Here’s to 2024 being a collectively tremendous year for the class of 1985. Contributing mightily to the 2024 enjoyment factor, here is the first column of the year:

From Vermont and Marcy Marceau: “Our catering and event site business was able to hang on through Covid, which was tough on many businesses in the food, beverage, and service industries. I was able to evaluate our business, make some changes, and develop a new website, vermontpartybarn.com. Beginning in 2022 the College came back to life, resuscitating many small area businesses. We had the pleasure of catering President Hanlon’s final retirement luncheon in June before launching into reunion season with the class of ’84! More recently, Rose Mutiso ’08, Th’08, received the McGuire Family Prize for Societal Impact, and we were honored to cater the dinner for the award ceremony at the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society. On a personal note, working at various spots on campus can be nostalgic and elicit many wonderful Dartmouth memories. We would love to see anyone who makes the trip back, and I encourage you to stop by—there’s coffee in the morning and cocktails in the afternoon!”

From the rapidly growing world of pickleball and dual sport star Glenn Jordan: “After tying for the 2017 New England checkers title, pickleball has become a consuming passion. In November 2022 my partner and I won a national title for our age (55-plus) and skill level (4.5) at Indian Wells, California. This year I joined the inaugural season of the National Pickleball League, first playing for the Austin Ignite and finishing with the Indianapolis Drivers. Serendipitously, No. 3 Indy advanced to the championship match against top-seeded Austin—and Indy rallied from a 6-2 deficit to win the title, 10-6. Check out www.nplpickleball.com. Three years ago I cut back from full time to two days per week as a sportswriter for the Portland Press Herald. Now I teach pickleball locally in Maine and farther afield as an instructor with Engage Pickleball Camps. Last summer classmates Brent Merriam, Jim Leightheiser, Doug Williamson, and John Greabe joined me for some fun recreational play in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In December I am hoping to pass my evaluation test to become fully certified as a pickleball referee.”

From the “Another Day, Another Award” department: Thanks to Phil Privitera ’90 for his note about his colleague and our classmate. Congratulations Sue Finegan Vasu for being named the “Law Day” liaison of the Boston College Law School alumni board of directors by incoming president Philip J. Privitera. Sue has been the chairperson of the Law Day Celebration at Boston College Law School for several years. Her “stella” work and dedication have been appreciated more than Sue will ever know. (Well, now she does!)

Remember to make 2024 the start of a wonderful decade!

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net

Happy New Year 2024! In preparing for this column during New England foliage season last fall, I heard from some classmates who still call New Hampshire, Vermont, and specifically the Upper Valley home.

Twenty-seven-year Upper Valley resident Emily Allen Eckels, now retired from her years of dedication to student affairs at Dartmouth, has fully immersed herself into a wide range of activities and interests. She and husband Woody (the College’s longtime director of residential operations, also retired) are empty-nesters with four grown kids living on both coasts. Emily and Woody spend time enjoying their family, volunteering, and traveling, including a trip to Ireland. Notably, Emily’s family coffeecake recipe garnered her a first-place blue ribbon at the Tunbridge, Vermont, World’s Fair, 31 years after her grandmother won the award with the same recipe. Breakfast at Emily’s place!

On the globetrotting front, Doug Williamson and his wife, Leslie, pulled up their roots in Hanover, sold their house, and have been traveling for more than a year. Doug retired in 2019 after 21 years as a pediatrician at the Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital (APD) in Lebanon, New Hampshire. A bit of online digging by yours truly revealed that Doug received the APD President’s Award for outstanding commitment and distinguished service. Doug writes, “We are off to Patagonia, Antarctica, the Caribbean, Thailand, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and French Polynesia during the next six months. Then we might settle in our new New Hampshire home closer to the coast for a few months.” Someone should start a “Where in the world are Doug and Leslie?” website to follow their global adventures.

Laura Abrahamsen and her husband, Stergios Lazos ’84, welcomed New Jersey resident and physician Mark Preston to their home in Peterborough, New Hampshire, when Mark came up to watch his son compete in a school cross-country race. Laura manages operations at the George H. Bixby Memorial Library in the Monadnock region. Mark is a nationally recognized expert in urogynecology. Over dinner they reminisced about their “life-changing” foreign study program in Rome as 20-year-olds and celebrated the anniversary of the experience that formed the bedrock bonds of a 40-year friendship.

Moving over to the West Coast, Anne Schonfield, Cathy Wasserman, Fiona Harrison, and Stephanie O’Neal gathered last June at Anne’s house in Berkeley, California, for their first mini-reunion since graduation. Anne runs her own business consulting with foundations and nonprofits. Cathy is the state epidemiologist for non-infectious conditions at Washington State Department of Health. Fiona is dean of physics, math, and astronomy at California Institute of Technology. Stephanie is a retired lawyer and adjunct instructor at Los Angeles Valley College. Fun dinners, a beautiful hike in Point Reyes National Seashore, and quality time reconnecting made for a memorable weekend for this group of accomplished female friends.

As we venture into this next year, we would love to hear from you with news of your lives and adventures as we all embrace our seventh decade.

Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t know many women with nicknames. Sure, there are notable exceptions such as our own Kathy “Babs” Jeavons or Sue “Stella” Finegan Vasu or even Karen “Tref” Wolcott (anyone actually call her Karen?), but how many women are known as Sully, Murph, or Smitty? Case in point, several Alpha Chis gathered in Winter Park, Colorado, in July for the wedding of Russ Mitchell’s son. Who was there, you ask? Well Mitch, obviously, along with “BTed,” “Dog,” “Fiend,” “Mulls,” and “Yak.” For the uninitiated, celebrating a spectacular weekend were Russ Mitchell (with wife Kathy Bowler ’83), Pam and Barry Bass, me and Cindy Bergman, Jim Newman and wife Annie Thrush, Chris Mulligan, and Jack Sylvia (with wife Eileen Lynch ’83). Also, great to see Scott McDonald and wife Susan Ford, even if they didn’t reveal any nicknames. For those who have read this far, Fiend actually has several nicknames.

Many 60th birthday celebrations are taking place. A Green Card from Henrietta Hung: “We’ve been getting together regularly for more than 30 years! This year we celebrate our 60th birthdays and our 30th wedding anniversaries!” Pictured (though not here, so you’ll have to use your facial recollection powers) are Sue Finegan Vasu (Stella, in case you didn’t read the first paragraph), Mimi Reilly Eldridge, Joanna Tsiantas, George Eldridge, Paul Perry, and Henrietta Hung (which makes sense).

From the “Don’t Let the Facts Get in the Way of a Good Story” department comes communication from Gretchen Townsend Buggeln, who wrote, “After reading our alumni notes I asked ChatGPT to write a 150-word update for my alumni magazine.”

If you ever want to feel good about yourself, ask artificial intelligence (AI) to update your profile—what Gretchen received in return was, admittedly, full of hyperbole and details of debatable veracity. That said, thanks to Gretchen for our first AI-generated submission and the interesting conversation it fostered. In fact (verified by WriteJTM), Gretchen is the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christianity and the Arts at Christ College, the honors college at Valparaiso University, having taught humanities there for 20 years after starting her career in museum work.

With sadness, I am sharing the news of the passing of our classmate Cynthia Ildiko Boyer. Cynthia was born in Ohio and grew up in Tampa, Florida. She attended medical school and later worked as a chief resident and fellow in radiation oncology at the University of Miami. Cynthia was an accomplished radiation oncologist for over three decades and served communities in South Florida and Louisiana. Cynthia loved traveling the world with her family, running marathons, scuba diving, and swimming. Cynthia met her husband, Dwayne Anderson, during medical school. They were married for 33 years and lived a wonderful life in Florida and Louisiana with their two children and their dog Keta.

Let me know if anyone really wants a nickname. Enjoy the start of our seventh decade!

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net

In musing about the topic of “Things to Love about Dartmouth” for this issue, top of mind for me are the traditions associated with Commencement. Our class had a large contingent present in Hanover in June honoring the class of 2023. Jon Grussing, Kara Rillings Morgan, Laura Hicks Roberts, Mark Inkster, Joe Riley, Jeff Johnson, Brook Parker, Bill Tyree, and I were on campus to witness our children walk in graduation and close the chapter of their pandemic-impacted unique college experience. I’m guessing there may have been other ’85 parents there sharing in the festivities that weekend. Jon writes, “My wife and I ran into Mark on Main Street the day we arrived, and he joined us for a late breakfast at Lou’s.” Two friends meeting serendipitously in Hanover might not be particularly noteworthy, except that Jon and Mark travelled from their respective homes in London and Singapore only to bump into each other in small town New Hampshire. Mark writes, “We came around 10,000 miles from Singapore for the event and turned it into a week-long visit. We stopped in New York on our way and I caught up with Rick Joyce before taking the Dartmouth Coach up to Hanover and meeting Viva Hardigg ’84 and her husband for dinner. The next day I ran into Jon and Kate Grussing in line for a table at Lou’s, where we shared a very filling breakfast and stories about our daughters, who rowed on the crew team together. We briefly got to see Kara Rillings Morgan and her daughter, Annika, but missed the other ’85s in town. On Monday, the day after graduation, we decided to have a drink on the patio of the Hanover Inn and much to our mutual surprise were seated next to Aaron Hill, who was visiting Hanover to drop off his daughter.” Our class also had significant presence in the dignitaries who played a role in the Commencement proceedings. The Rev. Nancy A.G. Vogele, chaplain and director of the William Jewett Tucker Center, gave a moving welcome message and blessing for the class of 2023 and their families and friends. Sue Finegan and Joyce A. Sackey serve as College trustees and were present for the 1,200 undergraduates who walked across the platform as they heard their names read aloud. The undergraduates processing onto the Green led by a bagpiper, the speeches from the Lone Pine tree trunk, the honoring of the 50th reunion class and the singing of “Dartmouth Undying” are some of the notable traditions and things to love about Dartmouth. Congratulations to all our classmates who had a child graduate from college this year!

Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Thank goodness (and by goodness, I mean classmates who composed them) for Green Cards! Like an old, trusted workbench tool or a lifelong friend, the Green Card never disappoints. A sampling of what was shared follows, minus the great pictures.

From Kim Booker Schmid: “Celebrated my 60th birthday in March with friends in the Bahamas! The five of us have had dinner together once a month for 20 years and this was our first vacation together. If we were not sitting on the beach, then we were lounging on the porch with a view of the ocean. It was an amazing way to welcome the next chapter of life.”

From Kathy Reilly Gross and Mark Gross: “Happy 85th day! Charlotte Hart is visiting us in Jackson Hole [Wyoming] with her daughter, Jayne, and husband Tim for fun skiing and winter adventures. Kathy also sent a blurb about Lisa Reilly Nadler, Rob Nadler, and Chris Bean and their Worldloppet (look it up) adventures. More to come on that!”

From Jeff Weitzman: “Sixty? Am I 60? Holy cow. Well, if I must be 60, I’m going kicking and screaming. My actual birthday was spent with my family skiing at Palisades Tahoe, where I scored a new backcountry ski setup for a birthday present! The real 60th birthday challenge was a couple of months earlier, though, when I joined some friends for a cycling trip in Italy. The highlight was the climb up Passo Stelvio, an iconic ride in the Italian Alps, considered one of the roughest of the regular Grand Tour stops. Almost 15 miles long, 6,000 feet up to the 9,100-foot elevation pass, and 48 switchbacks to navigate, set among the snowcapped alpine peaks, it is a bucket-list item tailor made for big birthdays.”

Thanks to Beth DeBernardi for this update: “Sadly, we lost three classmates during our college years: Charles ‘Chud’ Gorlicki, Michael Woolley, and Peter Sorenson. In the spring of 1985 our class planted an evergreen tree with plaque in their memory on the lawn across from the Hopkins Center. Visitors will note the tree disappeared years ago. One of Chud’s childhood friends noticed the tree was missing and reached out to several people, including Beth Hobbs. Beth, channeling Jessica Fletcher, located a replacement tree and plaque that have been placed east of Bartlett Hall, across from Topliff. If anyone has been trying to visit the original tree, please know that it has been moved to a new site.”

Additionally, we learned that classmate Jay Dautcher passed away in August 2018. His family has a memorial website, “The Amazing Life of Jay Dautcher” (lynjeffery@wixsite.com), and there are also other remembrances of him online, including “Notes from the Ethnoground: Women Have Hair, Men Have Nicknames: Remembering Jay Dautcher.”

Why not take the time to fill out your own Green Card? You and others will be glad you did!

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 331-6417; slampong@aol.com; Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net

Our classmates are excelling in academic roles, traveling, and embracing turning the “Big 6-0.” Jacqueline Francis, professor and chair of the visual and critical studies graduate program at California College of the Arts, shared a radiant selfie celebrating 60 from New York City while back in her hometown for a conference. Also loving the Big Apple, Dave “Cary” Mitchell sends regards from Brooklyn, where he and his wife, Samantha, recently relocated from Washington, D.C. Cary has a D.C.-based telecom law practice which he continues to manage remotely, and Samantha left ER medicine to pursue her passion for acting. Cary and Samantha enjoy exploring their new neighborhood and morning walks in Prospect Park with their rescue pup, Gigi. Tim Scherman, associate professor and chair of English and linguistics at Northeastern Illinois University, is now adding published author to his list of roles. Tim has researched and edited the selected writings of Elizabeth Oakes Smith, 19th-century writer, women’s activist, and lecturer. Joyce Sackey-Acheampong, M.D., a fellow of the American College of Physicians and Dartmouth trustee, took on a new role as Stanford Medicine’s first chief diversity and inclusion officer. Stanford welcomed Joyce and her husband with courtside seats to a Stanford men’s basketball game, where Joyce was awarded the game ball on behalf of Stanford Medicine. On the 60th birthday celebration front, Heidi Cary Nadiak, Laura Robertson, and Annette Hatch-Clein “gently” relived their days in Fairweather Hall by meeting up in Costa Rica. Heidi writes, “We pretended to be ecologists searching for birds, insects, flowering plants, monkeys, and sloths (Laura’s favorite) while enjoying amazing avocadoes, local fruits, kind local people, good rum, and our own company. A good time was had by all; I still hear the laughter and the howling monkeys near our cottage.” Todd Cranford welcomed his milestone birthday surrounded by family and dear friends in a fun-filled weekend in Montego Bay, Jamaica, marked by sunshine, beach, turquoise water, a spectacular birthday cake, and some cognac and cigars thrown in for good measure. Kathy (Babs) Jeavons shared the escapades of 12 dear friends who convened in Palm Springs, California, at an Airbnb house (complete with pong table) to celebrate over four decades of friendship and their 60th birthdays. Kathy writes, “The weather was terrible, but being together and celebrating each other with memories, laughter, support, encouragement, and love more than made up for it.” Joining Babs for exploration of Palm Springs, including Joshua Tree National Park, were Beth Gilman Hobbs, Carole Crelin Frassinelli, JoAnn Shannon Davey, Emily Smith Arons, Jenny Page, Jill Morgan, Diane Bonina, Lauren Sonstrom Rosen, Susannah Gaylord Budington, Gayle Gilman, and Amy Durno Harned, with two “partners in crime” Sue (Stella) Finegan Vasu and Cindy Bergman McManus joining the fun in spirit. Here’s to decades of friendship, traveling to explore new corners of our world, and living our best lives as we celebrate turning 60.

Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

’Twas the night before deadline and all through the house, no news from classmates, not even a spouse.

The iPhone was charged with meticulous care, in the hopes that a text, a tweet, or anything was there.

Football on TV with more games ahead, I had visions of Instagram posts in my head.

A fire ablaze and gifts on our lap. The dearth of news called for yet another nap.

When suddenly in the kitchen arose a loud ping, I sprang from the couch—news must be coming.

But alas, of news there was nothing more, just another Amazon delivery by the back door.

Opened the laptop to check my email. Surely someone wrote with news to regale.

Maybe LinkedIn had some informative posts, but all I saw were general greetings and cocktail toasts.

Holidays were here with a wealth of movie classics. To get some news, I had to resort to old tricks.

Why not call out some names in the hope of reply? Surely this was worth the old college try.

Now Lashar, now Dautcher, now Duster and Icken,on Kotto, on Rubin, on Connor and Miksen!

To your tablets and phones, to text or call. Send news, send news, send news all!

In choosing these names, many to pick. Of course, the holidays hearken to St. Nick.

All Nicks send updates, yeah, that’s it. But the only ’85 with that name is Nik Nesbitt.

A new year approaches and it’s special indeed. Many thanks for your indulgence and taking time to read.

Yes, this poem does have an end in sight. Happy 2023 all and, if you can, please write!

Hoping to hear from our class reindeer Dave Lashar, Jay Dautcher, Michelle Duster, Laura Icken, Natascha Kotto, Jon Rubin, Chip Conner and Troy Miksen.Should be a great year really to hear from anyone as our 60th birthdays approach and, in some cases, have occurred. If 40 was “lordy, lordy…” and 50 was “nifty,” surely 60 has to be even better. Make 2023 the year to send in a quick update about how you’re doing and what you did to celebrate your 60th. I did hear randomly that Harry Bourque does an incredible impersonation of Mick Jagger, so perhaps Harry is available for your special gathering to provide some “Satisfaction”!

Sadly, I am also sharing the news of the passing of our classmate, Rebecca Hartley, who passed away from cancer in October 2022. Rebecca is survived by her spouse, Paul Ammann ’83, and son Matthew. At Dartmouth Rebecca was a government major and a member of the women’s crew team. She spent many years in the northern Virginia area after receiving both an M.A. (1998) and a J.D. (1994) from the University of Virginia.

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net

Last year brought significant milestones for Dartmouth. The trustees elected our first female president, Sian Beilock, who arrives on campus in June and the anticipation is palpable! We are truly fortunate to have landed her as our 19th president.

In 2022 Dartmouth honored 50 years of coeducation. I feel immense gratitude to have earned my A.B. at Dartmouth because of that landmark decision. Most importantly, I met incredible women who remain my closest friends 40 years later. Marcy Sitnik Reed, Eleni Daskalakis Henkel, Kathy Reilly Gross, and I spent a hilariously fun and memorable weekend in Nashville in October, celebrating and honoring the first of us to reach that milestone birthday we are all beginning to roll into (you know the one I’m talking about).

David Lenrow shared news of a similarly fun “classic Dartmouth wilderness bonding” trip with buddies Doug Williamson, Dave Weld, and Peter Jordan to the Adirondack Mountain Reserve in upstate New York. The guys stayed at the historic Ausable Club and then camped at Upper Ausable Lake. David also enjoyed time with his kids and nephew (plus adorable rescue dog Sami) staying at a Dartmouth cabin in the Second College Grant. He writes, “I have totally underutilized this privileged Dartmouth resource. It was sublime and I’ll be looking for a chance to return.” Superb reminder of all that Dartmouth continues to offer to us as alumni.

Laura Icken’sson, Wes, will have an opportunity to take advantage of the Grant and other Dartmouth Outing Club resources as a member of class of 2026. Congratulations to Wes (and kudos to mom Laura)! Laura lives and practices law in L.A. and volunteers on the board of the Dartmouth Club of L.A.

Co-secretary John MacManus passed on some updates from Ron Den Broeder about classmates from various corners of the country. In the Northeast, Mark Halliday is an executive producer of interactive media and video in the banking industry, living in Arlington, Massachusetts. On the side he renovates and flips homes and recently restored a VW Westfalia for camping trips, “getting in touch with his inner hippie,” according to Ron.

Noel Danforth, also in the Boston area, has 25 years managing her own independent graphic design firm and her passion remains painting. In the Southwest, Ron is in touch with Anne Goodwin Sides, who, with her husband, Hampton, “lives at the top of the Santa Fe [New Mexico] foothills on the edge of deep wilderness. We can walk out the door and immediately set off on a network of amazing hiking and mountain biking trails that are pristine backcountry ski trails in the winter.”

Anne spent time last fall with Sarah Rahr Fortna and her husband, Ben, at their cabin in the mountains of eastern Arizona. Anne also shared news of Sally Schwartz in Chicago. For more than nine years Sally has brought her signature humor to her work as a syndicated columnist for The Chicago Tribune, with her brilliant tagline: “Everyone thinks it. I write it.” Keep the news coming. We appreciate hearing from you!

Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

As I write this column, I’m thinking about my daughter’s wedding this weekend and the toast I’ve prepared. It got me wondering about the most important words I’ve ever written. Before anyone exclaims, “It’s your columns in the alumni magazine,” let me disavow that notion, though thank you if you thought that. Maybe it is this wedding toast, maybe the eulogy at my dad’s funeral. Perhaps it was my Dartmouth application, as that path has certainly had a major influence on my life, or it was learning to write in the first place. Maybe it was signing the marriage license for me and Cindy or the hospital discharge papers for our kids. What were the most important words you’ve written?

While you ponder that, let me offer my thanks to co-secretary Rebecca Osborne for constantly mining for and sharing nuggets of classmate news, such as the note she received from Scott Borek, who wrote: “I recently attended the 20th annual ‘Big Chill,’ a Heorot group that’s reunited on the Cape [Massachusetts] each June for a long weekend. This year saw Michael Oesterlin, Harry Bourque, John Early, Rick Massey, Troy Miksen, Chip Kuzborski, Mike Reilly, Bob Jangro, Tom Norton, Andy Daniels, Mark Goggin, Bo Beatty, Tim Coughlin, and me make the trek. Conversations have changed through the years, as have the sleeping patterns, but the one thing that has never changed is the tremendous bond between us, which Dartmouth gave to all of us.” For your reading pleasure, check out the Merrimack College athletic staff website chronicling Scott’s hockey journey.

Also shared was the news that Doug Fulton is running for the Minnesota Senate. Though I’m not certain of Doug’s platform, let’s hope it includes respectful and open dialog, kindness toward others, and lots of common sense. More details available on Facebook and elsewhere.

I also caught up recently with Ron denBroeder, who is the one individual where our living proximity has the greatest inverse relationship to the number of times we’ve connected in person—Detroit natives, Dartmouth classmates, and now Philly residents for 20-plus years. I told Ron that I hope it’s not another 37 years before I see him again, although that would speak to a healthy life, I guess. Thanks to Ron for sharing this update: “I am still with Land Rover, pursuing an interesting side hustle in financial services (top secret), riding my motorcycle—photos and videos on request—and watching my third kid, Mackie (15), grow up fast. My daughters moved to Brooklyn after Barnard so we’re up there all the time visiting. Any ’85s in Bushwick or Park Slope? Let’s do Sunday brunch.”

Ron shared some awesome updates about other classmates, but, alas, word count limits mean I must share those details with Rebecca for the next column. After all, sharing is what being a co-secretary is all about. As a teaser, though, be prepared to hear about Mark, Noel, Anne, Sarah, and Sally.

Keep writing and reading!

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net

For this column I reached out to a few foreign study program (FSP) Toulouse, France, trip mates to walk down memory lane and reminisce about our incredible trip abroad in winter 1983.

Jonathan Rubens remembers being ready for a completely different experience. Our Toulouse adventure gave Jon a taste of the kind of travel that he continues to seek, namely finding chances to learn about a new place, its people, and its culture. When not daydreaming about travel, Jon’s San Francisco law practice represents entrepreneurs, tech startups, investors, and family businesses. Jon and wife Barbara’s two sons are now graduates of the classes of 2020 and 2022. Jon on occasion sees classmates Scott Liebman and Lori Bamberger (also in Mill Valley) and Steve Mermelstein (Silicon Valley).

Ed Simpson, living in Ridgewood, New Jersey, has fond memories of playing on a rugby club team in Toulouse, which he says cultivated his lifelong passion for playing rugby internationally. After graduating Ed spent more than 15 years playing rugby all over the world, including Australia, Uruguay, Zimbabwe, England, France, Scotland, and Canada. Ed and Mark Caron cofounded the Ridgewood Rugby Association, which fielded a U19 team that won 2015 and 2016 New Jersey Division II championships. Ed and wife Karen have launched all four of their kids and now have a cockapoo puppy with the intriguing name Moose.

For David Hamilton, our term studying in Toulouse was a pivotal point where access to art, architecture, history, and literature made the whole idea of “liberal arts” come into focus. David’s experience awakened his intellectual curiosity, benefiting his 35 years working on the business side of creative industries. He currently leads sales for Hearst Magazines’ Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and Veranda. In the pandemic David and his husband, Adam, retreated to a quaint village in northwest Connecticut that reminds him of Hanover.

Our trip mate with the most direct connection between FSP Toulouse and his current life is Steve Mines. Steve has his own consulting business serving as conference and court legal interpreter in Austin, Texas. Toulouse was where Steve added French to his existing proficiencies in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.

Keith Goggin was looking for an adventure far from the cold Hanover winters and found it in the southwest corner of France like the rest of us. He recounts showing up in Toulouse that winter knowing only Eleni Daskalakis Henkel and quickly building bonds with Jon, Ed, David, Steve, Diane Bergstein, Risë Norman, Stephanie MacDonald, and yours truly!Now retired, Keith and wife Elisabeth are considering where they want to spend their leisure time when not home in eastern Pennsylvania.

My own FSP Toulouse experience came full circle in summer 2019 when neighbor Scott Hylton, his wife, Laurie ’88, and their teenage daughters generously opened their home to host the great-granddaughter of my Toulouse host parents for a two-week immersion in life in New England. My foreign study experiences with Dartmouth fostered connections that last a lifetime and for which I will always be grateful.

Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net

You would think after 58 years, I would learn, but no, not the case. Still waiting until the last minute (or day in this instance) to meet a deadline. Thankfully, news from social media via co-secretary Rebecca Osborne has arrived like a frozen popsicle on a summer day (that’s a good thing in case the analogy was confusing).

Check out YouTube for a video of Kyle Caswell interviewed by The Fintech Times while he was attending Insurtech Week in London in March. Kyle, the chief revenue officer for Earnix, spoke about the current state of the insurance industry and how technology is impacting how companies look to provide insurance to consumers with streamlining policies and a heavy focus on personalization and customization of policy components. Interesting stuff from Kyle and worth the 10 minutes to view—search “Kyle Caswell/Insurtech” to find the video. Fortunately, Kyle did not reference the intramural rugby tourney, where he ran over me, stepping on my face and chest and ruining my sole rugby experience. Amazing what memories a 2022 insurance interview can resurrect.

Hats off to our own Aloke Mandal on this news. From the press release: “Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America (BRCA) is pleased to announce Aloke Mandal, M.D., Ph.D., as the new CEO. Dr. Mandal is a senior physician executive with more than 23 years of clinical and healthcare management experience. He is a nationally renowned transplant surgeon, general surgeon, and surgical oncologist. His experience includes serving as a medical director in a top Fortune 10 healthcare services company and a top Fortune 60 health plan, with demonstrable successes in strategic planning, high-value healthcare delivery program implementation, and value-based contracting. Dr. Mandal joins BRCA from Hardesty LLC (Irvine, California), where he is the clinical lead for healthcare consulting and practice management. He most recently served as the medical director for provider engagement at Health Net Federal Services. In addition Dr. Mandal was the founder of one and director of two pancreas transplantation programs and was on faculty at several prestigious academic centers. Dr. Mandal completed his postgraduate residency and fellowship training in general surgery, surgical oncology, and transplantation surgery from John Hopkins Hospital/John Hopkins University in Baltimore. He also completed his medical scientist training program (M.D. and Ph.D. in pharmacology) from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He has published extensively in the biomedical sciences, surgery, transplantation public policy, and healthcare delivery.”

From our correspondents around the globe, in this case Maine, comes this tidbit: “Heidi Cary Nadiak and her husband, Mike, made an incredible hike through parts of the Italian alps and much more. When she is tired during a hike, which she was, you know it was tough. The photos were amazing.” Heidi, send details please.

News request: Looking for input from anyone who is a sports official or referee or owns a franchise business. Surely, this must include some of you, so share your stories.

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net

Writing my first column as new co-secretary with John MacManus, I fully appreciate the magnitude of what John and Leslie Davis Dahl have accomplished for our classmates through so many years and columns. I’m honored to be asked to step into Leslie’s role and will work to continue their legacy of having our DAM class column share news of ’85s in every issue. I would love to hear from you!

Mark your calendars for Homecoming Weekend on October 28-29 (corrected date)! Gather with classmates and friends for Dartoberfest, the Homecoming parade, and Dartmouth Night, culminating with the traditional annual bonfire. If the Friday evening festivities aren’t enticement enough, come watch Dartmouth play football rival Harvard at Memorial Field on Saturday. Keep up to date on Homecoming planning here: https://alumni.dartmouth.edu/dartmouth-homecoming.

