55th Anniversary Celebration
October 17-19, 2025
Alums, students, faculty, staff, families, and friends of the College are invited to join us on campus during the weekend of October 17–19 to celebrate Hampshire’s 55th anniversary in conjunction with Family & Friends Weekend. It will be a weekend full of connection, learning, friends, and fun.
Housing
We’re pleased to be able to offer limited housing in Greenwich during the 55th anniversary celebration. Rooms will only be available for the night of Friday, October 17, and Saturday, October 18, and attendees must check out of their rooms by 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 19.
Please check back regularly. More detail will be added as events are added and confirmed.
Schedule of Events
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- 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Lunch
Dining Commons
Go out to eat or join students in the dining commons. Guests can use tokens or pay at the door; students can use Dining Dollars. Credit/debit cards accepted.
- 1:30-6 p.m.
Registration
R.W. Kern Center
Stop by the registration table to receive registration materials and updates.
- Noon-6 p.m.
Fall Farm Fest
Thorpe House
Join our awesome crew for old-fashioned farm fun! There will be wagon rides from the R.W.Kern Center bus stop to the farm every 30 minutes from 2:30 to 5 p.m.; fabric dyeing with faculty members Jenny VanWyk and Michelle Trujillo; Hampshire-grown popcorn, cider doughnuts, and music; cow pie bingo; and more!
- 2–3 p.m.
Living Building Tour
Hitchcock Center for the Environment
What if every single act of design and construction made the world a better place? Like our R.W. Kern Center, the Hitchcock Center is a Certified Living Building. Join us to explore systems and features of the building and to learn about how the Hitchcock Center was designed to model systems in nature. Find out what makes the building a special teaching tool empowering visitors to ask what sustainability looks like in the built environment. This tour requires a fair amount of walking around the building, including stairs down to the basement.
- 3-4 p.m.
Faculty Book Celebration: Carollee Bengelsdorf and Aaron Berman 70F
Franklin Patterson Hall, Room 107
Two beloved faculty members will discuss their recent books. Professor Emerita of Politics Carollee Bengelsdorf is the author of Clandestinas: Women in the Cuban Revolutionary Underground, 1955–1959. Professor Emeritus of History Aaron Berman 70F P08 P05’s most recent book is America's Arab Nationalists: From the Ottoman Revolution to the Rise of Hitler.
- 3:15-4:30 p.m.
Study Abroad, Career Preparation, and Internships
Franklin Patterson Hall, West Lecture Hall
A student panel and discussion led by Kate McConnell, assistant director of SPARC (Supporting Purpose through Action, Resources, and Connections). Learn about study abroad, preparing for work, and internship possibilities.
- Check-in closes at 6 p.m.
- 5–6:30 p.m.
Gallery Reception for Sara Smith 90F: Sugar Maple Glacial Lake Station
Art Gallery, Harold F. Johnson Library
Celebrating our fall show by Hampshire alum Sara Smith 90F. Smith explores questions about the physical, political, and spiritual implications of understanding humans as part of an interdependent system, with one another, with other species, and within Earth's ecosystems.
- 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Get Batty with the Animal Behavior Club
CSA Barn, up the hill from Thorpe House
Join us for an evening of bat watching and bug catching on the farm. We’ll do a bat watch and count, and set up a light trap for insect observation. Please bring water, bug spray, and a head lamp or flashlight, if you like. This event will involve traversing dark trails and farm roads, uneven surfaces, and (hopefully) wildlife observance.
- 5-8 p.m.
Pizza & Film Screening with Excalibur Student Group: Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Franklin Patterson Hall, West Lecture Hall
Do you like science fiction/fantasy films and want to experience what students do in their free time? Join us for pizza and a screening of the 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead.
- 5–8 p.m.
Dinner
Go out to eat or join students in the dining commons. Guests can use tokens or pay at the door; students can use Dining Dollars. Credit/debit cards accepted.
- 7:30 p.m.
Student play: All The Angels by Ryan Nivus F23
Emily Dickinson Hall, Studio Theater
An angel questions what to do when you change beyond what is acceptable.
- 8-8:30 p.m.
Alum performance: One Minute World by Michael O'Neill 98F and Alexis Gideon
Charles and Polly Longworth Arts Village
This video song cycle by Princess features original animations and live musical performance by Michael O’Neill 98F and Alexis Gideon. Music is performed live alongside video projection.
The first half of the performance is made up of 15 intentionally brief one-minute video songs. Primary-colored bubblegum visuals contrast the songs’ content which explore the discontents of our social media age: filter bubbles, surveillance capitalism, and shortened attention spans, to name a few. The second half of the performance, by contrast, features one long meditative video song, creating a space for the audience to experience time in a different way.
