Monday Morning Update

August 10, 2009

Happy Students: Our students are among the happiest in the nation according to the Princeton Review's 2010 edition of The Best 371 Colleges. In the publication's survey, Stonehill is ranked seventh on its list of Happiest Students, along with schools such as Brown, Clemson, Stanford, Bowdoin, and Yale. To find out why our students are so happy, visit here.

Zen Master Returns: Back for his fifth visit in a decade, the revered Vietnamese Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh will lead an on-campus, six-day retreat exploring peaceful and mindful living starting tomorrow, Tuesday. A bestselling author, scholar, and peace activist, Nhat Hanh, 82, is perhaps the world's best-known living Buddhist after Tibet's Dalai Lama. More than 900 people are expected to attend the non-sectarian retreat. For more, visit here.

Residence Hall: The issuance of a $22 million bond transaction is providing the College with financing for the new five-story, 250-bed residence hall. Just south of Corr Hall, the residence will have a chapel, a faculty-in-residence apartment, and lounge/recreational space. Set to open next academic year, the new hall will help us address a recent increase in enrollment. For more on this Massachusetts Health and Educational Facilities Authority (HEFA) bond issue, visit here.

Campaign Progress: With gifts and pledges totaling $42.5 million, we have reached more than 77 percent of our $55 million Attaining the Summit campaign total. The campaign is raising funds for the Science Center, scholarships, academic initiatives, the Annual Fund, and athletic facilities. With the campaign due to conclude in 2010, Advancement staff members are working diligently to complete the campaign on time and on target. Special thanks to our employees who have, so far, contributed a record $325,000 to the Stonehill Community portion of the campaign. To make a gift, visit here.

Honoree Remembered: We note that former president of the Philippines Corazon Aquino, who died recently, received an honorary degree from Stonehill. The leader of a people power movement, Aquino participated in Commencement 1984 soon after the assassination of her politician husband Benigno. After unseating the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Aquino became the first female president of the Philippines. Then Speaker of the U.S. House of Representative Thomas "Tip" O'Neill, who gave the Commencement address that year, presented Aquino with her doctor of humanities degree. For more, visit here.

Contact

For more information, contact Communications and Media Relations at 508-565-1321.