Class Note 1968
The house of Gerry Hills on the Big Island of Hawaii is now buried under 40 feet of lava. Gerry and his family were awakened at 1:30 one morning in May 2018 by flashing blue lights, sirens, and loud speakers demanding they evacuate immediately. Lava from the Kilauea volcano, which had been oozing toward the ocean, shifted course and headed toward Kapoho, which was wiped out June 4. With the help of insurance, Gerry is building a bamboo house in the little coastal community of Hawaiian Beaches, a subdivision of Pahoa.
Dikkon Eberhart of Roanoke, Virginia, volunteers with Kairos Prison Ministry Project of Virginia. Twice a year Dikkon and other men go to a prison for a four-day session as witness to their Christian ministry. Seven tables of three volunteers and six prisoners listen to presentations about personal choices and Jesus Christ and then discuss their personal failings. This culminates in a forgiveness ceremony. “It’s a remarkable experience,” says Dikkon. “You sit there with a guy who is a double murderer, and you become spiritual brothers. Volunteers return monthly for a day bringing fresh baked cookies to share: ‘Jesus cookies’ as these popular treats are known.”
Austin de Besche of Arlington, Massachusetts, has spent more than 40 years in motion pictures. He worked as director of photography for The Year We Thought About Love, a 68-minute documentary celebrating the powerful work of a young Boston LGBTQ troupe. Austin also filmed John Sayles’ landmark film, The Return of the Secaucus Seven. And he filmed Postcards from Buster, a Boston PBS series.
In the early 1990s Michel Zaleski went to Cabarete on the north coast of the Dominican Republic to windsurf. He fell in love with it and built a home. Then, deciding to do something about the poverty and lack of educational opportunities in the region, he founded the Dream Project (www.dominicandream.org), an education and mentoring project that thrives today with a paid staff of 100 and schools in 27 communities serving more than 9,000 children and youth. Projects range from child-rearing classes for young parents, Montessori schools, afterschool and at-risk youth programs, summer schools and camps, libraries, computer labs, vocational training, and one of the only Bachata music schools in Latin America. Dream is constantly adding programs: It is now building and equipping a machinist school. “It has succeeded beyond my wildest dreams,” says Michel, who lives in New York City.
Tom Stonecipher of Bozeman, Montana, has agreed to be our class representative on the Alumni Council. “I see this as being a conduit between the College and the class,” says Tom. “Our class is not shy,” he observes. The Alumni Council meets twice a year and is a forum for discussing issues facing Dartmouth. Tom replaces Hugh Boss,who has been our councilor for the past three years.
Class president David Peck urges you to support the Dartmouth College Fund and the College’s Call to Lead campaign.
—Dick Olson, 1021 Nottingham Road, Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230; rwolson68@gmail.com
