It’s heartening to see how classmates are looking to address injustice and insecurity ’round the girdled earth and make it a better place for all. For the next Class Notes, please write in with your experiences of living (or visiting or retiring!) abroad.
Lill Guerra wrote: “On Friday, April 4, I heard some especially horrifying news about the Trump administration revoking the visas of former president of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Óscar Arias. He spoke at our 1992 graduation and received an honorary doctorate; what he said and who he was had a long-term impact on how I viewed my education, especially my work as a history and Spanish double-major who became devoted—thanks to Dartmouth—to Latin America.
“In response, I wrote an op-ed piece before class and then translated it into Spanish. Letras Libres, a prestigious New Yorker-like magazine in Mexico City, has generously published it. Here is the link to the essay in Spanish. Dartmouth’s culture, not just President Arias’ words at our graduation, is central to what I am trying to say: letraslibres.com/politica/guerra-oscar-arias-visado-trump.
“I hope you agree that the symbolism and reality of the situation merits wide distribution of this protest. Please feel free to post and share, particularly with Dartmouth faculty of Latin American literature and history, to whom I owe a great debt.”
Justice in Motion, led by founder and executive director Cathleen Caron, celebrated its 20-year anniversary at City Winery in New York City on April 3. The organization serves as a network of international resources and provides cross-border justice for migrants. The celebration “was a powerful testament to the resilience of migrant communities, the dedication of our [legal] defenders and U.S.-based advocates, and the unwavering support of people such as you who make this work possible. The evening was filled with moving stories, inspiring conversations, and a renewed sense of purpose as we look ahead to the future,” Cathleen wrote. Classmates on the event’s host committee included Tim Greenberg, Matt LeBlanc, and Kenta Takamori.
Tom Morrow and Audry Ai are early supporters of Dartmouth’s international security and economics pilot program, an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Dickey Center, Tuck School of Business, and department of economics.
“The four-year pilot program is the result of two years of careful planning and has the explicit goal of preparing Dartmouth students to be leaders in global issues while also contributing practical insights to policymakers and industry executives engaged in international affairs. It builds on the success of the Dartmouth Initiative for Global Security and expands its scope across the international economic landscape, from tariffs to global supply chains,” according to the College.
We are very sorry to report the loss of our classmate Riz Ahmed, who passed away in March after a two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Our deepest condolences go out to all of his friends and family. We invite classmates to share remembrances of Riz for the “In Memoriam” section of our class of 1992 website. Photos and stories are welcome.
—John L. McWilliams IV, 7429 Marquette St., Dallas, TX 75225; Kelly Shriver Kolln, 3900 Cottage Grove Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403; (920) 306-2192; dartmouth92news@gmail.com