Class Note 1981
Issue
Before I traveled to England this summer to watch my son Andrew play in a soccer tournament I bought an international Blackberry. The device enabled me to check my e-mail, voicemail and Facebook frequently from the soccer pitch or while sightseeing in London. This inability to unplug, even while on vacation, may not be a good thing, according to a new bestselling book by Nicholas Carr. The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains explores how the Internet is changing the way our brains function, reducing our capacity for creativity and deep thought. By operating in a constant state of distraction, we are making only shallow connections to people and ideas. Nick, who recently moved from Boston to Boulder, Colorado, with his wife, Ann, has this advice for us: “You have to ration your use of the web and related gadgets and also engage in more contemplative kinds of thinking,” but he acknowledges how hard it is to actually do this, as my England experience illustrates. The fact that many of you are similarly addicted does make it easier for me to connect with you to gather information for this column!
Deirdre Daly, Connecticut’s new deputy U.S. attorney, answered my e-mail plea for details on her career and family from Bar Harbor, Maine, where she was hiking in Acadia National Park with her husband, Al Pavlis, and sons Michael (20), Nick (18) and Will (16). Nick is headed to Dartmouth after a fall hiking trip to Peru and Bolivia. Deirdre and Al met as federal prosecutors in Manhattan and until recently ran Daly & Pavlis LLC, a white-collar criminal defense and civil litigation law firm.
Byron Boston’s Facebook page includes a great photo of him and Debbie Jackson at an Earth Wind & Fire concert in Richmond, Virginia, last June. “Had a blast dancing and singing outdoors to Earth Wind & Fire —first time seeing Debbie since senior year at Dartmouth,” notes Byron. Debbie works for the City of Richmond department of social services as program manager for employee training and organizational development but is currently developing a citywide strategic plan. Her daughter Kendra is a senior at Haverford College and her son Brandon lives in New York City. Speaking of New York, Byron also reported running into Sharon Washington on 42nd Street recently. Sharon’s most recent play, The Scottsboro Boys, opens on Broadway October 31 at the Lyceum. When not catching up with classmates in Richmond and New York, Byron lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife, Andi, and sons Nicholas and Victor. He is executive vice president and chief investment officer at Dynex Capital Inc.
Dr. Robert Higgins is the new head of Ohio State University Medical Center’s solid organ transplant program. Bob recently left Rush University in Chicago, where he was chief of cardiothoracic surgery and led a successful transplant and mechanical assist device program. At Ohio State Bob will direct the comprehensive transplant program and the division of cardiac surgery. While excited about the new position, he is equally excited about his oldest son, John, starting his freshman year at Dartmouth, where he is also playing football. “Yes, these are exciting times. I’m happy to be part of the OSU team and I look forward to the opportunity,” said Bob. Bob’s wife, Molly, daughter Grace and son Grant will make the transition to Ohio during the next year.
“She radiated a special energy and generosity of spirit that deeply touched everybody who came into contact with her.” So wrote Jill Smolowe about her sister Ann Smolowe, who died on August 14 after a courageous two-year battle with cancer. Read more at http://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/obituaries.
—Julie Koeninger, 2 Wilson St., Wellesley, MA 02482; jkoeninger@comcast.net; Abner Oakes, 4807 Dover Road, Bethesda, MD 20816-1772; aoakes4@gmail.com
Nov - Dec 2010
Before I traveled to England this summer to watch my son Andrew play in a soccer tournament I bought an international Blackberry. The device enabled me to check my e-mail, voicemail and Facebook frequently from the soccer pitch or while sightseeing in London. This inability to unplug, even while on vacation, may not be a good thing, according to a new bestselling book by Nicholas Carr. The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains explores how the Internet is changing the way our brains function, reducing our capacity for creativity and deep thought. By operating in a constant state of distraction, we are making only shallow connections to people and ideas. Nick, who recently moved from Boston to Boulder, Colorado, with his wife, Ann, has this advice for us: “You have to ration your use of the web and related gadgets and also engage in more contemplative kinds of thinking,” but he acknowledges how hard it is to actually do this, as my England experience illustrates. The fact that many of you are similarly addicted does make it easier for me to connect with you to gather information for this column!
Deirdre Daly, Connecticut’s new deputy U.S. attorney, answered my e-mail plea for details on her career and family from Bar Harbor, Maine, where she was hiking in Acadia National Park with her husband, Al Pavlis, and sons Michael (20), Nick (18) and Will (16). Nick is headed to Dartmouth after a fall hiking trip to Peru and Bolivia. Deirdre and Al met as federal prosecutors in Manhattan and until recently ran Daly & Pavlis LLC, a white-collar criminal defense and civil litigation law firm.
Byron Boston’s Facebook page includes a great photo of him and Debbie Jackson at an Earth Wind & Fire concert in Richmond, Virginia, last June. “Had a blast dancing and singing outdoors to Earth Wind & Fire —first time seeing Debbie since senior year at Dartmouth,” notes Byron. Debbie works for the City of Richmond department of social services as program manager for employee training and organizational development but is currently developing a citywide strategic plan. Her daughter Kendra is a senior at Haverford College and her son Brandon lives in New York City. Speaking of New York, Byron also reported running into Sharon Washington on 42nd Street recently. Sharon’s most recent play, The Scottsboro Boys, opens on Broadway October 31 at the Lyceum. When not catching up with classmates in Richmond and New York, Byron lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife, Andi, and sons Nicholas and Victor. He is executive vice president and chief investment officer at Dynex Capital Inc.
Dr. Robert Higgins is the new head of Ohio State University Medical Center’s solid organ transplant program. Bob recently left Rush University in Chicago, where he was chief of cardiothoracic surgery and led a successful transplant and mechanical assist device program. At Ohio State Bob will direct the comprehensive transplant program and the division of cardiac surgery. While excited about the new position, he is equally excited about his oldest son, John, starting his freshman year at Dartmouth, where he is also playing football. “Yes, these are exciting times. I’m happy to be part of the OSU team and I look forward to the opportunity,” said Bob. Bob’s wife, Molly, daughter Grace and son Grant will make the transition to Ohio during the next year.
“She radiated a special energy and generosity of spirit that deeply touched everybody who came into contact with her.” So wrote Jill Smolowe about her sister Ann Smolowe, who died on August 14 after a courageous two-year battle with cancer. Read more at http://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/obituaries.
—Julie Koeninger, 2 Wilson St., Wellesley, MA 02482; jkoeninger@comcast.net; Abner Oakes, 4807 Dover Road, Bethesda, MD 20816-1772; aoakes4@gmail.com