You Said: On Building Community

Last winter, we asked alumni to share updates about their lives and/or how they are making their communities better. Sandy (Siegel) Bly ’62, Cynthia Holley Brewster ’64, and Marcia Mittelsted Maguire ’58 responded to our question.

“First, I would like to keep alive among the Mac community the memory of Dr. J. Huntley Dupre. To many younger Macites Dr. Dupre is probably known just as a person for whom a hall is named. However, to those of us who knew him he was a true inspiration. His world view, his sense of moral justice, his encouragement of his students’ efforts, made a deep impression on me my freshman year, when I luckily enrolled in his “History of Western Civilization” class. My admiration for him led me to take several more classes from him and major in history.

I also was very involved in international activities at Mac, forming friendships with several international students, including Kofi Annan ’61. During my senior year I was one of twelve American students lucky enough to be picked to participate in an American studies seminar with the twelve international journalists in the first World Press Institute.

No doubt following in Dr. Dupre’s tradi- tion of world service, upon graduation I spent two years in Peru in the fledgling Peace Corps. During my service and shortly thereafter I received a couple of letters of appreciation and encouragement from Dr. Dupre, letters I have kept to this day. Upon returning home in 1964 I earned my master’s degree in Latin American studies. With my fluency in Spanish and thanks to Bob Dassett, I returned to Mac to teach Spanish from 1968 to 1970.

The remainder of my teaching career was in Spanish and in teaching English to refugees and immigrants from over thirty countries. I believe I owe my career path to Dr. Dupre’s influence as well as to Macalester’s atmosphere of internationalism and social justice.

And a postscript: I am extremely proud of how Macalester has continued to grow in diversity, justice, and international service.”

—Sandy (Siegel) Bly ’62 

“I am president of the Board of Trustees of the Fair Housing Resource Center serv- ing four counties in Northeast Ohio: Lake, Ashtabula, Geauga, and Trumbull. We have a great staff that works to promote equal housing opportunities for all persons, and advocates for diversity through education and involvement of the public, governments, and the business community. We operate a landlord/tenant hotline service, and an in- take complaint service for victims of housing discrimination. We are certified by HUD as a Housing Counseling agency providing counseling on foreclosure prevention, predatory lending, home financing, and repairs. We enforce the Fair Housing Act and HUD’S Equal Access Rule.”

—Cynthia Holley Brewster ’64

“I live at Marsh’s Edge, a senior living community on St. Simons Island, Ga. I am active in our recycling program, learning about the warming permafrost, and tending my seven-year-old Meyer lemon tree which produced over 100 juicy lemons last December.”

—Marcia Mittelsted Maguire ’58