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Monthly Emails

September 2022 NorCal Club Newsletter

Red and yellow foliage in New England

Dear fellow alums,

With the summer officially behind us, the NorCal Club is looking forward to a fantastic lineup of events for the fall and beyond, including Mountain Day 2022 celebrations throughout the Bay. Stay tuned for more details about this year’s programming. (Who can pass up ice cream and hiking?!)

In the following weeks, we’ll host another studio tour of internationally-known visual artist Shan Shan Sheng’s (MHCG ’83). If you missed the first chance to get a glimpse of her current works, now is your chance to sign up! And later in the month, Book Club enthusiasts will get together virtually to discuss Joan by Katherine J. Chen. Many thanks to Club member Hannah Fairbanks ’03 who hosted our August Book Club meeting. Brava! The group discussed Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Beloved, a tale about a formerly enslaved family whose home is haunted by an evil spirit. Their conversation also led to Nightcrawling, a new book by 2018 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate Leila Mottley, which echoed Beloved in the impossible decisions the characters had to make.

We hope to see more alums at our events! If there’s programming that you’d like to see happen and/or if you’d like to help lead events organized by the Board, please email us. You don’t have to be a board member to host an event, just bring your enthusiasm and we’ll help you bring it to fruition.

Joining our Board
We are looking for three additional people who might be interested in serving as communication co-chair and co-vice president. You do not need to be located in the Bay Area to be a part of the Board as our monthly meetings are held virtually. Email us if these roles appeal to you.

In Memoriam

We would like to take a moment to recognize Club members who have recently passed away: Dr. Glenna L. Breslin ’60, Ellen Marquis ’50, and Rebecca Elizabeth Hayden. We profoundly appreciate their contributions to our alma mater, the NorCal Club, and respective communities. 

Pay Your Dues

Many thanks to those of you who have already paid your dues and/or become Lifetime Members! If you want to pay membership dues for fiscal year 2022-2023 or become a Lifetime Member, please do so here. All payments and donations are tax-deductible and help keep our volunteer-run Club afloat. As we gradually return to in-person events, your donations will become more critical than ever as they help us plan and subsidize events, reach a greater number of alums, and build our community. 

Remember to follow us on Instagram (tag your photos from our events with #mhcnorcal 🤳) and join our Club’s Facebook Page!

Until next month,

The Board   

Upcoming Events:

If you’re interested in joining any of our virtual events, but unsure about using Zoom, check out this resource and reach out to the Board with any questions.  

If anyone needs a ride or wants to offer one to others to any of our in-person events, please email the Club and we’ll try our best to assist you. 

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NorCal Book Club – Joan

When: Wednesday, September 28, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. PT
Where: Register for this event on Zoom.
Cost: Free. This event is open to all alums.
Point Person: Hannah Fairbanks ’03 

Join us for reading, learning, and community as we discuss books by BIPOC authors.

Here are the meeting dates and book selections through January 2023:

November 16, 2022: Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations, a graphic memoir by Mira Jacob and You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience, an anthology edited by Tarana Burke & Brené Brown 

January 11, 2023: The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

All meetings will be on Wednesdays, 6-7 pm on Zoom.

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Conversation & Studio Tour with Shan Shan Sheng
When: Sunday, September 11th, 2:00-5:00 pm PT
Where: East West Art Studio, 1661 Tennessee Street, Suite 2L, San Francisco. Register for this event on Eventbrite.
Cost: Free. Space is limited to 25 attendees. This event is open to all alums. Proof of vaccination required.
Point Person: Eleanor Chang ’78

Join us for a tour of internationally-known visual artist Shan Shan Sheng’s (MHCG ’83) working studio and get a glimpse of her creative processes and current works. This in-person event will include a studio tour, an oral and video presentation, and conversation with the artist. Drinks and snacks will be served. 

Shan Shan Sheng was born in Shanghai, China, and came to the United States to pursue her academic and artistic interests by attending Mount Holyoke College and the UMass at Amherst, where she earned her Master of Fine Arts Degree. Shen then continued to Harvard University as an artist-in-residence for two years. She now lives and works in San Francisco. 

In her 35 years as a professional artist working in the public art field, she has installed over 50 large-scale artworks in many U.S. cities including Chicago, Miami, and Washington D.C., as well as overseas in Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, London, and Venice. Her works have been exhibited and collected by many museums around the world and won many awards. For additional information on Shan Shan and her projects, visit her website.

Space is limited, so please register in advance to save your spot!

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Virtual Programming from the Alum Association

The College is offering a range of virtual programming and opportunities to connect. Learn more on the AA Events page.

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Stay Connected 

To hear the latest about our programming in-between our monthly newsletters, we encourage you to connect with the Club on one or more forms of social media. We hope to see you at an event soon!