Oh, ’11s, ’11s, ’11s. I thought that post-Homecoming glum only existed at Dartmouth, but apparently it happens in the real world too. This has been one long week for me at work, but I’m going to say it was worth it for all the fun I had with many of you in Hanover last weekend (special shout out to those senior executive committee members who put together that year zero reunion and the class newsletter). And for those of you who couldn’t make it, we missed you.


To be honest, the unsolicited updates have been a little slow to come in (sorry to all of you I bug for news), so don’t hesitate to tell me what you and our fellow ’11s have been up to, whether it’s occupying Wall Street or a barstool. And from this issue’s updates, it sounds like our classmates have been up to some pretty cool things, of which I am frankly jealous.


Kathryn Arffa is spending this winter as a ski instructor at Park City Mountain Resort in Utah, a dream job for many of us, I’m sure. Before heading out there, she was at home in New York and working on a short film written and directed by another of our classmates, Grey Cusack.


From her update, it sounds like Genevieve O’Mara is living the life in Madrid. She is there for a year, working in two high schools. 


Also focusing on education in a Spanish-speaking country is Shanel Balloo. She’s working as a program assistant for the Inter-American Partnership in Education (IAPE) in Valle de Bravo, Mexico. Partly funded by the Rassias Center, IAPE works to equip English teachers in Mexico with the language-learning skills necessary to excel as educators. And yes, those skills include the Rassias techniques that many of us remember. “Anyone who’s taken drill at Dartmouth knows what I’m talking about,” Shanel tells me. “And they know how tough it can be sometimes (especially if you took morning drill). These teachers come from all over Mexico for a 10-day intensive English-learning program.” Shanel has been helping coordinate the programs and support the staff and participants. 


Myra Altman, meanwhile, is pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. Her lab looks at the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity, and the future Dr. Altman says she would like to use her education “to be involved with food issues on a broader level (policy, nonprofit work, etc.), in conjunction with research and teaching.”


It’s also great to hear that for the ’11s who couldn’t make it back to Hanover for Homecoming, that didn’t stop them from partaking in one of the best Dartmouth traditions: the bonfire. While many of us were yelling at the ’15s for being the worst class ever (which, in my opinion, they are, considering they kicked us out of Hanover), a group of ’11s in the Bay Area gathered on Ocean Beach for a bonfire of their own. Chris Han tells me that Cathleen Kenary, Nick Giometti, Morgan Livermore, Addie Gorlin and Bryon Alston were all there, along with about 40 other young alums. 


And finally, proving that you can in fact have a mini-reunion anywhere, Brandon Aiono tells me that he and Cathleen Kenary are planning to fly into the San Francisco airport at the same time on November 14 (her from D.C., him from Shanghai) and to hang out together in the City by the Bay (even though I’m now in my fifth year on the East Coast, I’m still a Californian through and through). Brandon is going to be back home in California for Thanksgiving and says he is hoping to organize a meet-up with other ’11s.


That’s it for now, but I know you all are up to exciting things. Don’t forget to tell me about it.


—Drew Joseph, 2727 29th St. NW, Apt. #233, Washington, DC 20008; aqjoseph@gmail.com