Amazing Women

It's sort of lame...unless it's OURS. And then it's...well, not lame.

Hi, everybody!

It's Sunday afternoon -- one of the  most stunningly beautifully perfectly wonderfully sunny-skies Sunday afternoons in the history of Columbia, Missouri.

And you're probably out in it, soaking up the sunshine.  I hope so.

If you're reading this, though, you've decided to settle down at your computer (homework? emails home? Skyping that friend who is studying abroad?), and you have a minute.

Maybe two.

And I am here to ask you to do me a favor -- to do US a favor (and yes, I sent you an email about this on Friday, too.....)

Please (please) take 2 minutes and sign up for our new Twitter community.  I promise I won't pester you with trivia about what I'm doing now....but I would love to be able to get in touch quickly and easily when there's something important or cool going on that I really think you'd like to know about.  (And besides, if it's a pain, you can always quit....no worries.)

A new study says that teens don't Twitter: they think it's lame.  I understand that - I really do -- because too many people spend too much time tweeting information that can only be described as lame. 

But there are good reasons to use Twitter, too:  reasons like keeping in touch with you all when we need to let you know about an event, or an announcement, or an opportunity.

So I'm going to ask you one more time:

Here's how you do it if you don't already have a Twitter account (and if you already have one, well, you know this already....):

1.  Log on to www.twitter.com. and click on "Sign up now."

2.  Fill out the information:  your name, your username, your password (don't check the "inside scoop" box unless you love spam).

3.  Hit "Create my account."

4.  Twitter will take you through a series of steps, asking you whether there are people in your mail accounts you want to follow, asking if you want to follow various celebrities.

5.  It will then create a page for you that includes all your "follows."

6.  In the right column, at the bottom, it will say "Following add."  Click on 'add.'

7.  Click on "find on Twitter."

8.  Type in "TweetStephens."

9.  You'll get a very weird, little picture of me, next to a button that says "follow."

10.  Hit that "follow" button, and VOILA!  You're on!


Then you can tell us what you're doing now, and we can tell you everything you would really want to know about what's happening on campus.     

I hope you had a great (and safe) weekend!

Dianne

A (Stephens) evening to remember.....

Three of my favorite Stephens women -- my daughter, Annie; Kristyl Frazier, of Project Runway fame, and Katie Deshazo -- at the Project Runway party Thursday night.

Windsor Aud was just about full Thursday night -- full of energy, optimism and relief after we all knew that Qristyl -- our very own Project Runway designer -- had made it through yet another challenge and would get to stay on the show for at least another week.

Qristyl knew what was coming, but she was the only one.  Participants in the show have to promise (as in, sign a contract) that they won't discuss the program at any point, with anyone.  And she was absolutely true to her word (even her boyfriend doesn't know how it turns out!).

But that was about the only question Qristyl wouldn't answer:  She spent the entire evening talking to students, smiling with them for the cameras, and encouraging them to follow their dreams -- as she has followed hers.

My favorite quote of the evening:

"You have to go for it," she told them during an after-the-show Q-and-A. "You can do it, you can achieve your dreams, but you have to be willing to work really hard, and you have to be persistent.  You can't give up.  You can never give up."

Qristyl didn't.  Not last week.  Not this week.  And -- no matter what happens on Project Runway in the weeks ahead -- not ever.

Now that's what I call a Stephens woman.

And here are a few more (well, one of them isn't: you guess which one!):

Lyah Beth LeFlore (right) and Qristyl were roommates at Stephens and have been BFFs ever since.  Lyah's latest book, Wildflowers, hits bookstores in two weeks.....how's that for two amazing Stephens women?

This is SO good for my fashion rep:  There I am (you can see my head, peeking out behind the first row), surrounded by members of Stephens' own fashion elite: the leadership of the IFA (Innovation Fashion Association).  They took to the runway (well, OK, the stage) during advertising breaks to model the latest fashion trends for fall.  PR, here they come!

He was the only one wearing a fur coat Thursday night....and he wasn't giving it up.  Hannah rescued this tiny bundle of kitty fluff from ... well, you don't want to even think about it, and brought him along to the festivities.  Annie and I would have been happy to take him home with us (hey, we already have two cats, what's one more?), but Hannah says she's keeping him -- safe, warm and happy.  And sooooooooooo cute.

Students lined up to have their photos taken with Qristyl, who turned out to be the most charming, friendly, happy and interesting visitor we've had...well, since I've been here! (OK, so I just got here, but I'm sure I would say that even if I'd been here a very long time). 

All in all, it was an evening to remember.  A Stephens evening to remember.

And that's the best kind.

Project Runway comes to Stephens, in person....Thursday night!

EDITOR'S NOTE:  THE SITE OF THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CHANGED TO WINDSOR AUDITORIUM, SAME TIME (7:30 PM)....

Let me introduce you to Qristyl Frazier.

No, really.  I mean it.

I really CAN introduce you to Qristyl Frazier.