The Winter Olympics are in full swing as I write this, and I’ve become fascinated by curling…who knew? The skiing competition is another favorite. Lionel Conacher is doing a ton of skiing and surfing these days, from home base in Marin County, California. He retired for the third time (apparently the first two times didn’t take) in March 2021 and is now sitting on a few public company boards and some advisory boards for early-stage companies and doing some angel investing. Lionel’s “60th year project” is surfing Mavericks (located in Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco), which he reports as “one of the three big waves in the world.” A quick Google search reveals that waves at Mavericks routinely crest at 25 feet and often top out at (wait for it) 60 feet! Lionel’s take: “It’s been a very intense project and I’ve learned a lot about myself in the process.” Spoken like a true entrepreneur. By all accounts Lionel and wife Joanie have launched three amazing kids into the world with Chas, their oldest, working at TikTok running LGBTQ partnerships; Chloe ’19 running the developmental learning department at a charter school based in Richmond, California; and their youngest daughter, Jasper, currently a junior at NYU Gallatin School.

Also on the sports front, my children got me hooked on the Netflix reality series Formula One: Drive to Survive (and I’m as surprised by this new obsession as you probably are.) If you are also an F1 fan, you’ll be jazzed to learn that Jefferson Slack, managing director for commercial and marketing at Aston Martin, recently announced that the brand has entered a long-term partnership with Aramco, thus forming the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One team. Big question: Team Sebastian or Team Lance?

Following John’s lead from the last column, I’m drawing on very sweet freshman trip memories hiking the White Mountains with Peter Durnan, Chip Kuzborski, Patty Waldman Thompson, and my dear friend who we lost too early, Craig Byrne. Reach out to those people you haven’t connected with in a while because they will surely appreciate rekindling memories with you.

Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Happy New Year, everyone! I suspect many share the feeling that 2021 couldn’t end soon enough. Let’s hope 2022 is full of more happiness, kindness, and connection. Let’s also hope 2022 is filled with more classmate news. As I write this with my oldest child’s Christmas Eve birthday tomorrow, I am reminded of the many things for which we are thankful and the great people in our class. I am also reminded about a great birthday trivia question: Under what circumstance can the first-born twin be younger than the twin born second?

As you ponder that, there is also exciting secretary transition news to share: Rebecca Osborne (Becky Blake to all of us) will be assuming co-secretary duties with me as Leslie Dahl passes the torch after 30-plus years of sharing news and supporting our class. A lot of thoughts go through my mind as Leslie moves on—primarily that it’s been my pleasure working with her through these past decades and how thankful I am for her support and collaboration. Her contributions will be missed. As Remember the Titans Coach Herman Boone said, “Cannot replace a Leslie Dahl.” That said, please join me in welcoming Becky. She will be fantastic in this role, and I look forward to her first column!

This is usually where I begin with “Insert Name Here” writes….Well, no one has written, no one has called, no one has texted, not even sure anyone has driven by the house. But fear not, there is some news to be shared about a tremendous biking-birthday weekend in late September in picturesque Washington, Connecticut, hosted by Sal and Karyn Sorce (full disclosure, Sal hosted his own party, so deduce what you’d like from that). It was an outing full of biking, laughing, great food and beverage, and, oh yeah, friendship. Joining me and Cindy in the festivities were Jim and Annie Newman, Jack and Eileen’83 Sylvia, Chris Mulligan and Sarah Sherwood, and Russ and Kathy Mitchell. Russ felt the need to get warmed up for the biking by running a 50-mile trail race that Saturday. When he asked for volunteers to join him he was met with the same response I get to “Please send in news for the class column.” For those with open fall calendars, contact Sal for 2022 reservations!

There’s been a lot of time to think during these past two years. While simultaneously enjoying the current and looking forward positively to the future, it’s also possible to reminisce and remember interactions with various classmates. I always enjoy those sports “Where Are They Now” features. In that vein, today I’m thinking about John Hanson, Martin Steffen, Diana Shannon and Ray Wagner, also some of my freshman trip fellow campers—Brenda Healey, Margo Buckels, Bill McAllister,and Joel Margolese. Think about your freshman trip cohorts—I hope it will bring a smile to your face. Hope everyone had a great holiday full of family, fun, and togetherness.

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

What an incredibly warm welcome home for those who were able to visit Hanover for Homecoming Weekend this past October. From the stories relayed and the pictures shared of the Friday night bonfire ablaze, alumni spirits were roaring as students and everyone on campus were aglow with happiness from being together on the Hanover Plain once more. And I do not think Hollywood could have scripted the weekend any better than with that rousing, come-from-behind overtime win on the gridiron by the Big Green over Yale. Wow—just thrilling! Classmates and several significant others joined the alumni parade to proudly display our 1985 banner, including Beth Gilman Hobbs, Lauren Sonstrom Rosen, David Rosen, Joe Riley (with wife Karen), Gabby Guise, Tom Woodward, Phil Ankeny (and spouse Susan), Diane Bonina (with husband Alan), Sue Finegan (husband Mark), John Graves,and Suzanne Farrow Graves.Many thanks to each of you for displaying our class spirit.

An incredibly special highlight among the activities during the weekend was the opportunity for several of our classmates to meet our Class of 1985 Scholar, Ignacio “Nacho” Gutierrez ’25. Beth, Gabby, Diane, and Sue spent some time with Nacho and delighted in learning more about this young, gregarious first-year student with an infectious smile. Nacho hails from Mexico and is the first in his family to attend college. Though still early days in his fall term, he was already diving into all forms of campus life and especially enjoyed his “Humanities I” class. He was looking forward to experiencing the change of seasons for the first time ever, but also noted that he was unaccustomed to the cooler fall weather. To help with this climate transition, our class presented Nacho with his first winter weather accessories: a Dartmouth scarf and hat. These are sure to come in handy, as will the winter coat that another classmate has anonymously gifted to Nacho. Now that is what I call a very warm class of 1985 welcome.

We plan to keep sharing news about Nacho as he continues his journey through Dartmouth. Since our Class of 1985 Scholarship gift makes it possible for him to attend Dartmouth, we want every ’85 to feel connected to him (and Dartmouth) in recognition of the transformative impact of our collective power. In big and small ways, we all can make a difference!

On a solemn note, it is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of Brian Goldner on October 12, 2021. Brian began his career in healthcare marketing, shifting to the entertainment industry in the late 1990s. He was most recently CEO of American toy and media company Hasbro and lived in Rhode Island with his wife, Barbara. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his friends and family.

Remember there are many ways for you to get involved with our class. Please reach out to Beth or Valerie Hartman with your interest.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Friends, while I missed the virtual reunion in June, we did have a wonderful mini-reunion in Deep Creek, Maryland, hosted by Pam and Barry Bass and featuring (“featuring” might be a bit strong here, as this wasn’t really a performance) Kathy ’83 and Russ Mitchell, Eileen ’83 and Jack Sylvia, and Lynne Zeisler Petkovic. The weekend was full of food, beverages, biking, boating, dancing, pickleball, and, most importantly, long-term friendships. Cindy asked me recently what things make me happy—that weekend had it all!

We have news from Missouri (and what column is complete without Missouri news) about our own Linda Blockus. Linda, currently the director of the office of undergraduate research at the University of Missouri–Columbia, has been elected to the executive board of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). Representing CUR’s undergraduate research programs division, Linda began a three-year term on the board this summer. A biology major at Dartmouth, Linda earned her Ed.M. in educational leadership from BU and her Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy analysis at University of Missouri–Columbia. She also was a visiting student at Ohio State (as an undergrad) and Stanford (as a graduate student), as well as a fellow at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Center for Advancing Science & Engineering Capacity. Linda served on the CUR executive board, 2009-11, and as a councilor in CUR’s at-large division, 2002-05. CUR supports faculty development for high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship. Way to go, Linda!

Sadly, I must share the passing of two classmates. Rob Patterson passed away in June. While I don’t have other details, our best wishes go to Rob’s family.

We also lost Doug Tillman in July. A release stated: “It is with shock and terrible sadness that we share the unexpected death of Doug Tillman, due to a cardiac event. A Dartmouth ’85, Doug was a petty officer, second class, in the U.S. Navy from 1991 to 1996. During his Navy stint, he discovered a love of programming, which led to his successful career in computer programming at Grainger, Textura, and lastly as director of development operations and project management for the construction and engineering global business unit at Oracle. He had an insatiable curiosity, deep intellect, and a love of life. He was passionate about his dogs, books, travel, piano, cooking, great wine and spirits, and many languages. His greatest accomplishment was his wonderful family, which he loved fiercely. A longtime resident of Gurnee, Illinois, Doug leaves behind his beloved wife of 28 years, Cathy Cook Tillman; three children; and three grandchildren.” For more details go to www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/gurnee-il/douglas-tillman-10260434.

In these unsettled times, I’m sure we’re all looking for something to make us feel good and happy. Might I suggest watching Ted Lasso. I’m very confident it will bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart.

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Give a rouse to our 35th reunion committee organizers who mastered the art of the pivot when hopes for an on-campus gathering went virtual. The tireless efforts of reunion committee members made this virtual reunion gathering quite exceptional given the circumstances. Chair extraordinaire Beth Parish capably steered the committeethrough the ups and downs of planning. Additional praise goes to all committee members, including Jeff Weitzman, our digital communications wizard as well as weekend tech expert who kept everyone connected. Jeff also shared a grainy but mighty fine video from our fifth reunion brimming with nostalgia, hairdo and wardrobe throwbacks, and spotlighting Barry Bass and his air-guitar bandmates performing “The Look of Love”; Shelley Levitt Nadel, our treasurer, who oversaw the least expensive reunion ever; Claudia Broeker Egger, our swag coordinator, even though being virtual meant there was none; Beth Gilman Hobbs, our out-of-the-box creative genius brainstorming on event ideas who also assembled a rocking reunion soundtrack that you can access on our class website; Bill Tyree, who served as the virtual conductor and a performer with several classmates on a tear-inducing, a cappella rendition of ‘Dartmouth Undying’ and the alma mater (was Bill really singing?); and Ron DenBroder, who as programming chair developed our DartMoth Radio Hour featuring Patty (Waldman) Thompson, James Evans, Chris Hermann, and Carolina (Kuczynski) Reid sharing their personal journeys. Ron also recruited Emily Saltzman and Dr. Joyce Sackey for a fascinating panel conversation on the “Future of Higher Ed” moderated by Beth Parish. This was Ron’s first-ever participation at one of our reunions and, likely, not his last.

Kudos to Joe McGee, Joe Neihaus, Andy Ford (Dartmouth College Fund heads), and all our class agents for rallying classmates to exceed a 35-percent-participation giving level. This unlocked an anonymous class donor’s gift marking our 35th reunion with the establishment, in perpetuity, of the Class of 1985 Scholarship. Wow!

A million thanks to all outgoing class officers, notably president Joe Riley,and a warm welcome to incoming officers (especially those who are staying aboard), led by co-presidents Beth Gilman Hobbs and Valerie Hartman. There are several ways for anyone to get involved with our class so please reach out to either Beth or Valerie with your interest!

Additional classmates seen on the screen, in no particular order, included Scorpio Rogers, Lauren Sonstrom, Jim Sapienza, Chris Call, Tony Hilliard, Sue Finegan, Jill Morgan, Aaron Hill, Veronica Jenkins, Amy Harned, Cindy Davis, Juanne Harris, Todd Cranford, Linda Blockus, Laura Abrahamsen, Margo Buckels Miyashiro, Kim Booker-Schmid, Suzanne Ferguson Burkhardt, David and Margaret Marder, Jon Grussing, Kate Lauer, John Glenn, Heidi Clark, Phil Ankeny, Ed Burns, Rick Joyce, Michelle Duster, Noel Danforth, Jennifer Barron, John Palmer, Donna Fraser Gourdeau, Lynn Fabrizio, and Diane Bonina.

For anyone unable to have been in the Zoom where reunion 2021 happened, the countdown has begun to Homecoming Weekend October 8-10. Mark your calendar and try your best to get to Hanover where we will (finally) gather.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Class of 1985 virtual reunion in June—had to lead off with that friendly reminder!

All secretaries will agree: Columns that write themselves are the best and this one is a perfect example. The only thing better would be if they typed and forwarded themselves to DAM automatically. Maybe soon. From Colleen Keller: “In 2018 I married a longtime friend and fellow aviator, David Sterling. We’d been working on airplanes, air racing at Reno, Nevada, and spending time at our local airport for the past 12 years before we decided to make a commitment. David is a 787 pilot for United and built his turbocharged Lancair Legacy, which he races in the Reno Gold Sport Class. I have owned a Cessna 177RG Cardinal for almost 30 years and I also have a Skybolt open cockpit biplane that scratches my aerobatics itch. In spring 2019 we traveled to New Zealand and spent two glorious weeks flying a Cessna 172 ‘bush plane’ around the national parks on the South Island. Based out of Wanaka, we piloted into Milford Sound, Stewart Island, Mount Cook National Park, and other spectacular venues. To cap it all off we were granted New Zealand Private Pilot licenses. This has got to be one of the most memorable things I’ve done—and I certainly recommend New Zealand to anyone. I’m still working as a Navy consultant at Metron Inc. in San Diego and hope to retire at 60 so I can focus full-time on airplanes, gardening, cooking, fitness, and travel.”

Lisa (Eisenberg) Merrill shares: “Similar to many, the silver lining of 2020 was having my adult ‘kids’ back home. Our son drove from L.A. to our Seattle-area home and worked remotely in May and December, and our daughter took the fall semester off from Middlebury to work at a local organic farm. As for Merrill Images, John and I have resumed creating visual stories for Seattle-area tourism and outdoor adventure organizations and other businesses and nonprofits. We’ve been leading small group photo workshops and doing private coaching via Zoom and are excited to restart in-person workshops with a four-day experience on Whidbey Island this June and a Vietnam photo tour in April 2022. I continue to serve as a trustee of Tiny Trees, the largest outdoor preschool in the United States, because I believe access to quality early learning is essential for children, particularly when this takes place outdoors. We operate seven joyfully muddy classrooms in public parks and are working to build the nature-based preschool movement in the Puget Sound region and across the United States.”

As our virtual 35th reunion approaches, here’s to hoping for excellent attendance. I always have this thought about reunions: When you haven’t seen someone in a long time, the image you have of them in your mind is the last time you saw them, which makes some of you still 21 in my eyes.

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Join the “Class of ’85 in Overdrive”June 17-20 for our 35th virtual reunion. Admittedly it is less ideal than reuniting in person, in Hanover. But one silver lining is there is no reason for you to miss it. Make no (virtual) excuses! Plan to be there and get ready for some incredible events and reconnections in the Zoom where it happens.

As for classmate news, check out this update from Chris Gill: “After working for the past nine years running the retail banking consulting business for Diebold Nixdorf and logging about 200,000 air miles annually traveling to interesting places—Dubai, Egypt, Amsterdam, Hawaii to name a few—I took a new job right when the pandemic hit with U.S. Bank. I got married for the second time in August 2020 to Anna Conant in a small elopement ceremony in South Carolina. Wedding was originally planned for September in Maine, but the pandemic forced us to change our plans. Lastly, after living for the past 13 years in Charlotte, North Carolina, Anna and I relocated up to the Minneapolis area to be closer to U.S. Bank’s headquarters (although I have yet to step foot in the office). It’s also been a bit of an adjustment getting used to the cold weather and snow. Guess we’ll be snowmobiling this winter rather than playing golf.”

We are extending to grandparents the adage that our column has no statute of limitations when it comes to familial pride. Bob Macdonald ’57, father of Stephanie Macdonald Foster, dropped a not-so-subtle hint to look into what his granddaughter, Dakota Foster (Stephanie’s daughter), has been doing. Happily, I did—and I uncovered her quite remarkable path. A 2018 Amherst grad, Dakota majored in political science and Middle Eastern studies, was awarded a Truman scholarship (2017), co-captained the women’s lacrosse team, and served as co-president of the Amherst Political Union. Upon graduation she received a Marshall scholarship and earned her master’s in war studies at King’s College London and a master’s in global governance and diplomacy from the University of Oxford. And there is more! Recently selected as a Knight-Hennessy scholar, Dakota is completing her first year at Stanford Law School. She is committed to public service and intends to focus on national security policy, which is quite fortunate for us. As for Stephanie, she is associate director of institutional research at Bowdoin College, where husband Tim ’87 worked as well since 1996, serving most recently as Bowdoin’s adored dean of student affairs until his June 2019 retirement. Their son, Reed, graduates from Bowdoin this spring, but we understand a puppy ensures Stephanie and Tim will not be completely “empty-nested.”

Reunion brings transition in our class executive staff. As this is perhaps the final column I will pen for the class, let it be said that it has been both my privilege and total pleasure communicating with you during the past 35-plus years. Thanks for reading—keep sharing and stay connected.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

As you read this, it’s 2021, presumably much to the relief of everyone. How do you effectively describe 2020—challenging, thought provoking, enlightening? Whatever it meant to you, may this serve as a wish that 2021 brings you happiness, health, rewarding interactions, and whatever else you’re seeking.

I often think of many of you and wonder what/how you’re doing—thinking back to our last interaction or connection, thankfully mostly favorable. Is anyone else into sports officiating? Any standup comedians or skydivers among us? Maybe competitive eaters? Who has their own Wikipedia page? (FYI, only one of those applies to me.) Whatever you’ve done, I hope you’ll be back at our reunion June 17-20 to share your exploits.

Give a (quiet) rouse for our own Ken Kaliski—the Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE) honored Resource Systems Group (RSG) senior director Kenneth Kaliski with the William W. Lang Award for the Distinguished Noise Control Engineer. This award acknowledges Ken’s meaningful service to and enthusiastic support of INCE board certification, notable contributions to the field of wind turbine acoustics, and use of rigorous analytics and novel approaches to advance the field of noise control engineering. As the 12th recipient of this award, Ken joins an elite group of acousticians. A biology and environmental studies major at Dartmouth, Ken later received a degree in engineering from Thayer in 2002. He has been with RSG for more than 30 years, since its founding in 1986, and is a 15-year board member. His work at RSG focuses on community noise monitoring and modeling, architectural acoustics, transportation noise, and industrial noise control projects.

It is with sadness that I report the passing of our classmate Charla Tolbert McMillian. While I didn’t know Charla well, I felt we were connected since she (with a bright smile) was listed next to me in the Freshman Book. An English major and Kappa Kappa Gamma member, Charla earned the Gurdin prize for best directing in theater and was inducted into the Green Key Society and Fire & Skoal. She joined the U.S. Marine Corps officer candidate school in Quantico, Virginia, in 1986 and served as a specialist in Russian intelligence while stationed at Camp Pendleton, advancing to the rank of captain in 1989.

Charla earned her J.D. in 1993 at Boston University Law School and, in 1997, created and became owner and principal of FitBoot, a first-of-its-kind military-style fitness business. She trained hundreds of clients in Boston and in the Bay Area of California for more than a decade. The pioneering FitBoot program was featured in national media and emphasized teamwork, mental focus, nutrition, and physical performance. Charla was a certified national strength and conditioning specialist, a Kenpo karate competitor, and the author of several fitness books. Throughout her life Charla loved to sing, play, and compose music, leaving a collection of more than 300 original compositions and musical recordings.

Reach out and connect with someone you miss—you both will enjoy it.

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

I can think of no better way to open our column in the new year than with a direct plug from reunion communications chair Jeff Weitzman: “It has been more than five long years since the start of 2020—or maybe it just seems that way. But 2021 brings hope and (drumroll, please) our 35th reunion! What better way to recognize that spending time with old friends is an essential part of our lives than to plan to join us (along with the classes of 1986 and 1987) June 17-20 for our 35th reunion? True, there is uncertainty about what our world will look like this June, but your reunion committee is going full speed. Full speed is, in fact, the theme of our 35th: ‘Class of ’85 in Overdrive.’ We’re in our prime, friends, and we’re firing on all cylinders (spinning on all coils, for you electric car drivers)—at work, at play, and in our communities. We are planning a spectacular three days to feed your head and your heart like never before: panels and storytelling sessions with classmates, alongside a full slate of interesting lectures led by Dartmouth professors; entertainment ranging from big all-class parties on the Green to late-night tunes and quiet conversations at our class tent. Stay on top of all the reunion news through our website, www.dartmouth85.com. Now get it in gear and start reaching out to your classmates and commit to meeting them at reunion.”

Classmates making news these days include Dr. Joyce Sackey,who has been nominated by the Alumni Association for the vacant alumni-nominated seat on the College’s board of trustees in 2021. Give a rouse! Among many other accomplishments, Joyce is currently associate provost and chief diversity officer for the Tufts University Health Sciences Schools. Laura Abrahamsen is director of the Bixby Memorial Library in Francestown, New Hampshire. In addition to building the collection, Laura ensures the library provides essential technologies—internet, printers, and scanners—for public use. Gayle Gilman was a featured panelist on a Dartmouth Alumnae Entrepreneurs forum last September, sharing her experience funding, operating, and growing her own company (Snarled Entertainment), where she is focused on building content brands across multiple platforms. And check out the virtual “topping off” ceremony for the Irving Institute for Energy and Society that livestreamed last October! At 19:06 minutes you will Zoom with Marcy Sitnik Reed, executive vice president for National Grid. You more recently “saw” Marcy in a heartwarming Dartmouth roommate reunion photo from September at Eleni Daskalakis Henkel’s Connecticut house with Kathy Reilly Gross and Becky Blake Osborne. This time Marcy extolls praise for liberal arts engineers: “Whether you are a poet or a deep scientist…all of those perspectives and brains are what we need to not only fix a problem, but to reimagine more and more solutions.” Go, Marcy (great plug for Dartmouth and Thayer!).

Until our next column update, send us your news—we will print it here.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Friends, certainly the world and our lives are different these days and we’re all talking about things we’ve likely never discussed or considered before—that is simultaneously both exciting and frightening. I hope everyone is moving forward in a positive and healthy manner. Speaking of moving, I do know some are actually moving, as in packed up and new address moving. Mikey Lehman and family just relocated from San Francisco to Bend, Oregon. Valerie Hartman is moving from Boston to N.Y.C. this fall. Allison Shutz Moskow sold her farm in Norwich, Vermont, and now splits time between Hopkinton, New Hampshire, and Wayland, Massachusetts. I’m sure many others are contemplating moves—downsizing, simplifying, being near kids and grandkids. I wonder how many of us have grandkids and what that experience must be.

I know this time has given me lots of time to reflect and think about many of you and even spend some time enjoying The Freshman Book, yet again. I’ve always loved that book. Might be time for you to brush up on our classmates as our 35th reunion approaches June 17-20, 2021. What better way to spend Father’s Day?

The Alpha Chi Alpha (AXA) Zoom calls, cleverly coined “House Meeting,” have continued on a regular basis and remain a highlight, particularly as an opportunity to catch up with some of the brothers whom I hadn’t talked to in a while, though it’s unclear if that feeling is reciprocated. John Kulseth lives with his family in Friday Harbor, Washington, part of San Juan Island. I think J.K. may be the only person I know with no social media accounts, at least none that he’s shared. I also believe he is the sole member of the San Juan Island past presidents of AXA club. Steve Favrot is an otolaryngologist in Birmingham, Alabama, where’s he’s been since 1996 with his family, including his three sons and one daughter. Rob Clark is an attorney in the Hanover area, having moved there in 2017 after many years in southern California and Connecticut. Chris Gagnon and his family live in Austin, Texas. Chris Maccarone and his family live in Minneapolis, still in the aviation business and involved in a lot of baseball with his son. These quick snippets don’t do justice to the many cool things the AXA crew is doing, but I’m glad to be connected to these friends.

On a sad note, we have recently lost two of our classmates. Paula Miller passed away in April from breast cancer. Paula spent most of her life in Greece and also played soccer at Dartmouth prior to receiving her M.B.A. at NYU. Jim Britton passed away in July from brain cancer. Jim spent most of his life in Montana and was part of the crew team at Dartmouth. We pass on our heartfelt condolences to their families, friends, and classmates who knew them well on their loss.

Stay well everyone. And stay connected.

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Writing this column as our shut-in spring evolves into essentially a stay-in-place summer (and who knows what next?) is an attempt to provide some element of “normal” during these unprecedented times. So let me begin with a shout-out to our class webmaster, Jeff Weitzman,for his creative redesign of our website (www.dartmouth85.com). The site incorporates links to our Shades of Green class newsletter, cleverly curated by Lisa Sweeney Herrington and Margaret Warram Marder—be sure to read the spring 2020 edition that includes stories about classmates who have chosen a career in religion, either as clergy or staff, including Bo Beatty, Claudia Broeker Egger, Ellen Jennings, Blaine Richard, and Greg Somerville. The website also contains an entertaining visual of our Hollywood Squares way of staying connected while remaining socially distant—check out the Zoom call screenshots.

Our site is an easy way to review updates on important initiatives, such as our class project, co-chaired by Veronica Jenkins and Pamela Ponce-Johnson. We are teaming up with Dartmouth Partners in Community Service to provide scholarship aid and mentoring to current undergraduates pursuing social impact internships. Ann Schonfield was a winter 2020 mentor, and currently serving as our class mentors (albeit remotely connecting with their mentees) are Sue Finegan and Ted Meisel. Anyone interested in participating in this program, please reach out to either Veronica (jenkinsvnj@gmail.com) or Pam (poncejoh@yahoo.com).

Our website also highlights “in memoriam” news of classmates. It is with profound sadness that I share the most recent news of the passing of Sarah Snyder Morris at her home in Salem, Oregon, on May 15, after a courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer. Sarah is survived by her loving husband of nearly 20 years, Russ Morris, her mother, three sisters, and seven nieces and nephews.

Believe it or not, efforts on planning our 35th class reunion are well underway with the guidance of our reunion chair, Beth Parish. We are cautiously optimistic that this cluster reunion will take place in Hanover from June 17-21, 2021. Anyone eager to chair the committee on evening entertainment, please let your interest be known via the centralized email: reunion@dartmouth85.com. And the reunion committee is interested in hearing from you about what you want to do, see, and hear when we gather next year so please take a moment to complete this short survey (www.dartmouth85.com/35-reunion-interest-survey).

In the face of the ongoing global health pandemic, national protests addressing systemic racism and an overdue overhaul of policing, fallout from the economic shutdown, and associated future uncertainty for so many, it is easy to despair. Rather, perhaps we will seize this moment to face these challenges, no longer looking through a prism of individual fear and excuses, but with a focused lens of collective opportunity. We are all learning and adjusting, and we hope you are staying healthy and safe. May your voice be heard, your actions be constructive, and we will be part of the solution toward making a difference.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Friends, I’m not even sure what is appropriate to write this month. We all are in the midst of unique times and, while many of us are relatively fortunate, I’m sure others are less so. We’ve all been impacted by this pandemic, none more so than those facing health issues or those with their careers and educations impacted. I feel particularly bad for those high school or college seniors missing out on the final months of their school year.

I’m sure we all feel thanks for the healthcare workers and first responders—they are doing important work for sure. What else are we experiencing? Zoom meetings, virtual workouts and happy hours, social distancing, masks, self-quarantine, learning new skills, home schooling, family dinners, all-day pajamas, horrendous beards, “be safe”….The list goes on, likely including some uncertainty, stress, concern, degree of hardship, frustration.

Who knew this would be our lives for the past two months and ongoing? What does the recovery look like? What will be the new normal? I think the answer will be different for all of us, though I’m confident we all look at relationships a bit differently and feel appreciation in different ways than we did before March. I also bet everyone is anxious to get back out to see friends, have a meal, attend a game, have our kids back at school, etc. Pretty safe assumption there.

I will share that the Alpha Chi Alpha Zoom meetings have been a huge highlight—awesome to see these brothers and connect virtually. It’s amazing how quickly old friends can seamlessly move back and forth between old stories, current events, and ribbing each other—so much has changed, yet nothing has changed. I’m sure many know what I’m talking about. And I’m sure many of you have had really good Zoom meetings too. We are isolated yet not alone.

If there ever was a time when it was expected that there would be no updates, this was it. After all, sending in classmate news was probably not on anyone’s recent radar. However, thanks to ’53 class secretary Mark Smoller, this cool nugget of news about Bridget Clark Rymer arrived. Seems Bridget is the business manager for her husband’s band, The Little Band that Could. The band, with Bridget’s husband, Brady Rymer, focuses on children’s music delivering positive messages and strong moral themes and has been nominated for Grammy Awards multiple times during the past few years. Check them out on YouTube, Spotify, or bradyrymer.com. The website indicated that Bridget and Brady live on Long Island, New York, and have two kids, Gus and Daisy. Since we know everything on the internet is true, that must be accurate.

Whatever the past few months have meant for you, I hope this column finds you safe, healthy, and perhaps enjoying a dinner at your favorite restaurant with family and friends, but certainly with each day better than the last.

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

I just finished reading our Shades of Green Winter 2020 class newsletter. Coeditors Lisa Sweeney Herrington and Margaret Warram Marder made a bold ask: Would those classmates who have faced serious personal journeys around health challenges share their story? Answer: Yes! They curated (and, in Lisa’s case, contributed) a powerful collection of individual accounts conveying resilience and courage, each one serving as a reminder of our shared humanity. If you have not yet done so, this is a must-read (www.dartmouth85.com).

