Graduation May 11
Filmmaker Dayton Duncan will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters degree at Keene State College's Commencement Ceremony on Sun., May 11, while 895 students will be receiving degrees the old-fashioned way.

The 2008 Granite State Award will be presented to Sullivan residents John and Jean Hoffman at commencement.

More information here.

KSC Student Team Awarded Honorable Mention in EPA Competition
A team of KSC Technology, Design, and Safety and Architecture students traveled to the fourth annual National Sustainable Design Expo in Washington, D.C., to present "Keene Community Partnership for a Closed Loop Biodiesel System" at the Environmental Protection Agency's P3 competition.

The team received honorable mention in a competition among 58 schools.

More information here.

Sad news
The KSC community was sad to lose instructor Kate Phillips, who was in more than 50 films in the 1930s and '40s and co-wrote the 1958 cult movie The Blob. She taught acting, film, and screenwriting classes at Keene State from the early 1980s until she retired in 2006.

Under the name Kay Linaker Phillips, she had small parts in a number of popular films, such as Drums Along the Mohawk, Blood and Sand, Laura, and a number of the Charlie Chan detective movies. One of her more notable roles was a rich society matron who marries Ginger Rogers' ex-husband in the 1940 film Kitty Foyle. She retired from filming movies during World War II, later turning to screenwriting for film and television. She married writer-turned-television-executive Howard Phillips. They moved to Dublin, N.H., in 1964. Phillips died April 18 at the age of 94.

IMDb Listing
The New York Times

Pondside III Residence Hall Awarded Silver LEED
Keene State College's Pondside III residential hall has received LEED Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Pondside III, which overlooks Brickyard Pond, has 51,300 square feet and 154 beds. The suite-style building sets a new standard for dorm life at the College – suites with singles, doubles, or a mix of both promote social interaction and support "living and learning" communities centered on academic themes, service learning, leadership, wellness, the arts, and other common interests. The building incorporates super-insulated walls, motion-sensor lights, dual-flush toilets, and recycling rooms on each floor.

More information here.

Site visit
Have you been to KSC100 yet? It's chock-a-block full of trips down memory lane, in honor of our Centennial year. Whether you graduated in the 1920s or the 1990s, you're bound to find some familiar faces and places. For more information on the Centennial Celebration itself, visit the main Centennial site .

Swamp Bats
And speaking of the Centennial, the celebration kicks off with the Keene Swamp Bats on June 14 at 7 p.m.

There will be giveaways, KSC hall of fame athletes, a social tent for KSC, and lots of opportunity to celebrate our hundred years in the community.

Join us at Alumni Field at Keene High School.

Talk About Keene State Today
Starting with the current online edition of Keene State Today, you can start or join a conversation about any of the articles.

Did you attend the premiere of Kaddish? Are you a big fan of Adam Wade, nighthawks or golf? Ever take an auto shop class or create masterpieces in the cooking lab? Share your memories, insights, and laughs just in time for the Centennial.

Click on the Comments button at the end of each story or go directly to see the comment pages here.

2008-09 College Catalog
Online and in print, everything you need to know about KSC for the upcoming academic year.

Majors and degrees, courses, policies, academic calendar, student life, faculty listing, and more.

Check it out here: www.keene.edu/catalog

Jeff's Journal
Jeff LaValley,
Director of Alumni and Parent Relations

In the last edition of Newsline I discussed my passion for lists and I enumerated some of the ways Keene State alumni can get involved in the KSC Alumni Association. As promised, here is the rest of that list, with five additional ways to stay connected to our alma mater.

• Talk to your employer. Promote the solid education you received at Keene State with supervisors or hiring managers, and encourage them to look to KSC for future employees.
• Host an event or happy hour in your area and send photos. Alumni who are in touch with other alumni are encouraged to host small gatherings, or work with the Alumni Office to plan larger-scale events like recent ones in Washington, D.C., and Florida. Happy hours are great ways to involve other alumni and connect them to KSC. When sending event photos, be sure to include captions with names. Send them to alumni@keene.edu.
• Identify alumni in your workplace. Do you work with or know of a lot of KSC alumni at work? If so, consider working with your human resources department to host a KSC networking event. Contact the Alumni Office at alumni@keene.edu for more information.
• Update your contact information. Keeping in touch is easy and convenient. Update your home address, e-mail, and work information with the KSC Alumni Association using our online form.
• Talk about Keene State in your community. Inform your family, friends, and co-workers about Keene State's growing prominence in the state, New England, and beyond.
• Make www.keene.edu your homepage on your browser, and keep up with the latest news and happenings from your alma mater.

KSC Parents Association
As Keene State College prepares to celebrate its Centennial anniversary, the KSC Parents Association is planning for its future. An integral part of the College since its inception in 1973, the KSC Parents Association exists to promote the aims consistent with the best interest of KSC, its students, and their parents.

At a meeting held April 11, the executive officers of the Association began laying the groundwork for the organization's future. In the coming months the Association will revise its by-laws and commence strategic planning. Input from Association members will be vital to the continued success of the organization.

For more information about the KSC Parents Association, contact the Parent Relations Office at 603-358-2370 or email parents@keene.edu.

KSC Connections
Alumni to Alumni