2018 Annual B-SLUG Holiday Party and Smith Society Fundraiser Set for Sunday, December 9

Yay! The table is set! It's time to mark your calendars for the annual BSLUG Holiday Party! It will take place on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 9 at the artist loft of our very generous host, Cowell alum, Jill Hoy. (Check out her beautiful artwork on her website http://www.jillhoy.com)

The party is a fundraiser** for the Smith Renaissance Society, founded by Cowell alumnus Bill Dickinson. The Smith Society provides UCSC mentors, scholarships, and collegiate resources to foster children, homeless and runaway youth, orphans, and wards of the court. 

Donations at all levels are appreciated. However, Stephen Marino has an unlimited number of Above UCSC calendars and a gorgeous poster (24" x 36") that he's making available to any B-Slug who donates $100 whether or not they attend the holiday party. To see the poster go to https://photos.app.goo.gl/GuU7Wjdc5TCNYTUN7

Thank you, Stephen!!!

***All donations will be TRIPLE matched by Bill up to $2000***
Donations at all levels are appreciated. 

In addition to being a fundraiser, the BSLUG annual holiday party is a guaranteed wonderful time! 

Thanks to the generosity of Jill Hoy, the festivities will be held again at her lovely home in Somerville, Mass. You'll not only enjoy the awesome company of fellow UCSC alums, but also partake of delicious catered delights from Dave's Fresh Pasta in Somerville, surrounded by gorgeous works of art. Friends and family are also welcome. What better way to greet the winter season! 

WHEN: Sunday, Dec 9, 4-7 p.m.
WHERE: Home of Jill Hoy (near Davis Square in Somerville, Mass.)
RSVP by Friday, November 30
BYOB

Email Beata (beatapanagopoulosverizonnet) for directions, car-pool arrangements, or any questions or call 617-491-3871 

**All tax-deductible donations received go directly to the Smith Renaissance Society. Contributions, large and small, are most welcome. Suggested donation: $15-25 per person. Larger donations will also be much appreciated by the Society. 

Checks should be made payable to: "UC Santa Cruz Foundation" and write in the memo line: Page and Eloise Smith Scholarship Fund (Fl011F)

Bring your check to the party OR mail them to: Beata Panagopoulos, 28 Maple Ave., Apt. 3, Cambridge, MA 02139-1130. You will receive a receipt directly from UCSC.

B-SLUGS HIKE MT. WACHUSETTS SAT. SEPT. 29

B-SLUGS:  September Hike at Mt. Wachusett

Join us on a beautiful autumnal hike at Mt. Wachusett!

WHERE: Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary at Mt. Wachusett, Princeton, MA
WHEN:  Saturday, September 29, 10 a.m.

We’ll begin at the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Wachusett Meadow on the south side of Wachusett, which is a little over an hour from Boston via car. It’s a beautiful place well deserving of a trip by itself. Parking, etc, is free for Audubon members and $4 for non-members. Wachusett Meadow has restrooms, a helpful start for the day.  If you need a ride, no problem!  We’ll carpool.  Just let Beata know if you need a ride at beatapana@gmail.com

Our guides will be fellow B-SLUG Walter Stine and Clare Esparolini, who have designed the route just for us.  They tried it out this summer and decided on the following route.

The hike to Mt. Wachusett from the Audubon sanctuary is about 3.5 miles. The early going is a gentle uphill, crossing near a giant glacial boulder at one point. The upper part of the trail gets steeper, but not difficult. There are some sections with large rocks to go over on the upper portion of the trail. (Walter and Clare saw families with young children going up this section.)

 The hike up took Clare and Walter just over 1 hour and 30 minutes. The hike down took them a little under 1 hour and 30 minutes. For a group that doesn’t hike much, the hike up might take 2 hours or 2 hours and 30 minutes. The hike down might take 2 hours or so.

Let’s plan to arrive at Wachusett Meadow around 10:00 am and leave for the hike no later than 10:30. If folks take an hour for lunch at the top, that puts us back at Wachusett Meadow around 4:00 pm. Worse case, 5:00 pm.

