I must admit, I am really enjoying taking my son Miles on college soccer recruiting trips. First, it’s been great reliving my youth and exploring various college campuses. I take in the sights, find the best watering holes and, best of all, I never have to worry about an exam. Second, it has given me an opportunity to connect with classmates. 


Our first stop was in Washington, D.C., and while there I had a fun evening with David Cumberbatch at historic Martin’s Tavern (where, I’m told, JFK asked Jackie O. to marry him). David is busily helping plan our 30th reunion and sits on the entertainment and symposia committees. Thanks to David’s hard work we have many great events planned. When not up to his neck with the reunion David is a criminal defense attorney.


Our next visit was to the Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, area, where John Minier hosted me and took me to Cameron Indoor Stadium to witness the Cameron Crazies and the Duke Blue Devils whip up on NC State in basketball (“if you can’t go to college, go to State”). Later that evening we joined Jane Blansfield Finch and her husband, Jim, for dinner at Kate and Steve Day’s new restaurant, Plates Kitchen (www.plateskitchen.com). When Steve and Kate moved to London in 2006 Steve decided to formalize his training at Le Cordon Bleu. There he learned classic French culinary techniques and earned the highly coveted diplome de cuisine. During his tenure overseas Steve traveled to more than 30 countries where he experienced a variety of cultures, food and drink. The culmination of these experiences provided the inspiration for Plates. It was a most sublime evening—both the food and the company combined for the most memorable meal I’ve had in a long time. I highly recommend the short rib for dinner and the sticky toffee pudding and a brownie soaked in port for dessert! 


Registration for our 30th reunion is now in full swing. If you haven’t registered yet, follow the links on our class website www.dartmouth84.org. Ed Kenealy, our 30th reunion chair, reports: “Given that I am writing this on Presidents Day Weekend I feel as though I can safely say that this reunion is ‘of, by and for’ the class of ’84. The 30th reunion team received an unprecedented response to our online survey from classmates located in 11 different countries on a host of topics, ranging from symposium subjects to entertainment options to preferred DOC-sponsored outdoor activities. The information we received has been incorporated directly into our planning efforts. For example, Studio ’84, a night of 1980s music and dancing, and a one-night-only performance of the all-’84 Esoterix are both a direct result of the feedback we received. With almost two-thirds of survey respondents saying they probably or definitely will attend our reunion and an overwhelming majority of respondents considering themselves engaged with the College, we are hoping to achieve record-breaking attendance at our reunion from June 11 to 15. And since this is our last solo class reunion until our 50th, this is definitely one not to be missed. However, with reunion registration upon us we need your correct email address. Please go to our class website and see if you are on the ‘lost emails’ list. If so, just click on your name and submit the correct email address. If your name is not on the list but you still aren’t receiving emails you can send your correct email address to dartmouth84@gmail.com. Help ensure the 30th reunion team can reach everyone with important reunion registration and other information. See you in June!”


—Jan Gordon and Derek Chow, 770 Union Ave., Boulder, CO 80304; (303) 448-1580; janandderek@comcast.net