2003
The Voice: Spring 2003
Staying connected
By: Judy Hagey, Director of Alumni Relations
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond
of peace. Ephesians 4:3
Staying Connected
Staying connected in the pace of 21st century lifestyles is more than difficult.
Experts tell us the typical family spends fewer than five minutes a day
in meaningful communication. If we barely have the time to connect with those
who are closest and dearest to us, how much more difficult is it
to find the time to re-connect with extended families and friends from the
past.
As the office charged with helping alumni stay connected to Dordt College and
to each other, our task is challenging. But we’re committed to finding ways
to make it easier and more convenient for you to stay in touch.
Online Directory Coming
Thanks to e-mail technology, communicating with each other is as close as your
computer keyboard and mouse. If you haven’t already used our e-mail directory to
look for former roommates and classmates, go to the Dordt College alumni website
to see who’s online, and re-connect with that long- lost friend. Later this
year we anticipate upgrading that service to a secured site with a more
complete directory which will enable you to search for alumni by location and
employment as well. Our hope is that you will not only re-connect with
former students, but that you may also be willing to share your experiences
and expertise with current students in an expanded network of mentoring and job
shadowing.
Alumni House Update
Work begins in earnest to refurbish the former Evans house into a home
away from home for alumni. We anticipate it will be complete and ready
for guests by early summer. Give your college friends a call and make
plans to spend a few days or a weekend together in our guest
house. Call or e-mail the alumni office to make your reservations.
Call for Memorabilia
We need your help furnishing the alumni house memorabilia room. Do you have
photos or any items of interest that you would be willing to share—either
permanently or temporarily—with the campus community and alumni? What about that uniform that
you’re still thinking you might get back into someday? Have you got a
tuition statement from the early years? How about an old Signet? We hope
to have a complete set of yearbooks for folks to peruse when they
visit the house. Your personal contributions will make this a place where people
will enjoy spending a few minutes or a few hours remembering their Dordt
College Days. Contact the alumni office to let us know what you can
contribute to this remembering room.
Dordt Encounters
We know that some interesting Dordt College connections are made in some pretty
unusual situations. For instance, Joy (ex '75) and David (ex '74) Koning from
Kalamazoo, Michigan, told us about meeting Dordt College alumni during their stop at
Mt. Rainier last summer. Spying the letters …RDT on a sweatshirt as someone
disappeared into the restroom, Joy suspected the wearer might be another Dordt person.
After all, she pondered, how many schools have a name that ends with
that combination of letters. Her suspicions were confirmed a few minutes later when
she introduced herself to Stacey (’01) and Russ (’99) Smies and completed the
Dordt Connection.
How many similar stories might there be if we actually scheduled a Dordt
Encounters Day and asked everyone to wear Dordt College apparel one day during
the peak travel season? So plan now to don your Dordt gear on
July 15 and keep your eyes peeled for other Dordt folks. We look
forward to hearing your stories and will share them with Voice readers next
fall.
(You say your Dordt t-shirt is faded or has shrunk? Pay a visit
to the bookstore—in person or online (http://www.dordt.edu/bookstore/) to pick up some new gear.
Preparing for Jubilee
Plans for commemorating Dordt College’s 50th anniversary are taking shape. Our Jubilee celebration
will take place throughout the 2004-05 academic year with a series of regional
events and campus events, culminating in a grand celebration on-campus July 1-3, 2005.
Please note the change of dates. This weekend follows Dordt Discovery Days and
takes advantage of the three-day holiday weekend. Work is already underway on developing
a multi-media production which will highlight alumni contributions and be the focus of
the regional celebrations, as well as the July on-campus event. We’re also planning
a variety of educational, athletic, and social activities—including an all-college reunion. Would you
help us make this a celebration to remember? We will need volunteers to
contact classmates, teammates, former choir and band members. Is there a group you’d
really like to get together with? Let us know and we’ll work with
you to try to make it happen. Were you part of a Talent
Extravaganza act that you would like to re-enact? Get your group together and
plan to be part of our “big tent revival.” We have much to
be grateful for as a college community. God has richly blessed the dreams
of our founders for a Reformed Christian college in the Iowa prairies. But
you, too, are part of the story. Plan now to be part of
the celebration.