In the category of classmate updates, Margaret shared the following news on her and husband, David Marder: “Our son got engaged at Thanksgiving and we absolutely love her. Tommy is finishing his M.B.A. in Wharton’s healthcare program this spring and Tara starts her M.B.A. in same program this fall. Wedding is set for June 2021. Our middle daughter, Becky, is a first-grade teacher in Red Hook, Brooklyn—exhausted as you can imagine, but in a great charter school and happily living in the Lower East Side with her boyfriend, cat, and snake. Our youngest, Hannah, lives in L.A. and was just hired as a writer for Buzzfeed, for which she is over the moon! David and I are both working and counting the months to retirement—26 to go!” By the time of this publication, Margaret and David will be down to 21.

Speaking of family expansions, Katie (Harris) and Kris Robbins are preparing for the August nuptials of their oldest daughter, Heidi, at their home in Lyme, New Hampshire. Heidi is in medical school at Dartmouth, which is helping to fade the orange and black tiger stripes she donned as an undergraduate. Allison Shutz Moskow welcomed her first grandchild, Charlotte Lane Moskow, on February 1, born to her oldest son, Zac, and his wife, Becca. Zac is a U.S. Marine Corps officer stationed in Japan. Grandma Allison is hoping to plan a visit overseas to meet sweet baby Charlotte in person, closely monitoring the global travel concerns and restrictions.

I am sure there are many who recall sightings of Sally Crane Goggin dashing across the Green, field hockey stick in hand, to face another challenging opponent on the field. Sally currently serves as national development director for USA Field Hockey. Ordinarily, I would not know this detail. But, in the category of small-world interactions, turns out that I have a friend who is the president of one of the largest manufacturers of field hockey equipment and (obviously) a huge sponsor of USA Field Hockey. Seems Sally’s and my friend’s paths have crossed multiple times—and did so on February 1, just as word spread of the Moskow grandchild birth in Japan. Since my friend has also met Allison through me, that news, in turn, resulted in Sally making the connection back to me and a round of “do you know” got underway. What do you know?

Or rather, who do you know? Do tell us—and send news.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

It was a beautiful November day in New York: November 9 in the Bronx to be exact. The weather was crisp, the all-Dartmouth pregame tailgate was tremendous (those drink bracelets were an A+ in the eyes of many), Yankee Stadium was awash in various shades of green, and the Big Green defeated those pesky Princeton Tigers, 27-10. What was really special, however, were the attendees. Cheering on the Big Green were Pam and Barry Bass, Amy and Peter Harned, Dave Kramer and wife Leslie, Jim Newman and wife Annie, and, as you can infer, Cindy and me. Joining the group that night for a superb Italian meal were Russ and Kathy ’83 Mitchell. Also showing their Dartmouth spirit at the game were Scott McDonald and wife Susan (still residing in Chicago), Andy Crowe (pretty sure he said he’s been in San Fran for a while), and Cricket Barlow.Also saw Elwyn Fields and either Peter or Press Romeyn (I couldn’t tell them apart 35 years ago, so that hasn’t changed—sorry, guys!) from afar at the pregame tailgate. These type of events serve to remind us how lucky we are to have these friendships. I also wonder if our non-Dartmouth contemporaries think their college friends and experiences are as great as ours—I’m sure they do, but it wouldn’t be nice to let them know they’re mistaken.

Had an awesome exchange with Becky Blake Osborne, where she shared (spoiler alert, thumbs up from Becky) the following.

“In August I received an email announcing an incredibly cool opportunity. In partnership with the Rassias Center for World Languages and Cultures, alumni relations was testing the idea of combining affordable international travel with a service component, launching as part of Dartmouth’s 250th anniversary and the ‘Call to Serve’ initiative. This pilot program invited interested alums to travel to Mexico City to volunteer for a week in underserved public high schools. My background as Romance languages major (French and Spanish) and French teaching assistant/drill instructor, and my incredible language study abroad experience in Morelia, Michoacán, where I fell in love with the country, people, culture, colors, music, food, history, was just the excuse I needed to return to this beautiful country. The charge for our group, 13 in total, was to support teachers and contribute in English classes in two of the most economically challenged high schools in Mexico City. Mornings, we joined the Mexican English teachers and their classes of roughly 50 students. After the mornings volunteering, afternoons were spent on cultural excursions and visits to historic parts of Mexico City. Each night local guest speakers joined us at our hotel for dinner to share Mexican current events and history. I have posted the experience at LinkedIn.”

Happy 2020, everyone—may the year bring you happiness and fun!

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

I have been listening to the Hamilton soundtrack a lot lately. Setting aside the artistic brilliance, it keeps reminding me of the incredible foresight of our Founding Fathers in realizing the importance of limited government powers. The idea that each of the three branches, to protect its own authority, would act to keep the other two from becoming too powerful creates a balance of power that is necessary for a government to function, if it is to function well. Quite insightful for its time.

Here is a present-day novel idea: A high school social studies teacher in Louisiana decided to have his students debate the same questions voters are asking themselves about potential impeachment proceedings against the current U.S. president. Why? Because this teacher viewed it as a real-time lesson in civics and political science for the benefit of his students. What is more, this enlightened educator ignored typical concerns around hyperpolarization or pushback from parents because he recognized that almost all his students will be voting in the next election and they deserve teachers who do not shy away from current events because of our partisan climate. Who knows? Perhaps this teacher will claim credit for igniting the desires of a future office-bearer—maybe even a legislator who possesses a fundamental understanding of the balance of power in our system of government and who has also developed the skills with which to discuss, debate, and even disagree, without being disagreeable. Somehow this seems to be such a challenging notion today.

My apologies—I digress. But only because classmate news is slim.

So, regardless if these observations strike a chord or a nerve, one thing we can all agree on is to give a rouse for our very own Sue Finegan (a.k.a., Stella!). Sue has been nominated (likely, unanimously) by the Alumni Council to join the Dartmouth Board of Trustees in June. I will admit to being somewhat surprised to realize Sue was not/had not already served our alma mater in this capacity. But that is only because of her many years of Big Green service: as class president, club president, alumni councilor, Rockefeller Center board member, and Moving Dartmouth Forward committee member, as well as recipient of both the Dartmouth Alumni and Young Alumni awards. And then there is her day job: litigator and pro bono partner at Mintz in Boston. Sue serves as lead counsel on numerous high-profile pro bono matters and chairs the firm’s pro bono committee.

Recent classmate sightings include Tiger Shaw on the stage of New York’s Ziegfeld Theater in October. Tiger was promoting the dedication and abilities of the many talented alpine, Nordic, freestyle ski, and snowboard team members in his capacity as president and CEO of U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. Raising his paddle in support of Tiger’s fundraising call at the annual benefit was our very own Bill Tyree.

Until our next column update, send us your news—we will print it here. All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

From my contacts in Ohio: “Immediate Release: Jeffrey Healy Named Among Best Lawyers for 2020.” (Not sure how someone can be named anything for 2020 when it’s 2019, but that may be a discussion for another time.) That said, our own Jeff Healy has been included on the Best Lawyers list. Stop here if you’re getting a sense of déjà vu. A partner with the Cleveland branch of Tucker Ellis, Jeff focuses on mass tort litigation and class actions, defendants. In case you haven’t been in touch with Jeff since 1985 or you have a maritime matter that needs addressing, this bio will help: While Jeff focuses his practice on product liability and mass tort defense, he has also tried maritime personal injury and legal and medical malpractice cases. He currently serves as national trial counsel, national coordinating counsel, and regional and local counsel for defendant corporations in asbestos, coal dust, and silicosis cases. He has litigated and tried product liability and mass tort cases throughout the country and also litigated and tried maritime personal injury cases throughout the Great Lakes region. After earning his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth and before entering Boston College Law School, Jeff spent a year as a ski bum in Sun Valley, Idaho, and three years as a high school history teacher and soccer and hockey coach at a Detroit area school. Jeff grew up in Cleveland, where he lives and enjoys skiing, reading (don’t all lawyers?), and running.

From my contacts in western Connecticut, check out this flattering and complimentary note about none other than Alpha Chi Alpha’s David Kramer (I wish people would send in nice things about me, or more accurately that I had done anything to warrant someone saying nice things): “I work with Dr. David Kramer, DM’89, a spine surgeon in Connecticut. He receives and reads the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. It would be so exciting for him to be included in an upcoming issue because he’s accomplished so much and is helping so many people. Dr. Kramer performed emergency spine surgery on a man who was paralyzed from the waist down after falling from a tree stand. See ‘Dad Walks Daughters Down the Aisle, Thanks to Danbury Hospital Spine Surgeons’ at www.westernconnecticuthealthnetwork.org/newsroom/article-listing/emergen.... Dr. Kramer is also helping people with rare spine deformities. He helped a woman with ‘dropped head syndrome’ who tried countless of other doctors and treatments without success: ‘Danbury Hospital Spine Surgeons Help Woman with Severe Neck Deformity to Stand Tall,’ www.westernconnecticuthealthnetwork.org/newsroom/article-listing/neck-su.... Furthermore, Dr. Kramer is helping adolescents with scoliosis, which is unique because he’s one of the only surgeons in Connecticut with special training to treat pediatric scoliosis. See ‘Surgery and then straight to graduation for Bethel teen’ at www.newstimes.com/local/article/Surgery-and-then-straight-to-graduation-.... More about Dr. Kramer can be found at www.ctneckandback.com/our-doctors/david-l-kramer-m-d. Please consider including Dr. Kramer in an upcoming issue of Dartmouth Alumni Magazine.” Done—now Dave must be excited! Well done, Jeff and Dave!

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

As most of us try gracefully and quietly to enter our prime, several classmates have taken sports endeavors to new heights, challenging themselves with physical firsts and new milestones.

Kudos to Russ Mitchell for completing his first triathlon in Quassy Park, Middlebury, Connecticut, on June 2. Embracing the “go big or go home” motto, Russ decided to do a half Ironman for this first-time endeavor. For those of you unfamiliar with this event, it is a total of 70.3 miles involving a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. I am exhausted just writing about it. Russ participated and finished in under seven hours—amazing! His son encouraged him to participate alongside him, so we are not sure if this is one of those bucket list activities or if Russ has caught the triathlon bug and is going all-in for more. Either way, he will have a hard time keeping pace with Alison Cooper Phillips, who has entered the tri-world with gusto. Alison continues to place, and often win, her age group, including placing first in the Big George Half Ironman in Lake George, New York, last September. Meanwhile, Valerie Hartman capped off her November 2018 debut in the New York City Marathon by running the Boston Marathon in her new hometown this past April. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Val trained through winter weather and some aches and strains on her successful journey to the finish line. These three are just the tip of the iceberg among classmates striving to pursue weekend warrior activities. Please share your triumphs and challenges with the rest of us.

Continuing in the vein of “firsts,”Dr. Matthew Daniels recently published his first book, Human Liberty 2.0, a “powerful look at the real-life heroes and heroines who have changed the world using social media to advance the cause of human rights and dignity.” While this is his first publication, Matthew is a dedicated sponsor for global human rights, having pursued an academic and public service career devoted to the promotion of civility and freedom of conscience. As founder of the nonprofit educational organization Good of All, he has launched academic centers in three countries (the United States, United Kingdom, and Republic of Korea), created and produced the Human Rights Network (an international public education movement promoting universal human rights in the digital age), and teaches human rights and the rule of law on three continents. Currently the chair of Law & Human Rights and founder of the Institute of World Politics Center for Human Rights and International Affairs in Washington, D.C., Matthew has achieved many firsts in his unwavering advocacy of our common human dignity.

In closing, it is with profound sadness that I share that Frank Cerveny lost his youngest child, Clay, in a tragic accident in London this past June. Clay had recently graduated from high school and was planning to matriculate at Dartmouth this fall. We send our heartfelt condolences to Frank, his wife, Gretchen, and the entire Cerveny family.

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

I hope everyone is sitting down and not holding any sharp instruments, as I am about to share some shocking news. In what seems to be as common an occurrence as breathing, Sue Finegan has received yet another accolade. Read on my friends: Attorney Susan M. Finegan received the Massachusetts Bar Foundation’s (MBF) Great Friend of Justice Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated an extraordinary passion for justice, consistent with the MBF’s values and mission of increasing access to justice throughout Massachusetts. Ms. Finegan is a nationally recognized pro bono pioneer with a passion for helping underserved populations. As chair of Mintz’s pro bono committee, she leads groundbreaking cases and manages pro bono matters for the firm. She helped to defeat President Trump’s first immigration travel ban in early 2017, engineered the passage of a Massachusetts restraining order law for sexual assault survivors, and created several innovative statewide model pro bono programs in Massachusetts. As a member and current co-chair of the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission for several years, Ms. Finegan has been a tireless and innovative advocate for low-income people in Massachusetts and beyond. She has spearheaded creative funding mechanisms to support legal aid organizations and developed the statewide civil appellate pro bono program for self-represented litigants. Five years ago she cofounded the Access to Justice Fellows program, through which more than 110 retired and retiring lawyers have devoted more than 85,000 pro bono hours at legal services organizations, nonprofits, and the courts. Way to go, Sue! Who says Tom Brady is the most well-known New Englander?

Speaking of fan favorites, from the increasingly popular South Fayer “Where Are They Now?” series (subscriptions still available), Scott Erdman shared an update, snapping a 34-year drought. In November 2018 Scott married Greg Merten, his partner of 21 years, at their home in Palm Springs, California, in a small, private ceremony. In March they celebrated with an extended group of friends and family, including seven Dartmouth alums (Scott, Todd Cohen, Joe Capello ’82, Pat Connolly, Susan Dawson ’84, John Urbanowicz ’76, Laura Erdman-Luntz ’92). No word from Scott if any celebratory toasts included Bones Gate Fogcutters. On the professional side, Scott spent most of his post Dartmouth-Tuck years working for multi-brand retailers in San Francisco and N.Y.C.: Macy’s, a couple of LVMH retailers (DFS and eLuxury), Saks Fifth Avenue, and some digital startups. Moving to Denver in 2016, Scott helped eBags.com build its business and valuation before it sold in 2017. Scott and Greg considered semi-retirement and moved to their home in Palm Springs. About a year ago Scott received an offer to return to N.Y.C. and manage the travel handbag brand Baggallini, with the intent of building the brand and making it an attractive acquisition target. Congrats, Scott, and thanks for the news!

Who’s next to share news? You don’t even have to be a South Fayer alum to do so!

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Have you wondered how traditions begin, especially some of Dartmouth’s? In this year celebrating the College’s sestercentennial, I was with a group of alumni from our graduation decade through the early 2000s. We were discussing the Winter Carnival Occom Pond plunge and the Homecoming bonfire. Several of the younger alums expressed outrage that the freshmen class run around the bonfire was transformed into more of a one-way jog. They were equally surprised when those of us from the 1980s commented that we had never actually undertaken a bonfire run. “What? But it is a Dartmouth tradition!” No one from before the class of 1988 had ever run around the bonfire, and yet alums of the class of 1992 proudly recounted undertaking this freshmen year run “lest the old traditions fail!” Anyone out there who actually knows when either of these so-called time-honored “traditions” began, give a rouse and let us know.

Dartmouth recognized the Valentine’s Day tradition with a tribute to Dartmouth couples. We actually have several classmate couples, including Sally Crane Goggin and Mark Goggin, Frances Gmur Osman and Andy Osman, Debbie Willing Carson and Dan Carson, Katie Harris Robbins and Kris Robbins, Mimi Reilly Eldridge and George Eldridge, Holly Andersen and Doug Hirsch, Amy Durno Harned and Peter Harned, Cindy Bergman MacManus and John MacManus.No doubt, there are more. Featured in this article were Pam Lower Bass and Barry Bass. With side-by-side photos from their days on the Hanover Plain and an equally timeless, yet more recent, pic from an overseas adventure, Pam and Barry shared their tale of meeting on a language study abroad trip to Mainz, Germany (presumably our sophomore year). Weaving their way through their undergraduate years, including meeting up (literally) with each other on graduation as the two lines came together in the processional, they married in 1988. Fast-forward to today—they are living in Potomac, Maryland, with three grown kids, having both pursued long careers in commercial real estate. More recently each has pivoted to the next phase professionally, in which, notably, Barry is currently CFO of Holistic Industries, the first medicinal cannabis cultivation center to open in D.C. Barry will be overseeing the extracurricular activities for our next reunion.

In case this column does not make it clear, news is thin. I have pulled out our 1985 Aegis—quite the walk down memory lane—in case there is little to report next column. I will randomly select a classmate to feature or I might resort to applauding our Cleveland-based lawyer classmate Jeff Healy, who continues, annually, to receive the honor of being named one of the best lawyers in America. I have been listening to the Serial Season 3 podcasts on ordinary cases in the justice system in Cleveland (trust me, nothing “ordinary” about any of them), so I have had Cleveland on my mind. Jeff does not practice criminal law but he deserves a rouse for practicing law in Cuyahoga County.

Send news. All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

I hope all classmates had a wonderful holiday season! Happy New Year and a great 2019 to all.

I did, thankfully, receive the following press release from Dartmouth.

“For immediate release (why do these always say “immediate”? Is there such a thing as gradual release? Or tomorrow release, like that bar sign, “Free Beer Tomorrow”)—Virginia Beach, Virginia: Board president Andrew Hodge and the board of trustees of the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) are pleased to announce the appointment of Gary Ryan as their new executive director. A Norfolk native, Gary has 20-plus years of leadership experience, including leading business development at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and strategic initiatives at the Metropolitan Opera in N.Y.C. Most recently, Gary served as the director of development at the Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah, New York, where she also assumed the role of interim executive director. ‘Gary is a passionate and creative leader with a proven track record in best-in-class arts organizations,’ said Hodge. ‘We conducted an extensive, national search and are thrilled to welcome Gary back to the area as the executive director of MOCA at a time when the museum is poised for significant growth, both locally and nationally.’ Gary added, “MOCA is a unique cultural organization with an important legacy of not only supporting creative self-expression in the Hampton Roads community, but also providing a fundamental social good—to see the world through another’s eyes. The MOCA program is of the highest caliber. I am incredibly honored to come home and lead such a dynamic institution.” Gary has an A.B. from Dartmouth (why else would she be in this column?) and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University. Way to go, Gary!

How about the tremendous job that Lisa Herrington and Margaret Marder are doing with the class newsletter? Make Shades of Green part of your 2019 reading. Not sure how this relates to this mention of the Tuscany bike trip taken by seven couples: Kathy ’83 and Russ Mitchell, Barry and Pam Bass, Eileen ’83 and Jack Sylvia, Annie and Jim Newman, Chris Mulligan and Sarah Sherwood ’86, Sal Sorce and Karyn Detje, along with me and Cindy. Amazing scenery, superb Italian hospitality, wonderful food and wine, and 30-plus plus years of camaraderie made for an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend everything about Italy and a cycling adventure. There was even a Topo Gigio sighting!

By now, I’m sure most (all?) of us have broken our New Year’s resolutions and are looking for something to assuage (SAT word of the column) our guilt. Why not try sending a quick update or interesting news item to Leslie for the next column? Her contact information is below and she would appreciate it. I’d appreciate hearing about any classmates who are involved in sports officiating. If that doesn’t fire up your response instincts, I’m not sure what will.

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 331-6417; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Speaking of freshmen, you are no doubt familiar with the term “trifecta,” describing a horse-racing bet challenging the gambler to select the first-, second-, and third-place finishers in the correct order. Quite an accomplishment, and a big payday for anyone able to achieve it. We are broadening the use of the word for this column to highlight Beth Gilman Hobbs and husband Bill’s parental trifecta, having matriculated their oldest—triplets Elizabeth, Henry, and Will—with the class of 2022. Does that mean Beth now gets three “DP”s after her ’85? Beth’s youngest son, Sam, is currently a high school senior. Can you say “quadfecta”?

Last August witnessed the wedding of the eldest son of Allison Shutz Moskow,Zac ’14, to Rebekah Hamil. The happy couple tied the knot on a picture-perfect day at Allison’s farm in Norwich, Vermont. Surrounded by many of their adoring family and friends, including ’85s Jennifer Archibald Williams, Valerie Hartman, Dr. Alison Cooper Phillips, and yours truly, the limitless energy of the mother of the groom kept the dance floor rocking under a star-filled sky. Meanwhile, Alison Phillips used the reception as training for the Lake George Half Ironman. Proving she is truly an Ironwoman, Alison finished first in her age group at the Labor Day Weekend event.

Speaking of doctors and sports, radiologist Dr. Kathleen Buckley continues accumulating hardware on the paddle tennis courts, transferring her tennis-playing skills to the outdoor winter sport. And Jennifer Gabler has dominated the worldwide squash courts, amassing numerous victories and honors along the way, as well as supporting and promoting youth squash programs. Jenny is not a doctor but her husband, Stephen Bloch ’84, was a radiology resident at Mass General with Kathleen. Yes, the world is small. So small that at a women’s collegiate lacrosse tournament in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this past fall, Linda Cooper Marshall (cheering in the stands for Big Green daughter Claire ’21) had occasion to catch up with relatively new Boston resident Valerie Hartman (oldest son, Charlie ’19) and reconnected with Donna Fraser Gourdeau (oldest son, John ’21). Then all three of these senior-year roommates spotted Dr. Buckley, even though Kathleen was on the opposite side of the stands cheering on daughter Olivia Gill (Harvard ’22). Seems Kathleen and husband Tom’s two children have both followed their dad to the dark side—crimson.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has recently acquired one of four seasonal self-portraits, Fall: Artist Eats Pho 2011, by Daniel Heyman. An etching made on nine copper plates, it is available to see in the museum’s print study room. With all due respect to the Hobbs’ family trifecta, a single piece of art acquired by the Met is pretty darn awesome. Daniel sends a special shout-out to all who have helped and inspired him along the way. Let us all give a rouse back to Daniel.

Until our next column update, send us your news—we will print it here.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Friends, summer is flying by in inverse proportion to the amount of news being received. Whether that makes any sense is unclear, but I do know I’ve got very little to share. But there is news from prolific author Matthew Dickerson, who shared news of his recent endeavors. Many baseball fans know Yankee Stadium as “The House that Ruth Built.” Well, this is essentially “The Column that Matthew Dickerson Wrote.” And thanks to him, by the way.

From Matthew: “During the past 12 months I was selected and subsequently served as a month-long artist-in-residence at two national parks: Glacier National Park (Montana) and Acadia National Park (Maine). And a lodge in Alaska then offered me a writing-residence to write about Lake Clark National Park and Katmai National Park.

“I have a couple books due out in the next year, both works of creative narrative nonfiction writing that are blends of nature writing, environmental writing, and outdoor writing. One is due out this summer, and the other that draws directly from the residencies is due out in early 2019. Look for the first book, A Tale of Three Rivers: Of Wooly Buggers, Bowling Balls, Cigarette Butts, and the Future of Appalachian Brook Trout, on Amazon. And I wrote a four-part series about the experience for the Vermont newspaper Addison County Independent called “A Vermont Outdoorsman at Glacier National Park.” The series earned me the top spot for best sports column of the year in the New England Newspaper and Press Association awards for the category of papers that are not big city dailies.” Matthew began his career as a computer science professor but now also teaches classes on essay writing in the writing program at Middlebury College and has published more than a dozen books on a variety of topics.

From the “Raise Your Hand If You Truly Care” department, the Alpha Chi crew is scheduled for an Italian bike trip in October—look for news on this cycling sojourn in a future column. I promise that no pictures of this group in cycling shorts will be shared, unless there is a groundswell for Jack Sylvia action shots.

Finally, as you read this, spend the next few minutes dashing off a quick update note to me or Leslie. We do enjoy hearing what’s new in your life. And, as you can tell, we need news!

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 331-6417; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

We are going to pick up the baton handed off by this year’s Commencement speaker, Mindy Kaling ’01. Specifically, focusing this class column on two of our classmates and granting them permission to root for themselves. Well, sort of—I mean, others technically passed this information along to me, but we are going to give a rouse to each of them, as I know you will enjoy cheering for them through these updates.

In case you have been wondering where in the world Susan Johnson Bower is, look no further than Greensboro, North Carolina. Sue was recently named athletic director at Guilford College. However, let’s really bring you up to date. After a three-year stint on the Ladies Professional Golf Association’s Futures Tour and three years as an assistant golf professional, Sue took over Tulane’s fledgling women’s golf team in 1992, a five-woman squad ranked second from the bottom among Division I programs. By 2005 the team finished 15th in the NCAA Championship and had reached NCAA regional tournaments in five of Sue’s last six seasons before the program was suspended due to university cutbacks forced by Hurricane Katrina. Sue garnered 13 various coach of the year awards, including the 2003 National Golf Coaches Association East Region honor. In 2006 she transitioned from coach to Tulane’s assistant athletic director for internal affairs, playing a key role in developing and executing the university’s plan for reinstating eight teams. Sue joins Guilford from St. Martin’s Episcopal School in New Orleans, where she was athletic director for the past two years. Heralded by Guilford’s president as a collaborative leader who “brings a depth of skill and experience that strengthens Guilford’s athletics department and the whole institution,” Sue is the Quakers’ first full-time athletic director since 2007. Way to go, Sue—give her a rouse!

Since her days on the Hanover Plain, Michelle Duster has been busy creating her career, and she currently is a professor of writing at Columbia College Chicago. In addition, she has been even busier preserving a legacy by undertaking work to preserve and promote the legacy of her great-grandmother Ida B. Wells, a journalist, suffragist, and civil rights activist. After the Ida B. Wells Homes community in Chicago’s Southside was demolished in 2002, Michelle decided in 2008 to do more to preserve her ancestor’s legacy. She edited and published two books that include the original writings of her ancestor, Ida In Her Own Words and Ida From Abroad. Michelle has been involved for a decade with a committee focused on creating a monument to honor her great-grandmother on the land where the housing community stood for more than 60 years. (To learn more, visit www.idabwellsmonument.org). Thanks to recent interest and support shepherded by Michelle, the committee targets completion in mid-2019. Once erected, it will be one of only a handful of monuments dedicated to a black woman in the country. Let’s give another rouse to Michelle!

Until our next column update, send us your news—we will print it here.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

What comes to mind when you mix hockey and music? Maybe the Hanson Brothers and Maxine Nightingale? Cotton-Eye Joe or the national anthem? Perhaps the heavy organ music after a goal or maybe the pacifying hum of the Zamboni cleaning sheets of ice. Whatever sounds and images you conjure up, I think you’ll like this combo of Dartmouth ’85s (though, full disclosure, they’re only combined in the sense that they’re in this same column).

From the music side, comes our own Cat Dail, a singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer-independent record label owner. Cat has collaborated with many other Dartmouth alums and is currently releasing both a new, seven-song EP Fight for Love as well as a 25-year catalog double CD. For those in Hanover, Cat will be playing on the Green June 16. Go check it out, and also check out her website catdailmusic.com, including her bio: Awarded prizes from Billboard magazine, Musician magazine, and the Independent Music Awards, Cat Dail is an internationally touring singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. She has released five albums on the Lucky Magnet recording label she founded. Cat Dail has been a highlight of the national indie rock scene since she first hit in the 1990s. Leading her N.Y.C. band, Distant Cousins, Cat played all the legendary clubs in N.Y.C., including a Friday night residency at the Bitter End, and colleges and clubs all over the East and West. Most recently Cat has been joined by some of the best musicians in the world, featured regularly at SXSW and other festivals, with her music heard on TV (CBS Sports, PBS) and in films (independent and feature). In addition to a life in music, Cat has led important and long-lasting community efforts at libraries and food banks and as original board chair of the internationally acclaimed, female-led Strike Anywhere Theater Ensemble. Awesome stuff.

From the hockey world, “Merrimack College Names Scott Borek as Eighth Head Coach of Men’s Ice Hockey Program,” as announced by director of athletics Jeremy Gibson. “We are very excited to welcome Scott, Jill, and their family to Merrimack and for him to serve as the leader of our men’s ice hockey program. Scott quickly emerged as the top candidate in a very talented and deep applicant pool. I have full faith in his ability to recruit outstanding student-athletes, develop leaders, and guide our hockey program to a higher level of sustained success.” With 33 years of coaching experience, Scott’s resume includes serving as the associate head coach at Providence since 2015, 13 seasons as the associate head coach at the University of New Hampshire, head coach at New England College in 2001-02, and five seasons as the head coach of Lake Superior State. Check out his bio on the Merrimack College athletics page for more information on Scott’s individual awards and team successes—very impressive.

Far less awesome and impressive is my ability to play music or skate, though I did like Slap Shot.

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Our class column deadline is here. And, as happens occasionally, we have no classmate news. So I will improvise and start with a focus on the news of the moment.