Princess performed the live premiere of @1minworld at the Andy Warhol Museum on May 20, 2023. Subsequent performances took place at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, MCA Denver, all 21c Museum locations, and the INVERSE Performance Art Festival at the Momentary/Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
8-9:30 p.m.
Heretics and No More Nice Girls: Remembering Joan Braderman
Franklin Patterson Hall, West Lecture Hall
Calling fellow students of Joan Braderman and those interested in seeing some smart, funny independent video art! Join us for a screening of several of Joan’s early short video works and stories about our adventures in studying and working with this brilliant and funny second wave feminist filmmaker.Joan Braderman was professor emerita of video, film, and media studies and a visionary in the world of experimental and feminist video and cinema. She taught at Hampshire for 30 years where she inspired countless students to explore the intersections of art, media, and activism.
- 9 p.m.
Talent Share and Open Mic
Charles and Polly Longworth Arts Village
Back by popular demand from our 50th anniversary celebration! Hosted by Christopher J. Williams 04F, proud Puerto Rican educator, connector, and storyteller. He currently hosts events in Oakland and produced shows with The Moth (pre-pandemic) where he strives to create spaces for all stories and voices.
Signing up in advance is optional but encouraged.
- 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
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- 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Registration
R.W. Kern Center
Stop by the registration table as soon as you arrive on campus to receive registration materials and updates.
- 10 a.m.-noon
Brunch
Dining Commons
Go out to eat or join students in the dining commons. Guests can use tokens or pay at the door; students can use Dining Dollars. Credit/debit cards accepted.
- 9:30-11 a.m.
Walking tour of the Hampshire Farm
Thorpe House
Join farm staff Emily Landeck, Charlotte Senders, and Joe Cecchi to learn more about our beautiful land and crops, and meet our animals! Please wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for the weather.
- 9:30–11 a.m.
Miriam Slater Memorial
Franklin Patterson Hall, Faculty Lounge
The Slater family and friends invite you to remember Professor Emerita Miriam Slater as friend, colleague, historian, family member, and extraordinary person.
- 9:30-11 a.m.
Alumni Open Meeting
R.W. Kern Center, Room 202
Join the Alum Action Group to generate ideas and excitement for connecting alums with each other and the College.
- 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Unwind in the Library: Board Games, Puzzles, and the Alumni Reel
Harold F. Johnson Library
Stop by to play board games and puzzles from our collections, enjoy light refreshments, and relax with friends and family. We’ll also be screening an Alumni Reel on a loop featuring work from Hampshire alums in the entertainment industry. All activities are located on the first floor, and visitors are welcome to explore the rest of the library on their own. Whether you want to gather for a game, tackle a puzzle, or simply take a break from the busy weekend, the library is here for you.
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Bike to Downtown Amherst
Meet at the back door of the Robert Crown Center
Join OPRA for a bike ride! This eight mile round trip will follow the newly paved bike lanes into downtown and leave time for families to walk around, grab a snack, and enjoy time outside. The trek will involve some hill sections of moderate elevation gain, so be prepared for a bit of challenge in sections. We will take these together and move at a pace that works for everyone.Meet at the back doors of the RCC at 10 a.m. to depart by 10:15 and return to campus by 1 p.m. If you can bring your own bike, please do. Helmets will be required. OPRA has a small number of rental bikes available. To rent a bike, please fill out this sign up form (Friends and Family Bike). Contact Michelle at mldop@hampshire.edu with questions.
- 10 a.m.–noon
Complimentary Admittance: Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
This stunning 40,000 square-foot museum on our campus is loved by families, art aficionados, and book lovers alike. Registered attendees please wear your name tag for complimentary admittance; students will need their Hampshire ID. will need their Hampshire ID.
- 11 a.m.–noon
Reproductive Justice Today: Intergenerational Connections
Franklin Patterson Hall, East Lecture Hall
This intergenerational panel will bring together current Collective Power program members, alumni, and longtime leaders to explore the question: in what ways can intergenerational relationships and our memories strengthen the reproductive justice movement in the face of today’s political challenges? Panelists will reflect on their organizing experiences with Collective Power at Hampshire College. Sharing stories of past and present efforts, they’ll discuss that legacy shapes and strengthens students’ current work in the face of escalating attacks on reproductive justice and civil liberties. Panelists include Professor Emerata of Philosophy Marlene Gerber-Fried, Prisca Afantchao S23, and Desta Cantave 15F. Moderated by Brooke Huguley 17F.
- 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Center for Design Open House
Center for Design
Join us to explore the Center for Design’s many capabilities and see some of the current and past projects that this dynamic resource has produced. We’ll be here to talk about the facility’s history, demonstrate equipment, and answer questions.
