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When are the deadlines for Class Notes?

The Class Notes submission deadlines for the magazine are as follows:

  • Spring issue: Jan. 17, 2024
  • Fall issue: June 6, 2024
  • Winter issue: Sept. 26, 2024

About a month before each deadline, the Class Notes editor will send you a reminder email with instructions on submitting the notes. Many class secretaries find it helpful to send out a mass email two or three weeks in advance of the deadlines above to solicit news from their classmates. If a Class Notes column is not received by the deadline, we will email the secretary to confirm non-receipt for that issue.

What if I miss the deadline for my Class Notes column?

If you can’t make the deadline for your column, please contact the Class Notes editor for assistance or to make other plans for submitting your column. In selected cases, we can extend the deadline, but generally, we can’t guarantee the publication of Class Notes that are received after the deadline.

How do I get an updated address list of my classmates?

A class list request entails two simple steps: Sign the confidentiality form (if you have not already) and fill out the class list request form. Both forms are online:

Is there anything I shouldn’t write about in Class Notes?

In general, avoid news of forthcoming events, such as a classmate’s impending wedding, parenthood or career change. It’s not a big deal to report a classmate’s future plans to spend a few weeks at the beach, but it could be embarrassing or hurtful if we’ve written about a major life event—like a wedding or the birth of a child—that doesn’t occur as planned. Please share news of these events after they have occurred.

Also, use discretion in reporting news that came to you from secondhand sources. (“Joe Schmoe heard that Wendy Wheaton will be moving to Florida in May.”) In such a case, you may want to contact the original source (or the alumni in question) to verify the news. Also, if you write about an illness, be sure to be sensitive to whether that person wants to share that information.

If a classmate’s child (or another family member) is engaged or expecting a baby, can I write about that?

Please wait until after the event has occurred.

How do I submit a picture for the Class Notes section?

Digital photos (preferred): To submit a digital photo, attach it to an email message addressed to [email protected]. Please note that for print reproduction of digital photographs, we need high-resolution files (a minimum of 300 pixels per inch or 300 dpi) in as large a format as possible. Photos that have a lower dpi are usually not acceptable. Digital photos should be saved in the JPEG format.

Please do not take photos from Facebook—or any other social media channel—without the permission of those in the photo. Also, please note that photos that appear in social media often are not high enough in resolution for us to publish in the magazine.

Photographic prints: While we do accept print copies of photos, we strongly prefer digital photos sent as email attachments. For photos sent by email, they must be at least 4×6 inches in size. The photos you send to the Wheaton Magazine should be sharp and clear. Photos that are out of focus, or that have harsh shadows, over-exposed areas, or “red-eyed” subjects may not be usable. Mail your photos: Wheaton Magazine, Wheaton College, Norton, MA 02766. We cannot return photos. Send copies only.

For all photos: Please supply a brief description of the event and all the names and class years of the alumni who appear in the picture.

May I include a classmate’s email address or telephone number in my Class Notes column?

In most cases, you should not include this information. One exception is listing the contact information (including email addresses and phone numbers) for Reunion organizers or class officers. This information is already published on the Wheaton website and thus is permissible in Class Notes.

It’s trickier when classmates ask to have their email addresses published as part of their updated news. In the past, we have occasionally allowed this information in Class Notes (“Winona Wheaton writes that she would love to hear from her classmates. Her new e-mail address is….”). But because we want to limit the publication of alumni addresses for privacy reasons, it would be better to say, “Contact me for Winona’s address.”

How do I notify the college of an alumni or family member’s death?

The college appreciates receiving notification of the death of any member of the Wheaton community. Deaths should be reported to Alumni Relations at 508-286-8207 during business hours or by email at [email protected]. 

If a classmate reports a family member’s death as part of a general update for Class Notes, you may want to ask him/her to send an obituary to the Alumni Relations Office. If the classmate has written of the death in a letter or email message to you, please forward the letter (or the email)—as well as the obituary, if you have one—to Alumni Relations.

How do I handle a classmate’s (or family member’s) death in Class Notes?

It’s fitting to acknowledge the death in your class notes, even if it’s just to include a simple message of condolence to the classmate or the family. Such a reference also serves as a signal to readers to look at the “In Memoriam” page, where they may find an obituary if the deceased was an alumni.

After the death is reported in the Wheaton Magazine, classmates may write to you to offer an anecdote or favorite memory about the person who died. You are welcome to incorporate these sentiments into your column as you see fit and as length allows.

Something I wrote in my Class Notes column was changed. Why?

The magazine editor does revise the columns for length, clarity and readability. Grammatical or stylistic changes (e.g., changing MA to Mass., or 2nd grade to second grade) are done at the editor’s discretion and are required for uniformity in the publication. Typically, you will not be consulted about these revisions.

Something I’m writing about hasn’t happened at the time I’m preparing my column, but the event will be over with by the time the column is published. How should I handle that?

You can handle it simply by writing about the event in the past tense. Or, you could use some appropriate contextual language, illustrated in the following two examples, to let your readers know that you’re writing about the event in advance.

“As I write this column in March, I know that everyone is eagerly anticipating our upcoming Reunion at Wheaton…”

“By the time you read this, we will have been together for our mini-reunion in Florida. I look forward to sharing the details in my next column.”

I have an idea that I think is publication-worthy. Should I submit the idea to the magazine?

Yes! We are always interested in your ideas for feature articles or profiles of alumni. Send your suggestions to [email protected].

A classmate of mine reported a new address when she sent me her Class Notes. Should I forward this information to the college?

Yes. You can report name and address changes to Alumni Relations at 508-286-8207 during regular business hours, or by email to [email protected].

And if classmates share updates about a relocation they’ve made, but haven’t listed their new addresses, kindly ask them to report their most recent contact information to the college. Please direct questions about this document to [email protected].