The 2018 Winter Olympics have just concluded in South Korea. As expected, there was a wide array of thrills of victory—the first ever medal for U.S. women’s Nordic skiing, and it was gold—and agonies of defeat (but, hey, even the Canadian hockey player apologized for quickly slipping off her silver medal on the podium). While the College touted the number of Dartmouth Olympians competing, we gave a particularly loud and long rouse about one—freestyle mogul Olympian Keaton McCargo, daughter of our very own Jenny Page. A member of the U.S. ski team for the past four years, Keaton qualified for the three-round final of the Olympic competition and was a top-three qualifier in the final. She just missed moving on to the six-skier super final. And while a podium would have been a thrill, Keaton has a bright future—and a drink named after her in a bar in her hometown of Telluride, Colorado.

Another thrill of the 2018 games was curling. So where in the world are Pam Lower Bass and Barry Bass when you need them? While that might appear like a non sequitur (and it is quite possible I am mis-remembering this), Pam and Barry are our resident curling experts. People, including me, will tend to make fun of what they don’t understand. (“Curling—is that a sport for hairdressers? Or simply a way to get someone to sweep the floor?”) But now that the U.S. men’s team has won gold, people may start to realize what Pam and Barry have known all along—that the sport of curling ain’t easy, requires a lot of flexibility and can be quite entertaining. Briefly, the sport involves three or four players trying to slide a heavy granite stone along a sheet of pebbled ice to reach a circular concentric target (a bull’s-eye target named the “house”). One player first pushes the stone so that it rotates either clockwise or counterclockwise and begins to curl (hence the name) to the right or the left. Other players (sweepers) will furiously use brooms on the ice in front of the moving stone to adjust its path. The sweeping smooths out the ice in front of the stone, altering the friction and thus the direction of the stone. Each team will do the same with eight stones. A stone may bump other stones away from the center of the target. The final settling place for each of the stones on the target determines the score.

Ready for more? Didn’t think so. Please send news or else I will be forced to learn the scoring of international figure skating—even though I would bet the fate of the entire planet that I will never do a triple axel.

Happy spring!

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Happy March-April everyone! Say these two words and smile: spring break! Remember the sunscreen!

Watching sports on TV has certainly changed over the years, with programming often focused on many of our greatest two-sport heroes. Who can forget Bo Jackson (does Bo know beer pong?) and Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, still the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and World Series. Though some may include Michael in that group, despite his marginal baseball career, I think it’s time to pay homage to perhaps the greatest two-sport Jordan of our time, our own Glenn Jordan! Thanks to Glenn for sharing some much needed and very impressive updates.

Seems Glenn’s intramural success in Hanover as part of the Richardson Rapiers uniquely prepared him for dual success in the fields of checkers and pickleball, a likely unprecedented double. In November in Hartford, Connecticut, Glenn and his partner successfully defended their Atlantic Regional Men’s 50-plus doubles pickleball title in the 4.5 bracket. Emerging from Pool 2 and surviving five match points before winning their second game 21-20, Glenn beat a team from the 35-plus age group in the finals, making a statement for us baby boomers. Last year in Portland, Oregon, they won the 4.0 bracket. Can anyone (besides Pat Riley) say three-peat? As for checkers, here’s what happened in June: pressherald.com/2017/07/01/a-checkered-legacy.

Aside from pursuing sporting glory, Glenn has been a sports writer at the Press Herald for 23 years and worked at the Hartford Courant, Concord (N.H.) Monitor and Claremont (N.H.) Eagle Times previously. His youngest kids (twin boys) are at Midwest colleges, one playing right guard for the Grinnell (Iowa) Pioneers and the other a student manager for the Northwestern football team. His daughter, an MIT junior, plays intramural ice hockey, took pickleball for PE (at her dad’s behest) and squeezes in a little math on the side. As Gatorade should have said, be like Glenn!

Cool news arrived from the College about classmate Chris Hunt, who was in the media recently when he helped quadruplets who wrote in their college essays they wanted to go to the same college (accepted numerous places, they decided on Yale). Chris is now writing a book about the Wade quadruplets and their family and has been featured in stories appearing in The New York Times, NBC Nightly News and The Today Show. Chris previously worked at such publications as The Economist and The Wall Street Journal. Chris also works pro bonoon college essays for Access Opportunity, which helps low-income, high-potential students in the greater Denver area and was founded by Susie Hayes ’88. His career change began when another Dartmouth alum, Mimi Ward, asked him to help her son, who was applying to the Dartmouth class of ’20. He got in early decision, told his friends about Chris and things kind of took off. Chris has a website, CollegeEssayMentor.com. Well done, Chris! Any interest in helping write this column?

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Though ’round the girdled earth our classmates have roamed, her spell on them remains and continues to draw them back! Take our very own book designer and printer Clemente Orozco. Grandson of Jose Clemente Orozco (whose well-known mural cycle, The Epic of American Civilization, many of you will remember from your studious days in the Dartmouth library), returned to Hanover this fall to work alongside students in professor (and fellow classmate) Daniel Heyman’s studio art class. Clemente is the director of Impronta Casa Editora, an independent book publisher and cultural venue in Guadalajara. One of Dartmouth’s librarians was at a book fair in Guadalajara and was sporting a piece of Big Green merchandise. In seeing it quite unexpectedly, Clemente immediately put out his hand: “I’m class of ’85”—and the rest is history.

Homecoming brought unseasonably warm weather, a spectacular come-from-behind victory for the Big Green and many classmates in attendance. Friday night parade marchers included Sue Finegan, Valerie Hartman, Joe Riley, David Rosen, Lauren Sonstrom Rosen and Tim Woodward.Saturday’s mini-reunion gathered classmates Mark Caron, Laura Hicks Roberts, Katie Harris Robbins, Gabby Guise, Linda Cooper Marshall, Donna Fraser Gourdeau, many of whom were still dizzy having watched their offspring in the class of ’21 run 121 laps around the bonfire—more than 14 miles! “Crazy impressive” was the description shared. I am thinking just plain “crazy”! Linda, Valerie and Donna delighted in a Sunday morning reunion with fellow Sargent Street senior year roommates Diana Shannon (living in Vermont)and Allison Shutz Moskow.Allison is writing a book, supporting Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, fundraising for therapeutic horseback riding and (in her spare time) shepherding a 10-year-old through fifth grade. Missing from this impromptu gathering were Sally Crane Goggin (living in Chicago with husband Mark Goggin; all three kids grown), Ellen Jennings (pastor in Maryland) and Sharon Matthews (would welcome any info on where in the world Sharon is these days).

Speaking of Elise Miller, she is embarking on a new professional chapter with Days for Girls International (DfG, www.daysforgirls.org), an organization at the forefront of a global movement to help break the cycle of poverty by making sustainable feminine hygiene solutions and health education widely available around the world. As Elise writes: “DfG is exactly the kind of organization I was envisioning when I left my 24 years of work in the environmental health field earlier this year with the intention of returning to the passion and focus of my graduate research in the 1990s—namely, understanding and improving the experience of girls in developing countries.” Elise is currently serving on the board and will transition to be fully on-staff in 2018. The organization is headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, but Elise will be able to continue to work from home in Freeland, Washington, where she and husband Dan Neumeyer are raising their son, Ravi.

Wishing each of you a happy and healthy new year. Please send news.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Coaching is a fantastic and enjoyable experience. I suspect many of you have been coaches of various sports over the years, many of you for your kids, perhaps even professionally. Some of you may still be coaching. Each August as the Little League World Series plays out, I harken back to my baseball days, both playing and coaching. So how about this for this year’s U.S. bracket (I took some proximity liberties, but you’ll get the drift here).

In the Great Lakes (Grosse Pointe, Michigan) I saw Amy Durno Harned was in Switzerland doing some hiking with her daughter, Elle. Maybe Kris Robbins is coaching some tennis. In the Mid-Atlantic (Jackson, New Jersey) Bernardsville’s Tim Scherman is living in Chicago and posting a lot of cool pics on Instagram. In the Midwest (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) our only classmate from South Dakota is Karen Lust, so she gets the nod here. I think Karen and Jay McLaughlin have been married for years—maybe they’re doing some joint coaching. In the Northeast (Fairfield, Connecticut) Russ Mitchell told me he’s running the N.Y.C. Marathon this fall with his son, Bob. Maybe Dave Kramer is his running coach. In the Northwest (Walla Walla, Washington) Tory Parrott is from Seattle and I recall she played field hockey—no idea where she’s living now or if she’s playing masters field hockey, but maybe this random reference will prompt her to let us know. In the Southeast (Greenville, North Carolina) last I saw Andy Cohen he was playing beer pong at reunion. He was doing so well I thought he had received some recent coaching. Maybe from Blair Bunting.

In the Southwest (Lufkin, Texas) lots of classmates to choose from. I recall playing intramural rugby against Kyle Caswell, who was a real rugby player. I recall because Kyle scored a try by running over and through me, stepping on my face, chest and entire torso without missing a beat. Maybe Kyle is coaching rugby somewhere. In the West (Rancho Santa Margarita, California) our closest rancho is Aloke Mandal from Rancho Palos Verdes, now an M.D./Ph.D. Aloke shared some recent news that some of his recent research (related to the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act) has been cited by Congress, in addition to news about his daughter’s graduation from Sarah Lawrence. In other California news Eric Wilinski is leaving San Francisco and moving to Portland, Oregon, ostensibly for better Little League opportunities for his son, Soren.

Things I think or wonder about: LinkedIn is like the Freshman Book. If you had a wedding ceremony again, which of the original guests would you invite? Most of us are past the halfway point (maybe well beyond) of our working careers. When I’m in an airport how many people do I know who are also here? Is anyone else a sports official or referee? Does anyone else still carry their Dartmouth ID in their wallet? Who enjoys playing quizzo and bar trivia? Why do I include my address below? Has anyone read this far?

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

You may already be aware that we lost our classmate and friend Mark Byrne, who passed away in Montreal on Thursday, April 6, surrounded by his loving wife, Rebecca; cherished children Sophie, Jacqueline, Matthew and Christopher; mother Dorothy; and brother-in-law Tim Knox. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Mark’s family, including his brother and our classmate, Patrick Byrne. For those who knew Mark, it was his love of family, adventure and Dartmouth that we will remember most. For a full memorial, please visit www.rand-wilson.com. You will get a much better sense of Mark’s personal and professional accomplishments than I could convey here. I encourage you to read it.

For those requesting more updates from Woman’s Day, this is your lucky column. Among those honored as 2017 Red Dress Award winners is none other than our own Holly Andersen, the 2017 CocoaVia Healthy Heart Award winner! Holly is the director of education and outreach for the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center, associate professor of medicine and attending cardiologist, and medical advisor of Women’s Heart Alliance.

Holly is also one of the country’s top advocates for women’s heart health and a leading authority on preventive cardiology. Not only is she saving lives by educating patients about proactive efforts, she is also transforming the medical community’s view of heart disease as she advocates for more attention and research for women. Treatment has largely been based on findings about men, whose hearts are different from women’s (is this a big surprise?).

A fellow of the American College of Cardiology, she helped launch the Fight the Ladykiller campaign, created by the Women’s Heart Alliance in 2014. Through it Holly has been a force in illuminating gender differences in heart disease deaths and educating women of all ages and backgrounds about the health of their hearts. She also directs HeartSmarts at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute, which she helped found in 2011. The faith-based community and outreach program aims to empower and educate blacks and Latinos about cardiovascular well-being through biblical scripture, making good health inspirational. This year a study came out in the Journal of Religion and Health acknowledging the effectiveness of the program’s methodology.

Holly’s tireless efforts continue through her work with major health groups. She is a member of the board of overseers for the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and the International Women’s Health Coalition, among others. She also serves on the leadership council of the American Heart Association’s Go Red campaign, working to ensure that women have the know-how to keep their hearts healthy for years to come. Holly’s daily heart-smart habits: “I eat almonds and blueberries most every morning, I am active and I try hard to focus on the part of the glass that is half full.”

Thanks for reading.

John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

My first “real world” job interviews took place on the second floor of that building adjacent to the now Collis Center on campus. I remember one interviewer who, upon reading my resume as we were walking down the hallway to the designated interviewing room, challenged me to a foot race. I had run track, as had he back in his college days. It seemed like an innocuous “ice breaker” back then—one that I did not take him up on at the time. I did get the job and—as they say—the rest is history. According to a recent article: “Thanks for Your Job Application—Shall We Begin at the Squat Rack?” I would significantly compromise my job prospects today if I did not acquiesce to that foot race. Apparently, sizing up a prospective employee or employer through gym workouts of bench presses, jumping onto boxes and pushing weighted sleds is the new normal in evaluating job applicants. Normal?

More relevant, however, is that this particular article featured our very own Laura Fried Yecies. Recently, a prospective employer invited Laura—with no warning or heads up—on an hour-long “walking interview” that she proceeded to go along on, high heels and all. Affectionately describing herself as “a high-tech CEO by day and a mom of four (plus two daughters-in-law who I adore) and grandmother of one by night,” whether in high heels or sneakers, Laura passed on that particular job offer. However, she continues to employ her veteran software and Internet services skills, most recently as COO at Mobilize. Laura and husband Steven Yecies ’84 have called California “home” for more than the past 25 years and while she remains a serial tech entrepreneur, Laura (wisely) keeps her work and exercise separate. In fact, if you are ever in the Palo Alto area, you will most likely cross paths with Laura hiking around the Stanford dish.

Turning now to a cabin on a lake in Montana in a national park. No cell phone. No Internet. Little company for most of the 25 days you are there, except a solar-powered laptop and a mountain of research. For some that might sound like harsh punishment. But Matthew Dickerson considered it a prize to be sought—and seek it he did! Middlebury College computer science professor by day and outdoors and nature writer by night, Matthew was selected as one of the summer artists-in-residence at Glacier National Park for the month of June. In addition to his recent books, Trout in the Desert and Downstream: Reflections on Brook Trout, Fly Fishing, and the Waters of Appalachia, Matthew’s works also include historical novels, fantasy novels and books exploring environmental aspects of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Of particular focus during his residency in Glacier will be study of native cutthroat trout and their habitat. Stay tuned for more from Matthew.

Until our next column update, send news—we will print it here.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; (203) 552-0070; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

If you are like me, you have a stack of reading material by your bedside, with the best intentions of finding time to enjoy each one. One currently nestled by my bedside is a compilation from a recent social science study on the power of good intentions. Seeing the world and the people in it as benevolent enhances life; seeing those with a skeptical eye can turn life into a bitter pill. The general message is that being suspicious leads to a very unhappy life. Trusting in people’s good intentions makes for a happier one as constantly seeing hidden agendas will take its toll. You will be much better off giving people the benefit of the doubt as you work together. Sound advice.

While my first thought was self-reflective, my next was to send this study henceforth to the new administration in D.C. After all, we seem to have an elected leader who prefers to swallow the bitter pill. However, as they say: “Every nation gets the government it deserves.” Really? Probably best not to expand on this further here and heed the forewarning of All About Eve’s Margo Channing: “Fasten your seatbelts; it is going be a bumpy night.” (Or, more likely, years.)

Now to focusing on good intentions; give a rouse to Sue Finegan for a very purposeful start to her year. First, she received Massachusetts’s 2017 Pinnacle Award on January 27 as one of eight female leaders in that state recognized for their accomplishments in business and management. The next night Sue found herself abruptly ditching her cocktail at a black tie gala to dash, high heels and all, to Boston’s Logan International Airport as part of a collective effort of Massachusetts legal beagles seeking to block the president’s edict on immigration. Two University of Massachusetts Dartmouth professors, both Muslim green card holders from Iran, detained and interrogated that night upon their return to Logan, were ultimately released. And thanks to Sue and her legal colleagues—mostly women—who successfully filed suit in federal court establishing a “strong likelihood of success” that the president’s order would violate immigrants’ constitutional rights, a Boston judge issued a temporary restraining order. Bravo, Stella!

If you have been wondering where in the world is Scott Liebman (last seen co-leading—with yours truly—a Putney high school student travel trip in France the summer we graduated), here is an update. Scott pursued a master of international affairs from Columbia and went on to hone more than 25 years of experience with international business development, startup companies and international product sourcing, distribution and logistics. He is presently cofounder of Fort Systems, a cloud-based fulfillment management solution that simplifies the process of fulfilling orders and optimizes supply chain operations, principally for the regulated, direct-to-consumer wine industry. Look Scott up next time you are out in Mill Valley, California.

Until our next column update, send us news—the real kind. That is all we print here.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

’Twas the night before due date and all through my mind

No classmate news for the column of any kind.

When, what to my empty inbox should I see,

But an update on our own Karen McGaffey.

Perkins Coie, a New York-based law firm, has appointed three partners to leadership positions—two of whom will lead national practice groups. Congrats to Karen, who was named chair of the firm’s national environment, energy and resources practice.

When more mail came it created such a clatter

I sprang to my laptop to see what was the matter.

Scanning my screen rapidly I was able to learn

About the latest news on Thomas D. Stern.

Birthright Israel Foundation announced the appointment of board member Thomas D. Stern to chairman of the board. Since 2000 Birthright Israel has provided free trips to more than 500,000 young Jewish adults ages 18 to 26 with the goal of strengthening Jewish identity, building a lasting bond with the land and people of Israel and reinforcing the solidarity of Jewish people worldwide.

“I am incredibly honored and deeply humbled by the board’s appointment. Because of its powerful and unique ability to foster Jewish generational continuity, Jewish peoplehood and a love for Israel, I strongly believe that Birthright Israel is one of the most important organizations in the Jewish world,” said Stern.

Stern joined Birthright Israel Foundation’s board of directors in 2014. He serves as a member of Birthright Israel Foundation’s executive committee and finance committee and on the Birthright Israel planning committee, which provides strategic guidance on all elements of the Birthright Israel program.

Stern is currently a principal and managing director of Chieftain Capital Management Inc., an investment advisory firm in New York City, and has held numerous leadership positions at nonprofit health, educational and Jewish organizations. Stern received an A.B. from Dartmouth  and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School. He and his wife, Denise, reside in New York City with children Samantha and Tyler. Through their family foundation they support numerous Jewish, pro-Israel, education and diabetes-related causes.
Now Mitchell, now Mulligan, now Newman and Yak

On Harned, on Story, on Bass and TMac,

To the top of the slope, jump on the ski lift,

Alpha Chi Alpha (AXA) ski trip in Big Sky if you get my drift.

Yes, heading to Montana for the annual AXA ski trip are the aforementioned Santa’s helpers, along with Chris Maccarone, Eric Wilinski, Frank Cerveny, Mikey Lehman, Phil Yazbak, Bob Skrivanek, John Kulseth, Sal Sorce and yours truly, who as a non-skier will be acting in some role to be determined. No word whether this outing is being sanctioned by U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association president Tiger Shaw, who by the way was Tiger before Eldrick Woods.

The column has ended and so has the rhyme.

Send news to Leslie for inclusion next time.

I’ll share more news on our AXA reindeer

Happy reading to all and to all a great year!

John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 331-6417; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

This column deadline unfortunately occurred before Homecoming weekend so we have few updates. Luckily you have already connected with the November class newsletter and saw many photos of classmates who dropped in on our reunion cluster pre-game tailgate (organized by class mini-reunion chair Valerie Hartman). Many raised a glass and caught up with fellow classmates. One thing is for certain—despite a dearth of classmate news, at least by the time you are reading this column, the 2016 election will be over. Now that’s something to which we can all raise a glass. Regardless of the outcome, everyone would agree that our very own, Lenny Gayle and Mark Koulegeorge (a.k.a., “the best debate team of all time”), should have been called upon to tutor the candidates in the art of debate.

Give a rouse to Lisa Herrington and Margaret Marder for their awesome class newsletters. Along with the aforementioned Homecoming photos and tidbit on Lenny and Mark, the October newsletter featured fascinating autobiographical submissions from several of our classmates reflecting upon their paths and careers in the arts. In case you missed any of these, check it out on our class website: www.dartmouth85.com. Margaret mistakenly thinks we hear from her enough through our class newsletter. But the truth is Margaret is typically sharing stories on others. So we asked for an update from her and fellow classmate and husband David Marder: “Kids are all out of the house, our youngest heading into her final year at UCLA. David and I miss the full house but are enjoying the freedoms of an empty house! David’s still being a lawyer in Boston and I’m working for a successful real estate firm in downtown Boston. My job has the perks of getting to see some beautiful million-dollar-and-higher luxury condos with views of the city and meeting lots of people. Anyone looking for downtown Boston living, feel free to reach out to me!” Word is Margaret provides one of the more pleasant real estate transactions for both sides of the deal, and that comes as no surprise.

Our fearless class president, Joe Riley, continues to heal after a dreadful mountain biking accident this past August at Killington, Vermont, while on vacation with a couple of his sons. Joe managed to get quite banged up but, thankfully, neither of Joe’s sons crashed. While one stayed with Joe on the hillside, the other one biked for help. Joe spent more than a month in the hospital recuperating from (among other injuries) a punctured lung and fractured vertebrae. He is back to work and slowly getting back on his feet. Perhaps someone needs to remind Joe that 50-plus is definitely not the new 20. We recommend that he forgo mountain biking and transition to stationary training of some sort. Meanwhile, we are all sending healing vibes in Joe’s direction.

Wishing each of you a happy and healthy new year. Please send news.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com
 

Updates from classmates are few

In fact, may be just two

Alas, life of a class secretary

When details are close to nary

Who’s next to write in, perhaps you?

It’s cool when an interviewer says, “I sat down with —.” Well, I assume whoever conducted this fun facts Q&A with Laura Ingraham was sitting down when the discussion took place. I, too, am sitting down as I type, so by transitive property, pretend I’m sitting down with Laura. Anyway, from CBS Philadelphia via the alumni office: Here are some facts you didn’t know about Laura (I’m guessing you know at least one of these). She attended an Ivy League college.Laura attended Dartmouth and earned a J.D. at the University of Virginia School of Law. She was also editor-in-chief of The Dartmouth Review. She worked as a speechwriter for Ronald Reagan’s administration.In the late 1980s Ingraham worked for the domestic policy advisor as a speechwriter for the Reagan administration. She is the editor-in-chief and cofounder of LifeZette.com.LifeZette.com is an American news and commentary website launched in April 2015 that offers opinions and news on politics, culture and lifestyle. She is one of the most-listened-to women in America on political talk radio.The Laura Ingraham Show is listed in radio’s Top 10 and is played in 225 markets across the United States. She is a cancer survivor.Diagnosed in April 2005 with an aggressive type of breast cancer, Ingraham prefers the term “thriver” over “survivor.” She is a supporter of domestic and international adoption.Ingraham advocates for an increase in adoption on her website adoptanewattitude.com. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her daughter, Maria, whom she adopted from Guatemala, and two sons, Dmitri and Nikolai, who are adopted from Russia. She wrote The Obama Diaries.She has authored many pieces of literature, including this New York Times bestseller, a satirical group of “diary entries” from President Obama and his minions.

Speaking of groceries (and who wasn’t), Supervalu Inc. announced the appointment of Mark Gross as the company’s president and CEO. Mark joins Supervalu with 20 years of grocery and wholesale leadership experience. From 1997 to 2006 Mark worked at C&S Wholesale Grocers, including serving as co-president of C&S’s overall operations from 2005 to 2006. Additionally, Mark served as chief financial officer, general counsel and president of its affiliated retail grocery operations. For the past decade Mark led Surry Investment Advisors, which he founded, to provide consulting services to grocery distributors and retailers on strategic and operational matters. He advised and assisted grocery clients on several multi-billion-dollar acquisitions and divestitures and consulted with private equity firms regarding investments in food retail, distribution and consumer packaged goods sectors. Mark also earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. More importantly (since family takes precedence over retail), Mark and Kathy Reilly Gross have two Dartmouth kids—daughter Charlotte ’16 and son Kevin ’19.

Closing random thought: How many ’85s have a Wikipedia page?

John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road Rosemont, PA 19010; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

I am penning this column on the heels of the historical Brexit vote in the United Kingdom. I suppose I should have an opinion on this but I cannot quite determine how to interpret it. I expect we will now all get to witness exactly what it means to actually exit the European Union; or as King George III in Broadway’s Hamilton serenades the triumphant revolutionists: “What comes next? You’ve been freed; do you know how hard it is to lead? You’re on your own—awesome! Wow! Do you have a clue what happens now?” Onward!

In case you, too, are re-evaluating your situation and want to take your career or life to the next level for whatever reason (vote, or no vote), you have a resource to turn to in classmate Valerie Hartman. As we all know, Valerie was never one to stay in one gear before, during or after her time on the Hanover Plain, so it is no surprise that she has shifted gears to launch her newest business endeavor as a transformational coach. As founder and president of Shift into Fifth, Valerie offers a range of services for individuals and companies seeking to maximize their potential. Check out shiftintofifth.com.

Vice president of athlete career and education for the U.S. Ski Association, Jory Macomber is returning east to become headmaster at Burke Mountain Academy starting this fall. While at USSA alongside president and CEO Tiger Shaw, Jory is credited with advancing the organization’s programs for elite athletes, most notably the renewal of USSA’s partnership with Westminster College and creating other resources for personal career development for athletes. He is also a founding member of the Bryce and Ronnie Athlete Safety and Security Foundation to increase awareness, promote training and education and advance investments regarding athlete safety and security. Having previously enjoyed a longtime position teaching and coaching at Holderness School, Jory and his wife, Martha Cornell Macomber ’86, look forward to returning to New England. Let’s hope their return elevates the natural snowfall levels in the Northeast so that Jory can continue to identify future Olympians among his students.

Glenn Jordan, Portland Press Herald staff writer, won first place for explanatory writing in the AP Sports Editors 2015 writing contest. Glenn received all six first-place votes for his story on how traditional charity events are losing participants to adventure races sponsored by for-profit organizations. If he can explain that, looks like John and I have identified someone to take the baton as class column secretary.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Scott Borek on the loss of his eldest son, Gordon “Gordie” Borek, in a single vehicle accident in New Hampshire on May 28. Our thoughts and prayers are with Scott and his family. A reminder to all that there is no guarantee on how many years will be in your life, so take the time to enjoy the life in your years—the future is promised to no one.

All the best to all of you! Please send us news!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

I’m sure you agree that our newsletter editors, Margaret Marder and Lisa Herrington, have created some excellent reading. Their latest edition was truly outstanding and inspired this (with apologies to Edward Lear):

Of the Shades of Green abundance of news

I’m jealous.

Perhaps my procurement of updates should

be more zealous.

Send anything to either me or Les

Are we interested? Of course, heck yes.

Share your recent exploits of fun, make

contact, please tell us.

From our Connecticut correspondents comes news about Mike Thompson. The Redding Republican Town Committee has elected selectman Michael P. Thompson to the position of chairman. Mike is a longtime member of the committee and is also serving a second term as a member of the Redding board of selectmen. Prior to being elected to the board of selectmen, he served on the zoning board of appeals. Professionally, Thompson is a partner with the law firm of Wiggin and Dana. He holds an M.A. from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, and a J.D. with honors from the University of Connecticut. He is the former chair of the Connecticut judicial selection commission and a member of the board of directors of the Connecticut Lottery Corp. Michael, his wife, Kim, and their two children are 12-year residents of Redding. Wow, the skills you develop in the Theta Delt basement!

From our Cincinnati bureau chief: The Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce has named Eric H. Kearney president and CEO of the organization. Eric previously served as Ohio Senate minority leader and Ohio senator for the 9th District, and before his service in politics he founded and operated a number of business enterprises in publishing and advertising. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati Law School and, I’m guessing, loves the Reds and five-way chili.

Is the Queen City on your journey?

Well there you’ll find Eric Kearney.

But if toward the Nutmeg State you’re heading,

Look for Mike Thompson in Redding.

A better rhyme if Amy’s name was Durny.

Speaking of Amy Durno Harned, it appears the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pong Paddles is planning another outing. Look for Amy, Cindy Bergman, Kathy “Babs” Jeavons, Susannah Buddington, Beth Hobbs, Lauren Rosen, Sue Finegan, Jill Morgan, JoAnn Davey, Jenny Page and Carol Jo Snyder in a city near you this fall. Stay tuned for highlights of this wacky adventure.

From our intergalactic news desk: After a long stint with Volvo, Ron DenBroeder has recently joined Solarcity, a Pennsylvania residential solar installer and utility. As Danny DeVito says and Ron now hopes, “It’s always sunny in Philadelphia.”

Random Freshman Book observations: I wonder if Ken Graham introduces himself as “Wanasomdripa” or whether Eric Woods still goes by “Bush Doctor.” I still have the tie I’m wearing in my Freshman Book picture. However you view this, just send news, pretty please.

John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

I have only seen photos, but it looks like even with one of the worst winters on record (in terms of natural snowfall), Dartmouth managed to pull off yet another successful Winter Carnival as the Hanover Plain gave way to Seuss on the Loose for the 105th celebration. With frigid temperatures hitting in advance of the weekend, not even the cold could keep students from getting outside to carve ice sculptures, ski, sled and even take the annual ice plunge! Seems students improvised, building ice cold pools for those hearty souls looking to take the polar bear plunge. Nice to see all that granite in their muscles and their brains set to productive work.