Participants should be in reasonably good shape, able to walk several miles carrying a small pack. Hiking boots or shoes are required (no tennis shoes). Other items would include   1-2 liters of water, trail snacks, lunch, hiking poles (optional but helpful), hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray (might not be needed), rain jacket (just in case).

If some B-SLUGS don’t want to hike, they could hang out at Wachusett Meadow and then drive to the summit to meet us for lunch between 12:30 and 1:00. There is a parking area right near the summit.

RSVP by Monday, September 24 on the B-SLUG group Facebook page
If you you don’t do Facebook, just contact Beata at beatapana@gmail.com

BSLUGs Go to Shakespeare on Common's Richard III July 19

Join your fellow Slugs on the Boston Common to watch The Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's production of Richard III. "Shakespeare’s searing drama chronicles the ruthless ascension of a king and the devastation he leaves in his wake as he gains power over the realm. Featuring stage, film, and television actor, Faran Tahir as Richard III." From the Commonwealth Shakespeare Co. website) For more information about the production see http://commshakes.org/production/richard-iii/

WHEN: Thursday, July 19
WHERE: Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common

Come early to help us stake out a great spot. Bring a blanket to sit on and a picnic dinner. We'll be there from 5:30 pm on. 

The performance is free and open to the public.

If you've never attended Shakespeare on the Common, consider this a nudge - you won't regret it! A fantastic experience to see fabulous actors outside in the summer air. If you have already been, you know how wonderful it is.

We hope to see you there!!

Annual 2018 BSLUG Planning Meeting and Elections

It's time again for the annual BSLUG planning meeting and elections.

Please come if you can - it's your chance to become involved with the Board and make a difference in what we do as a local alumni chapter. It's actually a lot of fun, so think about it and come check it out.

WHEN: Thursday, May 24, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Bertucci's , 5 Cambridge Park Dr.
Alewife T station, Cambridge, MA 02140

This is when we begin planning our events for the year ahead. Do you have any ideas or suggestions about what you'd like us to do? Come to the Board meeting or send Beata an email (beata-dot-Panagopoulos-at-Verizon-dot-net)!

It is also when we elect our board members - we always welcome new folks to the Board. Maybe you'd like to start as a Member-at-Large? Come to the Board meeting or email Beata.

Please RSVP by Wednesday, May 23, if you plan on coming.

The BSLUG alumni group is a grassroots organization whose purpose is to provide opportunities for UCSC alums in the New England region to get together, have fun, network and support the educational and social ideals of our alma mater.

We hope to see you at the meeting!

BSLUG Meetup at the ICA -- Saturday, March 31

Join us for an informal outing to the NICHOLAS NIXON exhibit at the ICA!

"Based in Boston since the 1970s, Nicholas Nixon has captured the intimate details of family, relationships, and life as it unfolds in front of his camera. Using a large-format 8 x 10–inch camera and black-and-white film, he has photographed Boston’s changing landscape, porch life in the rural South, sick or dying people, and his own family. This exhibition surveys the artist’s prolific career and is organized around Nixon’s remarkable ongoing project The Brown Sisters, a series of group portraits of his wife Bebe and her three sisters, Heather, Mimi, and Laurie taken annually since 1975. The Brown Sisters will be presented in its entirety, and each portrait will be paired with other photographs made by Nixon in the same year, drawn from various bodies of work, including schools in and around Boston, people with AIDS, couples, and landscapes. Together these pictures underscore photography’s singular ability to capture the passage of time in incremental moments and are a testament to Nixon’s extraordinary persistence of vision.
Nicholas Nixon was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1947. He lives and works in Brookline and teaches photography at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston." (Photo and blurb taken from the ICA website)https://www.icaboston.org/

LOGISTICS:

• Purchase your own ticket* and meet members from the BSLUG Board and other Slugs in the ICA lobby at 11:00.
  
• 11:00 – 12:30 Enjoy the Nicholas Nixon exhibit and/or visit any other exhibits that appeal to you.
  
