March Book Club Meeting

Read along with us this month! For March, we are discussing BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS by Jillian Cantor. This month our genre is a twice-told tale or a retelling. This was a fun new genre for our club to explore! Coming just a year after the 100th year of THE GREAT GATSBY, we will read this retelling of a timeless classic (and English major favorite!) from the perspective of three women: Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Catherine McCoy

Synopsis:

On a sultry August day in 1922, Jay Gatsby is shot dead in his West Egg swimming pool. To the police, it appears to be an open-and-shut case of murder/suicide when the body of George Wilson, a local mechanic, is found in the woods nearby.

Then a diamond hairpin is discovered in the bushes by the pool, and three women fall under suspicion. Each holds a key that can unlock the truth to the mysterious life and death of this enigmatic millionaire.

Daisy Buchanan once thought she might marry Gatsby—before her family was torn apart by an unspeakable tragedy that sent her into the arms of the philandering Tom Buchanan.

Jordan Baker, Daisy’s best friend, guards a secret that derailed her promising golf career and threatens to ruin her friendship with Daisy as well.

Catherine McCoy, a suffragette, fights for women’s freedom and independence, and especially for her sister, Myrtle Wilson, who’s trapped in a terrible marriage.

Their stories unfold in the years leading up to that fateful summer of 1922, when all three of their lives are on the brink of unraveling. Each woman is pulled deeper into Jay Gatsby’s romantic obsession, with devastating consequences for all of them.

Jillian Cantor revisits the glittering Jazz Age world of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, retelling this timeless American classic from the women’s perspective. Beautiful Little Fools is a quintessential tale of money and power, marriage and friendship, love and desire, and ultimately the murder of a man tormented by the past and driven by a destructive longing that can never be fulfilled.

If you would like to attend the meeting, please contact us and we will send you the address.

ND & SMC Senior Alumni Lunch: March

The Kerryman (map)

Please join the monthly Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College Senior Alumni lunch on Friday, March 27th at the The Kerryman Irish Bar & Restaurant (661 N Clark St).

While this lunch is hosted by the ND Senior Alumni Committee, it is open to all ages, and open to both alums and friends.

RSVP to Jim Hynan (ND ‘74) at jhynan74@gmail.com if you’d like to attend.

SMC/Chicago Talks: Investing 101

Zoom Webinar (map)

Join us for our SMC/Chicago Talks Zoom Series! This is a virtual series where we will feature Belles from all years, industries and backgrounds to speak on topics you want to learn about and give advice. Each zoom webinar will be one hour and include a discussion from our featured Belle and a Q&A.

Save your seat today — this session will be available as a live event only (no replays)!

Speaker:
Laura Stevens Powell ‘02, CFP, JP Morgan

Topic:
Attend this webinar to learn how to create a financial plan, determine your risk tolerance, choose the right types of investments for you — and more.

  • What is investing and why should I do it?

  • How to create a financial plan

  • How to determine your risk tolerance

  • How to know which investments are right for you

  • The difference between taxable vs. tax-advantaged accounts

  • How to build a portfolio

Plus: All session attendees will be entered into a raffle to win your choice of Laura's favorite books on investing!

All attendees who sign up will receive a link to the Zoom webinar. Make sure to RSVP via the form below!

April Book Club Meeting

Read along with us this month! For March, we are discussing BEST OFFER WINS by Marisa Kashino. This month our genre is a debut novel.

Synopsis:

Best Offer Wins is a darkly comic debut novel by Marisa Kashino about an ambitious publicist, Margo Miyake, who becomes obsessed with acquiring her dream home in the competitive Washington, D.C. real estate market, leading her to stalk the owner and manipulate her way into the family's life. The book, published in late 2025, is a psychological thriller that explores the extreme lengths people go to for homeownership, inspired by Kashino's own experiences reporting on the industry. It has been featured as a Good Morning America Book Club Pick and a USA Today

If you would like to attend the meeting, please contact us and we will send you the address.

Spring Spirits 2026

Hotel Zachary (map)

Please join us for our 2026 Spring Spirits Fundraising event benefiting the Saint Mary's College Endowed Scholarship Fund on April 30th at Hotel Zachary!

Thank you to Megan Weiland ‘03 and Jackie Ferguson ‘06 for generously sponsoring and hosting Spring Spirits 2026.

What is Spring Spirits? Spring Spirits is our annual fundraising event benefiting the Saint Mary's College Endowed Scholarship Fund. This evening is a great way to meet Belles from all years, network and give back.

At Spring Spirits, we have a silent auction and raffle to raise money for the Saint Mary’s Chicago East Endowed Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is given to Chicago-area Belles. For the 2024-2025 school year, the Saint Mary’s Chicago East Endowed Scholarship awarded approximately $8,750 to three Chicago-area Belles (total distributed: $26,300).

Raffle/Silent Auction: If you would like to donate an item to our silent auction and raffle, please contact us.

To learn more about our past annual fundraisers, check out the recaps on our blog:

Romance / Fantasy Book Club Meeting - May

Colectivo Coffee (map)

Join us for our SMC Romance/Fantasy Book Club! Our traditional book club has been meeting monthly for over a decade (and will continue to do so!), but we're exploring this niche interesting club based on popularity and demand.

For this first meeting, don't let it stop you from joining if you aren't able to read or finish reading--just be prepared for spoilers!

📖 Book: Power of Draken by Alex Lidell

💌 Host & Discussion Leader: Amelia Crowe '23

Please contact us if you’d like to attend!

SMC/Chicago Talks: 2026 Jobseeker's Guide

Zoom Webinar (map)

Join us for our SMC/Chicago Talks Zoom Series! This is a virtual series where we will feature Belles from all years, industries and backgrounds to speak on topics you want to learn about and give advice. Each zoom webinar will be one hour and include a discussion from our featured Belle and a Q&A.

Speaker:
Rose Baldonado ‘19, Lead Recruiter, Motion Recruitment

Topic:
Attend this webinar to hear from a recruiter on:

  • How to clearly communicate your value

  • How to stand out in a crowded market

  • Where AI helps & hurts you in the process

All attendees who sign up will receive a link to the Zoom webinar. Make sure to RSVP via the form below!

SMC/Chicago Talks: Peri/Menopause 101

Zoom Webinar (map)

Join us for our SMC/Chicago Talks Zoom Series! This is a virtual series where we will feature Belles from all years, industries and backgrounds to speak on topics you want to learn about and give advice. Each zoom webinar will be one hour and include a discussion from our featured Belle and a Q&A.

Speaker:
Dr. Vanessa Silverio, DNP, FNP-C, MSCP, SMC Class of 2005
Family Nurse Practitioner, Certified Menopause Practitioner
Currently employed with Proactive MD in Merrillville, IN.

Topic:
Attend this webinar to hear from a Family Nurse Practitioner and Certified Menopause Practitioner on:

  • Overview of the transition to menopause

  • How to assess if you are in menopause

  • Symptoms of menopause

  • Menopause Hormone Therapy

  • Trusted resources to learn more about menopause and where to find a certified menopause practitioner near you

All attendees who sign up will receive a link to the Zoom webinar. Make sure to RSVP via the form below!