Give a rouse to Rich Stoddard, who, effective February 1, took the reins as CEO of Leo Burnett Worldwide. Rich had previously been at the helm of Leo Burnett North America, so I suppose this step makes him even more of a head honcho. Rich started his career at Leo Burnett in 1985—yes, the year we graduated—working on the Hewlett-Packard account as a media buyer and planner, and left in 2001 to join Ford Motor Co. as manager of marketing communications, returning to Leo Burnett in 2005. Those ad agency jobs were a hot ticket interview back in our college days and it would appear that Rich was a solid recruit from the outset. And talk about an evolving career: from media buying back in the 1980s to the mobile social media innovations of today.

Another native Chicagoan classmate, Sally Schwartz Higginson, has had an equally interesting career path. From her earlier days photo editing at Woman’s Day magazine and Outside magazine to teaching high school English (shaming all of her friends—still—into using proper grammar) to cohosting a radio talk show with her younger sister (Walking on Air with Betsy and Sal) to her current profession as a freelance columnist, Sally personifies her journalistic motto: “Everything in life is either a good time or a good story!” So while she has penned quite a few really good stories, her love for our Dartmouth years and the D-Plan is obviously in the category of a “good time,” as Sally elected an “off-term” this winter, leaving her native Windy City and taking up a short-term residence in Arizona for a change of scenery and activity. As a freelance writer, Sally enjoys the luxury of being able to work from any (often unidentified) location, which is quite enviable. Look for more good Arizona stories from Sally courtesy of her freelance column in the Pioneer Press.

First-time author Bennett Zimmerman shared the news of the publication of his book Go! Stock! Go! This humorous story follows the Johnson family as they make close encounters with their own investor personalities. Employing a Dr. Seuss style, this is certain to become the first truly user-friendly book on stocks and finance. Check it out.

Until our next column encounter, send news.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

There are a lot of reasons to love Dartmouth: beautiful campus, amazing traditions, alumni pride, academic growth and challenges, family legacies, to name a few. Perhaps the greatest reasons are the lasting friendships you forge and the lifelong connections that you enjoy once you set foot on campus as a student. You are immediately part of something that endures and links you to anyone green. How many times have you been asked where you went to school and, after responding, someone says, “My neighbor/cousin/uncle/mom went to Dartmouth? Do you know…?” Though we identify as ’85s, we are connected to all Dartmouth students, past and present, and that’s pretty cool.

Something else that’s pretty cool is the now completed trip by our own Scott “Goose” Schneider, who journeyed to Tanzania and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in February with brother Kurt ’87. I, for one, am looking forward to a recap of their journey, perhaps minus the tales of sharing a tent at 19,341 feet. Can anyone say “Oh, hi” in Tanzanian?

As a class co-secretary I do a bit of writing—three columns a year, so about 1,500 words. Okay, I can hear the shouts, “You call what you do writing?” Well, that’s exactly my point. If you want some real writing, look no further than these talented ’85 authors.

Kudos to Michelle Duster. Her Shifts anthology book got selected as finalist for the 2015 USA Book News Award. Her book, Shifts: An Anthology of Women’s Growth Through Change, co-edited with Trina Sotira, was selected as a finalist in the women’s issues category! Michelle received this notice: The 2015 USA Best Book Awards brought in more than 2,000 entries, its biggest year since the program started in 2004. By placing in this year’s awards, she beat out 75 percent of her fellow entrants. The book is available on Amazon.

A Big Green cheer also goes to Merle Weiner, who was also busy writing, as she shared news of the publication of her new book, A Parent-Partner Status for American Family Law, available through Cambridge University Press. When not writing, Merle is a Philip H. Knight Professor at the University of Oregon School of Law, which undoubtedly means she wears Nikes to work.

Give a rouse to a classmate making her mark in the finance world. Congrats to Eva Lindholm Ispahani, who was recently selected for inclusion in Financial News’ 100 Most Influential Women in European Finance 2015. You can look at the awards on the Financial News website. There is a tab on the awards and a short commentary under each recipient on her background and rationale for inclusion.

To be honest, my favorite reason for loving Dartmouth (and all that other stuff is really great) is that I met Cindy there. I think she’d say the same, but beer pong might be a very close second. Happy 2016 to all!

John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com
 

I do not check my personal email daily and I am not connected to any social media. No, I am not vying to be the class Luddite. I just find myself jazzed by the simple pleasure of opening an envelope when someone has thought to send me snail mail, usually a silly card sent for no reason other than to make me laugh. Like the one with two dinosaurs sitting perched atop a mountain in the rain, surrounded by rising waters, watching their fellow animal friends, boarded two-by-two, sailing away in the ark as one dinosaur remarks: “Oh, crap! Was that today?” So, as today’s column deadline slowly approaches, here’s what I’ve got.

Class officers Joe McGee, Beth Gilman Hobbs, Veronica Jenkins and Joe Riley descended upon Hanover at Class Officers Weekend to share best practices among fellow classes. Rumor has it they were suffering Hanover withdrawal from our June class reunion and just needed to get their fall fix. Turning to Homecoming Weekend, our class accepted the Class of 1960 Dartmouth College Fund (DCF) Scholar Program Award for demonstrating the greatest commitment to student financial assistance in FY’15 through the Dartmouth Fund Scholar Program. Our 30th reunion efforts in raising funds dedicated to scholarship students included funds to support 40 DCF scholars this year, 10 of whom are specifically designated as Class of 1985 Scholars. Give yourselves a rouse, classmates! Class president Joe Riley was all smiles accepting this award with classmates Valerie Hartman, Lauren (Sonstrom) and David Rosen, Mark Caron, Mark and Kathy Gross and Laura Hicks Roberts also in attendance at the plaque unveiling in McNutt Hall. Lauren and David departed Hanover to watch their ’19 son play water polo against Yale in New Haven (where many other Big Green teams traveled as well), while the football team crushed Yale on the home field gridiron, with several classmates in attendance. Dave Hall and Tyler Woolson looked ageless among the ’19s packing the stands—I almost expected them to join the freshman on the field at halftime but they resisted that temptation. Additional sightings included Alison Cooper Philips, who rode the Dartmouth Coach to enjoy a meal in Norwich, Vermont, courtesy of host Allison Shutz Moskow and joined by Jennifer Archibald Williams and Valerie Hartman; post-game found Katie Leede dutifully walking her dog while conveniently heading in the direction of the football tent. Word has it Katie was likely to find Rick Weissman, although doubtful that Sean Murphy was present—he is still celebrating his crowning as “MV Reunioner,” with his bold move buttoning that top button on his polo shirt for our class dinner. Styling!

Sue Finegan continues to dedicate her invaluable resources to Moving Dartmouth Forward while also serving as president of the Alumni Council, joined by fellow ’85s Laura Fried Yecies, Mark Caron and Laura Hicks Roberts. Safe to say our class is well-represented.

Do not to go the way of my snail mail dinosaur buddies and become extinct to your classmates—send news! All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Friends, I hope you’re savoring the last vestiges of summer and still basking in the thrill of our 30th reunion. I suspect, too, that you can’t wait for our 35th (the opportunity to see everyone again, that is, not the joy of turning 56 or 57). Hard to fathom those ages—seems like just yesterday we were 18 and embarking on our freshman trips and start of college life. Who knew how awesome it would be? Lasting friendships formed, possibly meeting your future spouse, facing many “firsts,” now reminiscing with a smile. Well, another new experience awaits as our youngest child leaves for college tomorrow. Many have already faced this, some will in the future and it certainly evokes different feelings for parents: happiness for your kids, sadness about a quieter house, anticipation about the things to do with your spouse, to name a few. Importantly, I hope all our kids can look back on their college years with extreme fondness and few regrets. I’ve never liked the term “empty nester” because, mainly, I want my kids, wherever they are, to know they will always have a home, one where the door is always open. Perhaps what I’m also saying is that if anyone is in the Philly area, we now have extra rooms, so you’re welcome to visit (for the record, the door is actually locked, so please contact me first).

News from Michelle Duster: “My coauthor, Bernard Turner, and I went to the Harlem Book Fair recently. Although we did not win the Phillis Wheatley Book Award for young readers for our children’s history book, Tate and His Historic Dream, we felt honored for the recognition of being one of three finalists. Attending the awards ceremony and other book fair activities provided a wonderful opportunity to meet some of the people who are shaping writing for American culture and especially for the African-American community. The tributes to poet Nikki Giovanni and illustrator Jerry Pinckney were very inspiring. Please feel free to tell folks about our world-recognized book. Copies can be ordered on Amazon.com or directly through Highlights of Chicago Press at highlightsofchicago.com.” Also, check out Michelle’s website: www.mldwrites.com.

After being recognized as a 2015 Ohio Super Lawyer in January, Jeff Healy was again recognized as a top lawyer as this release indicates: “Forty-one Tucker Ellis attorneys named among Best Layers for 2016: Tucker Ellis LLP is proud to announce that 41 of the firm’s attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for 2016. Jeff practices mass tort litigation and class actions, defendants, in Cleveland.” Not sure how a best of 2016 list comes out in August 2015, but these Ohio attorneys seem to be forward looking.

A final thought: I’m not totally sure what my view on reincarnation is, but if it’s real I’d like to come back as a college student. Or a Detroit Tiger.

John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Her spell could not have been strong-er—the weather was incredible, the campus was hopping and the turnout almost 300 classmates strong. Give a rouse to our 30th reunion committee organizers: stellar co-chairs Todd Cranford and Joe Riley; committee heads Veronica Jenkins (registration), Kevin Umeh (sports), Eamonn Brady (entertainment), Karen Marsh (publicity) and Gaby Guise and Joe McGee (Dartmouth College Fund fundraising). The tireless efforts of these committee members—and the delectable catering expertise of Marcy Marceau—made this reunion gathering exceptional, as old friendships were renewed and new ones ignited.

Congratulations to our classmates who enjoyed Commencement commitments in Hanover but could not return for reunion. Others—among them Jo Ann Shannon Davey, Sue Finegan, John MacManus, Cindy Bergman MacManus—managed only brief reunion visits. Huge applause to Keith Goggin, who wins the prize for travel. His journey to Hanover was 400 miles by foot on the Appalachian Trail from Philadelphia. Other sightings included Mike Oesterlin (working in television in the United Kingdom; healing from a mishap that cracked a couple ribs, left him temporarily lost in Portugal, but did not keep him from reunion), Katie Leede (interior designing in New York; delighted that son Lionel will join older sister Lucia ’17 in Hanover), Diana Shannon (software developer; Strafford, Vermont), Lionel Conacher (joining the ranks of Dartmouth parents ’19), Sally Crane Goggin (in Chicago with Mark Goggin; making frequent trips to N.Y.C., where all three of their adults kids currently live and work), Donna Fraser Gourdeau (attending a dizzying array of sporting activities among her three boys), Linda Cooper Marshall (managing her own philanthropic advisory business), Dan Fagin (sharing tales of his seven-year process toward publishing Tom’s River and his utter shock at winning the Pulitzer), Alison Frankel (equally supportive of husband Dan’s writing while also managing to publish a book, Double Eagle—in half the time!).

Our memorial service was poignantly shepherded by Blaine Richard (visiting from southern Brazil). And a million thanks to outgoing class officers, notably president Valerie Hartman, whose heartfelt speech at our Saturday dinner brought all to their feet.

Additional appearances around Hanover, in no particular order: Steven McIntosh, Doug Williamson, Nancy Kopans, Amy Brout McHugh, Ricki Frankel, George Eldridge, Kris Robbins, Jan Watkins, Jen Quinn, Dave Hall, Aaron Hill, Julia Lane, Jeanne Miller, Mark Caron, Jonathan Auerbach, Beth Gilman Hobbs, Jackie Miller Hawkey, Kathleen Buckley, Barry Bass, Pam Lower Bass, Laura Fried Yecies, Herb Philpott, Rise Norman, Henrietta Hung, Joanna Tsiantis, Pat Hoag, Steve Hartmann, Nola Bonis, Jason Kaplan, “Pablo” David Cohn, Eric Kearney, Doug Fulton, Laura Ingraham, Dave Hall, Jeff Weitzman, Mark Koulogeorge, Alison Cooper Phillips, Jenny Archibald Williams, Sally Schwartz, Judy Stein, Lori Bamberger, Mike Smith, Tracy Pulciani Maag, Bill Maag, Julia Lane, Laura Hicks Roberts, Barbie Van Buskirk, Allison Shutz Moskow.And Darren Alcus, Rob Clements, Rick Kleeman and Bill Tyree, who were last seen closing down Pine. Lucky for them, they were staying at the Hanover Inn.

Reunion marked the christening of the class of 1985 shell gifted to the College. Those on the docks witnessed the following boys and girls in the boat: Jon Grussing, Glen Eberle, Dave McIlwain, Steven Mines, Mimi Reilly Eldridge, Cynthia Matthews Brown, Katie Harris Robbins, Sally Schwartz. The class of ’80 rowing T-shirts really summed up many athletic endeavors of the weekend: “The older I get, the better I was!”

The countdown begins to our 35th—we will splurge on two-sided, large-print name badges! Please know that the fellowship of your classmates in New Hampshire awaits your return “home”—you will not be disappointed.

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com ; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Before we get to the news, I am offering you a very simple to-do list: Read this column. Send in updates for this column. Register for and attend reunion.


In maintaining the tradition of exceptional women from Wilmington, Delaware (a quick shout out to Cindy Bergman, though I guess I could have just walked into the other room to see her), I have received news that our own Terry Plank will be receiving an honorary degree from Dartmouth in June. Congrats to Terry on her second Dartmouth degree! On a related note, I’m optimistic that the call I received from the College is not someone looking to rescind mine (“Sir, upon further review and a demonstrated lack of achievement during the past 30 years, we have decided…”). The recent announcement includes this quick bio for Terry: “Terry Plank ’85 (doctor of science), geochemist, professor. Terry Plank is the Arthur D. Storke Memorial Professor in the department of earth and environmental sciences at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. A geochemist who studies magmas associated with the plate tectonic cycle, she is known for her studies of subduction zones. Plank graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in earth sciences. She received a doctorate from Columbia University in 1993 and taught on the faculty of the University of Kansas and Boston University before joining Columbia University in 2008. Plank received the Houtermans Medal from the European Association for Geochemistry and the Donath Medal from the Geological Society of America and is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the Geochemical Society, the Geological Society of America and the Mineralogical Society of America. In 2012 she was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow and in 2013 was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.”


Thumbs up to Scott Stevens for some of his recent literary achievements. Scott and several colleagues are the editors of a new book: Why You Can’t Teach United States History without American Indians, edited by Susan Sleeper-Smith, Juliana Barr, Jean M. O’Brien, Nancy Shoemaker and Scott Manning Stevens. For more information: uncpress.unc.edu/books/13213.html. A resource for all who teach and study history, this book illuminates the unmistakable centrality of American Indian history to the full sweep of American history. The 19 essays gathered in this collaboratively produced volume, written by leading scholars in the field of Native American history, reflect the newest directions of the field and are organized to follow the chronological arc of the standard American history survey. Contributors reassess major events, themes, groups of historical actors and approaches—social, cultural, military and political—consistently demonstrating how Native American people and questions of Native American sovereignty have animated all the ways we consider the nation’s past. The uniqueness of indigenous history, as interwoven more fully in the American story, will challenge students to think in new ways about larger themes in U.S. history, such as settlement and colonization, economic and political power, citizenship and movements for equality and the fundamental question of what it means to be an American.


In Bay Area news, I connected with Mikey Lehman, Tom McDonald and Eric Wilinski for dinner in late March. In typical guy fashion, there was zero discussion about current careers, but plenty of talk about sports, Alpha Chi Alpha and recent travels. Seeing their kids (Marley and August Lehman, Audrey McDonald and Soren Wilinski) and learning of their activities and talents was really great and confirmed my suspicion that these youngsters were fortunate to get more of the genes and traits of their respective moms.


John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 331-6417; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Her spell on them remains: June 18-21. I hope her spell remains cast over you and you have made (or are making) the right call to be in Hanover June 18-21 in celebration of our 30th reunion. No last-minute play reviews, no extra huddle time, no timeouts, no passing with only a month to go. Coach Carroll may have momentarily forgotten that Marshawn Lynch was on his team, but rest assured that your fellow ’85s have not forgotten you. Many promise to be in attendance to contribute to a memorable celebration. We want you to be there! 


I want to fill you in on Juanne Harris ahead of reunion. Juanne was named judicial administrative director for the Republic of Palau. For those of you geographically challenged, Palau is an island country in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the larger island group of Micronesia. After Dartmouth Juanne completed her M.B.A. and spent six years as a marketing and sales executive with the NFL. She received her law degree, clerked for a federal district court judge in New Jersey and then joined Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. So how did Juanne find her way to Palau? Throughout her career Juanne has maintained a sense of civic duty and incorporated public service in both her professional and personal life—this opportunity uniquely unites both. An avid runner, Juanne is a certified running coach and serves on the board of the New York Road Runners. “I am excited to be on the island and look forward to working with my colleagues in the judiciary, getting to know the island, making friends and building a new life here in paradise.”


I have always known about super foods and super heroes and the link between super foods and super heroes. But Jeff Healy’s election as one of 2015 Ohio Super Lawyers is a first and cannot be overlooked. Whodathunk? Our very own super lawyer in our class! Congrats, Jeff. Come to reunion and fill us in on your legal powers.


Did you ever hear the story of Scott Mellon and Allison Shutz Moskow’s Sophomore Summer MALS class? If you did, then you might also know that Scott’s son, Graham ’15, will be working at Bain Consulting after graduation and that Allison’s oldest son, Zac ’14, just commissioned with the Marines as a second lieutenant with an aviation contract. And that Valerie Hartman’s oldest son, Charlie, will be matriculating with the Dartmouth 2019s. The next generation is upon us so do not delay and join our generation at reunion this June 18-21.


Sadly, the ’82 and ’85 classes have been intertwined in two deaths recently: Brett Krantz lost his brother, Marc ’82, in a skiing accident in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, during Christmas, leaving behind a wife and three kids. And Tina Helsell, who was in our class through sophomore year before transferring to Stanford, died on New Year’s, leaving behind her husband, Bill Messing ’82, and two daughters. Tina’s memorial in Seattle was attended by a number of our classmates, including Elise Miller, Sally Swartz Higginson, Anne Goodwin Sides, Drew Quinn, Tom Johnson and Bob Mighell. A reminder to all that we will host a class memorial service during reunion on Saturday, June 20, at 5 p.m. in Rollins Chapel.


Reunion brings transition in our class executive staff. If this is one of the final columns John and I will pen for the class of ’85, let it be said that it has been both an honor and a pleasure to serve you during the past 30 years. Thanks for listening—keep sharing. All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Happy 2015, classmates! As column deadlines approach, we “writers” often rely on common sources of information—personal connections, articles from the college, random musings, reuse of old columns, the three F’s (friends, Facebook, fabrication). In the spirit of holiday potpourri, this column may be a medley of all sources—can you match the story with its category? Consider this a newsy kaleidoscope, but first, please consider 2015 as the year you attend our 30th reunion. Excitement is building, planning has begun and soon you will be deluged with communication! 


I’m wondering if Scott “The Goose” Schneider will be there, he of the self-anointed nickname, a la George “T-Bone” Costanza. I know new father Tom McDonald is planning to attend, which means we’ll witness the Hanover debut of newborn, Audrey Wells McDonald. Congratulations to TMac and mom Langley. Results from Audrey’s Dartmouth early decision 2038 application were not available as of press time. I know our class officers will be there, including Leslie Davis Dahl, who kindly shared news about our own Jeff Healy. Jeff, an attorney specializing in mass tort litigation and class actions for defendants at Tucker Ellis LLP, was one of 35 of the firm’s attorneys selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers for America in 2015. I’m not sure if this was part of the Tucker Ellis “You vote for me, I’ll vote for you” campaign, but thumbs up for Jeff. Thanks for Ken Johnson ’83, faithful reader and former class secretary, for news from the Denver Post about Tiger Shaw’s recent appointment to president of the U.S. Ski Association. Check out their archives for an extended Q&A with Tiger. 


Speaking of archives, a paucity of news can tempt a secretary to use old (or let’s say lightly read) material. Something in the vein of “Mike Reilly was spotted at 5 Olde,” DAM, circa 1986, or “Sue Finegan Vasu received an award,” DAM, circa ongoing. Maybe we’ll spot both Mike and Sue at reunion this summer, but not at 5 Olde, since that’s now closed down. As reunions approach many may reflect on our numerous life events and experiences during the past 30 years, while others may have no greater concerns than whether to pack khaki or navy shorts for the journey to Hanover. Currently I’m wondering why, when you get those birthday party invites stating “no gifts please,” do some people still bring gifts and ruin it for everyone else. I’m also thinking that the birthday person would prefer “copious amounts of gifts please.” A quick scan of social media shows that many classmates are drinking tons of wine, traveling to exotic locales, creating the greatest recipes ever, wearing face paint at sporting events and waiting on their kids’ college acceptances, all the while with a cell phone camera perpetually clutched in hand. A quicker perusal of Instagram shows many entries from the Chris Mulligan-Sarah Sherwood ’86 clan, which have detailed their various exploits, minus the recipes. If you are unable to attend our reunion, your best alternative is to start following Mulls on Instagram, as probably 2.7 out of the three days will be pictorially chronicled.


Reunion planning may also bring resolutions of exercise, new wardrobe (blue or khaki?), trendy new hairstyle, perhaps a beer pong refresher. Or maybe it just means you bring your family and a nametag to reconnect with old friends. Whatever it means to you, June 2015 in Hanover should be on your travel agenda. In the meantime, send news, fact or fabricated, for the next column.


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

They say a picture is worth a thousand words for a very good reason—through a single still image, one can convey so very much. Unfortunately, photo images are not permitted in our magazine columns so I will attempt to describe within the confines of our 600-word limit, some of the photo ops from sightings and gatherings by our classmates of late. 


Several classmates were sighted returning to the Hanover Plain this past September as freshmen move-in day brought both Bill Tyree and Darren Alcus to town as parents of ’18s. Did anyone catch that photo of Bill, glasses perched at the tip of his nose as he wielded a hammer (or was it a screwdriver?) to assemble a futon on the second floor of McLane for his newly matriculated son, Brophy? Bill was clearly envious of the fact that his son is in a dorm room spacious enough for a futon (in addition to his College-issued bed) and within sight of his dad’s freshman digs on the Gold Coast. Meanwhile, Darren enthusiastically settled oldest daughter Claire into her cinder block home-away-from-home (ah, yes, there is a great vibe in the Choates, but there is no way to shake that 1960s look). Darren did not assemble anything other than the list of Claire’s immediate neighbors, including taking cautious note of the proximity of the brothers on adjacent frat row. 


Turning to Homecoming weekend, Joe Riley was all smiles while holding our class of 1985 banner in the torchlight parade with Mimi Eldridge at his side. Joining them along the parade route and stopping for a group photo-op were Eamonn Brady (in town from N.Y.C.), Larry Weidner, Katie Harris Robbins (along with husband and classmate Kris Robbins is among our Upper Valley natives), Laura Hicks (in from Florida with youngest daughter taking a closer look at the Big Green), Sue Finegan (on a break from her committee work to improve campus life by enjoying some of it herself), Brian Bandler (up from Connecticut), and Tim Woodward (in from Rochester, New York). Those trendy glow-in-the-dark green necklaces sported by all really added quite a luster to everyone’s evening faces. Later in the weekend many of these ’85s, along with Mark Koulogeorge and Ann Greenleaf, gathered at the mini-reunion tent catered by EBAs before cheering the football squad to victory. 


Valerie Hartman took a break from Atlanta to enjoy an October week in Paris and sent an enviable selfie with Notre Dame looming in the background. She then returned to get her cowgirl on in Austin, Texas, and caught up with Steve Mines. Steve continues to call Austin home and in addition to two-stepping the night away at the White Horse Palace with Valerie (no photos shared), he manages his own translation company servicing businesses and lawyers traveling the globe. Last count his own linguistic mastery covers Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, English and several more too numerous to list. Valerie’s visit also provided her with an entertaining phone reconnection with Austin newcomer Carolina Kuczynski, who recently relocated there with her husband and kids from Connecticut. Like Austin veteran Steve, Carolina loves her new city.


Since our last column teaser you have no doubt been wondering about Mark Halliday. Take a look on www.ted.com (search his name on the site). You are in for some inspiration on how to bring out your inner filmmaker. 


Please keep your news (and photos) coming, as we promise to share all of it here. And mark your calendar as we count down to our upcoming 30th reunion gathering in Hanover June 18-20. All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

What’s a four-letter word for the amount of news I have to share in this column? (Hint: The word is not “lots,” “much,” “tons” or “some”). The continual challenge of the class secretaries is to figure out what to communicate in the absence of input. Well, thankfully, there is a topic of interest to all ’85s and, no, it’s not the changes in the BCS playoff system or the new roster of the Cleveland Cavaliers (I’m watching ESPN SportsCenter at this moment). Rather, it’s our upcoming 30th reunion, scheduled for June 18-20, 2015. No doubt you’ve heard about this and seen the save-the-date communication. To clarify, there is more you need to do than just save the date. You need to make plans to attend and actually attend. 


Interest in attending is partly influenced by your knowledge of which fellow classmates will also be there. Well, I’m pleased to say Russ Mitchell is attending and organizing a party at Alpha Chi Alpha. Pam and Barry Bass will be there and, I think, committed to buy everyone a round at Molly’s on June 19. I’ll be in Hanover and I have it on good authority that Cindy Bergman will be as well. I am also pretty confident I’ll see her there. If this Fab Five isn’t enough of a draw, let me toss in Herb Philpott as a definite. I know this since Herb sent me a birthday wish on Facebook. My Facebook birthday posts were only about 412 less than those received by Eamonn Brady. I know this because Eamonn and I have the same birthday, if not the same number of Facebook friends. I’m assuming Eamonn will be at reunion. 


Speaking of Facebook and reunion, what better way to increase attendance than to adopt the recent success of the ALS Challenge? With that in mind, I am “challenging” the 1,084 members of our class to attend next June. I remember that number since I was so pleased to finish in the top 1,075 of our class, but hey, that was almost 30 years ago. More specifically, I am challenging everyone to reach out to five friends and make plans to meet in Hanover. At a minimum, perhaps you’ll bring a bit of joy to someone’s day just by calling to say hello. Reach out to someone with whom you don’t regularly communicate or haven’t seen recently. With that in mind, I am challenging Dan Gray, John Hansen, Scott Erdman, Steve Moss and Pat Viscardi to contact me and let me know your plans for reunion or just to say hello.


On the topic of challenges, while you’re at it, encourage everyone you contact to send some news to Leslie Davis Dahl for the next column. I’ll start by reminding Leslie to share the update from Mark Halliday. You’ll have to read the next column or come to reunion to learn the latest about Mark.


By the way, in case you’re still pondering the word at the beginning of the column, it was “none,” and I hope that doesn’t describe the number of you who read this far.


John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

If there ever was a year full of sports, any year with both the Olympics and World Cup would have to rank high in the standings. And you often hear folks debate the best time of year for sports. But they’re mostly vague and unscientific, so I say it’s time to get serious. As I write in the month of June, my vote is that this past June pretty much takes the cake for all time sports heaven. In summary, there was the Stanley Cup, the NBA championship, the biggest sporting event on the planet every four years (in Brazil), Roland Garros, the All England Lawn Tennis Club, a legitimate contender for the Triple Crown, the maverick American golf tournament, baseball! You’re insane, June. You’re beautiful. Stay crazy!


Speaking of June, mark your calendars for June 18-21, 2015, for our 30th reunion in Hanover. There’s no limit to the fun activities that will be planned because we have hit the jackpot with our reunion tri-chair class volunteers Todd Cranford, Becky Blake Osborne and Joe Riley! Score—or, as they say in Brazil, “Goooaaal.” Start making your plans to join the celebration with old classmates and meeting new ones. Contact them if you’d like to be a part of our reunion committee efforts in any capacity: tcranford@cfpboard.org, rebecca.osborne@sylvania.com, jriley@willkie.com. 


We may not know which sports will be offered in Hanover for reunion, but perhaps we can entice Marcy Sitnik Reed to keep her arm loose for a game at Biondi field. The rumor is that our classmate threw out a first pitch at a recent Red Sox game at Fenway Park in her capacity as president of National Grid-Massachusetts. Actually, it’s a fact: Marcy’s a regular ace and her husband, Steve, posted the video on Facebook. 


Becky Osborne (source of the scouting news on Marcy) and Donna Fraser Gourdeau have crossed paths frequently courtesy of “b-ice,” a.k.a. boys on ice, as each has a son perfecting his slap shot, power play and toe drag. Word has it Linda Cooper Marshall’s second son, Henry, is equally immersed in this sport. Our hope is that NHL scouts hold off until after June 2015 to draft these kids so that their moms will most definitely make it to our 30th!


