Winter is beginning to thaw and the promise of spring is just around the corner. As Robert Frost once wrote, “Nature’s first green is gold,” which I think is a great reminder that it’s never too late to start a new chapter in your life—there is always beauty in beginnings! Our fellow classmates are embarking on plenty of new adventures, so let’s check in with them, shall we? 


Jimmy Bramante and Grace Chua ’07 were married in Singapore in November! Congratulations, you two! 


Diana Dinescu will be entering the University of Virginia in the fall as a clinical psychology Ph.D. student.


Katie Farley is teaching biology and drama in Baltimore with Teach for America.


Ray Padgett started working as a publicist for Shore Fire Media, a PR firm that represents Bruce Springsteen, Bon Iver, Elvis Costello and Lana Del Rey.


Chris Koppel recently returned from his deployment to Iraq in December. He completed his time as a platoon leader and is now a staff officer. He hopes to enjoy some time at home in Ft. Hood, Texas. 


Nathan Empsall got a new job at the Sierra Club as the national online organizer for its “Beyond Oil” campaign. 


Johanna Hauer was accepted to dental school at both Columbia and Tufts. Congrats!


Lilian Mehrel is in her first year of graduate school for Film at NYU, where she’s currently in pre-production for a short film adaptation of an Etgar Keret piece, creating videos for James Franco’s website and “avoiding large rats on my walks around the city. If any Dartmouth filmmakers want to collaborate, I’m looking for exciting summer projects!”


Raymond Rodriguez moved to New York City and is now working for BerlinRosen, a political consulting firm handling communications for issue and policy-based campaigns.


Josh Jacobson wrote in with this update: “I left my job to found the next big Internet company, ItsPlatonic.com, and I am applying to startup accelerators. I also moved to Denver to work with my cofounder and am always looking for people nearby to play pong with.”


Ediz Tiyansan was just assigned as the Jerusalem correspondent for TRT, a Turkish TV network: “I’m covering news reports all over Israel, West Bank and Gaza.”


Jon Livadas recently teamed up with fellow San Franciscans Jeff Kolovson, Conlan O’Leary, Johari Wiggens, Conor Leary, Chan Park, Ben Beiswinger, Alex Rapp, Phil Galigan and Jamie Coffin ’06 in a new nonprofit called Holy Shirts and Pants: “We take the wool from sheep and turn it into thread for the homeless to sew, which they in turn make into clothing for other homeless people to sell.”


Dylan Kane is currently living in Laramie, Wyoming, with his girlfriend. Starting in May he will be serving as a wildland firefighter with the Snake River hotshot crew in Pocatello, Idaho.


Finally, C.J. Ryan ’08 proposed to Virginia Deaton on top of Baker bell tower on the Friday of Homecoming while the bells played “My Old Kentucky Home.” Virginia said “yes!” and the couple celebrated at Phi Delta Alpha with Milo Rodriguez, Anna Dev, Yoko Matsumoto, Cynthia Galvez, Taylor Hedrick, Andrew Lane, Andrew Son, Tommy Albright, Michael Gabel, Doug Brown, Ryan Moody, Greg Detwiler, Alex Bowers, Zach Foda, Jorge Rodriguez ’12, Michael Sloan-Rossiter ’08, Pat Delgado ’08, Andrew Kempler ’08 and John Alekna ’10, among others. There is a video of the proposal available, courtesy of Dartmouth, on the Dartmouth Facebook/YouTube page. They hope to see lots of Dartmouth friends at the wedding in Kentucky on August 10.


That’s all for now folks! 


—Peter Rothbard, 542 Eastern Parkway, Apt. 3-B, Brooklyn, NY 11225; (407) 421-4676; peter.s.rothbard.09@alum.dartmouth.org