Did you prepare for this month’s 35th reunion by studying a dog-eared copy of the Freshman Book? Such a strategy might help you recognize ageless wonders such as Brent Bilger and Mark Alperin but will leave you wordless and dumbfounded when approached by that classmate who has morphed into a dead ringer for your grandfather. Or the woman who now looks like Aunt Betty. Or any one of the several hundred follicly challenged guys in our class—with the possible exception of class proto-Kojak Bob Henderson. And was that Freshman Book selfie sketch submitted by Ty Burr even accurate enough to recognize him back then? Puh-leeze!


I have been blessed with the memory—and hair!—of an elephant but nonetheless anticipate some uncomfortable reunion moments. So I’m going to play the odds. If an unrecognizable man walks up to me in the class tent, I will address him as “John” (46 hits) or “David” (37 hits) and deal with the fallout. For female classmates I don’t recognize I’m going with “Susan” (17 hits). If everything works as planned I will rekindle relationships with John Ulrich, Dave Marchiony and Susan Spagnola—or some combination of their first name equivalents. We’ll see how it goes.


Before we introduce the new, let’s close out the old. In February this column presented a list of M.D.’s and asked, “What do these classmates have in common besides a med school degree?” The last two names on the list—classmates Paul Stephens and Tyra Bryant-Stephens—offered a hint. The answer: Each of the M.D.’s is married to another M.D. Doctors in love! Was that too corny?


As for February’s “Two Truths and a Lie”: Emily Lisberger Vitale and Lori Zelikow Florio have indeed started a fitness clothes company and Andy Minden has actually opened a store called Ramble on Pearl. Ross Brownridge is not making rocking chairs out of old hockey sticks. But maybe someone should be.


So now it’s time for this month’s “’80 List.” What is the common thread that ties these people together: Wade Herring, Mike Carothers, Rob Daisley, Dan Zenkel, Paul Elmlinger?


Now try to identify which of the following three stories is the fake one.


First: When he visited Dartmouth the father of Elisabeth Long Lilly often delivered jugs of vodka to Elisabeth and her friends.


Second: The parents of Blaze Tatananni were inspired by foliage they saw in Vermont shortly before he was born.


Third: Robert Roselli earned the nickname “Razor” because of his sharp play on the high school soccer field.


The first correct answers to either challenge win prizes.


In a career that has included stints as CEO of Godiva Chocolatier and president of famous brands such as Campbell’s Soup and Life Savers, Jim Goldman was recently named to the board of trustees for Save the Children. Jim also serves on the boards for Domino’s Pizza and the International Tennis Hall of Fame.


Looking forward to seeing you at our reunion!


—Frank Fesnak, 242 River Road, Gladwyne, PA 19035; (610) 581-8889; ffesnak@gmail.com; Rob Daisley, 3201 W. Knights Ave., Tampa, FL 33611; (813) 300-7954; robdaisley@me.com