Resources

Please note that the January deadline is earlier than the others (this is because the spring issue of the Quarterly must be mailed at least 30 days before the Annual Meeting in May, per Alumnae Association bylaws).

Proofs:

Shortly before the Quarterly is sent to the designer, you will receive a proof of your column and a reminder that your notes for the next issue are due soon. As soon as you receive the proof, check your column for grammar errors, spelling errors, and inaccuracies. Line counts cannot be changed at this time, but minor errors can be corrected.

Copy Limits:

Depending on how many years you’ve been out of college, your line limits (if using typewriter) or word counts (if using computer), based on 35 characters a line, are:

1-10 years out: 920 words

11-20 years out: 870 words

21-30 years out: 690 words

31-40 years out: 600 words

41-50 years out: 510 words

51-60 years out: 420 words

61+ years out: 330 words

FP, MA, CG: 800 words

• Tributes to deceased classmates are not included in the line/word count, but must be no longer than 150 words per tribute.

• If your notes run over your allotment, the extra lines/words may be deleted from the end, or the material will be edited at our discretion. We may include news items that come directly to our office—in the interest of timeliness—even if it pushes your column over the limit. We reserve the right to edit, even if your column comes in under the limit. Please note: If you come in under the limit one quarter, this does not mean you can go over the limit next quarter.

General Guidelines | Top |

• Use the form Mary Jones Walker (birth name and married name) for married classmates; but keep in mind that many alumnae do not use their spouses’ names.

• Treat graduates and non-graduates alike (do not use the form x’33 for someone who left college before graduation).

• When referring to an alumna from another class, use the form Susan Jones ’67. Do not bold face members of other classes.

• Check the spelling of all names. (Is it Katharine, Katherine, Catherine or Kathryn?) Also check spouse’s and children’s names when possible.

• Omit commas around names in apposition (e.g., “Jane’s daughter Sally is...” ).

• We cannot guarantee that your column will be included if it arrives after the deadline.

• Be sure to save a copy of each column you send.

Abbreviations | Top |

• Use capitals without periods for well-known abbreviations: AAUW, YWCA, UN, US, PTA, LA, NYC. Use MHC and MH club (Mount Holyoke College, club).

• Abbreviate months: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. Spell out the other months.

• Abbreviate in addresses: Ave., Blvd., Ct., Cir., Rd., St., Terr. Spell out lane. Use N., S., E., W., for north, south, east and west when they appear as part of the address; spell out when referring to the direction in which someone has traveled.

• Abbreviate armed forces: USCG, USAF, USMC.

• Abbreviate colleges and universities (e.g. UMass, CalTech, UVA, etc.).

• Abbreviate states within the copy using “the old” form (left column, below)—e.g. “Susie and her family live in Mass.”—but in a complete address use the two-letter form (right column)—e.g. “send inquiries to 10 Harvard St., Anytown, MA 01000.”

Ala.-AL

Alaska-AK

Ariz.-AZ

Ark.-AR

Calif.-CA

Colo.-CO

Conn.-CT

Del.-DE

D.C.-DC

Fla.-FL

Ga.-GA

Hawaii-HI

Idaho-ID

Ill.-IL

Ind.-IN

Iowa-IA

Kans.-KS

Ky.-KY

La.-LA

Maine-ME

Md.-MD

Mass.-MA

Mich.-MI

Minn.-MN

Miss.-MS

Mo.-MO

Mont.-MT

Nebr.NE

Nev.-NV

N.H.-NH

N.J.-NJ

N.Mex-MN

N.Y.-NY

N.C.-NC

N. Dak.-ND

Ohio-OH

Okla.-OK

Oreg.-OR

Pa.-PA

R.I.-RI

S.C.-SC

S.Dak.-SD

Tenn.-TN

Texas-TX

Utah-UT

Vt.-VT

Va.-VA

Wash.-WA

W.Va.-WV

Wis.-WI

Wyo.WY

• other abbreviations we consistently use in the class notes are listed below. Please do not abbreviate words not on the list. (when an abbreviation in context is confusing, we will include the whole word.)

Acad. Academy

admin. administrative, administration

Alumnae Assn.

