Class Note 1967
Issue
January-February 2021
I asked classmates which changes wrought by the pandemic might be permanent and beneficial and which might be detrimental.
Bruce Pacht thinks “instantaneous audiovisual transmission and group participation have changed our perception of when and why in-person group meetings should occur, saving time and trouble, but we risk becoming a world of peas occupying very separate pods.” John Isaacs hopes “working virtually from home at least part of the time” will continue, though he would still like to show up in person now and then. John Bash believes more “remote working, learning, shopping, and business meetings will be more efficient, scalable, cheaper, and take a lesser toll on the environment, but that close, interpersonal relations will suffer.” Pat Horgan thinks “increased awareness about hygiene and vaccines will reduce the influenza death toll going forward,” but worries that “there may be no economic recovery for millions.”
Dick Clapp hopes “the beneficial perception that ‘we’re all in this together,’ both in the United States and globally, will be lasting.” John Hager worries that “due to the politicization of our response to the pandemic, we have now become the ‘Divided States of America,’ and this weakness will continue to be exploited by our foreign adversaries and will result in the even more accelerated decline of our standing on the world stage.” John Lobitz hopes “doctors will continue learning about and getting comfortable with telemedicine, especially in rural medicine,” and Jim Clark hopes we retain “virtual telemedicine medical appointments and working from home.” Pete Nistad worries he “may die from a case of severely chapped hands.” Owen Leach believes “the worst lingering impact
will be the mask. It’s a form of sensory deprivation that cuts off a large component of psychological connection to others.” Rob Kugler fears the lingering effect of “viewing others, particularly strangers, as threats—as carriers of this virus (and other viruses to come?)—leaves the populace vulnerable to messages of division.” Chuck Slade hopes “people will wake up and be more skeptical about the news being put out by the corporate media.”
While disappointed by America’s pandemic response compared to that of his current home in Australia, Andy Weiss finds “hope in the resilience and creativity coming out in the way artists, musicians, businesses, and all the rest of us who have adapted to virtual communication. Yes, people here are fatigued from shutdowns and social restrictions, but by and large we fall in line and keep going for the common good.” Howard Sharfstein believes “that Covid has changed the content of people for the better. We have the time and the reason to consider our lives, our values. Previously we spent our time focused on work, family, etc., but now are challenged to look deeply into ourselves.”
You can find the full text of all these responses on our class website, 1967.dartmouth.org.
On a sad note, we all mourn the loss of our classmate Drew Ley, who passed away on October 20. His obituary will appear in DAM and on our website.
—Larry Langford, P.O. Box 71, Buckland, MA 01339; 1967damnotes@gmail.com
Bruce Pacht thinks “instantaneous audiovisual transmission and group participation have changed our perception of when and why in-person group meetings should occur, saving time and trouble, but we risk becoming a world of peas occupying very separate pods.” John Isaacs hopes “working virtually from home at least part of the time” will continue, though he would still like to show up in person now and then. John Bash believes more “remote working, learning, shopping, and business meetings will be more efficient, scalable, cheaper, and take a lesser toll on the environment, but that close, interpersonal relations will suffer.” Pat Horgan thinks “increased awareness about hygiene and vaccines will reduce the influenza death toll going forward,” but worries that “there may be no economic recovery for millions.”
Dick Clapp hopes “the beneficial perception that ‘we’re all in this together,’ both in the United States and globally, will be lasting.” John Hager worries that “due to the politicization of our response to the pandemic, we have now become the ‘Divided States of America,’ and this weakness will continue to be exploited by our foreign adversaries and will result in the even more accelerated decline of our standing on the world stage.” John Lobitz hopes “doctors will continue learning about and getting comfortable with telemedicine, especially in rural medicine,” and Jim Clark hopes we retain “virtual telemedicine medical appointments and working from home.” Pete Nistad worries he “may die from a case of severely chapped hands.” Owen Leach believes “the worst lingering impact
will be the mask. It’s a form of sensory deprivation that cuts off a large component of psychological connection to others.” Rob Kugler fears the lingering effect of “viewing others, particularly strangers, as threats—as carriers of this virus (and other viruses to come?)—leaves the populace vulnerable to messages of division.” Chuck Slade hopes “people will wake up and be more skeptical about the news being put out by the corporate media.”
While disappointed by America’s pandemic response compared to that of his current home in Australia, Andy Weiss finds “hope in the resilience and creativity coming out in the way artists, musicians, businesses, and all the rest of us who have adapted to virtual communication. Yes, people here are fatigued from shutdowns and social restrictions, but by and large we fall in line and keep going for the common good.” Howard Sharfstein believes “that Covid has changed the content of people for the better. We have the time and the reason to consider our lives, our values. Previously we spent our time focused on work, family, etc., but now are challenged to look deeply into ourselves.”
You can find the full text of all these responses on our class website, 1967.dartmouth.org.
On a sad note, we all mourn the loss of our classmate Drew Ley, who passed away on October 20. His obituary will appear in DAM and on our website.
—Larry Langford, P.O. Box 71, Buckland, MA 01339; 1967damnotes@gmail.com