Close up and personal.  Right there.  In real life.  In LRW.  On Thursday.

If you've been paying attention to the worlds of fashion design, reality television, or Stephens College, you know all about Qristyl Frasier: She's our very own, very special, very amazing Project Runway Stephens woman, a designer of enormous talent, great personality and tremendous love for her alma mater -- so much so, in fact, that she's coming to campus on Thursday to watch the season's second show right here, in LRW, WITH US.

That's right.  You got it:  Just Qristyl, and you, and me (and 500 of our best and closest friends)!

It all starts at 7:30 p.m. in WINDSOR AUDITORIUM. Qristyl will be available to meet you and answer your questions -- about everything from fashion design to reality television.  (What she can't do is tell us how she does on the show; she's sworn to secrecy....)

She'll speak to the group at 8:30, and we'll all watch the show together at 9 p.m. (come ready to cheer!)

Qristyl made the cut last week, with this strikingly elegant Red Carpet number:

 

And we'll all be there together to find out what she comes up with this week!  See you there!

 

Curiouser and curiouser (and very cool, too....)

Call it a (Stephens) family affair.

This season's presentation of Alice in Wonderland at Bellenwhissle Productions stars not just one Stephens grad.  Not just two.  Not just three or four or five.

The show's entire cast of six actors are ALL Stephens grads:

Our very own Admissions Maven, Enjoli!

 

 

And as if that's not enough:

Costume Designer Ashley Harrison is a grad of Stephens, and so are Properties Designer Maggie Tripp and Stage Manager Lindsey King...Scenic Designer Ryan Zirngibl is a new Stephens employee this year; and Director Alex Espy directed our Boji Bantam Theatre in 2007.

Now that's what I call a Stephens celebration -- a showcase of some of our best and brightest talent in one of the greatest plays of all time.

The show opens Friday, September 18, and runs two weekends: Sept. 18-21, and Sept. 25-27 (very important dates!).  For more info, see the Bellenwhissle Productions site.

See you there!

Five, four, three, two, one: We're counting the days, and a few other things as well.....

The number of days until you arrive on campus:
FIVE (four, three, two.....)

 

The number of you who are new to campus this year:
300

 

The number of you who will be back because Stephens is exactly where you want to be:
454

 

The ideal number of Stephens students in 2009:
754

The number of Stephens students we promise will have the best educational experience they can imagine:
754

 

The number of faculty, staff and administrators who will be there on Sunday to help you deliver your belongings to your new homes:

Many (OK, so that’s not a number, but it will seem like a number when we’re all there, picking up your boxes….)

The number of parents who will be crying as they drive away from Stephens on Sunday:

Many (OK, so that's not a number, but it will seem like a number as they pull out of the driveway...)

The number of parents who will know we are going to challenge, inspire, nurture and encourage their daughters to become the very best they can possibly be:

All of them (OK, so that's not a number either, but it's more important than a number)

 

The number of presidents in Stephens College history:
24

 

The number of new presidents on campus:
1

Visual aid:

 

 

The number of new presidents here or anywhere else who wear red shoes every day:
1

Visual aid:

 

The number of steps between where you live on campus and the bowl full of chocolate that’s waiting for you in that new president’s office:
You count.  And let me know.

The one message that really matters:
Welcome home.  We're so glad you're here.

 

Stephens alumna's 'Wildflowers' hits bookstores Sept. 8....

Critics are already calling it "expressive prose,"  "soulfully satisfying," and "an intimate family portrait exploring the fierce love, powerful bond, and intricate tapestry of the lives of African American mothers and daughters. "

We're calling it yet another example of the talent and power of a Stephens woman.

Alumna and college Trustee Lyah Beth LeFlore's is about to have a season most authors only dream of.

Her fourth book, Wildflowers, will hit bookstores September 8, and her fifth (yes, it's true: you CAN publish two books in one season!),  "The Come Up Book One: The World is Mine," published by Simon & Schuster will be out later this fall.

Her publisher asked Lyah Beth a few questions about who she is and what she values....here are a few of my favorite responses, proof positive that she's a role model for all Stephens women:

Q. With whom in history do you most identify?

A. Recent history is what has had the most significant impact on my life and that is with the election of Barak Obama. I most identify with Michelle Obama. First off, she's a Capricorn, like me! She's strong, resilent, classy, focused, and stands by her man. Do ya thang, girlfriend... excuse me Madame First Lady!

Q. Which living person do you most admire?

A. I most admire my mom. She's a poet and performing artist and one of the strongest women I know.

Q. What is your greatest achievement?

A. My greatest achievement was stepping out on faith and writing my first novel. It's been like a whirlwind since and the books just keep coming.

Q. If you could meet any historical character, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?

A. If I could meet any historical character I'd like to meet Rosa Parks. She was strong, smart and beautiful and changed history. She lit a spark that started a fire in the Civil Rights Movement as an African American woman

Q. What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?

A. Honesty, Trust, Compassion

Q. Who is your favorite fictional hero?

A. Wonder Woman!

Well, of course!

