Continuing Connections: Maroon & White

Written by Holly Morrison

@holly.morrison

Thumbnail Photo by Saint Mary’s University

After you’ve graduated, SMU offers a large variety of ways to keep alumni (as well as friends of the university) connected with each other and their alma mater. One of these is Maroon & White, a bi-annual publication that features alumni news, highlights of the careers of different alumni, as well as letters from both the president of the Alumni Association and the president of the university. 

Photo by Saint Mary’s University

Many universities over the world have magazines such as Maroon & White that cater articles and features specifically to alumni. The College of Wooster, a private, liberal arts college in Ohio is credited as being the first university to have a publication aimed for their alumni, with their first publication in 1886. In terms of readership of these magazines, The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) conducted a study on the subject of alumni magazines in 2013. According to this study, 86% of readers said that their alumni publications strengthened their connection to the university. Moreover, 38% of readers of these magazines are more likely to make a donation to their alma mater after reading an issue. 

Currently, Maroon and White is edited by Elizabeth Peirce and headed by the Director of Alumni Engagement, Mary Ann Daye. Daye has been in this role since 2011 and actually attended SMU for a Bachelor of Commerce in marketing, which she graduated from in 1985. Elizabeth Peirce is a writer, editor, and speaker based in Halifax. She attended both University of King’s College as well as the University of Toronto, where she received her Master’s. She also worked as an English professor at SMU from 2000-2016. Along with editing Maroon & White, Peirce is also a contributor to the magazine.

Maroon & White is released bi-annually, with a spring and fall edition published in May and October, respectively. According to Mary Ann Daye, who I had the opportunity to talk to about this publication, “[It] started as a printed newsletter back in the mid-’70s, started by a few volunteers, which soon led to an alumni staff person to support the volunteers and represent the alumni constituency.” With the change in technology and the rise of social media since that time, there are multiple channels for alumni to stay updated on SMU, but as Daye said, with over 53,000 alumni and counting, this tool of communication still helps to do that. 

With the Spring 2021 issue just around the corner, this is a busy time for all involved at Maroon & White. Each issue typically includes a letter from the president of the university, as well as a letter from the president of the Alumni Association. The letters generally discuss updates about the past 6 months. As expected, the Fall 2020 edition letter focused a lot on the changes that have come with the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it has affected the university. 

Photo by Maroon & White (Spring 2020)

Along with these letters, Maroon & White also features stories of various alumni and faculty from many different backgrounds and careers. The most recent issue featured faculty member Rachel Zellars, a lawyer and assistant professor in the Department of Social Justice and Community Studies. The article discussed her work during 2020 with the Black Lives Matter movement. Another story featured in the Fall 2020 issue discussed the career of alum Kitrina Godding, who graduated with her BSc in 2005. Kitrina is a diver and seafloor mapper who has dived at both poles of the globe. The article explores how she discovered her love of diving and how her time at SMU helped to shape her career. 

The online magazine archives begin in 2007, so anyone is welcome to look through them. Since that time, there have been many well-known SMU alumni interviewed and featured. These include Jennifer Crawford in the Fall 2019 issue, the winner of that year’s MasterChef Canada competition, and Jackie Barrett, a powerlifter who has attended the Special Olympics World Games 5 times. There are so many alumni with such interesting stories. I highly recommend taking a look at the alumni features in the back issues of Maroon & White. 

With a large variety of featured articles, there’s something everyone will find interesting in Maroon & White. It is also a fantastic way for alumni to keep connected and engaged with SMU and with each other.  The Class Notes column of the magazine focuses on the recent achievements of alumni and all alumni are welcome to send a brief note about their most recent achievements in their career to be added to the issue. If you would like to have your Class Note featured in a future issue, you can contact alumni@smu.ca. 

It is so important to keep alumni engaged with SMU, as it can help them to make connections with other alumni, whether they are personal or professional. It also helps to give alumni a sense of pride in the accomplishments of their alma mater. Maroon & White can also benefit current SMUdents by connecting them with the stories of alumni, as well as donations being made from alumni who read the issues. These donations can be designated to any number of institutions within the university, including specific faculties, scholarships, or more recently, the COVID-19 Financial Relief fund.

It is very important for current students to have the chance to see the successful people who once were in their shoes, walked the same halls as them, and maybe even took the same course. By having all these excellent examples, students can see where their studies may lead them, and see their own potential. All in all, though it was not until I started writing on alumni that I heard of them, Maroon & White is a very important part of the SMU Alumni Association, as well as the school itself.