Mount Holyoke in Africa Ama Ata Aidoo (1999 MHC honorary degree recipient and former visiting professor) was celebrated on the occasion of her sixtieth birthday in a gala tribute by the Media Foundation of West Africa, in Accra, Ghana, September 30. Since publication of her first play in 1964, Aidoo has enjoyed increasing stature as a playwright, novelist, essayist, and poet. MHC English professor John Lemly, currently a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Ghana, brought greetings from Aidoo’s former students, colleagues, and friends at Mount Holyoke and Smith. “Since 1993, if I’ve learned a little about Ghana or literature or myself, Ama Ata Aidoo, as much as anyone, has been my teacher,” he said at the event. “Chinua Achebe says that the African writer, particularly, must be a teacher, and Ama has certainly kept that charge. Tonight I salute her on behalf of all of us around the world who have learned from her—in conversations, in classrooms, and most of all in the pages of her writing.” Also in attendance at the gala were the aunt of Mamle Quarmyne ’03 and the mother of admission counselor Adzo Amegayibor ’00.

Packard to be Honored Becky Wai-Ling Packard, assistant professor of psychology and education, will be honored for her mentoring work by Girls Incorporated of Holyoke, a nonprofit agency that provides afterschool and teen programming for Holyoke girls, at a dinner and celebration November 1 at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House in Holyoke. Among the other five women being honored is Northampton mayor Clare Higgins. The honorees have all been a part of Girls Incorporated efforts and are being celebrated as role models of “strong, smart, and bold women,” according to the organization.

No Horsing Around Joy Collins ’91, MHC riding instructor, competed in the Massachusetts Horsemen’s Council Days of Champions during the first weekend of October and placed first in the Pro-Am Medal Class. The show was held at the Three-County Fairgrounds in Northampton, where Collins rode against approximately twenty other professionals from the region. Only riders who performed at a high level in previous shows were allowed to compete in these prestigious medal finals based on their performance at previous shows throughout the year. The horse Collins rode, Master Purvis, is owned by Jesse Smith ’04. Two other MHC riding team members, Katherine Cope ’04 and Nina Akerley ’04 helped prepare Collins and Master Purvis for their appearance before the judges.

An Equestrian High Point MHC equestrian team member Jesse Smith ’04 won the high-point rider award at the Smith Intercollegiate Show September 30. Smith is predominately an open rider, but she rode in a flat class and a class over fences, winning both events and putting her in the running for high-point rider. In the final class, Smith faced off against Sarah Greenberg ’04 and Sue Cooper ’01, who were the only other riders to also win both of their classes. Smith beat her teammates, earning the title of champion high-point rider.

Rowing Stronger MHC’s Department of Physical Education and Athletics, in collaboration with the Care Center of Holyoke, has been awarded a grant of $50,000 by the New England Women’s Fund. The grant will be used to support the Rowing Strong, Rowing Together program for pregnant and parenting teen mothers in the Connecticut River Valley. The program was started two years ago in Holyoke, and this grant will allow new programs to begin in New Hampshire and Connecticut. The primary goal of the program is to bring a high-quality team-building athletic activity to a population of young women who currently have little or no access to these kind of opportunities. Tessa Spillane ’95, assistant crew coach, was instrumental in the grant application process and has kept the program active during the summer. MHC crew team member Jenny Simon ’02 assisted Spillane during the summer months and helped write the grant application.

Crew Team Captures Regatta Cups The MHC crew team rowed to first place at their home regatta during the first weekend in October, winning both the Magruder and President’s Cups. This marks the ninth consecutive year that the Lyons have won the Magruder Point Trophy, which is based on overall team performance, varsity and novice boats included. Mount Holyoke also recaptured the President’s Cup, a varsity trophy that has eluded MHC since 1996.

What’s new with you? Send news for “New & Notable” to Janet Tobin, Office of Communications, or email jtobin@mtholyoke.edu.