Class Note 1997
Issue
January-February 2025
This year marks the 30th anniversary of my Spanish language study abroad (LSA) in Querétaro, Mexico, an amazing experience filled with new friendships and daily adventures. I still remember when everything clicked and I began dreaming in Spanish. I especially loved hanging out with everyone on our midterm break in Puerto Escondido. I reached out to my classmates all the way back from 1995 winter term to get their thoughts on that special time in our lives.
Misong Kim wrote: “I still consider our LSA in Mexico as one of the most important and pivotal times in my life. I connected with the people and culture there so strongly that I returned after graduation with a public-service grant (thank you, Dartmouth’s Richard B. Lombard fellowship) to live in a small Veracruz beach-town called Tecolutla, where I did various volunteer jobs and, more importantly, formed lifelong friendships that bonded me to Mexico forever. Not to mention what an incredible time I had with the ’96s and ’97s on the LSA; I still feel a special bond with these people 30 years later, whether we are in contact or not. My favorite memories revolve around traveling with them by bus all over the country, including one harrowing experience in Oaxaca when our two taxis were stopped by police with machine guns for what we assumed was a shakedown but were released with a wink and a smile when one cop recognized us from the disco a few nights earlier. Today I live in the Chelsea neighborhood of N.Y.C. with my partner, Becca, and our dog Theodora and work for a commercial real estate debt fund. I have photos from my LSA album I can share upon request.”
Matt Fantle recalled: “The LSA was, for me, terrific in many ways. I probably cannot talk in detail about my most impactful experiences. I do have fond memories of traveling during our vacation with Holly (Thomas) Landsittel, Jonathan Godinger, and Sara Clark and meeting up with more folks on the coast. So much so that we went back the following spring, visited my host family, and saw more of the country. Time flies…I am a full tenured professor of geosciences at Penn State, coach middle school (fall) and travel (spring) soccer, and have one son who just started high school this year—unbelievably. I am a huge fan of Premier League soccer and root, unfortunately these days, for Manchester United.”
Holly remembered Matt’s love for Counting Crows, traveling with him and Sara to Ixtapa, Misong’s fluency in Spanish, my cow brain soup story, and riding the little white bus to school every day. “I really have all positive memories of everyone and am so thankful no one made too much fun of me because I was so terrible in Spanish!”
Jonathan, who now lives in New York City with his three sons (who are 17, 16, and 13, with the oldest applying to college), added: “Querétaro—that was a fun couple of months. Some highlights I remember were squeezing onto the local bus every morning and hanging off of it because it was packed, riding horses on the beach, playing ultimate Frisbee, skinny-dipping, and taking some fun trips. I love Mexican food now but don’t recall being so adventurous back then, though my host mom was a great cook and supplied yummy local fruits every day, including papaya. Practicing Spanish with my local family was also awesome.”
Feliz año nuevo, everyone. Please send your news.
—Jason Casell, 19018 Salado Canyon, San Antonio, TX 78258; jhcasell@gmail.com
Misong Kim wrote: “I still consider our LSA in Mexico as one of the most important and pivotal times in my life. I connected with the people and culture there so strongly that I returned after graduation with a public-service grant (thank you, Dartmouth’s Richard B. Lombard fellowship) to live in a small Veracruz beach-town called Tecolutla, where I did various volunteer jobs and, more importantly, formed lifelong friendships that bonded me to Mexico forever. Not to mention what an incredible time I had with the ’96s and ’97s on the LSA; I still feel a special bond with these people 30 years later, whether we are in contact or not. My favorite memories revolve around traveling with them by bus all over the country, including one harrowing experience in Oaxaca when our two taxis were stopped by police with machine guns for what we assumed was a shakedown but were released with a wink and a smile when one cop recognized us from the disco a few nights earlier. Today I live in the Chelsea neighborhood of N.Y.C. with my partner, Becca, and our dog Theodora and work for a commercial real estate debt fund. I have photos from my LSA album I can share upon request.”
Matt Fantle recalled: “The LSA was, for me, terrific in many ways. I probably cannot talk in detail about my most impactful experiences. I do have fond memories of traveling during our vacation with Holly (Thomas) Landsittel, Jonathan Godinger, and Sara Clark and meeting up with more folks on the coast. So much so that we went back the following spring, visited my host family, and saw more of the country. Time flies…I am a full tenured professor of geosciences at Penn State, coach middle school (fall) and travel (spring) soccer, and have one son who just started high school this year—unbelievably. I am a huge fan of Premier League soccer and root, unfortunately these days, for Manchester United.”
Holly remembered Matt’s love for Counting Crows, traveling with him and Sara to Ixtapa, Misong’s fluency in Spanish, my cow brain soup story, and riding the little white bus to school every day. “I really have all positive memories of everyone and am so thankful no one made too much fun of me because I was so terrible in Spanish!”
Jonathan, who now lives in New York City with his three sons (who are 17, 16, and 13, with the oldest applying to college), added: “Querétaro—that was a fun couple of months. Some highlights I remember were squeezing onto the local bus every morning and hanging off of it because it was packed, riding horses on the beach, playing ultimate Frisbee, skinny-dipping, and taking some fun trips. I love Mexican food now but don’t recall being so adventurous back then, though my host mom was a great cook and supplied yummy local fruits every day, including papaya. Practicing Spanish with my local family was also awesome.”
Feliz año nuevo, everyone. Please send your news.
—Jason Casell, 19018 Salado Canyon, San Antonio, TX 78258; jhcasell@gmail.com