- Noon–1:30 p.m.
Food Truck Lunch
Franklin Patterson Hall Parking Lot
Local food trucks will be offering a variety of options.
- 1:30–3 p.m.
Urgent and Unbounded: The Role of Liberal Arts Education in an Age of Rising Authoritarianism
Robert Crown Center
Increasing threats to democracy abroad and at home. Attacks on academic freedom. The breakneck growth of AI. Corrosively siloed media environments. The world that we find ourselves in is more complex and interconnected than ever, and it is impossible to approach these issues without confronting the fundamental questions that undergird the liberal arts.
How do we learn to solve problems? How do we communicate across differences? What skills are needed to acquire and apply knowledge? What does it mean to think critically and question assumptions? How do we search for, create, and comprehend art and beauty?
Today, a critical new question arises: How must higher education change to rise to the challenges we face?
> Ken Burns 71F, filmmaker and historian
> Gary Marcus 86F, leading voice in artificial intelligence, scientist, best-selling author, and serial entrepreneur
> Dr. Lynn Pasquerella P08, president, American Association of Colleges and Universities
- 3-4 p.m.
Alum presentation: 8000 Faces by Greg Katsoulis 87F
Film/Photo Building, Bill Brand Screening Room
How a photographic exercise about engendering empathy and curiosity turned into an observation of the changes in our social fabric, and the effect AI is having on the arts—and inadvertently spawned an independent narrative film along the way.
- 3-4 p.m.
Alum presentation: Intersectional Impact Professionals with Fadia Nordtveit 03F
Franklin Patterson Hall, West Lecture Hall
Intersectional Impact Professionals: How are you using intersectional frames to inform your professional work?
- 3-4 p.m.
Faculty book presentation: A Radical Departure: Hampshire College 1958-1970 by Rich Alpert
Franklin Patterson Hall, Room 107
Former Associate Dean of Faculty, Rich Alpert will discuss the findings of his book, A Radical Departure, Hampshire College 1958-1970, how the planning occurred and what of that planning worked and what did not.
- 3:30-5 p.m.
Mosiac Reception: A Celebration of Creativity & Culture
LeBron-Wiggins-Pran Cultural Center
Join the Cultural Center for a dynamic reception that will highlight the art, music, and entrepreneurial spirit of our BIPOC & International student and alumni communities. The event will include a gallery of student and alumni work, performances, and a marketplace for BIPOC-owned brands.
- 3:30–5 p.m.
Decades Reunion
Charles & Polly Longsworth Arts Village, the Adele Simmons Hall lobby, and the Leo Model Gallery in the Jerome Liebling Building
Reconnect with classmates, faculty, and staff from your era. Share memories, updates, and cider donuts.
- 4-5 p.m.
Alum book presentation: Crossing the Line: Finding America in the Borderlands by Sarah Towle 80F
Franklin Patterson Hall, West Lecture Hall
Author of Crossing the Line: Finding America in the Borderlands, called "a powerful exposé of the human costs of America's immigration policies" by Kirkus Reviews, unravels how we got to this wretched place. And how communities are standing up to ICE impunity.
- 5:15–6 p.m.
Community bell-ringing
Div Free bell, in front of the Harold F. Johnson Library
Whether you graduated before it was installed or just love that joyous sound, come celebrate your Hampshire achievements by ringing the Div Free bell. (Alums only! Legend has it students who ring the bell early will never pass their Div III.)
- 6–8 p.m.
Community Dinner with President's Remarks
Robert Crown Center
Enjoy dinner with friends and hear from speakers including Interim President Jennifer Chrisler. Advance tickets required, cash bar available.
- 7:30 p.m.
Student play: All The Angels by Ryan Nivus F23
Emily Dickinson Hall, Studio Theater
An angel questions what to do when you change beyond what is acceptable.
- 7:30-8:30 p.m.
S.E.E.D. (Show Up, Express, Exchange, Dance): An evening of collaborative performance
Music & Dance Building, Main Dance Studio
Witness the results of an immersive, collaborative process that exemplifies Hampshire’s approach to dance. More than 20 Hampshire Dance Program students, faculty, staff, and alumni will come together to develop a show and bring it to the stage in just one day. Reserve tickets in advance.
- 8–9:30 p.m.
Film screening: Hunting Yellow Pigs
Jerome Liebling Building, Bill Brand Screening Room
Screening of a new feature-length documentary film about the Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics, a program for high schoolers that has been ongoing since the College’s founding, directed by Professor Emeritus David Kelly until his death this year. The film showcases Hampshire's student-empowering philosophy in action and the profound impact it has had on society. A Q&A will follow, moderated by past President Greg Prince and Professor of Film and Photography Abraham Ravett.
