Parent & Family Newsletter

I'd like to extend a heartfelt "Hood Hello" to the newest members of our community...WELCOME! The fall 2024 semester is fully underway and we are proud to have your student, their energy, talent and enthusiasm on our campus. There are numerous opportunities for both you and them to engage with peers and I hope you take advantage of all of them. With this newsletter, our goal is to highlight some of the upcoming events that may interest you. Coming soon is our Fall Family Weekend on October 4-6 and I look forward to seeing you there.

Debbie Ricker, Ph.D.
Interim President

The Office of Alumni and Constituent Engagement is excited to host our first virtual event of the academic year! President Debbie Ricker, Ph.D., will join us in kicking off the fall semester with a virtual “meet & greet” on Thursday, September 12 at 6 p.m.

Click here to register for this online event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. See you on September 12!

Homecoming & Fall Family Weekend is almost here! Gather the whole family and come Home to Hood for a weekend full of FUN & GAMES!

• Compete in the annual Blue and Grey Golf Tournament at P.B. Dye Golf Course in Ijamsville, MD
• Take a tour of Frederick aboard a Maryland Double Decker bus
• Register your team for the annual Hood Scavenger Hunt
• Tour the Delaplaine Foundation Multimedia Center
  
• Attend the reception for “Homesick Materials” by artist Lance Rautzhan in Hodson Gallery
• Challenge your student to a game of mini golf on the Quad
• …and so much more!

Homecoming and Fall Family Weekend Athletic Events

Saturday October 5:

• 9-10 a.m. Alumni Men's Lacrosse Game, Thomas Athletic Field
• 10-11 a.m. Alumnae Women’s Lacrosse Game, Thomas Athletic Field
• 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Alumni Baseball Game, Frederick Community College
• 11 a.m. Blazer Women’s Volleyball vs. Marywood, Volpe Athletic Center
• 1 p.m. Blazer Field hockey vs. Delaware Valley, Thomas Athletic Field
• 3 p.m. Blazer Women's Volleyball vs. Farleigh Dickinson University, Volpe Athletic Center
• 4 p.m. Blazer Women's Soccer vs. Stevenson, Thomas Athletic Field
• 7 p.m. Blazer Men’s Soccer vs. Stevenson, Thomas Athletic Field
• 8-10:30 p.m. Blazer Athlete Alumni Event, AttaBoy Brewery, Frederick

Sunday October 6:

• 1 p.m. Alumnae Softball Game, Hood Softball Field

Find more information and the complete Homecoming & Fall Family Weekend schedule here!

• Men's Basketball
• Women's Basketball
• Men's Cross Country
• Women's Cross Country
• Equestrian
• Field Hockey
• Men's Golf
• Women's Golf
• Women's Ice Hockey
• Men's Soccer
• Women's Soccer
• Men's Swimming
• Women's Swimming
• Men's Tennis
• Women's Tennis
• Women's Volleyball

• Hood Athletics Composite Schedule

*Basketball Madness, October 18, 7-8 p.m. Woodsboro Bank Arena inside the Ronald J. Volpe Athletic Center

Hood’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC) had a busy summer! Besides answering many questions for new parents and students on the four S.O.A.R. Days, they also hosted “Snack with the PAC” for our new Hood parents and families on Move-In Day.

We would like to take a moment to mention the passing of an amazing inaugural member of the Parent Advisory Council. John Carnegis P’25, a PAC member since fall 2021 (along with his wife, Tricia) could always be found on Move-In Day, Accepted Student Days and Homecoming & Fall Family Weekend, chatting up the “new dads,” and serving as a positive ambassador for Hood. He will be missed, but his legacy lives on in daughter Zoe, class of 2025.

Photo: John & Tricia Carnegis P’25 and Angela & Bruce Almquist P’24

Don’t forget to check out the Hood College Parents and Families Facebook and Instagram accounts. Here you’ll find photos of campus fun, Blazer Athletic highlights, helpful info, and event information.

Upcoming In-Person Events:

• Sep 19: Hood Happy Hour at Rockwell Riverside, Frederick, MD
  hosted by Alumni & Constituent Engagement
  
• Sep 29: Hood Event in Atlanta, GA
  hosted by alumnae Donna Peterson ’79 and trustee Marylou Herrmann Foley ’64
• Oct 4-6: Homecoming & Fall Family Weekend
  “Fun & Games at Hood!” Campus-wide
• Oct 22: Hood Event in Brooklyn, NY
  hosted by Ellen Sacks ’70
• Nov 19: Hood Event in Lancaster, PA
  hosted by Beth Ward Ross ‘80

If you want to learn more about joining the Parent Advisory Council, please visit the PAC page on the Hood website, or email Kellye Greenwald ’86, director of alumni and constituent engagement, at greenwald@hood.edu.

HELPFUL TIPS FROM PAC PARENTS

Rev. Beth O'Malley, P'25

"There is someone to help with most any issue so don't hesitate to reach out and ask for help. If your student doesn't know and you're not sure who to call, you can start with the office of the Dean of Students, the chaplain or the Wellness director. They'll work to connect you with campus resources."

Patricia Castelhano, P'26

"The best Hood advice we got was to "stay on campus for the weekend, really immerse yourself in the place so it feels more like "your place," and "try new things - heck, try everything you can; that is what college is for!"