 

I am home....

...and now I know why.

It's all about family.

Since the first moment I arrived on the Stephens College campus, it has felt exactly right.

Sometimes, I wondered how that could be true: After all, what connection could I possibly have -- born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin; 25 years living on the East Coast -- with this small, private women's college in Missouri?  

And yet, I felt it.  I really did.

This weekend, it made more sense.

I got an email from my Aunt Patsy in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  She was always the woman I wanted to be, the gracious, beautiful and elegant role model we find in our lives.  And here's the news:

I have a family history at Stephens.

My great aunt, Jean Bliss -- my grandmother's only sister -- was the physical education teacher at Stephens in the 1950s.

She later married Gordon Freese, who had been the Vice President of Administration at Stephens in the 1950s and 1960s.*

At first, I was flabbergasted.  (I mean, what are the odds?) 

And then, I wasn't.

After all, Stephens has always felt like family.

It just turns out that it is.

*Editor's Note: I think that's the right time frame? My sleuthing has turned up mentions of him in the Stephens history in the 1950s, and in a story in the Columbia Business Tribune about the bridges in the 1960s).  Anybody know?

Amazing women....and lifelong friends

Julia and Earl Muller, two of Stephens College's most faithful friends and gracious hosts, opened their lovely home last week to a reception of St. Louis Stephens women -- all of whom confirm my favorite description of the college:  " Amazing women since 1833."

And this was one amazing group!  A few highlights:

Jackie Frericks and Katie Aichholz....

Nancy O'Brien, the new prez, and our hostess, Julia Muller.....

Shelly Marglous, Jackie Frericks, Pat Turner and Susan Burns....

and Glenn Jackson, me again, and Ingrid Jackson.

I have become convinced -- without a doubt -- that you can spot a Stephens woman from across a room, across a street, across an airport....

She is smart, gracious and self-assured. 

She carries herself with purpose, poise and self-confidence.

 And if she's anything like the amazing alumnae I have had the opportunity to meet this summer -- women from so many classes and so many generations -- our Stephens women are not getting older: they are absolutely getting better.....and better....and better.

Confessions of a Tweeter: Me and starstweets....we're BFFs

I know how it happened.  I'm sure I must have agreed to it. And now that I've fixed it, I'll 'fess up:

Last week, for approximately two long and insufferable days of hourly text messages, I was one of Hannah Montana's BFFs.

Yes, that's right: me and Miley Cyrus. Buds. Pals. Twitter talkers.

Just to be clear: I didn't do it on purpose.  In fact, I didn't even know I'd done it -- until the text messages started showing up on my cell phone.  Every hour.  Every single hour.

"Talk is cheap," announced the first one.  "Lies are free."

Excuse me?

"When did being happy become like committing a crime?" came next, followed over the next few hours by "If you want the rainbow, you've got to put up with the rain," and  "If you're thinking that I'm gonna pass you by, keep standing there and you'll be right."

(My first thought: I'm standing there, I'm standing there....)

I opened up my Twitter site.  Sure enough: stacks of Miley tweets, each one more sophomorically  silly than the last.

"Just ate a box of chocolates. Now I think I am gonna sing myself to sleep."

"This has been the LONGEST DAY of all history :( Ughh I'm so ready for it to end..."

Me, too.

And all I could think of is that the new president of Stephens College had started a new Twitter group, and anybody who came to join it was going to discover that I was (inexplicably) following Miley Cyrus.  Now that's what I call an interesting first impression....

But here's the thing: I ended up on Miley's BFF list by mistake (really).   I was trying to find an available name for our new Twitter group, and I was testing every idea I could think of:  StephensTweets (taken).  TwitterStephens (taken).  And then I thought about our mascot name -- the Stars -- and I thought I'd try that one.

StarsTweets.  Taken.

By (you guessed it) everybody's favorite 'tween phenomenon.

That's where things get a little fuzzy:  Did I actually sign up to follow Miley?  Don't think so.  Did I actually agree to accept her text messages? Can't imagine why I would (even Annie, my 11-year-old daughter, is so over Hannah Montana).  And why is it that I "un-followed" StarsTweets three times -- count 'em, THREE times -- and I was still sitting in my office, hearing that unmistakable 'ping' that meant she was back in my world, sharing her every waking thought (scary).

FINALLY, just when I was about to abandon all hope (and my Twitter group), I tried it again.  I wiped out my "following" list -- every last one of them -- and it worked.

Silence.

No  more Miley.

Proof positive that we all make mistakes -- but, as my new BFF would say -- on the Internet, every day is a new day.

And on that happy note, let me share with you the one worthwhile pointer I got from Miley:

 "Close your eyes and listen to the rain."

And when you're done with that, come join our Twitter group: TweetStephens.  Miley promises she won't bother us anymore.....