Amer. American

anniv. anniversary

apt. apartment

asst. assistant

assoc. associate

assn. association

atty. attorney

bd. board

chem. chemistry

co. company

coll. college

comm. committee, commission

conf. conference

corp. corporate, corporation

ctr. center

conf. conference

cty. county

dept. department

dir. director

div. division

educ. education

elem. elementary

exec. executive

found. foundation

ft. fort; Ft. if a specific one

govt. government

grad graduate (adjective)

hosp. hospital

h.s. high school

info. information

inst. institute, institution

intl. international

jr. junior

lit. literature

math mathematics

med. medical, medicine

mgr. manager

mt. mountain; Mt. when specific

natl. national

org. organization

PR public relations

pres. president

prof. professor

psych. psychology

ref. reference

rep representative

secy. secretary

soc. society

soph. sophomore

sr. senior

tech. technical, technology

treas. treasurer

U. University (e.g., U. of Md.)

univ. university

VP vice president

Numerals | Top |

• Use the form ’99 for year.

• Use numerals, except for one (3-week vacation, 2nd son; but one daughter, first baby).

Saving Space | Top |

• Please write concisely, while retaining the words of your classmates as much as possible. Avoid preambles such as “Spring is here...” and omit unnecessary words.

• Avoid: lists of names of people attending a gathering (unless you have a bit of news about each to include); detailed descriptions of travel; detailed wedding descriptions (aside from location, spouse’s name, alumnae present, honeymoon location); reunion reports (those belong in class letters); detailed news of pets; vague plans; addresses, aside from city and state (complete addresses are available from Alumnae Information Services: 413-538-2303, via the online directory at www.alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/find, or you may have people contact you for current addresses; it’s a good way to gather news). The only complete addresses to be included (aside from your own) are those of classmates serving MHC in some “official” capacity (e.g., class officer, club president) and surviving relatives of deceased classmates.

• Some people are sensitive to even good-natured kidding, so be careful. Other people besides your classmates read these columns, so limit content to items of general interest and include more personal communications in your class letter.

• Don’t “censor” material which you, personally, might find in contrast to your own values. If you’re in doubt as to what should/should not be cut from classmates’ news, send the news—in its unaltered state–to the Quarterly staff.

Class Notes Mini-profiles and Photos | Top |

• Please send names of alumnae who would be good subjects for mini-profiles (i.e., those with interesting careers or volunteer work, unusual outside interests, etc.).

• The only photos included in the class notes section are those that accompany the profiles. We do not include wedding photos. Encourage your classmates to post their own photos on the Online Class Notes section of the Web site.

Deaths | Top |

• If you learn of an alumna’s death, please: inform Alumnae Information Services (413-538-2303) and send a dated newspaper clipping or other verification immediately—do not wait until deadline. Send c/o the Alumnae Association, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075-1486. When you receive an official “notice of death” form for a classmate, please send a note to the next of kin. (This person’s name and address is noted on the form.) Please also let the next of kin know that, unless they tell the Quarterly they object, their name and address will be printed in the next issue so friends may offer condolences.

• Tributes to deceased classmates should be included at the end of your class notes. Recommended length is 150 words. It is the scribe’s responsibility to write tributes—or arrange to have them written. Ask a close MHC friend of the deceased to write the tribute; if that is not possible perhaps the next of kin can recommend someone or even write something her/himself. We are happy to include whatever information is available in the Alumnae Association files when you request it. Do not include details of funeral or memorial services. We do not run photos with tributes.

• Alumnae deaths are also listed in the In Memoriam section immediately following the class notes. Death notices of faculty, staff and others associated with the College will also appear in this section.

Double Postcard Mailings | Top |

• Double postcards (see separate section for details) are a good way to get news for older classes (non e-mail users). They can be mailed to one segment of your class at a time. Send wording and instructions (which segment to send to, etc.) to the Quarterly office (413-538-2301), or send mail to Alumnae Information Services, Alumnae Association, 50 College St., S. Hadley, MA 01075-1486. Your class will be billed for the cost of producing and mailing the cards.

Expenses | Top |

• Each class is responsible for reimbursing its scribe for the expenses of postage and stationery and for reimbursing the Alumnae Association for mailings. Classes that graduated 65 or more years ago will not be billed for mailings.

• If you do not already have a current Alumnae Directory, you may wish to consult with your other class officers about purchasing one with funds from your class treasury. You can also request free printouts with classmates’ names and contact information for your reference in preparing class notes, or use the Online Directory.

Change of Address, etc. | Top |

• If you learn of a new address (or phone #, e-mail, job) from a source other than the Alumnae Association, please type it on a separate sheet of paper and send it directly to Alumnae Information Services (Alumnae Information Services, Alumnae Association, 50 College St., S. Hadley, MA 01075-1486) so that our database may be updated.

Alumnae Information Services | Top |

• AIS can provide you with updated class lists of names and addresses. Request one by e-mailing Alumnae Information Services, or calling them at 413-538-2303.

• AIS will notify you of deaths of classmates and address changes they receive.