Class Note 1993
The ’93 notes are back with new co-class secretaries, Dwight Fenton and Natalie Weidener Kupinsky, and we’re excited to hear from you! No news equals no column, so we need your help to make this a regular feature. It’s late April as we write this and the two of us are hunkered down here in New York and Washington, D.C., respectively, working from home, practicing social distancing, and extremely grateful for all of the healthcare professionals and other essential workers who are helping us all get through this pandemic.
As an epicenter of the virus, New York City has been hit hard and a return to pre-Covid living is still weeks away. My kids and I (Dwight) escaped to Montauk for an easier form of distancing than what an apartment allows, but it’s still been an adjustment with lots of homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, oh, and work. Knowing that this is being written for a July/August issue makes me wonder what things will be like by the time you read this. What will returning to “normal” even mean? I read somewhere that this feels like Mother Nature sent us to our room so we could think about what we’ve done. I hope we come out of this better for it.
The Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area has likewise been very proactive in Covid-prevention measures. Maryland’s governor, Larry Hogan, is the chair of the National Governors’ Association and, along with vice chair and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has had a strong national presence during this pandemic. As of this writing, all three locations are still subject to stay-at-home orders with schools closed for the foreseeable future. As the mother of a high school senior (and a sophomore), I (Natalie) and my husband have found it hard to watch her miss so many once-in-a-lifetime events, but we all feel very lucky to have our health and a comfortable space here in Potomac, Maryland, to quarantine together. We have our fingers crossed that she, and all of the other seniors, will be able to start college this fall as planned.
In non-Covid news, New York and Washington, D.C., continue to have a strong Dartmouth presence, including very energetic and active Dartmouth clubs. In Washington, our very own Tara (Burke) Vold is the current president of a terrific chapter of Women of Dartmouth. Mostly paused like so much of the world, we know they will all be back up and running as soon as they can with a full slate of events and activities. If you need information on how to get involved with your local alumni association or with the College in other ways (Dartmouth is always looking for applicant interviewers) please reach out to either of us and we can help you out.
Finally, looking ahead to brighter days and looking back on fond memories, we want to hear from you about your Dartmouth beginnings! What special memories do you have from orientation or freshman trips? What dorm were you assigned to and do you still keep in touch with your freshman dorm pals? Send us your scoop: Dwight Fenton (dwight.e.fenton.93@dartmouth.edu) or Natalie Weidener Kupinsky (natalie.weidener.kupinsky.93@dartmouth.edu).
—Dwight Fenton, 200 E. 72nd St., Apt. 20K, NY, NY 10021; dwightedmundfenton@gmail.com; Natalie Weidener Kupinsky, 9733 Beman Woods Way, Potomac, MD 20854; natalie.weidener.kupinsky.93@dartmouth.edu
