NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE HOOD CONNECTION: As a student, Kristin Kennedy had many ideas about what she wanted to do following graduation. She conducted informational interviews, e-mailed alums for their perspectives and used the Career Center for assistance in looking into graduate schools. “The Career Center served as the conduit that took the ideas I had and connected them with the experiences of the alumnae and alumni in the real world to help firm up my plans for the future,” said Kristin. It was Heather Hamilton ’95, a member of the Career Center Mentoring Network and vice president and chief of staff for Citizens for Global Solutions that helped Kristin solidify her interest in the Peace Corps. Heather assured Kristin that her experience in the Peace Corps would be something that employers would value and that there would be many positive professional benefits from her experience.

HOOD RECEIVES $3.6 MILLION: Hood College recently received nearly $3.6 million—the largest  single gift in the school's history—from its largest benefactor, The Hodson Trust. The money, presented to Hood College President Ronald J. Volpe December 1, was donated by the Hodson Trust and the Hodson Scholarship  Foundation. The $2.5 million from the Hodson Trust will be used for organizational support, including capital improvements. Another $1 million from the Hodson Foundation will be used for academic innovation and scholarships for Hodson-Gilliam Scholars at Hood. Since its first gift to the college, The Hodson Trust has been instrumental in helping shape Hood College into a premier educational institution. Since 1936, The Hodson Trust has given Hood nearly $44 million.

KUDOS: Congratulations go to our Hood student phonathon callers and our alums who answered the call with contributions to their alma mater. This fall our phonathon callers raised more than $240,000 for the Hood College annual funds. They spent the past eight weeks calling alums throughout the country asking for their support and our alums responded! Thank you to our callers and to those who graciously responded to their call.

ANNUAL HOLIDAY CRÈCHE DISPLAY IN THE BENEFICIAL-HODSON LIBRARY: The staff of the library invites the community to view the annual holiday crèche display in the lobby of the library. The exhibit includes 80 crèches, representing 30 countries from the collections of Beulah Munshower Sommer ’44, the Rev. Richard G. P. Kukowski of Silver Spring, Md., and Jan Samet O'Leary. In addition, Mrs. Sommer’s Crèche Tree, decorated with 200 nativity ornaments, is on display. The display will be on view until Jan. 14, 2006.

HOOD COLLEGE BLUE PROGRAMMING TEAM PLACES FIRST IN COMPETITION: Congratulations to David Conway '08, Bobby Jarvis '06, Cory Petosky '07, and coach Mas Kimura, assistant professor of mathematics and computer science, for placing first at site in the recent Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) programming competition. Not only did the Hood team come in first at their site, beating  17 other teams representing eight institutions, but overall placed 22nd among the 130 teams that participated at all the regional sites. The Association for Computer Machinery is the premier professional society in computer science and information technology. In addition to sponsoring programming teams, the department of computer science hosts a student chapter of ACM, which provides students with opportunities for communication, learning and resource sharing outside the classroom.

NOEL LESTER ANNOUNCES HIS NINTH EUROPEAN STUDY TRIP: This musical journey, scheduled for June 2006, will celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth with visits to Vienna, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic; and Krakow, Poland. This trip is being planned in conjunction with Smolka Tours, Inc.

BRIGHTEN HOOD’S HOLIDAY SEASON: Are you struggling for a holiday gift idea for that certain someone who seems to have everything? Give the gift that keeps on giving—a gift to Hood College in honor of a special person. Hood will send a letter of acknowledgement to you and the person you are honoring. You can easily make your gift online here or by calling (800) 707-5280, option 4. Thank you for brightening Hood's holiday season.

IT IS TIME TO NOMINATE SOME GREAT ALUMS: The Alumnae and Alumni of Hood College is taking nominations for three awards: Excellence in Alumnae and Alumni Service Award, Distinguished Alumna and Alumnus Award, and the Outstanding Recent Alumna and Alumnus Award. Each year three distinguished alums are honored at the Alumnae and Alumni Luncheon during Reunion Weekend for their service to the College and for their career achievements. For more information on the awards click here and go to the Awards Nominations Form. Send completed forms to Peggy Bull Larsen '74, M.S.'79, assistant vice president for alumnae and alumni programs, or e-mail the information to larsen@hood.edu

To R.S.V.P. or for information on the upcoming events, e-mail us at alumoffice@hood.edu, or call (800) 707-5280, option 2, or (301) 696-3900.

