Monday Morning Update

November 21, 2011

Giving Thanks: We recently asked members of the Stonehill community to tell us about their Thanksgiving traditions. Whether it is a family remembering a great grandmother's French meat pie, an alumnus getting his friends to prepare care packages for soldiers serving abroad or a family reflecting on why they are thankful, our students, alumni and faculty put their own spin on a great American holiday. To read 11 bite-sized Thanksgiving stories, visit here.

Behind the Scenes Volunteer: It takes an army of volunteers to make an event like the Alumni Auction a success. Among the most dedicated of dedicated volunteers, who have raised more than $800,000 for scholarships over 17 years, is Linda (Demarkles) Sarro '86. A volunteer since day one, Sarro works beyond the spotlight preparing the auction booklet. She develops & checks lists, drafts descriptions, formats documents, proof reads, welcomes guests, troubleshoots problems and attends to endless but important details. On Sunday, her alumni peers presented her with the 2011 Alumni Service Award in recognition of her organizational skills, patience, good humor and creativity. To learn more, visit here.

Male Pagent: Twelve male students will compete for the coveted title of Mr. Stonehill on Saturday, December 3 at 8 p.m. in the Sports Complex. Entry is $5 and many family members attend to cheer on their loved ones. To catch a taste of the event, see our 2010 Mr. Stonehill Snapshot.

End the Word: Last week, 568 students, faculty and staff signed a pledge to end the use of the word "retard." Pledge signers received a "Stonehill Ends the Word" wristband which event organizer Domenique Ciavattone '13 says "will help serve as a reminder to the people wearing them that they have made a commitment and should be mindful of the language they use." The event was sponsored by the Into the Streets Best Buddies Chapter in coordination with the Student Government Association Diversity Committee, the DisAbility Enlightenment Project and Autism Speaks U. For more, visit here.

Going Abroad: The latest Institute of International Education (IIE) Open Doors survey ranks Stonehill 13th in the nation for baccalaureate institutions sending students on semester-long abroad programs. The survey, which covered the 2009-10 academic year, showed the College had the highest number of students (257) in Massachusetts spending a semester abroad. This semester, we have 141 students in 17 countries from Argentina to Uganda.

Contact

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