Greetings to the class! I joined Rob Dinsmoor and Wade Herring on the Class Notes beat this fall. I am writing from Syracuse, New York, where I have been a professor (philosophy of education and women’s and gender studies) for 18 years at Syracuse University (after 16 years at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign). The first decade I was a university-level administrator in the provost-chancellor areas; after that, until this school year, I was an associate dean in the school of education. Today you find me a “recovering” academic administrator, contemplating retirement during 2024. Part of the reason for the retirement dreams is the hope I will be able to do more writing, artistic, and consulting projects that come from my own impulses (rather than writing bylaws and policy documents—an activity I enjoyed but am happy not to do anymore!).
As for Dartmouth, I feel very fortunate to serve on the board of visitors for Rockefeller Center for Public Policy, ensuring that I go to campus at least twice a year. And I am really looking forward to making up for the “lost” reunion of 2020 in June 13-15, 2025!
I talked with Mark Fisher this summer about the joys of having grown children and figuring out retirement and the next phase of life (travel, where to live, etc.). He is still full of the energy and joy that animated him during Dartmouth (and our intersection during grad school at UChicago).
Kim Marra, who retired after a long career as a professor of theater arts and American studies at the University of Iowa, is still living with her partner, Meredith Alexander (also retired Iowa theater arts faculty), in Iowa City, Iowa. This year she visited her (and my) major advisor in Dartmouth drama, professor Nancy Kindelan (who retired from Northeastern) in Massachusetts.
Brian Boyer has (with spouse Gretchen) made the last major reno in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, retirement pad, and they are feeling settled there. Bri also took a December Spanish immersion trip to Uruguay.
I found photographic evidence of seven of the “37 Hot Sh*ts of Bones Gate” (plus Mark Zimmerman ’81) on my social media feed: Chuck Wheelock, Craig Lambdin, Rob Ruocco, Hans Morris, Mark Alperin, and Frank Fesnak at their 41st annual Bones Gate “Swaddling Day” dinner at Contento in New York City. You shall all be pleased to know they look well and well wined and dined.
I will always suggest following Ty Burr’s film writing (Ty Burr’s Watchlist). You can find him on Substack, where he also will occasionally offer meditations on family, growing older, and life on Planet Earth.
Please keep in touch. We’d love reports from the February mini-reunion and other class of ’80 gatherings and doings. Please make sure to update your alumni profile to alert the College about your communication preferences: www.alumni.dartmouth.edu/connect/find-alumni.
—Kal Alston, 948 Euclid Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210; alstonkal@gmail.com; Wade Herring, P.O. Box 9848, Savannah, GA 31412, (912) 944-1639; wherring@huntermaclean.com; Rob Dinsmoor, 14 Rust St., South Hamilton, MA 01982; (978) 269-4069; dinsmo@earthlink.net