Class Note 1998
Issue
January-February 2021
With sadness I begin with what many already know: Suzanne (Michels) Obenshain passed away in September. Reading about Suzanne and listening to classmates’ reflections, I am inspired by the richness and depth of her experiences across 43 years. It is a painful loss and an extraordinary life. An obituary is available on the magazine’s website. Donations on Suzanne’s behalf can be made at danafarber.jimmyfund.org/goto/suzannemichelsobenshain.
Kyle Teamey wrote that he and family moved to Boston this summer. He is happy to connect with any ’98s in the area, but of course it would have to be socially distanced. Kyle commented that he is not a fan of pandemics but appreciates that we are now spending more time with people outdoors. (Note that Kyle wrote this in August!) I recently listened to a podcast produced by the news website Axios featuring my first-year roommate Matt Peterson, who is leading a $2-billion investment program at Amazon to reduce carbon emissions. Matt spoke eloquently about Amazon’s efforts to go carbon neutral by 2040, a truly worthy initiative. Marc Lewinstein unexpectedly reconnected with Kristin Dwyer after getting “bashed in the forehead with a flying surfboard.” Marc ended up in the emergency room at Newport (Rhode Island) Hospital. Although not working there that day, Kristin called ahead to the attending physicians regarding Marc. He was fine and remarked, “It was quite comforting to have a Dartmouth doctor involved!”
Roger Johnson emailed with a caveat that you might not remember him, as he took advantage of the Dartmouth plan to study in Finland, South Africa, Canada, and Greece. After Dartmouth he continued his “peripatetic” ways, changing careers and cities multiple times. Now Roger has settled in the “hidden gem” Pensacola, Florida, where he owns a wine bar. The bar celebrates the diversity of wine that Roger has discovered through travel and getting to know winemakers near and far.
Giordan Del Rosario is another classmate who acknowledges staying under the radar at Dartmouth. Giordan was last in the United States in 2001 and graduated Dartmouth in 2002. Afterward he lived in Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, India, and, around 2008, returned to the Philippines. Giordan’s post-Dartmouth experiences are marked by studying biological sciences as well as journeys of self-discovery. Now he teaches high school science, virtually, for the Pax Et Lumen International Academy from his home in Quezon City, the Philippines. I am grateful to Giordan for opening up about his general sense of alienation: the feeling that he has no true home—not fitting in at Dartmouth and then feeling culture shock upon returning to Asia. But Giordan also shared a fondness for the United States, particularly the opportunities and choices available in the 1990s during the Clinton administration. Well, much has changed since then. I write this one week before our election, for publication at the end of 2020. When you read this, I hope that America is in a healthy, stable, and peaceful place. Happy holidays!
—Gabe Galletti, 4000 Utah Ave., Nashville, TN 37209; galletti@gmail.com
Kyle Teamey wrote that he and family moved to Boston this summer. He is happy to connect with any ’98s in the area, but of course it would have to be socially distanced. Kyle commented that he is not a fan of pandemics but appreciates that we are now spending more time with people outdoors. (Note that Kyle wrote this in August!) I recently listened to a podcast produced by the news website Axios featuring my first-year roommate Matt Peterson, who is leading a $2-billion investment program at Amazon to reduce carbon emissions. Matt spoke eloquently about Amazon’s efforts to go carbon neutral by 2040, a truly worthy initiative. Marc Lewinstein unexpectedly reconnected with Kristin Dwyer after getting “bashed in the forehead with a flying surfboard.” Marc ended up in the emergency room at Newport (Rhode Island) Hospital. Although not working there that day, Kristin called ahead to the attending physicians regarding Marc. He was fine and remarked, “It was quite comforting to have a Dartmouth doctor involved!”
Roger Johnson emailed with a caveat that you might not remember him, as he took advantage of the Dartmouth plan to study in Finland, South Africa, Canada, and Greece. After Dartmouth he continued his “peripatetic” ways, changing careers and cities multiple times. Now Roger has settled in the “hidden gem” Pensacola, Florida, where he owns a wine bar. The bar celebrates the diversity of wine that Roger has discovered through travel and getting to know winemakers near and far.
Giordan Del Rosario is another classmate who acknowledges staying under the radar at Dartmouth. Giordan was last in the United States in 2001 and graduated Dartmouth in 2002. Afterward he lived in Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, India, and, around 2008, returned to the Philippines. Giordan’s post-Dartmouth experiences are marked by studying biological sciences as well as journeys of self-discovery. Now he teaches high school science, virtually, for the Pax Et Lumen International Academy from his home in Quezon City, the Philippines. I am grateful to Giordan for opening up about his general sense of alienation: the feeling that he has no true home—not fitting in at Dartmouth and then feeling culture shock upon returning to Asia. But Giordan also shared a fondness for the United States, particularly the opportunities and choices available in the 1990s during the Clinton administration. Well, much has changed since then. I write this one week before our election, for publication at the end of 2020. When you read this, I hope that America is in a healthy, stable, and peaceful place. Happy holidays!
—Gabe Galletti, 4000 Utah Ave., Nashville, TN 37209; galletti@gmail.com