• 12:30 Regroup in the lobby for a lunch decision. We can all go together or people may want to pair off or go alone to a favorite place. Bring suggestions. Or, maybe you want to stay on and spend more time at the ICA – it’s up to you.

RSVP: Let us know if you plan on coming by responding to Beata by Saturday March 24th. Since everyone is buying their own ticket, a headcount isn’t required, but knowing numbers will help us come up with lunch suggestions.

*There are all sorts of discounts for ICA admission if you're affiliated with a university, a student, a senior, etc. Otherwise regular admission costs $15. If you want to purchase an ICA pass for one time entry that expires June 2018 for $11, just request one in your rsvp.

Hope to see you all there!

2017 Annual B-SLUG Holiday Party December 10

Mark your calendars! The annual BSLUG Holiday Party will take place on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 10 at the artist loft of our very generous host, Cowell alum, Jill Hoy.

The party is a fundraiser** for the Smith Renaissance Society, founded by Cowell alumnus Bill Dickinson. The Smith Society provides UCSC mentors, scholarships, and collegiate resources to foster children, homeless and runaway youth, orphans, and wards of the court.

This year we have the unprecedented opportunity to help these independent students succeed. Every donation will be matched, dollar for dollar. Four lead donors have offered $200,000 in matching funds which creates the potential for dedicated perpetual funding for $1000 minimum scholarships, plus a research fellowship, for at least 20 Smith Renaissance Society students every year!

Donations at all levels are appreciated. However, Stephen Marino has 12 copies of his Above UCSC book and an unlimited number of Above UCSC calendars that he's making available to any B-Slug who donates $150 and a calendar to any who donate $100, whether or not they attend the holiday party Bill Dickinson will match up to $2,500. That would mean, if added to the existing match, if the B-Slugs raised $2,500 it would generate $10,000 of value!

In addition to being a fundraiser, the BSLUG annual holiday party is a guaranteed great time!

Thanks to the generosity of Jill Hoy, the festivities will be held at her lovely home Somerville, Mass. You'll not only enjoy the wonderful company of fellow UCSC alums, but also partake of delicious catered delights from Dave's Fresh Pasta in Somerville, surrounded by gorgeous works of art. Friends and family are also welcome. What better way to greet the winter season!

WHEN: Sunday, Dec 10, 4-7 p.m.
WHERE: Home of Jill Hoy (near Davis Square in Somerville, Mass.)
RSVP by Friday, December 1
BYOB

Email Beata for directions, car-pool arrangements, or any questions or call 617-491-3871

**All tax-deductible donations received go directly to the Smith Renaissance Society. Contributions, large and small, are most welcome. Suggested donation: $15-25 per person. Larger donations will also be much appreciated by the Society.

Checks should be made payable to: "UC Santa Cruz Foundation" and write in the memo line: Smith Scholarship Endowment

Mail checks to: Beata Panagopoulos, 28 Maple Ave., Apt. 3, Cambridge, MA 02139-1130. You will receive a receipt directly from UCSC.

BSLUG Holiday Party 2016

The annual BSLUG Holiday Party will take place on Friday evening, Dec. 9 at the artist loft of our very generous host, Cowell alum, Jill Hoy.

The party is a fundraiser** for the Smith Renaissance Society, founded by Cowell alumnus Bill Dickinson. The Smith Society provides UCSC mentors, scholarships, and collegiate resources to foster children, homeless and runaway youth, orphans, and wards of the court.

Thanks to the generosity of Jill Hoy, the festivities will be held at her lovely home Somerville, Mass. You'll not only enjoy the wonderful company of fellow UCSC alums, but also partake of delicious catered delights from Dave's Fresh Pasta in Somerville. 

Friends and family are also welcome. What better way to greet the winter season!

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 9, 6:30-10:30 p.m.
WHERE: Home of Jill Hoy (near Davis Square in Somerville, Mass.)
RSVP by Friday, December 2
BYOB
Contact Beata for directions, car-pool arrangements, or any questions

**All tax-deductible donations received go directly to the Smith Renaissance Society. Contributions, large and small, are most welcome. Suggested donation: $15-25 per person. Larger donations will also be much appreciated by the Society.