David Etz offered this update from the city of windy and weird weather: “After a long, dreary winter, spring flew by in about eight minutes and summer is in full swing. In 2005 I left marketing and advertising and the many good friends made there to enter semi-retirement. I consulted for agencies now and again, opened Crown Cleaning (‘Treat yourself like a queen—we do!’) and tried my best to enjoy the early onset of my golden years—in my case, being prematurely gray, probably more aptly named my silver years. I am now certified as an alcohol and other substances counselor here in Illinois and entered Loyola of Chicago’s social work master’s program in January of this year. I have to say I love, love, love it. Being 31 years older than most of my classmates makes me feel 28 again—not that I ever really grew up. I am now hoping to do policy and administration work in the field with an emphasis on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer community here in Chicago. I am planning to spend next winter in Denver interning for Ted Pascoe, who runs an agency focused on homeless elderly. And I will definitely be back on the Green for our 30th. Hope to see you there!”


We do, too! All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

One of great laments of the class secretary is the dearth of news and limited proactive input from classmates. We also toss around ideas of enlisting guest writers to add a fresh perspective and style to the columns, but have not been too successful with that option. Well, we may have hit the class secretary jackpot (if such a thing exists) with some awesome news this month. Who better to write about than an actual writer and author? In case you missed it, our own Dan Fagin recently won a Pulitzer Prize (yes, a Pulitzer Prize) for his nonfiction work, Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation, “the riveting true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, Toms River melds hard-hitting investigative reporting, a fascinating scientific detective story, and an unforgettable cast of characters into a sweeping narrative.” There are numerous favorable reviews, including being named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR and Kirkus. In addition to winning literary awards, Dan is an associate professor of journalism and the director of the science, health and environmental reporting program and NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. He spent 15 years as the environmental writer at Newsday, where he was twice a key member of teams that were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. He has also written numerous articles on cancer epidemiology and has articles featured in The New York Times, such as recent one about toxicity issues in Switzerland. While offering congratulations to Dan on this great achievement, I am left with two thoughts. First, wasn’t the ice slide at South Fayer an environmental hazard? Second, if you invite Dan over to your house you better make sure your wine glasses are clean.


I don’t have a clever segue to the next story (maybe Toms River to Tom’s brothers?), but we did receive a quick update and picture from Tom Klupchak showing the four Klupchak brothers at Tom’s graduation in 1985 and then again at 2013 Homecoming. A true Dartmouth family, Michael ’73, Rick ’74, Bill ’77 and Tom ’85 look the same after 28 years—well, maybe a little bit different. Tom is still in the Chicago area, presumably still a huge sports fan.


Perhaps you were aware of the recent Association of Alumni election of a new executive committee. Perhaps you actually voted. Perhaps you already know the results. And perhaps you know that Sue Finegan Vasu was elected president of this executive committee. Congrats to Sue on her election. For you friends of the class column (FOCC, a just-coined acronym), you will recall Sue has been mentioned in the past in this column for her various professional achievements, so we’re glad to have class of 1985 representation within this new committee.


Here’s to a great spring and summer for everyone and remember, it’s never too soon to begin thinking about our 30th reunion next year. I, for one, will be asking Dan Fagin to write a recap of that reunion.


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541 slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Coming on the heels of Homecoming Weekend in October as I write, and knowing we will be in the thick of winter when you all read this alongside a feature story in the magazine on the winter Olympics prompted me to search for a link. Homecoming? Winter Olympics? Class of 1985? Ah-ha! Search no more. Please give a rouse for our very own Tiger Shaw, who became chief operating officer of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) this past October (around the time of Homecoming), and will no doubt be quite a visible presence in Sochi, Russia, in February. Tiger will succeed Bill Marolt this spring as president and CEO of USSA and will next take up residence in Park City, Utah, leaving behind many good friends in the Upper Valley. In addition to his USSA duties he and Kristin ’84 will have plenty of reasons to venture back East, courtesy of their kids Kara (Middlebury ’15), Gunnar ’14 and Eva (a junior at Green Mountain Valley School). We wish Tiger all the best as he continues his good work at the helm of the USSA.

Turning back to Homecoming, ’85s were well represented throughout the weekend, starting with Friday night’s parade. Led by flag-bearer Eamon Brady, visiting from N.Y.C. with his son Connor and his bride, Krista Brady (and, yes, “Brady” is Krista’s maiden name; unclear if she has become Krista Brady-Brady?), several classmates joined the march with many of us relieved that the bonfire lap-running tradition came after our tenure. Our 50th birthday gathering was a delight thanks to Joe Riley and Margaret Marder, who, along with class president Valerie Hartman, created a warm welcoming to all ’85s throughout the weekend. Other classmates spotted in and around Hanover included Laura Hicks, Sue Finegan, Linda Cooper Marshall, Dave Etz, Tyler Woolson, David Hall, Sue Spencer Reckford, Nancy Vogele, Michael Davidson, Katie Harris Robbins, Jenny Archibald Williams, Allison Shutz Moskow, Jeannie Miller, John Graves, Mark Caron, Ron Wybranowski.

Flying in from L.A., Aloke Mandal was certain he had a lock on farthest distance traveled to attend Homecoming, but it is Judy Stein who gets that award, hailing from Torino, Italy, with all three daughters in tow—Umbra (Fordham University), Jenny (UVM) and Nicole (high school). Judy splits her time now between ski instructing in Vail, Colorado, and fixing up her perennial fixer-upper villa in Italy. Tutti i buoni! As for Aloke, having recently migrated his career from being an on-call transplant surgeon to running the western division of a medical consulting firm, he has effectively removed what was his (understandable) excuse for missing our 25th reunion. We all expect that Aloke will now only be on call for attending our 30th in Hanover in 2015!

Dartmouth’s fall term artist-in-residence Daniel Heyman had an easy commute to the weekend. Those lucky enough to have stopped by the Jaffe-Friede Gallery in the Hop during Homecoming were treated to a personal tour with Daniel. His exhibition included his four “seasonal” self-portraits depicting Daniel’s unique interpretation of personal growth from youth through adulthood, created after having spent more than five years on his Abu Ghraib project (also on display), in which he traveled to Jordan and Turkey to witness the interviews of the former prisoners conducted in preparation for the class action lawsuit filed on their behalf. These monumental works are breathtaking to behold.

There is more classmate news to share. But (for once!) we have run out of space. Wow—now that is something to report. Please keep your news coming as we promise to share it here. All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

There was a tease of spring this last weekend in February in the northeast as warm air and sunny skies helped the winter snows begin to recede. You never know what March may bring—“In like a lion, out like lamb”—but even this early taste of springtime feels good. Almost as good as having quite a bit of news to share this column so here goes.

Seems Vail, Colorado, is as good a place as any for two fellow ’85s from Mid Mass to reconnect! As shared by Jon Sollender: “We were enjoying ourselves at a wonderful Italian restaurant in Vail when from the table next to ours came the gentle question if ‘that’ was a Dartmouth sweater (I, of course, was casually dressed in my class sweater—yes, it still fits). Asking was the husband of Brenda Clark from Mid Mass. I, a Hitchcock grad, swapped several stories with her and her family, especially about skiing. She turned quite red when I asked her if her children knew anything about skiing down the stairwell of Mid Mass: ‘Brenda, how could you not tell your kids what you did down the Mid Mass stairwell at least once a winter semester?’ ” Jon, his wife and four children (ages 17, 16, 14, 11) live full-time in Aurora, Colorado, and spend winters and summers around Vail. Jon did write that his oldest was in the college application process, with Dartmouth on her list. Perhaps he will be spending more time on the Hanover Plain again (though maybe not on the stairwell of Mid Mass). Other classmates upholding the Dartmouth legacy tradition include Eleni Daskalakis Henkel, whose oldest son Matthew, and Jory Macomber, whose oldest son Sam are both matriculating this fall with the class of 2015. Congratulations! Eleni lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, with husband, Peter, and their three kids and is a partner with an executive search firm specializing in searches for investment professionals. Jory is assistant headmaster at Holderness School, coaching the ski team and raising three kids with wife Martha Cornell ’86. I certainly hope that Sam Macomber will uphold his family’s ski racing tradition too and will be making a few turns for the Big Green.

Matthew Dickerson has just published his eighth book—The Mind and the Machine—to glowing reviews. Matthew is a professor at Middlebury, teaching in both the computer science and environmental studies programs and juggling various distinguished lecturer invitations. Vying for the “almost as prolific an author as Matthew Dickerson” title is fellow classmate Jim Rasenberger. Jim recently published his third book titled: The Brilliant Disaster, a history of the Bay of Pigs invasion. Published coincident with the 50th anniversary of the invasion, the book includes, as described by Jim, a “double dollop of Dartmouth.” One of the people Jim writes about in the book is his father, Raymond Rasenberger ’49, who played a small but significant role in the crisis, working with the Kennedy administration to bring home more than a thousand men whom Castro took prisoner after the failed invasion.

Hope you saw the December New York Times “The Boss” column featuring our very own Harlan Kent. From cooking classes at Le Cordon Bleu, to Bain Consulting, Isotoner Gloves and now, since 2009, CEO of Yankee Candle, Harlan is “the brand guy.” He comments that they have more than 75 fragrances and introduce an average of 20 new fragrances a year. As he describes it: “Candles are evocative—they transport people to an earlier time.” Maybe Harlan can develop a fragrance evocative of Mid Mass for Jon and Brenda? Then again…maybe not!

All the best to all of you!

Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

I am miraculously enjoying the warmth of sunshine out my window—perhaps one of the first days in the entire month of June that has been devoid of rain. I never thought that would seem like such an accomplishment but as most of us in the Northeast can attest, this past month has been all too damp, dreary and dull. A challenge to try focusing on outdoor activities, the break from the routine of the school year, summer travel adventures when your daily hope is that your raincoat has dried out from the night before. I am happy to report that drier skies appear to have finally arrived, and I have (surprisingly) enjoyed a modest deluge of classmate news since our last column. Here’s the news.


Rich Lindahl broke his code of silence—described as an unintentional reluctance to put “fingers to keyboard” (the current age version of putting pen to paper)—and shared the following: “I’ve just been appointed CFO of the Corporate Executive Board in Arlington, Virginia. The company bills itself as ‘the indispensable source of best practice research, decision-support tools and executive education for the world’s top corporations and not-for-profit institutions.’ This new role follows an 11-year run at Sprint Nextel, most recently as senior vice president and treasurer. I’m still living in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with my wife, Noni, and our daughters Annie (16), Jane (14) and Zoe (11). We love living in this area, having been here now since 1991. Noni and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary in April. She keeps busy as a preschool teacher and nonprofit board member. All three girls go to National Cathedral School and lead very active lives. After work and family I enjoy getting in a few rounds of golf, the occasional tennis match, playing a little guitar, skiing when possible and trying to keep up with old friends as best I can. I hope my classmates are well and would love to hear from anyone (rich.lindahl@yahoo.com and on Facebook).” Rich assured me that he has June 2010 booked to be in Hanover for our 25th reunion.


Patty Milon was hired as executive vice president and chief legal counsel for Scottrade Bank in St. Louis, Missouri, in May of this year. Prior to joining Scottrade Patty was involved in various consulting capacities to financial institutions on TARP (you know, that financial assistance plan all of us taxpayers “agreed” to dole out to those ailing financial institutions). I am confident Patty was on the good side of all of that stuff, given her previous positions also included VP and deputy counsel to Fannie Mae and senior counsel for financial institutions for the Treasury Department. 


Other news falls under the broad category of “sightings,” which are always a welcome addition to our column news. Rick Kleeman was spotted (not by yours truly—this is one of those two-degrees-of-separation sightings but it still counts) at Lincoln Center toasting Dartmouth’s outgoing President Wright. I am sure my invite got lost in the mail. Mark Engel was spotted in Lax Unlimited in Old Greenwich, Connecticut (adjacent to his home in Stamford), with three of his four kids, outfitting some combination of them with gear. And in keeping with the lacrosse theme, Linda Cooper Marshall was spotted in the stands of Southington (Connecticut) High School watching her youngest, Claire, play lacrosse. No doubt following in the footsteps of dad Jenkins ’84 and older brothers Jenkins and Henry, Claire will give Linda plenty more opportunities to be a spectator!


Send news! All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

I had occasion recently to re-read Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. I say “re-read” as this 18th-century pamphlet falls under the category of those literary works one “must have read”—a presumption that graduates of higher education, no doubt, presume about a lot of things. While I cannot honestly attest to this presumption, I will stick by the assertion, at least for this column (did I tell you I was a French major?). Anyway, more relevant than the content of the pamphlet in which Paine outlines the case for the independence of the colonies from British rule—an overly simplistic summation, I know, but just indulge me all of you legitimate historians (did I tell you I was a French major?)—it was the simplicity of the title that caught my eye. 


Common sense seems to be in very short supply these days, “that which people would consider prudent and of sound judgment…based upon what they see as knowledge held by people ‘in common’ ” (source: Wikipedia). Just imagine the progress that could be made if some plain old common sense was applied to all those issues floating around these days: healthcare reform, reducing the national debt, the war in Afghanistan, Social Security, energy conservation. If we could quiet the rhetoric for a while we might actually be able to communicate with one another and find some common ground toward progress. But who would actually want to do that? 


I recently read about a 6-year-old boy in Delaware who is facing 45 days suspension from school for having brought his Cub Scout utensil that can serve as a knife, fork and spoon to school. Excited about joining the Scouts, this first-grader was no doubt just looking to gain kudos with his pals during sharing. Instead he is deemed to have violated his school’s “zero tolerance” policy on weapons and is in reform school. Now I do not doubt that there are some very serious threats every day in schools nationwide, but please! If this is not the Death of Common Sense (yet another topic we could dialogue about courtesy of Philip K. Howard’s manifesto by the same name) I do not know what is! Lawsuits will no doubt be flying on this one for years to come.


Most of us encounter numerous day-to-day occasions when a dose of common sense would be a welcome reprieve. Here are a few of my favorites: common sense No. 1: do not park in the drive-thru lane at school pickups (definitely hazardous to your health); common sense No. 2: when the temperature has dropped below 50 degrees swap those flip flops for some real shoes (if you have had success convincing a teenager of this one, let me know!); common sense No. 3: if you are running a fever stay home (can you say “swine flu”?). And my all-time favorite—common sense No. 4: If you are approaching your 25th college reunion this June 2010, make every effort to attend! 


Common sense will have, no doubt, led you to conclude that there was an absolute dearth of classmate news. I could share the news that John MacManus and yours truly were selected as Class Secretaries of the Year at the October 2009 Class Officers Weekend in Hanover. But that would imply that we were doing something other than filling this column with a seemingly coherent rambling on a seemingly relevant topic (did I tell you I was French major?). So allow me to conclude with a plea: Send news! 


And please heed common sense—No. 4 noted above. All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

My older daughter created a Facebook account for me, which I still haven’t accessed and am not even sure I want. What I found amazing was what she called one of its great features—the honesty box, or something like that. Have you heard about this? I guess it’s a place where you can anonymously send comments to your “friend.” Huh? Do I want to get a mysterious note from someone saying “See you tonight at 7” or “I’m watching you now”? If someone is my friend, why keep it a secret? This feature only seems to be a recipe for trouble—“Hey, just wanted to let you know I’m having dinner with your wife.”


Thanks to Doug Williamson for his note. His son Peter, now a Dartmouth sophomore, won the Ivy League golf championship individually last spring, helping the Big Green to a third-place team finish. Doug has been a pediatrician in the Upper Valley for the past 12 years, working at Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon and living in Hanover with his wife and 16-year-old daughter. Doug talked about some golf and fishing outings with John Greabe, Jim Leightheiser, Tony Kingsley (still on tour as the drummer for The Police?), Dave Weld and Dave Lenrow. Doug also mentioned a fierce competition among friends for the Dartmouth bowling pin, currently in the hands of Glenn Jordan in Maine, after having been in Rhode Island with Paul DiSilvestro. Not sure what the criteria is for winning this pin, but I’m sure there is a lot of trash talking involved. 


I was excited to receive an e-mail from Major League Baseball, thinking that perhaps my 70 mph lefty fastball had finally impressed some scouts. It was not to be, however, as this note came from Ed Burns, who shared an article from Broadcasting and Cable Magazine about our classmate Mark Stern. Since I’ve often said the only things I love more than baseball are articles about broadcasting, this was nirvana. Mark is now the executive vice president of original content for Syfy and also the co-head of original content for Universal Cable Productions. As a network executive with production experience Mark has had a hand in some of Syfy’s major successes, including the remake of Battlestar Gallactica, the launch of Ghost Hunters and the development of Eureka. Syfy’s president called Mark the “most open and collaborative development head I have ever come across,” which seems like a pretty nice compliment or a ploy to get Mark to do something. When not developing programming Mark enjoys his time with wife Betsy and children Carson and Will.


I must also share some sad news on the death of our classmate Debra Thatcher Gilcrest in June after a bout with cancer. Debra came to Dartmouth from Missoula, Montana, and returned there to earn her J.D. with high honors from the University of Montana Law School. Debra’s legal practice included positions in Vermont, Oregon, Wisconsin, D.C. and most recently Missoula. She married David Gilcrest in August 1986 in a celebration attended by many friends. She was also passionate about music and was an accomplished vocalist and trombonist, involved in the Missoula Community Concert Band and Missoula City Band. Debra was also an avid camper, canoeist and birder. She is survived by her husband, David, son Mackenzie, daughter Abigail and other family members.


Out of words here. Better go check my honesty box to see if anyone sent me a note about how great this column continues to be. Happy fall!


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Having been provided with virtually nothing to use for material I will have to channel the spirit of Seinfeld episodes gone by. In that classic series there were shows about nothing, as in, “George got up this morning—now there’s a show.” Analogous to that would be, “John has no material—now there’s a column.” See the connection? I could also reference a reunion theme for both Seinfeld, a la Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the class of 1985, a la Hanover June 2010. Now there’s a column (I hope).


I’m sure everyone has received a notice or 40 about our reunion coming up June 17-20 in Hanover. As reunions approach a lot of thoughts cross my mind. Here is a sampling. When do I start the crash diet and exercise program to be ready for June? When should I get my hair cut? Who do I really want to see? Who really wants to see me? (I’m sure there is an imbalance there.) Will the current AXA brothers exhibit the same respectful disdain that I’m sure I showed alums who returned to resurrect the glory nights of pong? In the interest of efficiency wouldn’t it be nice if there were some sort of flashcard or buzzer system you could use to end a conversation you didn’t want to have? Or some color-coded badges? For example, green for “People I really would enjoy seeing,” yellow for “A quick recap would be fine” and red for “Mayday, change directional path, do not make eye contact.” How many new Dartmouth T-shirts can I cram in my luggage for the trip home? Will I spend as much time memorizing our reunion book as I did the freshmen book? Will I feel older or younger, more successful or less successful when I return home? As you can see I’ve probably spent too much time already thinking about these things, though perhaps you’ve thought some of the same. Or perhaps your set of questions is somewhat briefer, as in “Who cares what he thinks?” In any case it should be a great weekend and I hope everyone attends.


Actually, I do have some classmate news. I got an e-mail from Kevin Randall, whom I knew from our South Fayerweather days. I now know Kevin lives/works in Chicago, has an e-mail address with the suffix moveo.com and has attended some local Dartmouth functions in the Windy City with Scott McDonald. By the time you read this Eric Wilinski will be a first-time father (congrats to E. and wife Allyson). I also got a note from Ken Johnson ’83 (thanks, K.J.), who was either confused by two years or gracious enough to share news about John Kulseth (a land surveyor living on an island—doesn’t that job necessarily have a finite aspect to it?) and endorse 25th reunions. For those also interested (and by my count that is about five of you), Cold Beer 13 Fantasy Hoops is approaching mid-season and the annual Russ Mitchell ski trip was held in Telluride, Colorado, this year. Heck, I may even activate my dormant Facebook account to share news of these events.


I have one vow and one hope for reunion. I vow not to be walking around with my face buried in a Blackberry and I hope that my ramblings above did not change me from a green badge to a red badge for anyone! See you in June!


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

So, “who dat say they gonna be in Hanover in June?”


Reunion tri-chairs Todd Cranford, Mimi Reilly Eldridge and Joe Riley are hard at work with the committee organizing our June 17-20 events. Start making your plans to join the celebration with old classmates and meet new ones. 
We are hoping for a return visit by classmates John Rubin, Joyce Sackey and Jennifer Root Mayer, who gathered just last fall in Hanover to commemorate their 20th Dartmouth Medical School reunion. John is an associate professor of emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and Joyce is the dean for multicultural affairs and global health at Tufts University School of Medicine. This update comes from Jen, who, after six years at Yale-New Haven Hospital completing her pediatrics residency and fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology, moved in 1995 with her husband, Peter (DMS’87), to Sarasota, Florida, where they currently reside with three children, two dogs, two to seven hamsters (variable lifespan/procreation issues), pet tree frog and innumerable dinosaur fossils. Oldest daughter Jillian will be joining the Dartmouth class of 2014 this September, along with Andrew Roberts, eldest son of fellow Florida resident Laura Hicks Roberts.


Mark Caron, Ed Simpson and Harry Bourque are each residing these days in Ridgewood, New Jersey. They have, we hope by now, succeeded at digging themselves out of the latest winter snowstorm blast and will venture north to the Hanover Plain. When not molding future Dartmouth rugby players through the local program he and Ed started about six years ago or coaching lacrosse alongside Harry, Mark is still immersed in the chaotic world of wireless start-ups. Check out his latest: www.mysnacs.com. 


After 24 years in business and management consulting at Anderson Consulting and Fidelity Investments Peggy Zink was named president of Cincinnati Works, a privately funded, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating poverty in the community. The goal is to assist people in becoming economically self-sufficient by offering programs to assist in employment search, job retention and advancement. The model has been very successful and is being replicated in a variety of cities across the country under Peggy’s steady hand. 


I have discovered one good thing about Green Cards—brevity. However, it appears as though Shelley Leavitt Nadel, despite her many days co-authoring this column, has forgotten that we do have a word limit. But by submitting an electronic update it is impossible to run out of space. So I will have to provide the Cliff’s Notes version for you here (come to reunion to hear the unabridged details): “David and I are about to celebrate 18 years of marriage and we are still in Houston. When I’m not dealing with our three kids with multiple activities, a husband who travels overseas and my more than full-time job I sing in two choirs. The singing is something I do for me and it heals my soul (and I’m pretty good at it!).”


Will those fun boys from Isidore Newman School—Darren Alcus, Rob Clements, Steve Favrot and Mike Smith—be in Hanover, strutting their New Orleans pride? Hope so! Come reminisce about freshman trip (Darren, are you still carrying that can of garbanzo beans?), freshman dorm (Mike, Ripley-Woodward-Smith dorms are still connected through the bathrooms!) and FSPs (Steve, what was the name of our Dartmouth professor in Toulouse?). And, Rob, sorry, we cannot reminisce. You are the one Newman boy of the quartet I never encountered while at Dartmouth. So I hope to meet you under the tent in June!


Now “who dat say they gonna be in Hanover in June?” 


I hope you! All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Some of the life-altering questions you may have heard through the years may have been “Will you marry me?” “How many kids do you want?” “Will you relocate for that promotion?” Other inquiries of real importance might include “Pong, anyone?” “Pepperoni or sausage?” “Snooki or JWoww?” I guess it depends on where you are on the road to self-discovery. Me? Well I set out to discover how many cut and pastes it takes to finish a column.


Ron denBroeder got in touch with me recently to tout his annual Oscar party, a tradition he’s transplanted from his days in L.A. to the Philadelphia suburbs. Ron’s continuing what he describes as a fun and varied career in sales and management consulting here on the East Coast, working with the likes of Volvo and Temple University. He spent 14 years as a development consultant until selling his company in 2000, when he switched over to government agencies, education, and for-profit. He and wife Jane Downey, a Philly native, have a son, 2 1/2, and two daughters, 11 and 13. “Look for me and the family on youtube.com/ronden63,” says Ron proudly.


From Becky Osborne: “My news items have a predominant hockey focus, because for better or for worse I am now officially a hockey mom. In January Scott Borek, associate head coach of the UNH men’s hockey team (Durham, New Hampshire), showed my 9-year-old son Matthew what college hockey was all about by providing game tickets, UNH hats and an opportunity to hang pregame with the hockey big boys when UNH played UMass. Matthew had quite the story to tell his Keene, New Hampshire, teammates when he got to collect player helmets in the box after warm up and got a few knuckle-bumps from UNH players for his efforts. (My daughter and I understandably were barred from the men’s locker room, but Matthew got the full tour thanks to Scott). Although we never crossed paths that night, word has it that Tim Coughlin was in the crowd for the game (from Portsmouth, New Hampshire). Tim’s nephew Garrett Coughlin and my son play on the same Keene team. Tonight was our end-of-season hockey banquet for the Keene Youth Hockey League. Mark Gross, coach of the boy’s Bantam team, and his wife, Kathy Reilly Gross, were recognized by the players. Two of the boys on Mark’s team, roughly 14 to 15 years old, approached the podium and proceeded to commend Kathy for being the consummately understanding coach’s wife (a bouquet of flowers helped acknowledge her sacrifice). And here comes the best part: Oblivious to Mark’s frat boy past as a Phi Delt brother I heard the same two boys say, ‘We appreciate Coach Mark for all he does for our team and for providing us with a moral compass!’ On a non-hockey note, Katie Harris Robbins and I had lunch in Hanover last Saturday, took a great walk around Occom Pond and talked our way past two undergrads into the Fahey dorm to check out the digs for our 25th reunion. 


From Doug Fulton: Busy with life in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with wife Cindy and kids Nikki (18), Max (8), Sam (5) and Ana (2). Nikki is freshman at Indiana. Ana was adopted from Guatemala in 2008.


Well, I guess the answer is three—and that doesn’t even include news I got from Jim Sapienza. By the way, did anyone ever determine how many licks it does take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

The tent was hopping, the weather was incredible and the turnout was more than 300 classmates strong. Kudos to the entire 25th reunion committee and our tri-chairs, Todd Cranford, Mimi Reilly Eldridge and Joe Riley (and a double rouse of thanks to their spouses, Jacqueline, George Eldridge and Kate, for their support through the months of planning). Their collective sigh of relief that the weekend was finally here was palpable and quickly overwhelmed by the excitement of everyone gathering on the Hanover Plain again. And alongside head agents Mark Caron and Doug Fulton and reunion giving chairs Gabrielle Guise, Rick Kleeman, Mark Koulogeorge and Laura Hicks Roberts, President Jim Kim smiled radiantly while accepting our $3.5 million class contribution to the Dartmouth College Fund, accomplished with more than 50 percent class participation! Thanks to all for your tremendous generosity.


Ironic that after all these years of begging for news, there is not nearly enough room to relay all that overflowed from reunion. Here are select sightings from some weekend events (with appreciation for those large print name badges and a promise that more will be divulged in upcoming columns): Mount Moosilauke hikes (hey, Harlan Kent, did you ever meet Lionel Conacher and hike up?); alumni athletics including rowing, tennis, running, squash (did anyone seriously challenge Jenny Gabler Bloch?); class meeting (a million thanks to outgoing class officers, notably president Margaret Warram Marder, whose hard work these past nine years culminated with our incredible reunion yearbook). A million and one thanks to incoming officers: president Valerie Hartman Levy, treasurer David McIlwain, newsletter co-editors Margaret Warram Marder and Tim Reynolds, webmaster Jeff Weitzman, co-head agents Gaby Guise and Joe McGee, class project coordinator Linda Blockus and, going on 25-plus years, secretaries John MacManus and yours truly). More highlights: listening to the inspirational speech of President Kim (how did you exit Spaulding, Rich Lindahl, without saying “hello”?); picnicking at Storr’s Pond (who knew so many of our classmates married each other?); class memorial service poignantly shepherded by Rabbi Shirley Idelson; various sightings around Hanover, including Amy Brout McHugh, Lisa Zaslow, Andy Ford, Dave Story, Tony Kingsley, Precious Stargell Cushman, Pam Cohen Hallagan, Kimberly Booker Schmid, Veronica Jenkins, Jim Sapienza, Amy Baron, Ricki Frankel, Lisa Reilly Nadler, Annie Bogoch Borsanyi, Sarah Rahr Fortna, Noel Danforth, Alison Frankel, Dan Fagin, Annette Hatch-Clein, Herb Philpott, Henrietta Hung, Chris Maccarone, Brook Parker, Ed Simpson, John Wolfe, Russ Mitchell, Rick Joyce, Lee Clein, David Hallagan, Suzanne Burnham Mankoff, Lynda McLaughry-Burt, Lisa Eisenberg Merrill, Kevin Umeh, Mark Stern, Drew Quinn; enjoying a delicious meal under the stars in front of Baker Library, courtesy of Marcy Marceau’s catering service (and spotting three of our Isidore Newman boys—Darren Alcus, Mike Smith and Rob Clements—you were missed, Steve Favrot!); gathering all those KKG’ers for a photo—Katie Harris Robbins, Barbie Van Buskirk, Donna Fraser Gourdeau, Linda Cooper Marshall, Sally Crane Goggin, Eleni Daskalakis Henkel, Heidi Clark-Goldfeld, Allison Shutz Moskow, Cindy Davis, Charlotte Hart. Jill Morgan, Tracy Pulciani Maag, Diane Bonina, Julia Lane, Kathleen Reilly Gross, Jill Owens, Laura Hicks Roberts, Carolina Kuczynski Reid, Gaby Guise, Valerie Hartman Levy, Elise Miller, Becky Blake Osborne. And seeing Nola Bonis, Alison Cooper Phillips, Jenny Archibald Williams, Sally Schwartz Higginson, Judy Stein, Sue Finegan and Lori Bamberger dancing under the tent—it was awesome to watch you getting down on the dance floor; and, Steven Mines, it was miraculous seeing you get back up! 


