As President Lawrence says in this issue’s essay, her first year has been “a voyage of discovery,” during which she has not only found out more about Hollins but also about herself (and about the wiring in her house—a teaser I hope will prompt you to read her inspiring text).

Classes ending in 3 and 8 (and the class of 2016) assembled on campus in early June for reunion. For complete coverage of this splendid event, visit “Reunion 2018.” Here you’ll find lots of photos, 25^th and 50^th reunion remarks by Punky Brick ’93 and Sally White ’68, and information about this year’s award winners, including Distinguished Alumnae Award winners Brooke Morrow ’78 and Margaret “Cameron” McDonald Vowell ’68 and Distinguished Young Alumnae Award winner Nicole Oxendine ’03.

Alumnae listened to a fascinating adventure story told by Jenine Culligan, director of the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum, Marilyn Moriarty, professor of English, and Beth Harris, special collections librarian and archivist. Titled “French Connections,” their tale weaves together two biographies—of writer Jacques Lusseyran and artist Jean Hélion—and explains how each was connected to Hollins.

Associate Professor of Biology Morgan Wilson again this year led participants on an early morning bird walk. “Early Birders” chronicles the birds on display this year. Check out the charming illustrations by Kristin Bell ’14 and photos from Wilson’s extensive collection.

Many colleges that had their beginnings in the 19^th century, especially those in the South, have connections, often overlooked or even buried, with enslaved people. Hollins is no exception. In “The Quest for Historical Justice,” Jeff Hodges M.A.L.S. ’11 writes about the steps the university is taking to engage in a campus-wide dialogue on issues of collective memory, diversity, and reconciliation—an effort that began nearly two years ago. Last spring, the university hosted the Universities Studying Slavery conference and also invited students to participate in the first on-campus archeological dig on a site near the Wyndham Robertson Library that is believed to have been the location of a 19^th-century home called Edgehill.

“What Makes Ticks Tick?” is the question Hollins faculty, including biologist Elizabeth “Liz” Gleim ’06, and student researchers are tackling in a joint study with Old Dominion University and the University of Richmond. As Jeff Hodges explains in his fascinating account, watching ticks in their natural habitat requires a lot of patience, but this close observation could help explain whether behaviors are, as Gleim says, “controlled by genes or prompted by the climate in which ticks live.”

In “The Way Life Is Lived,” Martha Park M.F.A. ’15 profiles writer Mary Carter Bishop M.A. ’89, who has just published a memoir called Don’t You Ever: My Mother and Her Secret Son. The celebrated journalist uses her observational talents and the skills she learned in Hollins’ writing program to explore and bring to light a long-held family secret.

Beth JoJack ’98 profiles two high school principals—Emily Sullivan DoBell ’06 and Martha López Coleman ’01—and details the winding path each took “From Leading the Classroom to Leading the School.” 

Don’t miss the tributes to two much-loved members of the Hollins community—Professor of Physics Sandra “Sandy” Boatman and Riding Director Nancy Peterson—who retired at the end of the academic year.

Jean Holzinger M.A.L.S. ’11
Guest Editor