It’s late April as I write this, and it’s either winter, spring, summer or some season Al Gore has not yet named. As you read this it should be early summer, the weather should have settled on a pattern and you’ll be getting ready to watch, or even attend, the Summer Olympics in London. Here’s a preview and update from Andrew Lewin, class VP and recently relocated London correspondent. 


“There is a great deal of scrambling for tickets. About 1 million will go on sale in early May, but only to those who registered a year ago, and it seems there will be more losers than winners even for those. The games will take place all over London. Beach volleyball will be near us, behind the royal horse guards in St. James Park. While a lot of people we know will be going out of town to avoid the crowds, some are planning to stay and enjoy the atmosphere, if not the actual games.


“On a recent trip to Berlin with my son Nate ’14 in March I visited with our classmate Matt Hunter. Since 2006 Matt has been a violist for the Berliner Philharmonic, the finest orchestra in the world. I believe he is the first American to do so. Those of you who remember Matt from Dartmouth may remember that he was heading to banking after graduation. Fortunately, he decided to go to conservatory instead. He lives in Berlin with his wife, Karen, and three daughters.”


If you are lucky enough to attend in London, you’ll likely be living the life one associates with someone 31 years out of college. In contrast, Chris Morrison remembers a trip to the Lake Placid Olympics with classmates Stu Levenson and John Connolly. Details are scarce, but reportedly it was very cold in the back of an unheated VW bus driven by an ’80, whose name has been withheld. 


Though not Olympian, Chip Bettencourt reports an epic effort, also happening as you read this. In June Chip and Chris Andrews will participate in the Newport to Bermuda Sail race. “Our boat Hakuna Matata (“no worries”) is a Cal 39, one of the smallest in the race. Two years ago our goal was to finish the race and not be last. There was one boat behind us, and several dropped out. Our goals are the same this year. Chris is the captain—so if we go slowly, blame him. I am navigator; so if we get lost, blame Chris for making me the navigator. The rest of the crew also play hockey. The race should take us five days, give or take a day. Our crew gets special invites to all the best parties at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club—and you can’t miss us wearing Bermuda shorts, knee-high socks, our own favorite hockey T-shirts and baseball hats—among the crowd of matching preppy shirts and blazers.” Track Chip and Chris on the web.


—Brian Cusack, 26 Ocean Ave., Marblehead, MA 01945; (617) 710-7228; briancusack13@gmail.com; Robert Goldbloom, 324 Warburton Ave., Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706; (914) 231-5117; robertgoldbloom@gmail.com