Lake Forest Day on Facebook

Today is Lake Forest Day on Facebook. Inspired by the generosity of Grace Groner '31 last week and the way that story went viral on the internet, in the media, and especially all over Facebook, my friend Derek at the College has organized a day for all alums, friends, faculty, and families to show their own love for LFC through donating to the Annual Fund and then bragging about it on Facebook.

As Derek said in his email, "Grace made a tremendous gift that will help some of our students realize their dreams of studying abroad. But there are many other programs that need funding, and for that, we rely on hundreds of smaller gifts from people like you."

Put another way by Grace's attorney, Bill Marlatt, on Little Merry Sunshine last week, "You hit on the meaning of her gift when you responded with a desire to help the College. None of us are self made. We have all been helped along over the years. Groner Fellows will have an obligation to help and mentor other fellows coming after them. People sometimes ask who owns a college. Well it is owned by those who have graduated from it. It is strong when this shared resource is given to others." (emphasis mine)

Grace lived her life in such a way that her legacy will impact many future generations of Foresters. While her gift is impressive and makes us all proud to be Foresters, it's not enough. Even though we may not have $7 million to give today, we can each do a little. And when we each do a little on a consistent basis, that adds up to a lot and makes all the difference.

Even though I've already made my annual donation to the College, I'm making another one today because I believe so strongly in helping other students achieve their dreams. I've made no secret of the fact that I would never have been able to attend Lake Forest without the generous financial aid package I was given each of my four years. While some of my financial aid came in the form of loans and state and federal grants, a good portion of it came from Lake Forest College alumni who had generously donated over the years. As a result, I believe that I have an obligation to help other students have the incredible opportunities I had by supporting programs on campus through donations to the Annual Fund.

Sometimes, when I think back on my life and ask some of those "what if" questions, I wonder what if I'd gone to the other school I was deciding between rather than Lake Forest. How much more debt would I have had because all they offered me were loans? Would I still keep in touch with my professors the way I keep in touch with professors at LFC? Would members of the administration still know me by name all these years later? Would I have learned to take risks the way I did at LFC and graduated knowing how to have faith that the net would appear when I jumped and if it didn't how to pick myself up and start over? I have a number of friends who went to that other school I was considering and based on their experiences, I'd have to say the answer to each of those questions is no.

Lake Forest College holds a special place in my heart and I imagine it holds a special place in the hearts of other many Foresters, as well.

If you're one of those Foresters or if you're just moved by my love for my alma mater, please visit the Alumni Gateway and make a donation today. Remember, a little does a lot, so any size donation you make will have a big impact. Oh, and brag about it on Facebook*. Let's paint Facebook Red and Black today.

*When you choose to brag about your donation on Facebook, the post just says you made a donation with a picture of the College's logo. No one will know how much you donated.

The Healing Sounds of Music

When I was about 6, my mom enrolled me in piano lessons. At the time, I hated them. Mostly because I didn't like practicing. But with practice, I became okay (not great, but okay) and I stopped disliking my lessons. I think I took piano lessons until the end of 8th grade. I also sang in the church choir from 3rd grade through the end of 8th grade. I enjoyed that a lot. Finally, I took up playing the flute in 5th grade and continued until mid-way through sophomore year of high school. I enjoyed that a lot too.

Looking back, I think my enjoyment of choir and playing the flute came in part from the fact that I had a music foundation because of playing the piano. I knew how to read music - once you know all the notes, they are the same across all instruments. I understood what being "in tune" meant. I understood harmony and melody. I could keep time. The only thing I had to master was singing or actually playing the flute because I knew the theory.

Musicians have always fascinated me. I have a great deal of respect for people who have the discipline I lacked and have fully developed their musical talents. In fact, I melt for a man who plays the guitar and will sing to me. Humming works too.

Since our earliest ages, we respond to music. Most of us drifted off to sleep as babies to the soothing sounds of our parents' songs. It didn't matter if they were good or could even carry a tune. We learned our ABC's thanks to the Alphabet Song. We learned to spell thanks to music - B-I-N-G-O anyone? And where would we be without School House Rock, Sesame Street, or Mr. Rodgers? Today's kids know Barney and the Teletubbies. Yes, music was at the core of our early education and most of us not only look back fondly on these lessons, but still have the tunes stuck in our brains.

Not only is music educational, it's also therapeutic. According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy can promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, express feelings, enhance memory, improve communication, and promote physical rehabilitation.

Without question, music is fundamental.

The Music Room in Palatine is helping promote wellness and development by refurbishing and donating instruments for the developmentally disabled clients of Clearbrook in Arlington Heights. These instruments will help with improving behavior, socialization, and reducing aggression.

So if you've got some instruments in your closet gathering dust from another lifetime, give them new life by donating them to The Music Room. Your gift may just open new doors for people with few doors open to them and change their lives.