Class Note 1990
Issue
May-June 2023
Here is Part II of your responses to the question, “What is something you didn’t get involved in or do at Dartmouth that, if you had a second chance, you would get involved in or do?”
Josh Vogel writes, “I have two kids in college and think about this a lot. I wish I had gone to more plays, more musical performances, more dinners, more professors’ office hours, and more classes!” Parker Karnan writes, “I would have played more golf at the course and skied more at the Skiway. I’m really not sure if I have ever woken up before 8 a.m. in New Hampshire. Maybe I would do that a couple of times, as well.” Jeanhee Kim writes, “I have a 17-year-old daughter applying to colleges now. The funny thing is that I told her one of my regrets was I never tried to play water polo—something I saw students doing at Dartmouth—and somehow my speaking those words convinced her to try it! She was on the girls’ water polo team a few days later and played a whole season for the Chinese Swimming Club in Singapore, where we were living at the time, in 2020-21. A small regret, I know, but how satisfying it was to see my flesh and blood try it, enjoy it, and compete in it!” Karen Hartwig writes, “For the past 25 years I’ve hiked three to five days a week near my home in the Oakland Hills [California], usually with the two different pairs of dogs I’ve had during that time. I’ve thought often that I would have enjoyed being involved in the Dartmouth Outing Club.” Nina Kushner writes, “I took good advantage of the academic and extracurricular opportunities Dartmouth provided, but I do wish I had taken at least one economics course, really learned a second language, and learned to ski! I also wish I hadn’t taken calculus my freshman year. Math is not my strong suit. Add in dark, cold, winter mornings, and the class tanked my GPA.” Jenn Scott writes, “I knew nothing about camping, hiking, and kayaking, and I pretty much avoided anything that could be construed as exercise while at Dartmouth. I was always intrigued by the Dartmouth Outing Club, but I felt too intimidated to even investigate how to participate. If I could have a second chance, I’d definitely get involved in that! Now I enjoy those activities and regret I didn’t start sooner.” David Clark writes, “With the lifts and snow so accessible at Dartmouth, I should have learned how to ski and snowboard (which I have encouraged my kids to do). Growing up in Florida did not offer those opportunities. Buddy Teevens may not have agreed, but I should have taken advantage. Thanks for asking this question, as Nicole (Smith) ’89 and I reflect on it often.” And some news from John Christmas: “My thriller novel KGB Banker, cowritten with William Burton McCormick, won two awards in 2022. The book was inspired by my whistleblowing against a Kremlin money-laundering bank. The book was named ‘Best Conspiracy Thriller of 2022’ by Best Thrillers and won the Royal Dragonfly Award for best novel (across all genres) for 2022.”
—Rob Crawford, 22 Black Oak Road, Weston, MA 02493; crawdaddy37@gmail.com
Josh Vogel writes, “I have two kids in college and think about this a lot. I wish I had gone to more plays, more musical performances, more dinners, more professors’ office hours, and more classes!” Parker Karnan writes, “I would have played more golf at the course and skied more at the Skiway. I’m really not sure if I have ever woken up before 8 a.m. in New Hampshire. Maybe I would do that a couple of times, as well.” Jeanhee Kim writes, “I have a 17-year-old daughter applying to colleges now. The funny thing is that I told her one of my regrets was I never tried to play water polo—something I saw students doing at Dartmouth—and somehow my speaking those words convinced her to try it! She was on the girls’ water polo team a few days later and played a whole season for the Chinese Swimming Club in Singapore, where we were living at the time, in 2020-21. A small regret, I know, but how satisfying it was to see my flesh and blood try it, enjoy it, and compete in it!” Karen Hartwig writes, “For the past 25 years I’ve hiked three to five days a week near my home in the Oakland Hills [California], usually with the two different pairs of dogs I’ve had during that time. I’ve thought often that I would have enjoyed being involved in the Dartmouth Outing Club.” Nina Kushner writes, “I took good advantage of the academic and extracurricular opportunities Dartmouth provided, but I do wish I had taken at least one economics course, really learned a second language, and learned to ski! I also wish I hadn’t taken calculus my freshman year. Math is not my strong suit. Add in dark, cold, winter mornings, and the class tanked my GPA.” Jenn Scott writes, “I knew nothing about camping, hiking, and kayaking, and I pretty much avoided anything that could be construed as exercise while at Dartmouth. I was always intrigued by the Dartmouth Outing Club, but I felt too intimidated to even investigate how to participate. If I could have a second chance, I’d definitely get involved in that! Now I enjoy those activities and regret I didn’t start sooner.” David Clark writes, “With the lifts and snow so accessible at Dartmouth, I should have learned how to ski and snowboard (which I have encouraged my kids to do). Growing up in Florida did not offer those opportunities. Buddy Teevens may not have agreed, but I should have taken advantage. Thanks for asking this question, as Nicole (Smith) ’89 and I reflect on it often.” And some news from John Christmas: “My thriller novel KGB Banker, cowritten with William Burton McCormick, won two awards in 2022. The book was inspired by my whistleblowing against a Kremlin money-laundering bank. The book was named ‘Best Conspiracy Thriller of 2022’ by Best Thrillers and won the Royal Dragonfly Award for best novel (across all genres) for 2022.”
—Rob Crawford, 22 Black Oak Road, Weston, MA 02493; crawdaddy37@gmail.com