BSLUG ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY & SMITH SOCIETY FUNDRAISER, FRIDAY, DEC. 4

Mark your calendars--the annual B-SLUG (Boston-area Local UC Santa Cruz Graduates) Holiday Party will take place on Friday evening, Dec. 4 at the home of fellow alum and very generous host, Sloan Nota.

The party is a fundraiser for the Smith Renaissance Society, founded by Cowell alumnus Bill Dickinson. The Smith Society provides UC Santa Cruz mentors, scholarships, and collegiate resources to foster children, homeless and runaway youth, orphans, and wards of the court. 

This year we have a VERY SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY to raise a ton of money for the Smith Renaissance Society. A matching campaign is being launched that will allow every dollar B-SLUGs donate to generate $2 in value. In addition, Bill Dickinson will match all that we raise, up to $1500. This means every dollar we donate will generate $3 of value--how fantastic is that!
WHERE: Home of Sloan Nota in Newtonville, Mass.
WHEN: Friday, Dec. 4, 7:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.
WHAT: We'll be providing an Italian holiday feast -- you'll be bringing the good cheer!
BYOB
What better way to greet the winter season than to spend a wonderful evening with fellow UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs! Friends and family are also welcome. 

Checks should be made payable to: "UC Santa Cruz Foundation" and write in the memo line: Smith Scholarship Endowment

Mail checks to: Beata Panagopoulos, 28 Maple Ave., Apt. 3, Cambridge, MA 02139-1130. You will receive a receipt directly from UC Santa Cruz.

Post a comment on Facebook for directions, car-pool arrangements, or any questions or contact Beata directly

Architecture Tour Along the Charles River and Boston Harbor, Saturday morn. October 3

This architecture cruise down the Charles received a 5-star rating from BSLUGS who have been on it in the past. 

"This 90-minute tour, hosted by Charles Riverboat Company, offers spectacular views of historic and contemporary architecture along Boston Harbor, the Charles River Locks, and the Charles River basin. The tour is led by Boston on Foot guides and is co-sponsored by BSA Space, a center for architecture and design––includes landmarks such as Marriott's Custom House, the Prudential Building, and the Hancock tower, as well as cutting edge contemporary design by today's top architects. These are simply the best waterfront views of Boston and Cambridge." (BSA website)


WHEN: Join us Saturday, October 3 at 10 am and see for yourselves!

WHERE: Boat departs from the CambridgeSide Galleria

COST: $18.50 for a voucher that never expires if you send your check to Beata by Sept. 25

If you do not prepay for a voucher, the gate price is $27.50, Adults; $22.50, Seniors, Students and Children under the age of 12 (gate prices do not include the 5% Boston Sightseeing Tour Surcharge)

All friends and family welcome.

"Cruise under magnificent bridges and experience the architecture in Boston and Cambridge from a truly unique perspective." From Boston by Foot

DEADLINE TO RSVP & send in your checks: Friday, Sept. 25

Send check made out to:
Beata Panagopoulos, 28 Maple Ave., Apt. 3, Cambridge, MA 02139-1130

 

BSLUGS at Shakespeare on the Common’s King Lear, Aug. 4

"This is perhaps one of the best performance events in Boston this year, and really every year.The atmosphere casual and moving, the performers talented and extraordinary,the weather is blessed with summer evening's warmth and glory." (YELP testimonial)

Join your fellow Slugs on the Boston Common to watch The Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's production of King Lear. “King Lear follows the journey of an aging king, faced with his own mortality and mental decline, who tries to secure the legacy of his kingdom by dividing it amongst his three daughters. Only through loss—of status, of love, of loyalty—does King Lear learn what is truly resonant at the end of a life.” (from the Shakespeare on the Common web page)

We’ll have an update on the BSLUG Facebook page with more logistics about how to find us on the Common.

