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11th Annual Apps and Alums: A Recap!

By Peyton Williamson ’27

Natalie, Rabi, Peyton, and Lucy stand in a line to start the introductions to Apps and Alums.
Our current EHS officers welcoming everyone to another year of Apps and Alums.

For its 11th year running, Macalester’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society (EHS), hosted Apps and Alums, where students past and present gather in Olin-Rice’s Smail Gallery to chat, swap stories, and dispense advice over delicious appetizers.

As one of the EHS officers here, I am happy to report that it was a smashing success! We had a large body of current students attend, and 19 total alumni as well. Our eldest graduates were Maureen Acosta ’69 and Michael Anthony ’66, and our newest was our very own former student worker, Birdie Keller ’25. Our best-represented graduation year was 2024, with Amanye Reynold, Jamie Lansky, and Sydney Ellison showing out. 

The alumni came from a range of careers, including publishing, volunteer work, law practices, and more. Armed with a wide breadth of wisdom, experience, and knowledge, Macalester’s English and Creative Writing alumni were well-prepared to represent the rich diversity of post-English degree life with our current students, and offered lots of welcome advice and stories of maintaining their creative practices after college. 

Alumni of all ages and current students gather together in groups in Smail Gallery in Olin-Rice.
Alumni and current students gather to connect over delicious appertizers.

As always, this event wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of extra support. EHS wants to extend our heartfelt thanks to both Alumni Engagement and Career Exploration, who contributed their resources, time, and funds to ensure its success, as well as the always-appreciated Critchett Fund. We’d also like to thank EHS advisor Professor Matt Burgess, who was always there to ensure every event went smoothly and our officers had the support they needed. And of course, we’d be remiss to not thank department coordinator extraordinaire Jan Beebe, who knows the department better than anyone and, without whom, we’d probably fall into ruin. 

If you’re a former or current ENCW student who didn’t make it to Apps and Alums this year, consider this your formal invitation to attend in the future! We always love to see more faces, both new and old, at department events, and we’d love to have you there. Thanks everyone for another great year of Apps and Alums, and see you at the next one!