Class Note 1985. Picture this: It is September, and you have a well-intentioned plan for drafting the alumni magazine column due in late October at least three weeks in advance, with targeted outreach to our 40th reunion chair and classmates you haven’t heard from in a while. And then life goes sideways, with work demands, travel, new client deadlines, your annual charitable fundraiser, and eldercare responsibilities for your 87-year-old mom. It is now 8 p.m. on the night the column is due, and you have nothing written. In the immortal words of Ed Harris’ character in the movie Apollo 13 (1995), “Failure is not an option!” What do you do? Well, I picked up the phone, dropped a couple of texts, and those people who would never let me fail came through for me and, more importantly, for you! Thank you, Beth Parish and Jeff Weitzman!
For your own planning, let’s talk 40th reunion(June 18-21). Our theme of “Decades Apart, Still a Fit for Your Heart,” with our logo created by Jeff Weitzman, speaks to the strong pull that Dartmouth has on us. Whether it be your academic memories, love of Hanover, passion for your extracurricular pastime and the nostalgia it conjures up, or the power of the lifelong friendships that continue to sustain you, chairperson Beth Parish says, “This reunion is all about community. We welcome classmates from far and wide to come back and renew connections and make new ones. First and foremost, we are intentionally leaving lots of time to connect with the people you want to see and those you may be meeting for the first time.” Were you in Glee Club or Gospel Choir? Did you sing at Hums or the Collis Coffeehouse? Were you an Aire, Dodecaphonic, Decibelle, Woodwind, Chamber Singer, or member of any of the other groups that Beth and my brain were unable to recall as she helped me pull the details together? Music aficionado Rick Joyce (rickjoyce999@gmail.com) is organizing a sing-along event with our ’86 and ’87 friends. Reach out to Rick for details on how you can lend your vocal cords. We will feast on delicious fare from classmate and caterer Marcy Marceau. Margaret Marder and Lisa Herrington are organizing a cool community panel discussion. Join us for a fun scavenger hunt, dance the night away at our tent to music from the 1980s, or mingle with singles at a dedicated tent for those who would like to make new connections. We recommend booking rooms in the designated dorm for the most fun and ease of access to all the reunion activities. Details will be coming soon! Please mark your calendars, reach out to your friends, and contact Beth Parish (bethaparish@gmail.com) if you would like to join the reunion committee or have any questions. And before you come back for community, check out Kevin Omland’s new book, Understanding the Tree of Life. The book demonstrates how modern DNA data show our connections to each other and all life. Word.
—Rebecca Blake Osborne, 42 Olive St., Newburyport, MA 01950; (603) 381-4164; rosborne29@comcast.net; John MacManus, 118 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 331-6417; slampong@aol.com