WHEN: Tuesday, August 4th.  Performance begins at 8 pm.  Approximate running time 3 hours

WHERE: Boston Common

Come early to help us stake out a great spot. Bring a blanket to sit on and a picnic dinner. We'll be there from 5:30 pm on.  Look for the blue and yellow UCSC balloons!

The performance is free and open to the public.

POSTS

Annual BSLUG Planning Meeting and Elections, Thurs. May 28 6:30 pm in Somerville, MA

It's time again for the annual BSLUG planning meeting and elections.

Please come if you can - it's your chance to become involved with the Board and make a difference in what we do as a local alumni chapter. It's actually a lot of fun, so think about it and come check it out.

WHEN: Thursday, May 28, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Panera Bread at the Porter Square Shopping Center, Somerville, MA (5 White St, Cambridge, MA 02140)

This is when we begin planning our events for the year ahead. Do you have any ideas or suggestions about what you'd like us to do? Come to the Board meeting or send Beata an email (beata-dot-Panagopoulos-at-Verizon-dot-net)!

It is also when we elect our board members - we always welcome new folks to the Board. Maybe you'd like to start as a Member-at-Large? Come to the Board meeting or email Beata.

Please RSVP by Sunday, May 24 if you plan on coming.

The BSLUG alumni group is a grassroots organization whose purpose is to provide opportunities for UCSC alums in the New England region to get together, have fun, network and support the educational and social ideals of our alma mater.

We hope to see you at the meeting!

BSLUGS Go to Fenway, Red Sox vs. Angels, May 22, Friday Eve.

It's a blizzard here in Boston so what better time to think about baseball! Join the B-Slugs, the Boston area UCSC alums, as we head to Fenway Park. We have a block of tickets reserved in the Right Field grandstand for Friday night, May 22, $33 each. First come, first served to get yours! So what if the Sox didn't do so well last year... they won it all the year before. And, whatever the outcome of the game, you get to be at wonderful Fenway. 

To reserve your tix, send your check to Erika Tarlin, P.O. Box 45108, Somerville, Mass. 02145. First come, first served. Please include your check for $33 per ticket. Limit 3 tickets, please. Include a note with number of tickets requested and your address as tickets will be mailed to you.

Turning Stars into Gold: BSLUG Spring Speaker Dessert Event Saturday Evening, April 18

UCSC Professor Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz has been a Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University this past academic year and has graciously accepted our invitation to talk to the BSLUGS.  Please come to another fabulous evening for UCSC alumni in West Newton where we’ll learn a lot, indulge in delicious dessert, and meet old and new friends.  As always, all friends and family are welcome!

Turning Stars into Gold

Most beginning chemistry students struggling with the complexities and underlying structure of the Periodic Table will simply accept the existence of the approximately 90 stable elements. Rarely does it occur to them that somewhere and in some way, all of the elements had to be synthesized. Such element generation or nucleosynthesis, through transmutation of one element into another, is a crucial byproduct of stellar energy generation. It has occurred since the birth of the first stars in the Galaxy, and without it life on Earth would not be possible. Although the general picture of element formation is well understood, many questions about the nuclear physics processes and particularly the astrophysical details responsible for forming the heavier elements such as platinum and gold remain to be answered. Here I focus on advances in our understanding—still very incomplete— of the origin of the heaviest and rarest elements in the Universe.

WHEN: Saturday, April 18

7:30-10 p.m. (7:30 p.m. dessert | 8:15 p.m. talk begins)

WHERE: At the home of Sloan Nota and Rob McKean in Newtonville, Mass. 02460

WHAT:  a fascinating talk, interesting discussion with fellow UCSC alums, and delightful dessert  

RSVP to the BSLUG Facebook Event invitation or by email to Beata (beata Panagopoulos verizon.net) by Monday, April 23

Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz is a Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). He is also the Director of the Theoretical Astrophysics Santa Cruz Institute and the Sophie and Tycho Brahe Visiting Professor at the Niels Bohr Institute. After studying at the University of Cambridge, he was the John Bahcall Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Since joining the UCSC faculty, Ramirez-Ruiz has won a number of national awards for his research, including a Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering  and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award. He is also a highly regarded teacher and public lecturer. In 2010, he was elected a member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences. Then 35, he was the youngest scientist ever elected to the academy.

