. Food and drink were plentiful, but all hands stayed on deck.

October. Angie Foss ’82 coordinated a Skidmore faculty lecture by Charles Stainback (Dayton Director of the Tang Museum) and Eric Weller (philosophy) at Boston’s Museum of Science. Close to 30 alumni, parents, and friends expanded their horizons to cosmic proportions thanks to a stimulating lecture, state-of-the-art video presentation, and planetarium show.

November. Area trustees, alumni, parents, and friends had the opportunity to meet and welcome President Jamienne S. Studley and her husband, Gary J. Smith, as part of the "Map the Path" presidential tour. The group enjoyed an elegant dinner and program at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel.

December. Ellen Carney Granda ’89 brought Windy City alumni together to ring in the holidays at a delicious wine-tasting reception at the legendary Gordon restaurant.

October. Omay Elphick ’93 and Kathleen Stiles ’71 collaborated to bring a group of alumni together for an evening of learning with Skidmore professor Ken Johnson (geology). Johnson’s talk about geology and landscape art in North America definitely rocked.

September. Holly Lorenzo ’81 rallied the southern Connecticut troops for the club’s second annual polo match and tailgate picnic at the Conyer’s Farm Polo Grounds, which brought back fond memories of Skidmore’s long association with polo and horses.

July. Club president Marge O’Meara Storrs ’57 and a group of alumni came together for a night of musical theater. They took in a rousing performance of Les Miz at the Bushnell Theater.

July. In beautiful Blue Hill, Melinda Reach ’69 opened the doors of Jean Paul’s Bistro for a friendly group of hungry alumni. Of course, she had an in: Jean-Paul’s her husband. The couple are proud owners of the waterfront restaurant, which provided a perfect setting for a relaxing afternoon get-together.

October. President Jamienne S. Studley kicked off her inaugural tour by meeting Twin Cities alumni for dinner at the beautiful Minneapolis Club. Area alumna Joan Layng Dayton ’63, chair of Skidmore’s board of trustees, set the pace by extending to the new president a warm welcome to the land of 10,000 lakes.

May. Melissa Kotlen Nagin ’92 brought Skidmore professor and distinguished ceramist Regis Brodie (art) to the American Craft Museum, where he gave a fascinating slide presentation of his work.

June. John Johnson ’95 led a winning team of Skidmore alumni to Yankee Stadium for peanuts, Crackerjacks, and a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians.

September. Peter Wan ’95 aced for the club by arranging for 100 tickets to the U.S. Open tennis tournament, a traditional New York City club outing. As usual, the tickets went faster than some of the hottest serves–so if you want one next year, be sure to sign up early.

October. Benjamin Nagin ’93 jazzed up a Sunday afternoon for alumni by putting together a brunch at the famous Blue Note jazz club. The group enjoyed a plentiful array of food, followed by a memorable concert.

November. Ronnie Zolodek Bramesco ’63 enticed a group of 35 alumni and friends to get on a bus headed for a Seinfeld Reality Tour. The real-life Kramer–the inspiration for the character played by Michael Richards in the TV show–led this fun-filled tour of city sites featured in the popular sitcom. Also in November, an impressive turnout of trustees, alumni, parents, and friends gamely weathered high winds and torrential rains to welcome President Jamienne S. Studley and husband Gary J. Smith to the Big Apple. The group stayed high and dry at the elegant Water Club on the East Side.

December. Pat Kennedy Snyderman ’54 and Melissa Nagin brought the magic of the holiday season to their fellow alumni by organizing the club’s annual gathering at the Nutcracker Suite by the New York City Ballet. In addition, Maria Klink ’97 and Jennifer San Filippo ’97 popped the corks early at a holiday reception that drew a great turnout of young alumni to the 420 Bar & Lounge.

October. Alice Carnett Hall ’65 sponsored a group of 40 alumni at the Merion Cricket Club for an evening with Skidmore’s Charles Stainback (Dayton Director of the Tang Museum). Delicious hors d’oeuvres and a magnificent setting enhanced the video presentation of Skidmore’s new museum, due to open next fall. Donna Vazquez ’86 and Ken Freirich ’90 were on hand to help with the details for the evening.

October. Michele Forte ’90 and Jo Leach Lewis ’57 combined efforts to bring news of Skidmore’s new museum and gallery to area alumni. On their invitation, the Tang’s Dayton Director Charles Stainback spoke at a reception at the St. Francis Yacht Club.

November. Club president Jean Rowe Tourt ’50 invited area alumni to a luncheon at the award-winning French bistro Café of the Arts. After a delicious meal, everyone crossed the street to tour the newly renovated Ringling Museum of Art.

June. Judy McEndy Lynch ’53 hosted the club’s annual picnic and meeting at her home in Scotia. As usual, alumni brought a wonderful array of food and no one went home hungry!

October. Nancy Coull Erdoes ’66 livened up the club’s annual faculty lecture by asking Gordon Thompson (music) to lead a discussion on the famous Beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever." Thompson came prepared with a slide and audio presentation, which provided a fascinating glimpse into the making of this Beatles classic.

May. Brittany Hoff ’93 created an exciting evening for alumni at Billy Taylor’s Jazz at Kennedy Center. Somehow Taylor got word there were Skidmore people in the audience, and he called special attention to the group since he had spent time in Saratoga and knew Skidmore well.

October. Club president Georgia Ravitz Basser ’85 pulled off another embassy coup by joining forces with other colleges to sponsor a wine-tasting at the Australian Embassy. About 40 Skidmore alumni pampered their palates with a variety of food and wines from Australia.

November. Lucy Hernady Arnoti ’34 led the planning to bring Skidmore professor Rob Linrothe (art history and Asian studies) to the National Gallery of Art to guide a tour of the gallery’s extensive collection of Chinese artifacts dating from 5000 BC to 924 AD. As it happened, the event sold out so quickly that Linrothe agreed to lead two consecutive tours in order to accommodate everyone. Both groups were thrilled to be led by such an expert. All told, Linrothe provided a wealth of information to more than 60 alumni and friends.

November. Nancy Tessein Stine ’64 hosted the club’s annual admissions reception. She welcomed to her home a group of interested high-school juniors and seniors from in and around Worcester, Mass.