Refreshed, Responsive Design Comes to You with Latest Wellesley Mag Edition
With Thanksgiving at hand, we take a collective deep breath before the final sprint to the end of the Fall semester and 2014. It's a good time for a little unassigned reading. And we have a recommendation for you! The Fall 2014 Wellesley magazine from the Alumnae Association is available to read online, with the print edition shipping to alums soon.
Look for something new with this digital issue: It is fully responsive! Editor in Chief Alice Hummer writes in her editor's note, "We have long known we desperately needed a better web presence for this magazine.... But not just any website—a responsive site, using evolving technology that adjusts its design according to what device you are using, for easier reading."
The online issue contains all that is in the print issue, with extras such as photo galleries that wouldn't fit in the magazine. For those wondering if the print magazine is on a path to extinction, Hummer says, "The answer is a resounding no—at least for as far into the future as we can currently see."
In addition to a message from President Kim Bottomly, short pieces on faculty work, student experiences, the Wellesley-MIT ballroom dancing team's 40th anniversary, and more, you can read thoughtful long-form features covering Wellesley scientists working on planetary research; the future of Clapp library in an age of e-books and digital archives; and the power of the Wellesley network—in social media.
On that score, after the magazine went to print, another heartwarming Wellesley network story came to our attention, via ABC News.
The grandmother of Leila Wons ’03 was flying home from Boston to Argentina after a visit, and had a connecting flight in New York. “She was supposed to get the flight to Argentina at 10 p.m. but it was delayed to 8 a.m. the next morning,” says Wons. “The issue was that the airline didn't keep a record of what hotel they were sending her to and we couldn't find where she was.”
Wons was worried because her grandmother, Rosa Levy (age 88), does not speak English. Levy travels to the United States every few years; this was the first time she had had any travel complications. After Wons and her parents were unable to locate Levy, Wons used Wellesley-membership social media to ask for help from the extended alumnae network to find her lost relative. She was connected to fellow alumna and New Yorker Maryann Ford ’89, who quickly traveled to JFK to search for Levy.
Says Ford, “A Wellesley friend tagged me in a post, asking if I could help. I got out of my PJs, threw on some sweats, and hopped in a cab to JFK to find her.” Ford searched for Levy until she finally found her at 4 a.m. Relieved, Wons thanked Ford for her selfless dedication to a fellow Wellesley grad, citing social media as a powerful tool for promoting the performance of good deeds.
Whether in the residence halls or in life beyond the campus, Wellesley students and alumnae are committed to helping each other navigate even the most unique challenges. With that in mind as we read the quarterly magazine, view Wellesley's public social media pages, and appreciate the College's vibrant on-campus life, we take a moment to realize and say: We're thankful for the extended community of Wellesley, and its capacity for caring and connection.
—Katelyn Campbell '17 contributed to this article.