BSLUGS Raise $1271 for the Smith Renaissance Society at 2014 Holiday Fundraiser

The BSLUG Board thanks everyone who came to the BSLUG Holiday Party last December 6 at Kate Ellis's lovely home and also those who contributed to the fundraiser who couldn't come.  It was such a success, not only in terms of how much money we raised ($1271) for the Smith Renaissance Society, but also because it was very clear we have created a real community of slugs out here in New England.

The atmosphere of the party was very warm and merry, despite the food being cold (but delicious).  Thank you so much, Kate, for making it all possible!

The date of our spring speaker event has to be changed because we overlooked the fact that April 3 is the first day of Passover (thank you, Nancy!)

THE NEW DATE FOR UCSC ASTROPHYSICIST, ENRICO RUIZ-RAMIREZ, TO TALK WITH US IS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, IN THE EVENING at Sloan and Rob's home in West Newton.

You'll be hearing more about it soon, but in the meantime, mark your calendars!

2014 Annual BSLUG Holiday Party--Sat. Eve, Dec. 6

Mark your calendars! The annual BSLUG (Boston-area Local UCSC Graduates) Holiday Party will take place on Saturday evening, Dec. 6 at the home of fellow alum and very generous host, Kate Ellis.

The party is a fundraiser for the Smith Renaissance Society, founded by Cowell alumnus Bill Dickinson. The Smith Society provides UCSC mentors, scholarships, and collegiate resources to foster children, homeless and runaway youth, orphans, and wards of the court.

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 6, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Belmont, Mass. – exact address TBA

RSVP by Thursday, November 28 to beata dot panagopoulos at verizon dot net. (We have to let the caterer know how many folks are coming)

or RSVP via Facebook...
BYOB

***All tax-deductible donations received go directly to the Smith Renaissance Society. Contributions, large and small, are most welcome. Suggested donation: $15-25 per person. Larger donations will also be much appreciated by the Society. Last year we raised over $1200 which was matched by Bill Dickinson.

Checks should be made payable to: "UC Santa Cruz Foundation" and write in the memo line: Smith Society Operating Fund SS009F

Mail checks to: Beata Panagopoulos, 28 Maple Ave., Apt. 3, Cambridge, MA 02139-1130. You will receive a receipt directly from UCSC.

Email Beata for directions, car-pool arrangements, or any questions or call 617-491-3871

Thanks to the generosity of Kate Ellis, the festivities will be held in her home in Belmont. There is plenty of on-street parking. Friends and family are also welcome. What better way to greet the winter season than to spend a wonderful winter evening with fellow UCSC slugs!

Tour the Calder Exhibit with the BSLUGS

On Sunday, November 9 at 3 p.m. we've arranged to have a docent-led tour of the exhibit, “Calder and Abstraction: From AvantGarde to Iconic” at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass.

Alexander Calder's abstract works revolutionized modern sculpture and made him one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century. In collaboration with the Calder Foundation, this exhibition brings together 40 of the artist's mobiles (kinetic metal works) and stabiles (dynamic monumental sculptures) to explore how Alexander Calder introduced the visual vocabulary of the French Surrealists into the American vernacular -PEM website.

We'll meet in the museum lobby at 2:45 p.m. Tickets are $18 each. (Unfortunately you can't use any passes or memberships to get in for less.)  After the tour, join us as we head on over to O’Neill’s Irish Pub & Restaurant (120 Washington Street, Salem, MA 01970-3545) to enjoy live Irish music.

To reserve your space for the Calder Exhibit tour, please RSVP by Monday, Nov. 3 on the B-SLUGS Facebook page or email beatapana AT gmail DOT com.


*Boston Santa Cruz Local University Graduates

Two Fun 2014 Summer Events Coming Up – Mark Your Calendars and Join Us!

We hope you've had a good spring!  With summer around the corner we’re looking forward to getting together with UCSC folk, old friends and new.  We’ve planned two great events and hope you can join us.

