More than 100 classmates and spouses gathered in Hanover last November to christen a rowing shell named after Marc Farley. Brooks Clark, Chris Riley, Bob Shuman, Jim Bassett, Barbara Kelly Hack, Rob Wilkes and Jim Bullion rowed the Marc W. Farley ’78 and other shells at the annual Gardner Cup Alumni regatta. Afterward, Gwen Farley and Bob Shuman made remarks before the formal christening. Gwen remembered a meaningful alumni row in 2013 and how much the river and Dartmouth meant to her husband. “Now, with this boat, Marc will never have to leave this place.”

Dartmouth means a lot to many of us, and with this issue of DAM looking at reasons to love Dartmouth, I reached out to see what ’78s think. The one thing mentioned most was people—“not just the classmates, dorm mates and fellow students who became our friends and partners,” said William Frazier, “but the great professors who taught, entertained, inspired, cajoled and supported us.” Michael Whitcomb mentioned friends made at school, as well as “so many amazing alumni whom I wish I knew back in the day and who keep Dartmouth vital and relevant.” Said Rick Spier: “I love Dartmouth because of the people with whom I shared it.”

Many also touched on the place itself: “the unparalleled beauty of the Hanover Plain and its pristine environment with each seasonal change,” as Kevin Hoffman put it.

Some folks shared remarkably specific reasons for loving Dartmouth. For Allesandra Gelmi it was “Thayer cafeteria Line 4” and “Beta parties.” Jerry Kortekamp remembered that he “could buy booze at age 18 in 1974, now none can on campus!” Janie Erwin Hammet cited “the legacy of John Rassias,” while Jim Lattin proclaimed: “It is the birthplace of the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System—the original ‘cloud’ computing!”

And then there are the possibilities that Dartmouth offers. In the words of Kevin Hoffman, “As Ted Geisel famously reminded us, ‘oh the places you’ll go’—the opportunities that Dartmouth opened up for us and the places around the world where many of us have traveled and lived as a result.” Owen Astrachan pointed to “the best of local and global outside-the-classroom education and engagement, from study abroad to Tucker Foundation.”

Frank Setian gets the final word on this topic. “For me, the lyrics to ‘Dartmouth Undying’ tell most of the story. Building a passion for academic excellence and lasting friendships for life completes it.”

News update from Andy Welch, who retired in 2014 as director of admissions at the Geisel School of Medicine. “I stayed retired for a while, but missed working. I’m now working part-time at the college of our choice as a pre-health advisor. The Dartmouth undergraduates are an amazing group. It is a joy to spend time with them!” Andy has also partnered with Tuck and Geisel faculty member Michael Lewis, M.D., to form WLL Consulting (medicalschoolconsulting.com), doing premed advising with individual clients.

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—Rick Beyer, 34 Outlook Drive, Lexington, MA 02421; rick@rickbeyer.net