Homecoming gathering of ’84s-’87s October 30, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Hanover Inn. RSVP to Margaret: mmarder0269@comcast.net. 


The countdown begins to our 30th! Return if you can—you will not be disappointed. 


All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

I’m sure everyone is still basking in the aftermath of our fantastic reunion and eagerly anticipating our 30th. It was wonderful to enjoy the flood of memories and see that our classmates looked good, were happy and could mostly remember each other with minimal use of nametags. Anything worse than a twisted nametag where you can’t read the name? My only regret is that I couldn’t stay throughout the weekend and really hone my skills for all the local beer pong tourneys that I hear advertised on Philly radio. Every time I hear one, I think to myself “Can this really be true? Is this heaven on earth?”


A reunion eases the literary burden on your secretaries. What more can be conveyed that wasn’t personally shared in person? Why would I tell you news about someone when you already know it? Old friends mean you don’t have to re-explain yourself when you get together. You can just pick up where you left off. Conversations can begin with “Remember when?” instead of “What do you do?” A reunion is also an equalizer. If you have a better job than I do, but I knocked over your cup in a crowded basement, well I guess that makes us even (at least until the Monday). Seeing old friends with a good smile and quick laugh makes me wish you could put those moments in a bottle and open it in the future. 


Cool reunion things: hearing that Andy Osman was the best man in the wedding of his “little brother” from the Big Brother Program. Andy met this young man more than 25 years ago and they have been a part of each other’s lives ever since. Years ago this little brother was in Andy’s wedding to our own Frances Gmur. I liked hearing that Phil Yazbak’s daughter is going to Dartmouth. I liked seeing Pam Bass and Lynne Petkovic in the AXA basement under a hand-painted sign reading “in the #$%#ing basement.” I liked seeing Russ Mitchell talking to the deliveryman from Blood’s Seafood as this was a sure precursor to a great rage. I liked getting an e-mail from Linda Blockus saying that her kids bonded with Becky Blake’s kids. Uncool reunion things: having to leave early, Sal Sorce’s inexplicable confidence on the pong table, not remembering the combination to my Hinman box, the increased price of a chicken burger at the Hop. Things I was reminded I never liked: partnering with either Chris Mulligan or Jack Sylvia on the pong table. This duo has single handedly changed Al Davis’ motto to “Just Lose Baby” (feel free to substitute “chug” for “lose” at any time).


Another thing I liked is remembering how lucky we were/are to have had our lives intersect with some truly excellent, high-quality people. For that we have been truly fortunate. Sadly, though, we have lost one of our classmates, Craig Byrne. Craig passed away on June 30. His story can be read at www.caringbridge.com/visit/craigbyrne. There is a lot to share about Craig’s life, but I think many of us remember his love of music, including his involvement in The Aires. He is survived by his beloved wife, Sally Hostetler, and children Amos (14), Isabella (11) and Augustus (6).


I also liked that reunion reminded me it is important to make that extra effort to stay in touch with friends. Try it, you will like it.


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road Rosemont, PA 19010 610-525-4541; slampong@aol.com

“Eh, what’s up, Doc?” was first delivered in 1940 by Bugs Bunny, while nonchalantly chewing on a carrot in the cartoon, A Wild Hare. That line has outlived Bugs Bunny and, up until the dawn of the Internet Age, it was commonly used worldwide as a witty alternative to the straightforward query, “What’s going on?” Always wanting to stay cutting edge and up-to-date, I will lead this column with the more apropos query: “WhatsApp?” and hope this will elicit some responses. But please send your news without making me download that app! 


Believe it or not, some news made its way to us the (now) old-fashioned way—via email! The year 2014 looks to be quite a prolific publishing year for our class. In between his teaching load as a professor at Middlebury Matthew Dickerson just published his 10th novel titled The Rood and the Torc. It is a work of medieval historical heroic romance described by reviewers as “an exemplary piece of writing, one that conjures with grace and poetic skill the twilight of the Merovingian Dynasty. Dickerson writes well, and this memorable tale in his hands is expertly drawn.” Matthew will have a work of creative narrative nonfiction published this fall titled Downstream: Reflections on Brook Trout, Fly Fishing, and the Waters of Appalachia, followed by a new three-volume fantasy novel, of which volume one (titled The Gifted) is also due out this fall.


On the opposite end from the fiction genre, C. Jon Delogu’s nonfiction Tocqueville and Democracy in the Internet Age was also just published in January. In this work Jon ponders if democracy is still possible today and under what conditions, paying particular attention to the critical conversation around Tocqueville and democracy since the end of the Cold War during the Internet Age. Jon has been a teacher-researcher at French public universities since 1992, while also having taught at many notable U.S. institutions, including Dartmouth.


Classmate sightings of late include Gaby Guise who spotted Lisa Reilly Nadler on campus in early February. Although Lisa may have been tempted to climb the Carnival of Thrones, she was there in support of her son Andrew ’17, who is a member of the Nordic ski team. Emily Saltzman spent a weekend in Atlanta in mid-February in celebration of her nephew’s bar mitzvah and had a quick run-in (literally) with Valerie Hartman, who yours truly was also lucky enough to briefly connect with for a day after several travel mishaps during an Old Man Winter week of snowstorms and canceled flights. Eleni Daskalakis Henkel was honored with the Greenwich YWCA 2014 Brava Award in recognition of her outstanding professional achievements as founder and CEO of Henkel Search Partners while also volunteering her time and considerable talents to help others. Brava, Eleni! 


And a grateful shout-out to David McIlwain and Margaret Marder, whose tireless efforts during the past few years have restored our class’ tax-exempt status. We are now in a position to support several interesting class projects embracing several undergraduate initiatives on and off-campus. Stay tuned for further details. And the countdown to our 30th has begun—anyone interested in participating in the planning, contact either Valerie Hartman (vhartman711@gmail.com) or Joe Riley (jriley851@gmail.com). Joe is seeking a reunion co-chair and rumor has it that Todd Cranford is mulling this over.


It is with sympathy that I share the news of the January 10 passing of James Joseph West in Eugene, Oregon. James is survived by his wife, Jane, and their four children.


Continuing in our up-to-date news-seeking mode, #sendnews.


All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore and Santa Claus, I share the following tale.


’Twas the night before the deadline and all


through the house


No updates from classmates, not even their


spouse


The electronics were poised to receive news


with care


In the hopes an email or text would be there


The keyboard was ready for words any


minute


But with nothing to share, I’d have to


fabricate and spin it


When, what to my thankful inbox did appear


A litany of stories from my co-secretary so 


clear


Overflow Homecoming news in abundance


I’m hopeful you’ve heard it just this once


So with great thanks to Leslie, our ’85 class elf


I didn’t have to make stuff up by myself.


Laura Hicks was up from Florida with 16-year-old daughter; has a ’14 and a ’16 at Dartmouth so spends quite a bit of time around the Hanover Plain. Linda Marshall was up from New Canaan, Connecticut; kids all currently at boarding school so she and Jenkins ’84 are having a dry-run at empty-nesting status; two sons at Taft (one senior; one sophomore); daughter at Choate, where Fran O’Donoghue ’84 is her field hockey coach. David Etz is living in Chicago; still carries that delightful twinkle in his eye! (Remember, these are Leslie’s notes. I do not recall the same twinkle.) Joe Riley is a lawyer at Wilkie Farr & Gallagher in N.Y.C.; coordinated our class b-day party on Saturday before football game along with Margaret Marder and Valerie Hartman. Tyler Woolson is chief financial officer at Georgia Pacific in Atlanta; twin 14-year-old sons; enjoys spending time on their house in Little Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire. David Hall was up from Milton, Massachusetts, showing off the Big Green to oldest daughter Kendall. Sue Spencer Reckford is living in Short Hills, New Jersey, with three kids all in or out (already) of college, so enjoying life. Judy Stein earned the record for traveling the farthest distance to attend—came from Torino, Italy, with her daughters Umbra (Fordham University), Jenny (UVM) and Nicole (high school). Judy splits her time between Vail, Colorado, and Italy, along with visiting her daughters. Nancy Vogele is in Hanover full-time as the director of spiritual life at Tucker. She had been in Hartford, Vermont, serving in a parish before returning recently to Hanover. Michael Davidson lives in Lebanon (that’s New Hampshire) and is likely our class of ’85 longest continuous presence at Homecoming, having attended most of them since our graduation as he has been in and around Lebanon almost since 1985. Michael has been traveling quite a lot between Mexico and Lebanon, as his children Piper and Joe are currently in school in Mexico, where his wife decided they should be living now. Michael recently joined in the surprise celebration of Brian Bandler’s 50th, which was even a bigger surprise to Brian as his wife threw the party months in advance of his actual birthday. Katie Harris Robbins is living in Hanover; daughter Heidi graduated from Princeton last spring and is training on the U.S. national rowing team. Younger daughter Liesl is a senior at Hanover High busy with senior year and deciding where she will be taking her lacrosse prowess next year. Kris Robbins manages Swiss Semester in Zermatt, Switzerland, throughout each fall.


And as we approach the conclusion of this 


clever rhyme


News of the Alpha Chi Alpha Caribbean 


mini-reunion will be shared next time


So ’tis the end of column and end of night


To all our classmates, happy New Year and 


please write.


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Upon reading this, the majority of our classmates has already turned 50 and likely chose different ways to commemorate the special milestone. Jim Sapienza celebrated his 50th in Alaska to complete visits to all 50 states. Interestingly, it also marked the 50th straight time he has beaten me in Words with Friends. My wife, Cindy Bergman, danced for 50 straight songs at her surprise 50th party, not as part of any formal dance-a-thon, but more as her common social practice when we’re out with friends. I was down in the British Virgin Islands enjoying a great family vacation on my 50th and probably should have been using Coppertone SPF 50 instead of consuming 50 rum punches. Oh well!


Several groups have taken trips celebrating the half-century mark. I know Susannah (Gaylord) Budington, Beth (Gilman) Hobbs, Amy (Durno) Harned, Gayle Gilman, Jill Morgan, Lauren (Sonstrom) Rosen, Sue Finegan, JoAnn (Shannon) Davey, Jenny Page, Kathy “Babs” Jeavons, Carole (Crelin) Frasseneli and Cindy Bergman are headed to N’awlins. If the amount of fun approximates the number of e-mails exchanged planning this boondoggle, it should be fantastic. Russ Mitchell, Mikey Lehman, Dave Story, Jim Newman, Chris Mulligan, Tom McDonald, Phil Yazbak, Peter Harned, Frank Cerveny and John Kulseth went Cat skiing in February. The trip was noteworthy despite the fact this group skis together every year. This same group plus Barry Bass, Jack Sylvia and yours truly—along with spouses Pam Lower Bass, Eileen (Lynch) Sylvia ’83, Kathy (Bowler) Mitchell ’83, Sarah (Sherwood) Mulligan ’86 and, you guessed it, Cindy Bergman—are planning a warm weather outing in November. I promise there will be no video or audio postings of this trip. Boating, check; dancing, check; beverages, check; Facebook/Instagram, no.


Some of us also found time to work. The Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts announced that Sue Finegan was one of their recipients of the 2013 Leila J. Robinson Award, an award designed to recognize women who have captured the spirit of pioneering in the legal profession and have made a difference in their community. The writeup for Sue detailing her accomplishments was longer than all my columns combined, so let me be succinct and say, “Congrats, Sue.”


This summer also featured several reconnections. Derek Chow ’84 and Jan Gordon ’84 (note example of class secretary fellowship) visited Philly with son Miles (their daughters were at camp) for soccer camp and college visits. Living in Boulder, Colorado, Derek is senior vice president and head of business development at ING Investments (based in N.Y.C.), while Jan does editorial film consulting and sits on the selection committee for the Boulder International Film Festival. Derek also shared news about his sister and our classmate Cheryl Chow, who lives with husband John and daughter Madelyn in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she is involved in teaching and community activities. I also saw Joe Kilroy ’86, who shared some great stories of his Dartmouth basketball career, including the time when the Big Green beat No. 1 UNC and Joe poured in 26 points on Michael Jordan (also 50 this year). Okay, maybe some of Joe’s recall was a bit cloudy, but Joe does have a picture in his basement of him guarding His Airness.


If you’ve read this far, two things may have struck you. Trips with friends are more fun than work and Cindy Bergman had a lot of fun traveling this year.


Happy belated 50th to my co-secretary, Leslie Davis Dahl!


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

If you were wondering what becomes of a college newspaper editor-in-chief, we filled you in on that one in our May column, relaying the news of the recent publication of Toms River by our very own Dan Fagin. While celebrating his latest publication exposing the toxic cancer cluster in that New Jersey town, we neglected to relay the complete update on Dan. After 14 years as the environmental writer at Newsday, since 2005, Dan has been an associate professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University and the director of the NYU science, health and environmental reporting program. So it should come as no surprise that our former Daily D editor-in-chief recently reconnected with our former Daily D editorial editor—none other than Elise Miller. Turns out that both Dan and Elise pursued journalism after Dartmouth with a common draw toward environmental issues—Elise traveling to India in her early years, while Dan reported on environmental health issues closer to home. Since completing her master’s in education at Harvard in 1992, Elise has dedicated herself to strengthening the scientific and public dialogue on the impact of environmental factors on human health. 


Now back to the reconnection of Elise and Dan. Elise currently serves as director of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE). Elise had what she sincerely describes as “the privilege” of interviewing Dan about his new book this past April, the recording of which you can access on the CHE website. At the outset of the interview, their personal ties dating back to when they were 19 years old are acknowledged by both, along with Elise praising Dan’s work in the field of environmental epidemiology. In his following opening remarks, Dan applauds Elise’s departure from journalism into public activism with the very astute observation that “journalism’s loss has been advocacy’s gain.” You said it, brother! Reconnection complete. In addition, Elise officially joined the ranks of the Women of Whidbey (and, no, that is not a calendar). Elise is one of several women residents of the island in Washington who have been invited to participate in a series of TED-like talks, discussing their passions in life. 


So if investigative journalists, public health advocates and overall thought leaders are not enough of a sign of our maturing class ranks, how about tossing a judge in the mix? Our very own Dave Carson took the bench in Virginia on July 1. As he writes: “In April the Virginia legislature appointed me as a circuit court judge for the 23rd judicial circuit of Virginia. I am of course excited, but my excitement is tempered by the reality of shutting down a 23-year practice. For the past eight years I have also been heavily involved in our public school system, serving as the chairman of the Roanoke, Virginia, city school board for the last seven years and the chairman of the Roanoke Valley Governor’s School for the last three years. I am not able to continue on either school board after I take the bench and I will miss them greatly. Public education is a worthy cause and a worthy investment.” I don’t know about you, but I get modestly more hopeful about the prospects for improvement when proactive minds like Dave’s are engaged in the education dialogue. 


Whether early or belated, let me continue the closing comments from John’s previous class column and extend happy 50th birthday greetings to one and all. The half-century milestone is nothing to take for granted and we wish everyone a healthy and happy next half-century.


All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Truth be told, this column has a habit of sneaking up on me, particularly at this time of year. Even though John MacManus and I have been handing-off this column for more than 25 years, which certainly lightens the load, it seems I just finish putting one of these to press when I’m back in the queue. And I’m sure for those of you with school-age kids (whatever ages), getting through May and June with end of school projects, exams, class parties, graduation ceremonies, performances, teacher appreciation, etc., just about wipes you out for the summer. (A friend of mine commented that she had just participated in her fifth “moving up” ceremony—and she only has three kids!) But I am not letting you guys off the hook that easily. When there is no classmate news, we are forced to fill in with local Hanover news, and that will only start getting really random—so please get in touch. Even just a quick status update will suffice (but please don’t expect us to patrol Facebook to retrieve it).


Here is an update from Eric Beinhocker. Formerly a partner at McKinsey and a senior fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute, Eric has recently become the director of the Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School (yeah, that Oxford). This is a major interdisciplinary research center being established at the University of Oxford, intended to encourage fresh thinking in economics to mitigate global challenges, such as the creation of sustainable jobs and the wide-ranging challenges of development. Basically, an economic think tank with funding from George Soros (yeah, that Soros) so my guess is we will be hearing more from Eric and inet@oxford in the very near future.


Now back to the random news. Hardly a day goes by without some e-mail update from the College on the Hill. In summary: the class of 2012 bid adieu to Hanover with a “so long” from outgoing President Jim Yong Kim and encouragement from Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp to be “builders who slant the world toward yes”; the men’s rugby club won its second national title, and the women’s track team crowned Dartmouth’s first-ever female individual champion; Dr. Seuss is now overseeing the Geisel Medical School (“Are you a star-bellied Sneetch or a plain-bellied one?”); the Hanover Inn completed its renovation; and the trustees approved construction of a North Campus academic center. I am not really sure exactly where that is going to be located, but I assume some big space on campus where you will be able to find it once it is built. Stay tuned!


At the risk of repeating myself (which I am entirely entitled to do when there’s little other news), the 2011 Class Day speech by Charles Wheelan ’88 has been expanded into a small, hardcopy book titled 10 1/2 Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said. It is a gem and I encourage you to get a copy. It is both entertaining and thought provoking, not just for college graduates but for anyone graduating through life. Regrettably, one of Charles’s insights, “It’s all borrowed time,” has proved to be all too true for one among us. I am sorry to inform you of the death of Jim Alex in a motorcycle accident on May 29. Jim had been living in Boston and running the Weston Center for Cosmetic Surgery. Please share your memories and thoughts on our webpage, www.dartmouth85.com. 


Enjoy and embrace every day of the journey, my friends—wherever the road may lead.


All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

If you did not hear Conan O’Brien’s Commencement address to the class of 2011 in Hanover this past June (or hear about it or view it on YouTube), you must have been hiding under a very large rock. While I applaud the College on the entire list of honorary degree recipients, snagging Conan to deliver the address was a coup de force and certainly one that the 2011 graduates will remember for a long time. After all, despite having attended the wrong college—“a small, local commuter school, a pulsating sore on a muddy elbow of the Charles River,” Conan is a 1985 graduate, which sort of makes him an honorary classmate of ours, given his honorary degree. Isn’t it hard to believe that college graduation speakers these days are actually contemporaries of ours? Are we really that old that we are now perceived to actually hold some insight about the world? (If you ask any of my kids, the answer to that one is a resounding, “No!”) 


Setting aside his young age, Conan’s gifted combination of comedic irreverence (“Your insecurity is so great, Dartmouth, that you don’t even think you deserve a real podium.”) and astute observations (“you, Dartmouth, are the cool, sexually confident, lacrosse-playing younger sibling who knows how to throw a party and looks good in a down vest.”) were pure entertainment to all. Check it out. I’m not sure Conan ever got his Gore-tex gloves, but do you suppose they actually make a fleece thong? 


In the midst of these graduation festivities, it was easy to get caught up and reflect back on our own Commencement more than 26 years ago. Do you remember: 1) who spoke at our commencement ceremony? 2) who were among our student speakers on Class Day in the Bema? 3) who was our class valedictorian? Any recall on these queries? No? Well, the answers are: 1) Beverly Sills (and she really was both relevant and entertaining, may she rest in peace); 2) Adam Seessel and Valerie Hartman Levy (Adam is director of research with Martin Capital Management in Indiana and Valerie resides in Atlanta, lobbying tirelessly for gun control legislation); 3) Brian Barnes (we had only one valedictorian back in those days; current whereabouts unknown). 


I am only revealing this memorable trivia out of lack of classmate news. Wish I had some to share but it has been slim pickings lately. But never one to give up on a class column, I will carry on. More musings….


So if recent school year-ends complete with commencement speakers encouraging the next generation to make a difference in the world have given you pause to reflect upon your time spent at Dartmouth, do read the 2011 Class Day speech by Charles Wheelan ’88 titled: “Six Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said.” I hope it is still accessible on the Dartmouth website (www.dartmouth.edu/~commence/speeches/2011/wheelan.html). But, just in case, here are the CliffsNotes: Your time in fraternity basements was well spent; some of your worst days lie ahead; don’t make the world worse; marry someone smarter than you are; it’s all borrowed time; I have no idea what the future will bring. Even if you cannot read the full text of Charles’ speech, reflect on this youngster’s wisdom imparted to college graduates (most of whom have not even been alive as long as we have been out of college)—and be grateful that, in more ways than we sometimes appreciate, our time on the Hanover Plain was worth every single second! 


All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

It’s really a matter of simple math: zero, number of days until this column is due; one, e-mail updates I received from ’86s; two, e-mail updates I received from ’85s; three, number of people who read my column about freshman trips (see one and two).


Courtesy of Jennifer Key ’86: “Brenda Healey is not currently playing field hockey or lacrosse, but we did recently play lob pong at her barn. It’s a very nice barn that she and husband, Bill Bosch ’86, refurbished/rebuilt, silo and all, in Great Falls, Virginia. She married Bill shortly after college, both graduated UVA Law School and we connected when Bill joined Steptoe as partner around 2006. Brenda has three girls, including Allison, a rising Dartmouth senior. Brenda also practices law when she and Bill are not hosting barn parties or attending Capitals games. Brenda was compelled to attend the ’86 25th reunion.


“Georgetown is home to fellow lawyer (David) Cary Mitchell, who has a wife and a dog, but I am 99-percent sure is childfree. I also see Galan Daukas, who frequents the yacht clubs in the Stonington, Connecticut-Watch Hill, Rhode Island, region.”


Margo Buckels Miyashiro writes:I am doing well—living in Sacramento, California, with my husband and two teenage daughters. I still love hiking and hope to hike again around Hanover and spend a night at Moosilauke. I did return for our 25th reunion. I missed previous reunions because I was starting a new job, having a baby or something like that. I loved being on campus again. I know the College has added many new buildings, but since the core has stayed the same it felt like the same familiar place. I brought my oldest daughter, Allison, to the reunion (promoting the school and all). She fell in love with Boston instead and will start at Brandeis in the fall. Since I’ll be traveling back to New England more frequently, maybe I will get to hike around Hanover. While I initially moved to California to take a state government position, I’ve been a full-time mom since my girls were little. Now I’m determining my next career move. My husband is a private consultant, working with California school districts. My favorite hobby is rowing and I’m hoping to attend the Head of the Charles in October. I’m also learning to golf and remember laughing at the wild plaid golf slacks many Dartmouth alumni sported at their 1980s reunions. I haven’t earned the mojo to make such a fashion statement yet.”


Joel Margolese comments: “I’m impressed you remembered everyone’s name from our freshman trip! I laughed when I read it, which prompted my wife to say, ‘You never told me that part of your freshman trip.” (I figured you targeted that whole column at me since Bill Loginov was my freshman roommate in Topliff.) We still live in Andover, Massachusetts, but just moved from the edge of town into the center. Our best news is that my daughter Rachel is preparing for her own freshman trip as a Dartmouth ’16. It’s exciting, exhilarating and a bit scary on many levels. Taking the tour with her last year I was struck how much the campus is the same, but how much it’s different. It’s a nice feeling to hand off the College to another generation and know that their experience will be totally different than ours, with just enough continuing tradition to maintain the links. And that’s how it should be.”


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; slampong@aol.com

We’ve all asked, “How many (blanks) does it take to screw in a light bulb?” Well, let me ask, “How many 1985s does it take to write a column?” Answer below.


Directly from Chris Collimore (unsolicited, yet appreciated): “Years ago I had a girlfriend with long hair, down to her waist. One day she cut it short (without warning me). I was not happy. I tried to figure out a way to get my long-haired girlfriend back (do I buy her a wig or do I…) and the idea for the ‘hairshirt’ popped into my head. The hairshirt is a T-shirt with a photo of long hair printed on the back. A girl can make it look like she has much longer hair. After about 10 years my desire to make some money from the idea overcame my aversion to going into the girls’ T-shirt business and I now have a website called hairshirt.com, where people can see the shirts and order them online. I offer many different styles and colors of hair to be printed on the back. So buying a hairshirt for your daughter, girlfriend, sister, wife shows you care because you have taken the time to match the hair printed on the shirt to the hair of the recipient. My main activity is being a full-time grad student at UCLA. I am pursuing a Ph.D. in atmospheric science. It is going great and I am having a blast. I hope hairshirt.com will take off so I don’t have to keep eating ramen noodles everyday.”


Directly from Ron denBroeder (in response to a request for classmate news): “Compelled to respond because Tim Reynolds was my freshman roommate—Topliff 103! Living in Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania, a Philly suburb (near John MacManus)—any other Philly ’85s around? Drop me a line on Facebook. There is supposed to be a Philadelphia alumni club but I haven’t observed much activity, even though this is the second-largest Dartmouth applicant region after N.Y.C. Lately I’m pursuing my various entrepreneurial activities at Clarity Concepts Inc., including innovation consulting, corporate training and sales consulting. Plus adjunct faculty at Temple, teaching a course in leadership. Great fun, bright kids. Spending my spare time biking around Pennsylvania and the Jersey Shore boardwalk and skiing in Tahoe, California, whenever possible with my wife, Jane Downey (corporate insurance consultant), and my three kids Lena (14), Adri (13) and Mackie (4). Other ’85s I’ve seen lately: Anne Goodwin Sides, living in Santa Fe, New Mexico and working on a book on the Lusitania; Carolina Kuczynski Reid, living in Connecticut and also working on a book; Tsan Merritt-Poree Abrahamson, practicing law in San Francisco; and Mark Halliday, a streaming-video expert living in Arlington, Massachusetts, who just restored a 1974 Jensen. I also recommend enlisting as an interviewer in the fall—not very time consuming and a great way to contribute to your alma mater while meeting some bright and interesting young people along the way.” (Kudos to Ron for mentioning three Michigan folks and providing an awesome picture of those cars he mentions.)


Directly from Kevin Randall (evidently in response to “please send news only in the form of hyperlinks”): www.fastcompany.com/1751785/face-the-nation-how-sensory-logic-sees-secre... (not sure if facial decoding is a new Botox procedure or a fraternity sink night ritual, but it sounds intimidating) and www.forbes.com/sites/kerenblankfeld/2011/04/28/donald-trump-on-his-brand... (note Kevin’s comments on brand value—presumably the Trump brand and not the Randall brand).


Answer: Three to send in news and one to cut and paste. Sort of like an easy button!


John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie @yahoo.com


Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Day is an unofficial holiday increasingly celebrated around the world in order to encourage acts of kindness. It began not as a holiday, but rather a national day where individuals are challenged to do something kind to a friend or stranger for no reason at all, and has since evolved into an entire RAK week. I don’t mean to sound disrespectful or cynical; I get it—I really do—and thankfully this has not devolved into just another Hallmark occasion. But it does seem to me that the core of this is truly just some basic human decency, no? So I looked a little deeper into this holiday. There is a website (of course) dedicated to the endeavor with blogs of kind deeding documented as well as inspirational suggestions on how to practice kindness and pay it forward, such as: Buy something for the person in line behind you, donate time or money to a local charity, cook a healthy meal and share it, reach out to someone you have not talked to in a while.


Aha, now there is a truly inspirationally kind idea! Translation: Send an e-mail to your class secretaries and fill everyone in on your current whereabouts. It is clearly not a sign of unkindness that so many of you remain radio silent. Perhaps you are simply in need of some intervention to get things rolling.


How about some divine intervention? And who better to offer that than our very own Rev. Nancy Vogele? As the newly hired director of religious and spiritual life at the William Jewett Tucker Foundation at Dartmouth, Nancy has assumed oversight of an expansive arena of the college that sponsors more than 20 different faith organizations. Prior to assuming this appointment Nancy served for almost 20 years in Episcopal parish ministry, most recently as rector of the parish of St. Paul’s, about 10 miles from Hanover, in Hartford, Vermont. Having contemplated a career in the Foreign Service as an undergraduate at Dartmouth, Nancy spent two years in Africa immediately after graduating. However, this firsthand perspective provided Nancy with her own divine intervention of sorts as she realized that the political power of organizations backed by whatever administration was in power paled in comparison to the spiritual power she witnessed among so many in the poor African communities in which she served. So she answered the call, going on to receive her master’s from Yale Divinity School and a doctorate of ministry from Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. If you are lucky enough to be in Hanover on a Sunday night, step into Rollins Chapel and you may see Nancy. And expect her to ask you her favorite question: “How are your spirits doing?”


