News from our Class Scholar

We were fortunate to have our class scholar, Katie O'Regan '08, join us on Thursday evening at our class dinner during Reunion Weekend. Below you'll find her most recent letter on what she has been doing the past year.

Dear Members of the Class of 1942,

I want to thank you graciously for your decision to continue my endowed scholarship provided by your class. Is is only through your generosity that I am able to continue to pursue my studies and passions at Cornell University.

Since you last heard from me, I have been quite busy, out of the country, once again. Over the summer I put my architectural skills to work at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Phildelphia, PA and there discovered a passion for historic preservation. Eastern State is one of the country's oldest prisons, designed to mimic Foucalt's "panopticon" in 1832 and finally closing its doors in 1971. Until a few years ago it was sorely neglected but a group in the community started working with the state and national historic registries to preserve it. While I was there, I specifically worked on re-glazing the green house, refurbishing the windows in an industiral building form 1909, and surveying the building and creating both hand drafted and CAD architectural drawings for hte state archives. It was exciting work; every day was something new and intellectually and physically challenging! This summer I hope to do something similar in upstate New York.

I also made the decision last year to sutdy abroad this fall. I did not choose Rome, as most architects do, but rather wanted a truly "American abroad" experience, not Cornell architecture once removed from campus. I choose to study at the National University of Ireland in Galway, partially because my family hails from those parts but also because the cultre has always fascinated me. Laying scale and mayline aside for a semester, I focused on English literature, Irish history and politics and some urban studies and just having a good time. My time there was amazing. In addition to immersing myself in the kinds of classes that just do not fit into my schedule here, I was able to take a lot of time for myself. I have always considered myself and artist above all else, and finally I found enought time to seriously work on painting, writing and music.

Now back at Cornell, I am very excited to dive into my fourth (of five!) years in the architecture program. As great as Ireland was, and despite the fact that I miss it dearly and will have to go back sometime soon, I am very anxious to return my focus to what I love, artchitecture, and integrate it with everything I learned about myself and the world while I was abroad. And so I thank you whole-heartedly once again for your generous support of my academics. Your scholarship makes things like my abroad experience possible!

Sincerely,

Katie O'Regan

New Book for Fall 2007 is
"The Pickup"

by Nadine Gordimer

The Fall 2007 annual new student reading project is going to be The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer. All dues payers, and only dues payers, will be receiving the book from the class.

Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer explores themes of identity, personal responsibility, human freedom and cultural and class differences in her 2001 novel. The New Student Reading Project was announced by Michele Moody-Adams, Cornell vice provost for undergraduate education.

For more information, click here.