Class Note 1980
Issue
Sept - Oct 2019
The postman may not always ring twice, but he still brings surprises. He recently delivered a copy of Paper Jewels: Postcards from the Raj by Omar Khan. Omar’s big, colorful book is the story of postcards during the Raj and covers India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Burma. Omar has researched early photography and ephemera of the subcontinent for 30 years, and he collected the postcards featured in Paper Jewels. Living in San Francisco, Omar is chief technology officer for Common Sense Media, a resource for parents and teachers navigating the digital world with children.
Also arriving via post was a letter from John Blakey ’64 addressing me as “perpetual secretary.” I have been called worse. John first met Meg Blakey in 1980 when she was pouring beer in the class of ’64 reunion tent. Our classmate, Meg, met John’s daughter, Meg Blakey, 10 years later during another reunion week. John’s daughter went on to become a member of the class of 1998. The two Megs are sisters of Dartmouth, but they are otherwise unrelated.
Dartmouth is a family school. Roy Johnson reports that he and his brother, Paul ’82, had a stronger social connection and more common friendships at Dartmouth than they ever had in high school.
When Rob Daisley arrived in Hanover, his brother, Gordy ’79, had friends all over campus. From the start, Rob could walk down the third floor of Mid-Mass to ask ready-made friends for help with course selections and other academic challenges. Socially, Rob banked on his brother’s good name. Occasionally called by his brother’s name, Rob considered the mistake a compliment, given that Gordy was so universally well-liked. Conversely, Rob does not remember Gordy ever being mistaken for his little brother. The benefits of a sibling on campus did not run both ways. If Rob has not previously thanked Gordy for all he did for his little bro’ in Hanover, Rob does so now.
Tom Camman feels lucky to have overlapped with his sister, Amy Camman Cholnoky ’77. Amy was an invaluable “go to” for everything from classes and professors to “Hookers” and all in between. Tom had met Amy’s friends on earlier visits to Dartmouth, and he benefitted from those connections from the start. Through Amy, Tom gained more exposure to more things and people than he would have on his own. Ultimately, students weave their own Dartmouth experiences, unique and magical blends of people, places, and things. Tom cannot imagine his Dartmouth experience without Amy; it would not have been the same, let alone anywhere near as good. Tom concludes, “I don’t think that otherwise I’d have been a women’s ice hockey groupie hanging out at Davis Rink, but who’s to say?”
On a personal note, Amy was one of the first people I met at Dartmouth. That cold, foggy night 43 years ago crossing the Green, I was a long way from home in Macon, Georgia, but I found new friends who could show me the way, however unorthodox.
—Wade Herring, P.O. Box 9848, Savannah, GA 31412; (912) 944-1639; wherring@huntermaclean.com; Rob Daisley, 3201 W. Knights Ave., Tampa, FL 33611; (813) 300-7954; robdaisley@me.com; Frank Fesnak, 242 River Road, Gladwyne, PA 19035; (610) 581-8889; ffesnak@gmail.com
Also arriving via post was a letter from John Blakey ’64 addressing me as “perpetual secretary.” I have been called worse. John first met Meg Blakey in 1980 when she was pouring beer in the class of ’64 reunion tent. Our classmate, Meg, met John’s daughter, Meg Blakey, 10 years later during another reunion week. John’s daughter went on to become a member of the class of 1998. The two Megs are sisters of Dartmouth, but they are otherwise unrelated.
Dartmouth is a family school. Roy Johnson reports that he and his brother, Paul ’82, had a stronger social connection and more common friendships at Dartmouth than they ever had in high school.
When Rob Daisley arrived in Hanover, his brother, Gordy ’79, had friends all over campus. From the start, Rob could walk down the third floor of Mid-Mass to ask ready-made friends for help with course selections and other academic challenges. Socially, Rob banked on his brother’s good name. Occasionally called by his brother’s name, Rob considered the mistake a compliment, given that Gordy was so universally well-liked. Conversely, Rob does not remember Gordy ever being mistaken for his little brother. The benefits of a sibling on campus did not run both ways. If Rob has not previously thanked Gordy for all he did for his little bro’ in Hanover, Rob does so now.
Tom Camman feels lucky to have overlapped with his sister, Amy Camman Cholnoky ’77. Amy was an invaluable “go to” for everything from classes and professors to “Hookers” and all in between. Tom had met Amy’s friends on earlier visits to Dartmouth, and he benefitted from those connections from the start. Through Amy, Tom gained more exposure to more things and people than he would have on his own. Ultimately, students weave their own Dartmouth experiences, unique and magical blends of people, places, and things. Tom cannot imagine his Dartmouth experience without Amy; it would not have been the same, let alone anywhere near as good. Tom concludes, “I don’t think that otherwise I’d have been a women’s ice hockey groupie hanging out at Davis Rink, but who’s to say?”
On a personal note, Amy was one of the first people I met at Dartmouth. That cold, foggy night 43 years ago crossing the Green, I was a long way from home in Macon, Georgia, but I found new friends who could show me the way, however unorthodox.
—Wade Herring, P.O. Box 9848, Savannah, GA 31412; (912) 944-1639; wherring@huntermaclean.com; Rob Daisley, 3201 W. Knights Ave., Tampa, FL 33611; (813) 300-7954; robdaisley@me.com; Frank Fesnak, 242 River Road, Gladwyne, PA 19035; (610) 581-8889; ffesnak@gmail.com