Working at Woodstock Again

I have been at Woodstock for the past two weeks, the beginning of my two-month stint as a volunteer in the Development and Alumni Relations Office. Of course it’s wonderful to be back in Mussoorie, even though the weather has been frequently cold and sometimes rainy. Today the sun is shining brightly and there is a hint of spring in the air.

The Development Office is a busy place. Steve Alter ’74 has been here as the Director for almost a year. I sit outside his office and see people coming to see him one after the other. It’s amazing that he gets any time to do any other work at all. Chris Starr and Monica Roberts are the primary contacts for Alumni Relations work, a constant flow. Immu Uniyal is our receptionist who graciously gives tours of Woodstock to visiting alumni and others, and sells T-shirts and other Woodstockiana. (And the person who finally got me a key to the office so I don't have to wait for others to arrive.) Today we met the grandson of a staff member who was here a year in the early 1960s. It’s fun to see all these people who stop by. Pete Wildman and Maija Prakash work primarily on communications materials of all kinds. Their work is often driven by print deadlines.

I am doing a collection of odd jobs – assisting Steve with planning for the 100th anniversary of the founding of WOSA coming up in 2011, thinking through the Annual Fund plans for next year, working on the Homecoming/Mela Committee (April 25, plan to come!), and whatever else comes along.

We are staying in Guest Room #1, which many of us remember as Diana Biswas's longtime apartment. It's been drastically changed since her time; the guest rooms are all nice with good facilities. This one is the largest, with a separate bedroom, nice for those of us who stay around longer. Dan left on March 28 to visit three of the sites where we support children through CCF. You can follow his travels through his blog at web.mac.com/lindd1.