WDCSA NEWSLETTER January 2018
WDCSA HONORS:
2017 WDCSA VOLUNTEER AWARDS
The Washington DC Stanford Association’s Executive Board recognized several
volunteers for their dedication and service to the organization at WDCSA’s
Holiday Party on December 15th. Please join us in congratulating the following
recipients of WDCSA’s 2017 volunteer awards:
WDCSA Volunteer Service Award
James Barton, ’09, JD ‘15
WDCSA Cardinal Achievement Award
Betty Byrne, ‘55
WDCSA Award of Merit
Greg Billings, ‘88
Meaghan Conway, ’14
Sarena McRae, ‘06
Bill Pegram, ’73, MBA ‘77
Risa Shimoda, ‘77
Chris Shinkman
DC Book Club Discussion
Sunday, January 14 5 pm
Bethesda, Md
The book group will discuss Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. All are welcome to
join the discussion and participate in the potluck dinner.
This novel is about a young country girl who moves to the big city (Chicago) where she starts realizing her own American Dream, first as a mistress to men that she perceives as superior, and later becoming a famous actress in New York. Sister Carrie went against social and moral norms of the time, requiring Dreiser to fight against censorship, brought about because Carrie engaged in affairs and other “illicit sexual relationships” without suffering any consequences. This flouted the prevailing norm that a character who practiced such sinful behavior must be punished in the course of the plot in order to teach readers a lesson. Dreiser’s patience and powers of observation created accurate depictions of the urban world and the desires and ambitions of the people of the time in Chicago and New York. Though Dreiser has been criticized for his writing style and lack of formal education, Sister Carrie remains an influential example of naturalism and realism. It is now considered one of the great American urban novels, which explores the gritty details of human nature,
as well as how the process of industrialization affected the American people. H. L. Mencken once declared “that he is a great artist, and that no other American of his generation left so wide and handsome a mark upon the national letters. American writing, before and after his time, differed almost as much as biology before and after Darwin.” This is a classic novel that has stood the test of time. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Sister Carrie 33rd on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
Upcoming book selections:
February 11th- The Undoing Project : A Friendship That Changed our Minds by Michael Lewis
March 11th- God: A Human History by Reza Aslan
For more information, please contact Jennifer Presley, MA ’78, Ph.D. ’81 at Jenniferbpresley@gmail.com.
Wreaths Across America Clean-up Day
Saturday, January 20 8:30 am
Arlington Cemetery,
Arlington, Va
WDCSA and the Stanford Military Service Network are coordinating a family-friendly community service opportunity with the Wreaths Across America organization. We will honor veterans buried at Arlington National Cemetery by collecting wreaths placed at their grave sites in December. Please RSVP to volunteer and receive additional details. You can also find more information at the following link:
http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/volunteer-atarlington/#cleanup
To RSVP, contact David Henry,david@alumni.stanford.edu
Baltimore Book Club Discussion
Monday, January 22 7:30 pm
Mother’s Federal Hill Grille
1113 S. Charles St.,
Baltimore, Md
The January selection is Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. Goodreads says this “master storyteller … presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths … that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in … the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people.” Let’s really get to know Thor, Loki, and Odin in the Marvel movies.
The March selection is Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford by Clint Hill with Lisa McCubbin.
Questions/RSVP: Helene Myers, Ph.D., P’14, at cedarhouse@comcast.net
Ivy Singles Social Event
Friday, January 26 6:30-9 pm
Whittemore House – Woman’s National Democratic Club
1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC
Join Ivy Singles for an evening of exceptional nonpartisan company and conversation at the Whittemore House, home of the Woman’s National Democratic Club. Registration costs, $40 before January 24th and $45 at the door, includes hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.
Prepay online or send a check to Steve Piekarec, 2535 West Meredith Drive, Vienna, Virginia 22181, by Monday, January 22. Make checks payable to "The Cornell Club of Washington" and note your school on the check.
The Whittemore House is an elegant historic mansion centrally located in Washington’s fashionable Dupont Circle. Built in the late 19th century as a private residence, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and pays tribute to the English Arts and Crafts movement and American “Shingle Style” architecture.
The Ivy Singles Social Club (www.ivysinglesdc.com) is a coalition of Ivy League, Seven Sister and other prestigious schools’ regional alumni associations that sponsors social activities. Our events are open to all single alumni of member schools and their guests.
Contact Charlotte Perry ‘81 202-341-8799 charmperry@gmail.com or Steve Piekarec,
703-281-4311 spiekare@verizon.net for more information.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT:
STANFORD NIGHT AT THE NMAAHC
Over 1,000 Stanford Alumni from the D.C. Metro Area and across the country enjoyed an exclusive night at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, D.C. on November 4, 2017. The private, after-hours event provided exclusive access to the museum’s galleries, where alumni and guests had a unique opportunity to tour a collection of more than 36,000 artifacts, highlighting the contributions of African Americans through the centuries. Registration included exclusive after-hours access to the museum, food stations located throughout the museum featuring authentic African American cuisine, and an unlimited bar.
To accompany the main event, a small committee of volunteers planned a set of companion events to further build community and enrich our memorable time
together. There were over 300 registrants for the companion events, which included a happy hour and
concert, historical walking tour of D.C., a museum after party, brunches and a luncheon with Congressman Joaquin Castro. If you attended these events, please answer the five brief survey questions at this survey link: https://tinyurl.com/stanfordsmithsonian. In the survey, please provide your contact information if you are interested in follow-on activities, such as new opportunities to network with Stanford alumni or the initiatives discussed during the Alumni Impact Luncheon.
Thank you to all who attended and to your core D.C. Metro Area volunteer team of Amiel Bent (MBA ‘93), Greg Billings (‘88), Kevin Coyne (MS ‘02), Elaine Harris (MBA ‘86), Kirk Holmes (MBA ‘87), Nigel Smith (MBA ‘00), Chip Talbott (‘91). We would also like to thank Daryn Dodson (MBA ‘07), Caryn Ginsberg (MBA ‘87), Congressman Joaquin Castro (‘96), Sterling Speirn (‘70), Ben& Jerry’s Ice Cream, and all those who contributed to the events’ success./
Stanford at the Opera
May 2018
Join us for Leonard Bernstein’s ‘Candide’ in May
Watch the February newsletter for details – a celebration of Bernstein’s 100th birthday! Contact bettybyrne@stanfordalumni.org
Stanford In the News
- Stanford University seniors Madeleine Chang of San Francisco; Michael Chen of Boulder, Colorado; and Alexis Kallen of Ventura, California have been named 2018 American Rhodes Scholars. Stanford alumnus Jelani Munroe, will be the Rhodes Scholar from Jamaica.
Get Involved
Co-ed Basketball
Calling all Cardinal alumni! Join the WDCSA co-ed basketball team for the 2018 basketball season. We compete against other local alumni chapters in the DC metro area from January – March. Games are played in Alexandria, Virginia on weeknights. It is a good opportunity to meet fellow alumni and get a good workout. Click on the link below to sign up:
http://alumni.stanford.edu/goto/2018canbball. Go Cardinal!
This month’s newsletter is available for download in PDF format.