Class of 1973

Summer in full swing!

First, back to winter. Richard Merrill chaired the Dartmouth Lawyers Association February meeting in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada. Dan Crowley and Hilary Miller attended. Dan presented “What Does It Mean to Practice International Law.” Richard reported: “Although temps started off in the single digits a few of the days and never really got more than the low 20s, the skiers hit the slopes with great enthusiasm and had a wonderful time as snow conditions were quite good. The dinners each night were absolutely wonderful with all attendees raving about how the food was exceptional.” Afterward Richard and wife Thea stayed at the iconic Chateau Frontenac and visited the Hotel de Glace, the only ice hotel in North America. “It was a fascinating and beautiful place, albeit frigid. Thea made it quite clear that my life was forfeit if I should ever book us into an overnight stay in an ice hotel and I assured I wouldn’t.”

Brief report on the Vietnam and Cambodia trip, more of which will appear in a class newsletter. Michael DeVries and wife Christine Stokes, Jim Fleischer and wife Sarah, Michael Marohn, Phil Nelson and wife Anne Parten, and Richard Merrill and Thea Fabio journeyed with professor Gil Raz and others from Hanoi to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City. All classmates except Michael Marohn went on to Cambodia to explore Ankor Wat and Phnom Penh. Mike, Chris, Phil, and Anne arose at 5 a.m. to see the spring equinox at Ankor Wat!

In April Barry Grove hosted a mini-reunion at the Manhattan Theatre Center (MTC) in N.Y.C. attended by Rick Routhier, Sarah Kahn, and their daughter, Emma ’12, and friend Emilie Eisner ’14 as well as Mike DeVries and Chris Stokes, Anne Derry Whidden and husband Roger, Donna Ferretti Tihalas and sister Dianne Preston, Joel Barad, Tu’76, and Tobé Epstein. The group gathered in an intimate, sold-out setting to enjoy Joshua Harmon’s autobiographical play, We Had a World. Afterward they discussed themes and interpretations, facilitated by Amy Harris, arts education specialist. Donna observed: “Aside from the play itself, one takeaway was the clear esteem in which Barry is held by the MTC family. Amy quoted Barry frequently and referenced his success in establishing and expanding MTC facilities and programs. Barry noted that he now spends much of his time ‘sitting in theaters’ as a voter for the Tony Awards.”

About 25 people tuned into the April presentation by professor Jonathan Smolin, “Difficult Conversations on the Middle East,” based on his course. Jim Fleischer moderated. Can you be neutral if you believe something is immoral? This question is what the current generation of students struggle with. It is important to differentiate between opinion and learning. It was noted that inclusivity is not equal to political agreement. Especially probative questions were asked by Sam Livermore and George Woholojian. Professor Smolin recommended comparing two documentaries: One Day in September (1999) related to the Munich Olympics and No Other Land (2024) concerning the destruction of a Palestine community in the West Bank.

—Val Armento, 227 Sylvan Ave., San Mateo, CA 94403; valerie.j.armento.73@dartmouth.edu