ON SUNDAY, JUNE 22, we’ll be visiting SoWa market, in Boston’s South End.  It’s New England’s largest open-air arts market.  

We’ll meet at 11:30am at Cafe Green Light.   Click here for directions.

We will browse locally grown/produced food, handmade craft items, and art, and then eat lunch from a wide selection of food trucks.

ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, at 11 a.m. we’ve arranged to have a docent –led tour of the exhibit, “Turner and the Sea” at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass.  “In the first full-scale examination of Joseph Mallord William Turner's lifelong preoccupation with the sea, this exhibition features iconic works spanning the artist's career from his transformative Academy paintings of the late 1790s and early 1800s, to the unfinished, experimental seascapes produced towards the end of his life.”—PEM website.

We’ll meet in the museum lobby at 10:30 a.m.  Tickets are $18 each.  (Unfortunately you can’t use any passes or memberships to get in for less.)

We can have lunch together at the Gulu Gulu Café.

The Turner Exhibit tour requires an rsvp by Friday, August 1.

If you are planning to come to either or both of these events, please rsvp on the B-SLUGS Facebook page or email beatapanagmailcom

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

The B-SLUG Board

BSLUGS Annual Meeting

It's time for the annual BSLUG planning meeting and elections.

Please come if you can - it's your chance to become involved with the Board and make a difference in what we do as a local alumni chapter. It's actually a lot of fun, so think about it and come check it out.

WHEN: Monday, May 12, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Flatbread Company at 45 Day Street, Somerville, MA (Davis Square)

This is when we begin planning our events for the year ahead. Do you have any ideas or suggestions about what you'd like us to do? Come to the Board meeting or send Beata an email (beata-dot-Panagopoulos-at-Verizonnet)!

It is also when we elect our board members - we always welcome new folks to the Board. Maybe you'd like to start as a Member-at-Large? Come to the Board meeting or email Beata.

Please RSVP by Sunday, May 11 if you plan on coming.

The BSLUG alumni group is a grassroots organization whose purpose is to provide opportunities for UCSC alums in the New England region to get together, have fun, network and support the educational and social ideals of our alma mater.

We hope to see you at the meeting!

Spring Speaker Dinner Event Friday Evening April 25

Come one, come all – the BSLUGS are hosting another fabulous evening for UCSC alumni in West Newton!  Join us for a provocative presentation and discussion with UCSC politics professor Dan Wirls.

"Partisanship and Constitutionalism:  Why We Let the Former Determine the Latter, and Why that is a Very Bad Idea"

Friday, April 25, 2014
7:30-9:30 p.m.
At the home of the Suzmans in West Newton, Mass.
Dessert reception with presentation to follow.

WHAT:  a fascinating talk, interesting discussion with fellow UCSC alums, and delightful dessert created  by chef extraordinaire and our host, Mary Jane Suzman.

WHEN: Friday, April 25
7:30 p.m. dessert | 8:15 p.m. talk begins

WHERE: at the home of Mary Jane and Peter Suzman
14 Leonard Ave., West Newton, MA

RSVP to Beata on Facebook or by email (beata.panagopoulos@verizon.net) by Friday, April 18
Cost: $5 cash at the door

BSLUGS Raise Almost $1000 for Smith Renaissance Society - to be matched!

Update on the BSLUG Holiday Fundraiser for the Smith Renaissance Society:  we raised $952 which will be matched by Smith Society founder and Pioneer Class Slug, Bill Dickinson.  (This amount includes any matching donations by employers.)

Thanks to each and everyone of you for reaching deep into your pockets to give!

The holiday party hosted by Jennifer Anderson was a wonderful success.  It was a relaxing chance to catch up with each others lives.  The plentiful dinner of burritos and salad from Herrera's was delicious; Zoe Rath's delicious cookies and the hot apple cider hit the sweet spot.  Thank you, Jennifer, for opening your lovely home to us and making us all feel welcome!

The BSLUG Board wishes you all a very Happy New Year and hopes 2014 brings much prosperity to UC Santa Cruz!