Inspired to do right by the environment, prize-winning journalist Dan Fagin’s newly published book, Toms River, tells the riveting true story of this small New Jersey town’s 60-year history of industrial pollution. Reviewed as an “epic tale of our chemical age,” the book is lauded for Fagin’s investigative tenacity and masterful storytelling in “handling topics of great complexity with the dexterity of a scholar, the honesty of a journalist and the dramatic skill of a novelist.” In addition to his noteworthy journalistic accomplishments, Dan is also the proud parent to a Dartmouth ’13 and ’16 and, therefore, has a high probability of having his spirits checked in on by Nancy sometime soon. 


So how about some simple human kindness from all—send a little intervention on a classmate or yourself—stay connected: www.dartmouth85.com. All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

I recently attended an event that featured Thomas Friedman (The New York Times columnist). While primarily discussing his latest book, That Used to be Us—which, despite the disillusioning opening comparison between a project to fix two small escalators at a New Jersey train station that took six months with a project in China that resulted in the construction of a massive and ornate convention center in eight months, actually offers renewed hope that recovery of American greatness is within reach—the more shocking takeaway was the observation Friedman shared when looking back to one of his other works, The World is Flat. Friedman commented that when he published that book in 2005 (and I quote): “Facebook had just been launched; “Twitter” referred to a sound; the “Cloud” was something in the sky; “4G” was a parking space; “LinkedIn” meant to be imprisoned; “applications” were what you submitted to college; and “Skype” was a typo.” Within seven short years, we have come to live in a world of hyper-connectivity. So, where is all the news from you? 


Never allowing our place in the magazine to go blank, thankfully the award-winning activities of several of our classmates continue. So, let’s give a rouse for Marcy Sitnik Reed, who was honored this past January with a prestigious 2012 Pinnacle Award from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Commended as an “exemplary leader in this region’s business and civic communities,” Marcy was also applauded for “the work she has done to advance female leadership with the ranks of National Grid and across the broader utility industry.” 


Colleen Keller writes: “It’s been an eventful 12 months for me, aviating-wise. I experienced a total loss of oil pressure in my biplane and managed a safe, emergency landing after the engine seized. Rebuilt the engine myself, flew the plane in my first aerobatic competition, then had to remove the upper wing to fix broken ribs and fabric. Frustrating, but fun. I’ve joined the San Diego sheriff’s department as a search and rescue volunteer—blaze orange shirt and all. I just got my EMR qualification—now learning to rappel!”


Holy-moly, do I lead a boring life! For more, reach out directly to Colleen: colleenkeller@sbcglobal.net.


Now onto sightings of classmates that may entice you to come forward with your own updates or share news on others. Jenny Gabler Bloch chatting up squash (or, more precisely, squash courts) at the offices of yours truly in January; Ellen Shapiro rumored to be tying the knot with her partner of nine years this June; Tom Stern managing Chieftain Capital and dedicating spare time to various philanthropic endeavors such as Diabetes Research Institute, Horace Mann, Milton Academy and the list goes on; Valerie Hartman Levy and Alison Cooper Phillips spied at renowned Dylan’s Candy Bar on N.Y.C.’s Upper East Side one chilly February night; Tricia Madden Vanacore during all her “free time” while raising four kids and promoting Raising a Reader alongside her trustee roles with the Children’s School and Greens Farms Academy. 


Your class executive committee is actively organizing mini-reunion ideas, including a classwide 50th birthday celebration. Stay connected: www.dartmouth85.com.


When I penned this same column a year ago the Northeast was buried in snow. What a difference a year makes. Even this year’s Winter Carnival polar swim at Occom Pond seemed rather tame and brought out a record number of participants. Chilly water, but with no snow on the surrounding trees it was hard to believe it was February. Still, that cupcake snow sculpture did look rather divine for “The Sweetest Carnival Ever!”


All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@ yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Happy holidays and best wishes for 2013 to everyone! While the weather outside may be frightful, I am pretty sure this column will not be so delightful. Last-minute deadlines and holiday consumption tend to jeopardize editorial quality (as does sitting on the couch playing remote hangman and scrabble on my iPhone).


There is news, however, and it is good. From the track world I received an update from Jim Sapienza. Jim was nominated and later chosen to be inducted into the Kentucky State Hall of Fame this year for his cross-country and track achievements. On January 5 the Kentucky Association of U.S. Association of Track and Field and the Kentucky Track and Cross-Country Coaches Association will combine to put on the eighth annual awards banquet. This banquet will be to honor all the venues of the running sports in the state of Kentucky. Congratulations to Jim on this great honor!


From the Dartmouth legacy world I have learned (well, really, I got an e-mail from Leslie Davis Dahl) that Trisha Madden Venacore’s daughter (Caroline) and Pres Romeyn’s son (Ted) have been accepted into the Dartmouth class of 2017. Congratulations to Trisha and Pres for this exciting news!


From the literary world Matthew Dickerson provided this update. “I’ve had three more books published in the past five years: Nos. 7, 8 and 9. The most recent one, A Hobbit Journey: Discovering the Enchantment of J.R.R.Tolkien’s Middle-earth, is receiving lots of (positive) attention. I just finished a radio interview with KTIS 900 in Minneapolis. Last week I was interviewed by WCIAD 800 in Montreal. (I live in Vermont about 1:40 hours away from Dartmouth and teach at Middlebury, so this is a bit surprising.) I am scheduled in January for a recorded interview with Ken Myers (formerly of NPR, now of Mars Hill Audio Journal for its bimonthly CD commentary). Huffington Post asked me to do a piece because of my book; it is due out today, though as of 9:45 a.m. it hasn’t appeared online yet. Image Journal asked me for a piece for next week. I am invited now to speak all over the country. In 2011-12 I was the distinguished lecturer of the year at Trinity Western University in British Columbia, and a distinguished lecturer at University of Texas, San Antonio. In 2012 I also gave invited lectures on Tolkien at St. Olaf College and Augustana College (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) and in 2011 I was the keynote speaker at the annual Tolkien conference hosted by the English department at the University of Vermont Montpelier. This October I was flown to Anchorage, Alaska, and spoke on Tolkien at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Meanwhile, reviews and mention of the book keep coming in.” Google Matt’s name for a full list of links.


From the mindless activity world I am getting crushed in iPhone scrabble by Lynne Zeisler Petkovic, Barry Bass, Pam Lower Bass and Jim Sapienza. In what appears to be an amazing coincidence, all of them must have received the same book for the holidays: Obscure, Absurd Words Worth a Lot of Points. I’m not positive but I’m pretty certain Matt Dickerson did not write this one.


Wishing everyone a healthy, happy and safe new year!


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

The holidays are filled with a lot of emotions, mostly good and some maybe not so good. Things cross our mind—did I get the right gifts? Did my kids really need all that stuff? Can I get them to write thank-you notes? Are my parents still in good health? How far will the Detroit Lions advance in the playoffs? Critical stuff like that. It’s also a time when college acceptances start arriving and parents of seniors devise creative ways to read their kids mail and e-mail without the kids knowing. Your kid gets into the school of his/her first choice and you feel like you’re a great parent. If not, you wonder when exactly your spouse screwed things up without your knowledge. Whatever your situation, remember there are other options and things will work out for the best for your kid—easy to say, tough to make a 17-year-old understand.


Speaking of college acceptances, I can only surmise that Dartmouth is not conducting background checks on the parents of applicants, as I have learned that Jeffrey Bass, son of Barry and Pam (Lower) Bass was accepted early decision into the class of 2016. Join me in congratulating Pam, Barry and Jeffrey and hoping that various establishments around campus do not hold Jeffrey accountable for his father’s behavior a generation ago. Actually, I am writing that in the hopes that my kids’ colleges are as forgiving.


Since most of the recent news I have received has come in pictorial form via holiday cards containing minimal actual news, I can only infer what is happening in many of our classmates’ lives, though you can learn something from these cards. Generally speaking, I learned many of our kids have really blond hair and are taller than we are. I learned that Becky Osborne and her kids Casey and Matthew have moved south to Newburyport, Massachusetts, and at this rate of southerly migration, we should be neighbors by 2050. I learned that many parents put their kids’ ages on the card but seem to forget to do the same for themselves—such as Mike and Cheryle Young, who joined kids Robert (18) and Lauren (9) on their card. Come to think of it, I don’t need a card that says Mike (49). I learned that Bill and Beth (Gilman) Hobbs will have major tuitions bills around 2019 for their kids Billy, Elizabeth, Hunt and Sam. I learned that Piper and Leila Newman are certainly more photogenic than their father, Jim Newman (their camera-friendly look comes from mom Annie). I learned that Steve and Marie Moss must have a dog named Harriet unless, of course, they decided to feature only daughter Maisy on their card. I learned Amy (Durno) and Peter Harned, along with kids Clarke, Ellie and Will, have been to a lot of cool places this past year, such as Tuscany and the Masai Mara. I learned also that we must have fallen off the distribution list for about 15 families and remained off the send list for about another 974 classmates, but hey, who’s counting?


Finally, I learned that Sue Finegan was appointed chair of the standing committee on pro bono legal services by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Her Mintz Levin colleague Jack Sylvia is more pro-Cher (than Sonny), but that’s a different topic.


As a final thought, remember our Dartmouth application and the question about choosing a mentor? Would you choose the same person today? Maybe I’ll give Ted Turner a call.


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

I think we all agree that numbers and statistics are an important part of our daily lives. They often identify us (we are ’85s), measure us (GPAs, SAT scores), preoccupy us (weight, age, income) and even entertain us (name the only major league baseball player with more than 500 hits for four different teams. Hint: He looks like my dad). Numbers can constrain us (word count limits) and challenge us (how many times or how fast can you …). Numbers can also increase our self-esteem (lots of Facebook friends) or decrease it (a double dose of humble pie in my case when my total number of Facebook friends is less than my Dartmouth GPA). And as we all know in our often-competitive lives, the only number that seems to matter is No. 1. Fortunately, we have some No. 1 pioneers in our class.


Our No. 1 classmate at the South Pole is David Pablo Cohn. Pablo wrote to tell me he is “hanging out doing support tech here at the South Pole, enduring a record-breaking storm. Satellite link is down with a main power generator failure last night and they’ve not been able to get flights in since last week. Having the time of my life.” Wow, if that doesn’t resonate of comfort and pampering, I’m not sure what does. For more on Pablo’s adventure, please see http://somerandom.com/cohn/pablo-at-the-pole. 


I received a note from Jim Sapienza about another No. 1 event for a classmate. Jim conveyed that Mike Fadil is getting married for the first time. While I have no other details and cannot even verify this, it was a perfect news item for this column. So Mike, if you see this, please share this exciting news and if this is completely bogus, blame Jim.


From the “almost too coincidental to be true and linked to your column theme” files, I received some news that Jeff Davidoff had been appointed chief marketing officer for ONE, a global anti-poverty advocacy group (see one.org for more details). 


Our No. 1 traveler appears to be our own Russ Mitchell. Mitch’s holiday card reads like a United Nations itinerary, partly for his work in the clothing industry and partly for family fun. If you’re looking for a fine custom-tailored suit combining the tastiest Irish hops, the whitest Idahoan snow and finest South African gems, Russ is your man. If you’re looking for a holiday card to make your own passport look meager, he is also your man. Speaking of holiday cards, please consider this a belated card wishing everyone a happy 2011. It can also serve to improve my holiday card completion rate.


I bet our only classmate who had a daughter born on October 17, 2010, weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces was Mikey Lehman. Marley Lehman joined the extended Dartmouth family as the No. 1 daughter for Mikey and wife Leigh and No. 1 sister for brother August. No official word on the inspiration for Marley’s name.


You may be focusing on your own numbers, but I will leave you this time with a couple for your contemplation. No. 2—as in two months until the next column. And 100 percent—your secretaries’ goal for column submission. For those looking for numerical synergy between these two numbers, please send in your news.


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Since very few classmates send in updates, I’ve taken some new approaches to seek information. In today’s age of social media, Facebook is certainly an option to find some information on our classmates. While I am not personally that active on Facebook, it seems many people are. Perusing different news feeds, I’m starting to wonder if maybe my minimal involvement is even too much. Seems the following is awfully common.


Post 1: Woke up, starting to think of breakfast.


Post 2: Went to kitchen, contemplating cereal or toast.


Post 3: Saw bread, decided on toast.


Post 4: Made toast and ate it.


Post 5: Thinking of lunch.


I am hopeful this series does not resonate with any of you, but it does seem fairly typical. Maybe I need some new friends to follow or maybe I need to find different sources for information. Most of the communication I receive involves 27 e-mails each Wednesday from my pickup basketball group exchanging good-natured trash talk or 36 e-mails for every college lacrosse game with details for the tailgate. 


Fortunately, there is some classmate news. I received this press release from Tucker Ellis LLP in Cleveland, Ohio, with news about Jeff Healy. As part of the firm’s recent leadership appointments, Jeff serves as the new chair of the mass tort and product liability practice group and will promote the group’s public profile, drawing from his successful core practice in this area of law. In addition, he takes on the newly created role of partner-in-charge of Ohio, where he will work to identify growth and improvement opportunities for the firm. He will also be involved in a firm relocation to new office space involving 250 employees.


Airplanes are another source for finding information. Sometimes it is unwelcome, such as discovering that your row mate likes to eat garlic-and curry-encrusted eggs or read adult magazines during the flight. Sometimes it is informative—on a recent flight I sat near Jim Cleary’s sister in law, who told me that Jim is living, working and raising a family in Boise, Idaho. This conversation would not have happened if she had been eating those aforementioned eggs.


Broadway during the holidays can also bring pleasant surprises. At a December show we saw Martha Cornell ’86 (former roommate of Cindy Bergman), who gave us a nice update on Jory Macomber. I felt this information was credible since Martha and Jory have been married for more than 20 years, have three kids and Jory’s mom was also in attendance. Jory and family are in New Hampshire, where Jory continues to teach/administrate and coach at the (I believe) Holderness School. If any of this is inaccurate, I’ll blame it on the Rockettes.


Chat Time playing Words with Friends is also apparently a good source for news. While continuing his record win streak against me, Jim Sapienza informed me that his oldest child, Hunter, has been admitted to the Dartmouth class of 2017. Jim shared this while I told him I was at the Michigan-Louisville championship game. Jim told me Mike Fadil was also there. I was not able to find Mike among the other 76,231 fans to get an update, but we can take solace that we were part of an NCAA record crowd. 


Speaking of toast, let’s raise one to the class of 1985 as many of us have or will soon be celebrating our 50th birthdays. Amazing how the time flies and thankful for the friendships! Send news to Leslie about your 50th!


John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

I’m sure everyone wishes we saw our Dartmouth friends more often. I’m sure you have spent time thinking about various classmates and what they’re doing now. And I’m sure many of you saw the recent article in Rolling Stone about Dartmouth and said “What the…!” That aside, I was thinking about the ties that bind us (figuratively, of course, for most of us) and got to thinking about my freshman trip and the people on that hike.


It’s interesting how our first impression of people made many years ago contributes to how we currently view them. I haven’t heard from Bill McAllister, and wonder if he is still sporting a moustache and glasses. Maybe Brenda Healey is playing in some adult lacrosse/field hockey leagues wherever she is living. How about Margo Buckels—I’m hopeful she is doing well and has forgotten about the juvenile behavior exhibited on that trip. No updates from Joel Margolese—perhaps this mention will spur him to provide an update. I wonder if Russ Mitchell looks back on that camping trip with fond memories. (The topic never came up when I saw him in mid-April at the bat mitzvah of Pam and Barry Bass’ daughter Allison. Russ was in attendance with wife Kathy ’83 and fortunately appeared to be better dressed than he was during those four days in September 1981.) I was at a local party and some guy was going on and on about how remarkable it was that he was joined at this party by a friend, with whom he had attended grade school, high school and college and that was so great and had to be unique and must have been history making, blah, blah, blah. His story lost a little momentum when I told him, in fact, that I had done the same with a friend of mine, Steve Moss, and, oh by the way, I bet your friend and you weren’t also on the same freshman trip. My memory of this trip would not be complete without a mention of our trip leader, Eliza Deery ’83, whose patience and tolerance of our antics certainly should have qualified her for some sort of DOC medal or something. Though I’m curious about my fellow trip-mates, I don’t want this to be confused as an invite for another four days in the New Hampshire woods. Interestingly, at least to me, is that my wife, Cindy Bergman, was also on her freshman trip then and we were at Moosilauke simultaneously. I am reasonably certain that she was not taken in by my charm and wit at that time.


I heard that Harlan Kent was featured on the reality show, Undercover Boss, which aired in March. Harlan is the CEO at Yankee Candle Co. and, evidently, did a good job staying undercover because I did not see the show.


The intellectual property law firm Loginov and Associates headed by Bill Loginov celebrated an anniversary in March. I suspect Bill’s firm is better at patent law than spelling since the press release stated this was their forth anniversary. Bill’s firm is an industry leader in offering worldwide patent protection and services to a broad range of companies, from startups to Fortune 1,000 firms. Bill has also written several legal publications/books and is a distinguished lecturer at numerous institutions, including Dartmouth.


Speaking of reality shows, was there any better reality show than “Camp Dartmouth” sophomore summer? I think Russ Mitchell still wears that shirt.


John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie @yahoo.com


Thinking of column themes is tough. The challenge of weaving together common topics from amongst various classmate updates is so difficult, so daunting, so laden with potential pitfalls, it is best left to trained professionals. It takes seasoned veterans with a track record of management success, a demonstrated record of results and the skills to make the right moves at the right time. In other words, people with tons of time to devote to online fantasy sports. Are you one of these people?


Wait, who’s that I see blazing across the ESPN NBA Fantasy landscape. It’s Chris Gagnon, winner of this year’s league, Cold Beer XIV. Gags took home the honors with a strong late-season surge to earn bragging rights until next October. Relying on savvy preseason scouting and shrewd drafting, I finished in second place (for you Vince Lombardi fans, this is not a case of second place being the first loser). Refusing to let fatherhood, work and family life get in the way of fantasy sports pursuits, Mikey Lehman secured a respectable third-place showing. Proving there is an inverse relationship between time spent on reviewing stats and actual success were Eric Wilinski and Barry Bass, who finished further down in the standings, though ahead of Hubert Smith, whose team was evidently named after the Michael Cera movie, Superbad. What’s nice about this league is that I have very little idea what any of these guys do for a living, but I am very clear on their propensity for two-for-one trades and interest in shooting percentages.


I’m sure Manus Clancy plays fantasy sports. In fact, I heard from Manus, not with really any sort of update of his activities, but rather with a roster question he had while watching a Dartmouth hockey game online. Manus asked whether a Goggin player was perhaps the son of Mark and Sally Goggin. After some quick emails we discovered that was the case, but the important thing here is the phrase “watching hockey online.” Manus was one of us, though this did not surprise me as I fondly recalled our days on the Dartmouth College radio together talking sports trivia. I remember our vast listening audience (if you consider four guys in South Fayer vast) and can’t help but think we were ahead of our time. Today you have Mike and Mike. What about Manus and MacManus? I hope some of those same four listeners would tune in.


Speaking of South Fayer, I heard from past resident Scott Erdman recently. Picture a small helicopter in the British Columbia mountains with 15 people prepared to go cat skiing. Would you imagine two ’85s would be in that copter? Probably yes, since I am writing about it now, but Russ Mitchell and Scott (with their respective sons) were part of this crew! Alas, this happy reunion was somewhat dampened when Scott tore his ACL, but I did learn he lives in N.Y.C. and works for a fashion.com, The Daily Candy. Scott’s rehab will certainly give him some time for fantasy sports.


Who else has read the reunion book? Having memorized the freshman book, I turned my attention to this keepsake. What did I learn, you ask? Well I realized that Janine Wollis Tabas lives in the Philly area. Now I know why I recognized her on the Lower Merion Little League fields cheering for her son. Clearly Janine prefers reality sports.


Fantasy: This was a good column. Reality: Deadline is tomorrow.


John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com; Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com

Regardless of your opinion on the outcome, it is a relief that the interminable 2012 presidential race is finally over. Did you realize that the combined fundraising by the presidential candidates exceeded $2 billion (yes, that’s b-i-l-l-i-o-n; as in a “2” followed by nine zeros)! This tops the list as the costliest campaign in history. So how can we honestly think either one of these candidates, or any politician for that matter, will undertake any serious action to reduce the nation’s debt or tackle the real pressing issues around the country when that amount of dough can be raised for an election campaign? 


Forgive me—I digress.


One of the only good things about major election years is that when all is said and done, late-night TV hosts have an abundant stockpile of material, much of it from the final weeks leading up to the big vote. While most of their humor will never be ready for primetime—or these prime pages—I did find one of Jimmy Fallon’s quips quite apropos for this class column: “The final presidential debate was held tonight in Boca Raton, Florida, and was moderated by 75-year-old Bob Schieffer from CBS News. That’s right, 75 years old—or as Florida residents call that, ‘a tween.’ ” So what does that make those of us approaching the half-century mark? Preschoolers, right?


I swore I would avoid the suggestion of my class column co-author (who, we all know, is the more witty of our pair with his pen) to write a column dedicated to our half-century birthday. But with little else to write about, why not muse about this momentous milestone? And it is one of life’s signposts, particularly if you recall that it was not all that long ago that the average life span was only 60 years. In the past few years there has been a lot of discussion around the growing trend of extended adolescence as more and more of us are taking longer and longer to move through the “stages of adulthood.” Heck, why not delay the inevitable (although would someone please let my body in on that “50 is the new 30” pronouncement). 


Leaving aside all the problems with “growing up” as a category, let’s step back and look at the bigger picture. What do you suppose that means for our planet and the environment overall? As for me, I have absolutely no idea. But luckily for us, our classmate Terry Plank, a professor of earth and environmental sciences at Columbia University, can tackle that issue. Having been named one of 23 MacArthur Fellows for 2012 (in case you have not heard of this, these fellowships are widely referred to as “genius grants”), Terry is described as a geochemist “working literally at the edge of phenomena shaping the Earth’s crust.” So, who better to analyze the impact on Mother Earth of all these shifting aging paradigms than Prof. Plank? Heartfelt congratulations to you, Terry!


By the time you are reading this column (admittedly, one of the more random ones penned), we will know who our next U.S. president is and we may also have an announcement regarding filling the truly crucial vacancy in higher office these days—18th president of Dartmouth College. Somehow, I think that involved a more realistic “campaign” expense budget and will certainly identify someone who, regardless of your political persuasion, we can all rally around for the greater good of the Big Green. 


Now, give a rouse for our collective half-century milestone and embracing it with arms wide open. All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Give a rouse for Sue Finegan, recently named recipient of Dartmouth’s Alumni Award, presented annually by the Alumni Council to that unique handful of alumni who graduated at least 25 years ago (!) and who have demonstrated extraordinary service to Dartmouth and civic organizations in addition to career accomplishment. That just about sums up Sue—and we would also pay tribute to her wonderfully infectious laugh! Sue was also the recipient of the Boston College Law School (her other alma mater) Curtin Center for Public Interest Pro Bono Service Award this past September. Sue is a litigation partner with Mintz Levin and focuses exclusively on managing the firm’s pro bono efforts, upwards of 300 cases firmwide at any given time. She is the embodiment of “service to others,” and we applaud you, Sue, for your tireless devotion to our alma mater, and to so much more (including your laugh). For more details on Sue’s award, go to our class website: www.dartmouth85.com.


And let’s put our hands together for our class newsletter editors, Margaret Marder and Tim Reynolds! The latest newsletter (fall 2011) was overflowing with great updates and insights from so many of you thanks to Margaret and Tim’s subtle coaxing and focus on classmates’ service to the College. In case you missed your newsletter edition in the mail, read all about your classmates by going to our class website: www.dartmouth85.com.


Chris Hessler writes from Jackson, Wyoming: “Live strong! Live large! Live long!” All the more poignant a message as Chris is writing as a cancer survivor, having beaten a rare form of brain lymphoma: “During the ordeal I was showered with affection and support from my Dartmouth pals. I’d like to return the support and affection my Dartmouth friends gave me—if you or anyone you know needs a cancer pep talk, reach out to me chessler@linkwellhealth.com.” To read the entirety of Chris’s touching tribute to his Dartmouth family of friends, go to our class website: www.dartmouth85.com (are you beginning to sense a theme here?).


Atlanta-based Susan Grider Montgomery provided a guest lecture this past fall at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. From her early environmental studies days while at Dartmouth, Susan’s focus has migrated to the twin goals of sustainability and health and she is taking her message on the road. Drew, the son of Diane Henry Czuchry and Andy Czuchry ’84, continues to hone his golf prowess, having joined the nation’s No. 2-ranked team as a sophomore at Georgia Tech. Drew was a two-time Georgia PGA Junior Tour Player of the Year (2007, 2008) and ranked first in Georgia and 26th in the nation for the 2010 class. It is easy to understand how his mom’s tennis aptitude morphed into one sweet golf swing for this young player. So, Di—is it more fun watching Drew compete on the links or brother-in-law Matt Czuchry act on The Good Wife? 


I think Trish Madden Vanacore and I have set a record for unplanned sightings of a classmate: three times, in three days, in three locations. Having just seen Trish in support of our dear, mutual friend; in support of a great national cause; and, finally, in support of her daughters on the soccer field (we were on opposing teams), I can assure you her days are full. So, Trish, how about filling in more details for the class? Even if it just seems like the “same old, same old” to you, it will be news to your classmates so send it along! And we’ll even post it to our class website: www. dartmouth85.com.


All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; (203) 552-0070; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

I have a vague sense of how that famous Wide World of Sports ski jumper must have felt being the juxtaposition to “the thrill of victory!” Nothing has happened to me – I am very much okay, and so is most everyone and everything around me. However, feeling like we hit the ball out of the park with our last two class columns given the great news out of our 25th reunion, the spigot has dried up again to barely a trickle. Ah, “the agony of….”

No, wait! Do not give up hope yet. Just in the nick of time—deadline time, that is—we have been spared the humiliation of an empty news column. We received a last minute news lifeline courtesy of our classmate Michelle Duster (thank you!). Michelle shares the news of her walk down the aisle to tie the knot with fellow Chicago resident Barry Coleman in Delavan, Wisconsin, on September 25, 2010. A large cast of fellow Dartmouth alums witnessed their joyous celebration, including classmates Sophie Folly, Sonia Reece Myrick, Ernestine Yuille Weaver, Veronica Jenkins and Karyn Marsh.


Give a rouse! By way of further update, Michelle has written and published two books that include the original writings of her great-grandmother—journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells. She also gives speeches to universities, churches, museums and other organizations about the work her ancestor did and how individuals today can make an impact on the world by following their passion. Very neat stuff and you can check out more about Michelle and her passions at www.mldwrites.com.


Since her days on the Hanover Plain, Allison Shutz Moskow,husband, Keith ’83 and their growing brood of Zac (19), Jake (16) and Ava (3 1/2) have enjoyed living in a variety of places, from New York City to Santa Monica to Boston and several of its suburbs. Disproving that common adage that you can’t go home again, the Upper Valley is home once again to the Moskow clan, in more ways than one.


Allison and Keith have recently planted roots on a beautiful farm in Norwich, Vermont, quite nearby longtime Norwich residents and classmates Jenny Archibald Williams and Tiger Shaw.With youngest daughter Ava keeping them very busy on the daily home front, Jake in high school nearby in Massachusetts and Zac matriculated this past fall at Dartmouth in the class of 2014, I think it is fair to say that this may well be one of their more permanent stops! And given Hanover’s recent designation as one of the top 25 places to retire to in America, there may be more folks heading their way (although when a friend of mine sent that Hanover factoid to her daughter—also a ’14—her daughter promptly e-mailed back: “Don’t even think about moving up here!”).


I used to think I was pretty resilient, and not just because I went to Dartmouth. But that story of those 33 Chilean miners trapped for 69 days 2,000 feet underground completely altered my perspective on what it means to persevere and “dig deep” (no pun intended). So, while our column has no comparison (or even relevance) to that incredible rescue, we will remain optimistic that the sensational thrill of victory will return to us yet again as each of you digs deep into your untapped databank to help us create ever more interesting columns, bursting with information! Even if it just seems like the same old-same old to you, it will be news to your classmates so send it along!


All the best to all of you!


Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com

Portfolio

Alumni Books
New titles from Dartmouth writers (November/December 2023)
Fresh Takes
Blogger Ray Padgett ’09 covers the covers.
The Secret Life of the Brain

Michael Gazzaniga ’61 divulges the inner workings of the human mind. 

Gail Koziara Boudreaux ’82
A CEO on the state of the nation’s healthcare

Recent Issues

March - April 2024

March - April 2024

January-February 2024

January-February 2024

November-December 2023

November-December 2023

September-October 2023

September-October 2023

July-August 2023

July-August 2023

May-June 2023

May-June 2023