The college years can be hard sometimes. With your help, your student will feel supported in making healthy decisions for themselves and have a happier and more successful experience! Here are some prompts and reminders to talk about with your student throughout the fall semester.

• Regularly ask about their roommate or classmates and how their relationships with them are going.
• Make sure your student knows campus resources that can help. Do they know which services are offered for free at the health and counseling center?
• Use fall family weekend or another visit to check in with your student about how their well-being (sleep, mental heal, nutrition etc.).
• Halloween in college can be really fun, but sometimes students feel pressure to drink alcohol to celebrate. Encourage them to start new traditions!

Find out more about these topics, including conversation tips and guides, at collegeparentsmatter.org.

If you notice behavior that is dramatically different or not normal for them, encourage them to seek help! Hood's Counseling Services provides confidential, short-term counseling at no cost to the student or their insurance. Additionally, Thriving Campus is an online resource that allows Hood students to search for mental health providers in the Frederick community. Students can filter the list of providers by insurance accepted, gender, race or area of practice. Finally, you can always encourage your student to reach out to the director of wellness (wellness@hood.edu) who can assist them with questions about resources to keep them healthy and thriving while at Hood!

When sending mail or having something shipped to your student, please be sure to include the student's full name (first and last) and use the format and address noted in the example below:

Margaret Hood

Hood College

401 Rosemont Avenue

Frederick, MD 21701

The Rosemont Avenue address should be used for ALL mail/shipments to campus, including Amazon orders. Please do not use Amazon "security codes" for deliveries to campus. Mail Room staff have no way of knowing the codes, so using a code actually impedes delivery to your student. As incoming mail and packages are processed, students are notified via email that they have received something for pick up from the Mail Room.

Of the most common carrers (USPS, FedEx and UPS), UPS provides the most reliable delivery service to our campus.

Please remember to review the Academic Calendar regularly to ensure you are
aware of the essential dates that will impact you and your student this year!

Of the many traditions that enrich a student’s affection and affinity for Hood, the Hood ring is the one that alumni hold very close to their hearts. Its unique design makes it instantly recognizable, and many an alum can share a story about how they met a friend, a spouse, or a partner because they were wearing their Hood ring.

Traditionally purchased in the Junior year, and first worn at the Ring Ceremony held annually in the Spring, the Hood ring is a concrete symbol of your student’s perseverance, hard work, and well-deserved achievements.

Every October, juniors and seniors are invited to apply for a legacy ring or scholarship via the Hood Legacy Ring and Scholarship Program. This program is made possible through generous donations from alumni and friends. Students may apply to receive a legacy ring, previously worn by a Hood alumna/us and donated to the College, or a ring scholarship which can be applied towards the purchase a new Hood ring.

Applications are reviewed by the Alumni Executive Board Ring Committee, and awards are based on the student’s campus involvement, community service, and an essay in which the student is asked to reflect upon the significance of the Hood ring and what the tradition of the Hood ring means to them. Please advise your students to check their email for more information about this opportunity!

If you would like to purchase a Hood ring for your junior or senior, our Hood ring vendor, Herff Jones, will be on-campus during Homecoming & Fall Family Weekend on Saturday October 5 in the Whitaker Campus Center, ready to size your student properly and discuss the available Hood Ring style options.

Rings ordered by February 21, 2025 are guaranteed to arrive in time for the Ring Ceremony on Saturday April 27, 2025, to which parents and family will be invited. Orders may be placed through the Hood College Gear Shop or via the secure Herff Jones website.

New first-year and transfer students are participating in Pillar Talks, a four-part series of small group conversations to introduce them to the College's core values. The conversations are designed to help new students engage and connect with one another and to understand the expectations and responsibilities that come with being a member of this community. Students are introduced to the Academic Honor Code, the College's mission statement and the Student Government Association Community Values Pledge, and they take part in exercises and discussions that allow them to explore cultural norms and unintended biases; diversity, equity and inclusion; and the notion that we can disagree on beliefs while honoring the humanity of the person with whom we disagree.

Hood's core values have been an important part of this community for over 100 years. In September 1918, the Classes of 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918 dedicated the four pillars of Alumnae Hall to represent each core value.

Hope: To believe that everyone can have a positive impact in the world

and that education is instrumental in creating and sustaining hope.

Opportunity: To fully use one’s talents and skills to realize professional and personal achievement and to help create and realize opportunities for others.

Obligation: To fulfill personal and professional responsibilities with integrity and to be a responsible steward and servant to the betterment of others and this world.

Democracy: To embrace diversity, foster freedom of thought and expression, and to promote engaged citizenship both in self and others.

In less than a month, we will be hosting the Blue & Grey Golf Tournament at PB Dye Golf Club. Please consider playing or sponsoring a hole for the tournament. Click here for additional information and to register for golf or sponsor online: Blue & Grey Golf Outing - Hood College (hoodathletics.com)

Hood Alert, the campus emergency notification system, gives college administration and security professionals the ability to reach participating students, faculty, staff, parents and others with time-sensitive information during unforeseen events or emergencies. For additional information and instructions about signing up to receive alerts, please see Hood Alert.

Email: communityandinclusivity@hood.edu
Website: www.hood.edu
Location: 401 Rosemont Avenue, Frederick, MD 21701
Phone: 301-696-3573