ST. PAUL, Minn., Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005, noon, Minnesota Historical Society Restaurant. Please join Joy Derr, director of development communications, as she shares the good news from Hood College. R.S.V.P. to Joy Derr at derr@hood.edu or by calling (800) 707-5280, option 2.

HAGERSTOWN, Md., Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2006, 6 p.m. Please join the Hagerstown Hood Club for its holiday dinner at the Fountain Head Country Club. $17.50 per person, R.S.V.P. to Virginia Gambrill Hendrickson '44 at (301) 739-5815.

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz., Friday, Jan. 20, 2006, 5-7 p.m. at the home of Janet Hobbs Cotton '59. Please join area alums and welcome President Volpe, who will deliver greetings and share news of the College.

TUCSON, Ariz., Saturday, Jan. 21, 2006, noon, Skyline Country Club. Please join area alums and welcome President Volpe, who will deliver greetings and share news of the College.

WASHINGTON, D.C., Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, noon, brown bag lunch at Amgen, Inc., 555 13th Street, NW, Suite 600 West, Washington, D.C. Please join area alums for an informal lunch get together. The event is hosted by Donna Peterson ‘79 and Jewel Smith ‘96. R.S.V.P. to Jewel Smith at (202) 585-9625 or jewels@amgen.com.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Friday, March 3, 2006. Alaska Potlatch Dinner on the eve of the Iditarod. Please join area alums for this time-honored tradition. More details to come.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Sunday, April 23, 2006, 1-4 p.m., potluck luncheon and business meeting at the home of Kathie Zale Myhre '70, West Chester, Pa. Please join us in welcoming President Volpe, who will deliver greetings and share news of the College.

BALTIMORE, Md., Sunday, April 30, 2006 at 4–6 p.m. Please join area alums and representatives from the College. More details to come.

Save The Date events are scheduled, and we will continue to keep you updated as plans become definite. If you have any questions about the upcoming events, e-mail us at alumoffice@hood.edu or call (800) 707-5280, option 2 or (301) 696-3900.

HOOD COLLEGE CAREER SERVICES: Take advantage of free lifetime services. We can help you with your résumé, give you advice on your job search and talk to you about career options and much more. Contact us at (301) 696-3583 or by e-mail at careers@hood.edu to schedule an appointment.

WINTER BREAK FOR STUDENTS MAY NOT BE ALL PLAY: Students have a chance to take advantage of great career-preparation activities during the long winter break. The Hood College Career Center partners with other colleges and universities to offer employer site visits in January.  These visits, in Maryland and throughout the East Coast, allow students to network with professionals in their fields of interest, learn more about specific employers, and investigate job and internship opportunities.  Students register online for these free visits and are responsible for their own transportation.  Some available sites include: Gilden Integrated, Harvard University Medical School, Kennedy Krieger Institute, NIST, T.Rowe Price and the U.S. Department of State. Click here for more information.

YOU CAN BE A RESOURCE FOR HOOD STUDENTS AND FELLOW ALUMS: Lend your professional expertise and register for the Mentoring Network.  The Mentoring Network is a part of the College Center Network, which is the College’s primary employment, internship, and networking resource. Click here to enroll.

BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT SEMINAR: Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005, 4-5 p.m., Hodson Science and Technology Center, room 114. The seminar will consist of a series of short presentations, each about 15 minutes long, given by students in Hood's "ecology of succession" class on research they have completed this fall. The subjects will include the physics of wind effects on trees, fungi that attack live and dead trees after blow downs and the effect of the exotic plant, multiflora rose, on populations of earthworms. All of the presentations are based on field data the students collected and analyzed in class. Click here for more information.

BLAZERS ATHLETIC SCHEDULE CONTINUES THROUGH WINTER BREAK: Students may be on winter break the month of January, but winter athletics continues. Be sure to check out the women’s and men’s basketball and swimming schedule and come to a home game or an away game near you.

Have you moved? Changed jobs? Gotten married? Had kids? We want to know! Click here to update your information!

Want to tell your classmates what's new with you? Click here to share your news in the next issue of Hood magazine!

Inter(net)actions, December 7, 2005: This edition of Inter(net)actions is also available on the Hood College Web site. Click here to view Inter(net)actions on the Web.