Class Note 1995
Issue
January-February 2023
Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that we are entering the Year of 50 for the majority of our class. Weren’t we just college students? A half century is something to celebrate—what are your plans?
Alex (Lesk) Love is taking her kids to Quebec and then to Scandinavia for some genealogy. “My husband, Paul, is a Finnish gypsy, apparently. I embraced his heritage this Halloween with a Lagertha costume.” Lagertha, for those not in the know (your secretary included) is a 13th-century Viking leader and shieldmaiden. Cool!
Rob McLennan will spend his 50th with 10 or so close friends in a cozy cabin on top of the Continental Divide. “Section House hut is part of the Summit Huts system of backcountry huts. We’ll ski in, spend a couple of nights with plenty of time to explore the surrounding slopes, and ski back out. One of my favorite Colorado activities!
“As I approach 50, I find myself worried less about career, money, etc., and focusing more on spending time doing things I enjoy with people I love, including my three kids, who have all reached an age where travel is easy and fun. At the same time I try to stay young by mixing in new activities so I can experience the joy of being a beginner; for example, earlier this fall I started playing adult-league ice hockey. I do have more of a sense of a window of time closing—whether by my getting old or the worsening climate crisis—and want to make the most of the time I/we have left.”
Pam Quinn happens to share her birthday with the day the Bahamas became an independent nation, so she’s planning a trip there to celebrate their mutual 50th birthday, with “lots of fireworks and partying!” Vil Ramos turned 50 in August and on his 50th birthday was in Costa Rica celebrating with his family. “On the morning of my birthday I was surfing some beautiful waves. I have been learning to surf for the last few months, so it felt like a great achievement to actually surf on my 50th birthday. I would love to continue staying active and continue learning new hobbies, such as surfing in my 50s.”
Candice Jimerson hopes to go to Greece for her 50th. Chris Mitchell and Ali (Ruff) Mitchell are thinking about Greece as well, though they may end up on the Amalfi Coast or in Spain. They haven’t quite decided yet. Chris writes that he and Ali have been married for 22 years, after meeting at the Big Green back in the early 1990s. “Our daughter Haley (18) is now a freshman at NYU. She’s a dance major at the Tisch School of Performing Arts, on her way to becoming a professional dancer and loving being in New York City. Our son Conor (16) is a sophomore at Cold Spring Harbor High School. He’s a great tennis player and enjoying his academics as well. While 50 might be a milestone, I’ve always believed that age is just a number. Stay young at heart and you will quickly forget what number you are!” Love that attitude, Mitch!
Wherever Alex King spends his 50th, it will include diaper changes and late-night feedings. Congratulations to Alex and his wife, Micah, on the birth of the newest branch of our ’95 tree! Their son Victor Harrison (“Harry”) was born on October 11 at a healthy 8 pounds, 3 ounces.
Happy 50th, everyone. And keep your news coming!
—Kaja (Schuppert) Fickes, 2 Bishops Lane, Hingham, MA 02043; kaja.k.fickes.95@dartmouth.edu
Alex (Lesk) Love is taking her kids to Quebec and then to Scandinavia for some genealogy. “My husband, Paul, is a Finnish gypsy, apparently. I embraced his heritage this Halloween with a Lagertha costume.” Lagertha, for those not in the know (your secretary included) is a 13th-century Viking leader and shieldmaiden. Cool!
Rob McLennan will spend his 50th with 10 or so close friends in a cozy cabin on top of the Continental Divide. “Section House hut is part of the Summit Huts system of backcountry huts. We’ll ski in, spend a couple of nights with plenty of time to explore the surrounding slopes, and ski back out. One of my favorite Colorado activities!
“As I approach 50, I find myself worried less about career, money, etc., and focusing more on spending time doing things I enjoy with people I love, including my three kids, who have all reached an age where travel is easy and fun. At the same time I try to stay young by mixing in new activities so I can experience the joy of being a beginner; for example, earlier this fall I started playing adult-league ice hockey. I do have more of a sense of a window of time closing—whether by my getting old or the worsening climate crisis—and want to make the most of the time I/we have left.”
Pam Quinn happens to share her birthday with the day the Bahamas became an independent nation, so she’s planning a trip there to celebrate their mutual 50th birthday, with “lots of fireworks and partying!” Vil Ramos turned 50 in August and on his 50th birthday was in Costa Rica celebrating with his family. “On the morning of my birthday I was surfing some beautiful waves. I have been learning to surf for the last few months, so it felt like a great achievement to actually surf on my 50th birthday. I would love to continue staying active and continue learning new hobbies, such as surfing in my 50s.”
Candice Jimerson hopes to go to Greece for her 50th. Chris Mitchell and Ali (Ruff) Mitchell are thinking about Greece as well, though they may end up on the Amalfi Coast or in Spain. They haven’t quite decided yet. Chris writes that he and Ali have been married for 22 years, after meeting at the Big Green back in the early 1990s. “Our daughter Haley (18) is now a freshman at NYU. She’s a dance major at the Tisch School of Performing Arts, on her way to becoming a professional dancer and loving being in New York City. Our son Conor (16) is a sophomore at Cold Spring Harbor High School. He’s a great tennis player and enjoying his academics as well. While 50 might be a milestone, I’ve always believed that age is just a number. Stay young at heart and you will quickly forget what number you are!” Love that attitude, Mitch!
Wherever Alex King spends his 50th, it will include diaper changes and late-night feedings. Congratulations to Alex and his wife, Micah, on the birth of the newest branch of our ’95 tree! Their son Victor Harrison (“Harry”) was born on October 11 at a healthy 8 pounds, 3 ounces.
Happy 50th, everyone. And keep your news coming!
—Kaja (Schuppert) Fickes, 2 Bishops Lane, Hingham, MA 02043; kaja.k.fickes.95@dartmouth.edu