- 8-10 p.m.
Non Satis Bibere: Craft Beer Tasting
Charles and Polly Longworth Arts Village
Join hosts Dick Cantwell 74F, internationally recognized craft brewer and founder of Elysian Brewery, and Paul Sayler 83F of Zero Gravity Brewing, to sample, savor, and discuss. Complimentary drink tickets available upon arrival.
- 8 p.m.-midnight
DJ Dance Party
Under the Charles and Polly Longworth Arts Village and Solar Canopy
All-vinyl dance party with DJ Matt Krefting 99F spinning hot platters that span the decades.
- 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
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- 8:30–11 a.m.
Check Out
R.W. Kern Center
Please stop by the R.W. Kern Center to drop off your name tag, room keys (if you stayed in a mod), and any unused dining tokens you’d like us to share with students, faculty, and staff.
- 10 a.m.
5K Costume Fun Run & Walk
Departs from Robert Crown Center
Join Hampshire College OPRA for a fun student-organized 5k (3.1 mile) run or walk around campus roads, fields, and trails to celebrate Hampshire’s anniversary. The course starts near the Robert Crown Center around Campus Way and then heads onto the grass for a hilly loop near the Red Barn, then proceeding past the Hitchcock Center and the Hampshire Farm, before finishing back at RCC. Fun age group prizes and raffle for all participants. Come in costume, if you’d like!
- 10:30 a.m.–noon
Community Remembrance
Kligerman-Greenspun Performance Hall,Yiddish Book Center
Come together to remember the community members who are no longer with us. This welcoming, secular space will offer opportunities to honor and uplift the memories and gifts of Hampshire friends, mentors, and colleagues. We will dedicate a special tribute to the founding faculty members who have recently passed.
- 1–4 p.m.
Celebration of Life for Lorna Coppinger
Capulet Acres, 111 East Chestnut Hill Road, Montague, Massachusetts
The Coppinger family warmly invites you to join them in honoring and celebrating the life of Faculty Associate Lorna Coppinger. Bring along a picnic lunch and gather with them following the close of campus festivities. Please RSVP to Tim at coppingerbuilders2@gmail.com.
- 1:30 p.m.
Student play: All The Angels by Ryan Nivus F23
Emily Dickinson Hall, Studio Theater
An angel questions what to do when you change beyond what is acceptable.
- 8:30–11 a.m.
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Sara Smith 90F: Sugar Maple Glacial Lake Station
Harold F. Johnson Library, Art Gallery
Sugar Maple Glacial Lake Station is part of artist Sara Smith 90F’s larger multimedia project Inside the Breath (In Network Time), set in a future era called INT. At the heart of this project are questions about the physical, political, and spiritual implications of understanding humans as part of an interdependent system, with one another, with other species, and within Earth's ecosystems. Smith developed the core ideas of the INT world by mapping aspects of octopuses' sensory-perceptual abilities to the writings and ideas of the queer Chicana activist and scholar Gloria Anzaldúa. In INT, bacterial communication networks make our shared existence possible. Smith’s exhibition invites us to consider how we might collectively reach toward a more just, ecological, and actively interconnected existence.
Sara Smith 90F creates speculative-documentary performances and other works that explore interconnection and the poetics and politics of embodied and archival research. Their working process is rooted in physical practices of micro-attention and relational transformation. Smith's artworks have been seen and heard in theaters, museums, studios, public parks, recreation center basements, and cloud-based platforms.
Faculty in Focus: 55 years of Photography at Hampshire
Film/Photo Building, Leo Model Gallery
Featuring photos from faculty members including Jerry Liebling, Elaine Mayes, Abraham Ravett, Sandra Matthews, Carrie Mae Weems, Jackie Hayden, Delilah Montoya, Robert Seydel, Jean Marie Casbarian, Billie Mandle, Claudio Nolasco, and Kane Stewart.
Photo Op Spot
Linda Mollison Pavilion (between Dakin and Merrill dorms)
Take a fun fall photo with your Hampshire friends and family and tag us on social media: #HampshireCollege
When It's Open
Dining Commons
Friday lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., dinner 5–8 p.m.
Saturday brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m., dinner 5-8 p.m.
Sunday brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
R.W. Kern Kafe
Friday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Saturday
Bridge Cafe
Friday & Saturday 3-10 p.m.
Harold F. Johnson Library
Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Sunday noon-7 p.m.
Harold F. Johnson Library Gallery
Noon-5 p.m. each day
HampStore
Friday & Saturday 11 a.m.-5p.m.