Susie Anderson
Staff Writer
The CLSC Alumni Gala welcomed the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle Class of 2025 into the Athenaeum Parlor on Thursday with nametags, smiles and handcrafted bouquets featuring their class plant
and color.
Sandi and Nick Stupiansky, members of the CLSC Class of 2006, picked the quaking aspen themselves.
“We had it growing in our yard, so we cut it this morning and made the centerpieces with the quaking aspen at the center,” Sandi Stupiansky said.
The Alumni Association of the CLSC celebrated the recent graduates of “Connection Seekers” in the annual CLSC Alumni Gala. Complete with music from the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra League, the event included an Athenaeum dinner, a raffle and featured speakers celebrating the newest additions to the CLSC’s literary lineage.
When planning featured speakers for the event, Robin Musher, event chair of the gala, took to social media.
“I know how young people think, so I went to Instagram — not Facebook — and reached out to Kevin Nguyen, and he agreed,” Musher said.
Nguyen, author of the CLSC Week Seven selection Mỹ Documents followed his presentation in the Hall of Philosophy with an address at the Gala, discussing the importance of book clubs.
In addition to Nguyen, Alumni Association President Pat McDonald spoke with photographer Jeanne Wiebenga, whose large-scale photograph of an osprey was the 2025 raffle item. The photograph was taken at the osprey nest at Loomis Goose Creek Preserve on Chautauqua Lake, owned by the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy. In addition to the photograph, postcards with Wiebenga’s work were available
for purchase.
Wiebenga did the honors of drawing the raffle winner, Connie Wright, who runs Connie’s Corner at the Chautauqua Farmer’s Market.
The gala marks one of many celebrations throughout the CLSC Recognition Week, only recently moving to Thursday instead of on Recognition Day itself. For Musher, the switch was a welcomed one after the hectic back-to-back festivities of Recognition Day.
“The Gala used to be on Recognition Day, but it was so exhausting,” Musher said. “As a recent grad of 2024, we were just dead.”
By moving the event to Thursday, alumni have time to rest and recharge before continuing festivities in a week filled with literary events. As Musher attended Recognition Day as she ascended to the next level of reading achievement, she looked forward to an evening honoring CLSC alumni.
“I did graduate from the Guild of Seven Seals — moving on up — and it’s nice to celebrate and welcome the incoming Class of 2025,” Musher said.
