Class Note 2000
Issue
March - April 2026
Class Note 2000. Greetings, ’00s. Two classmates to report on this issue.
Curtis Dozier is assistant professor and the chair of Greek and Roman studies at Vassar, where “classic scholarship is woven into the core of the curriculum.” His curiosity was piqued over a decade ago when he noticed alt-right discourse online often centered around antiquity. He launched PharosClassics.org to chronicle the phenomenon of hate groups using classical thought as justification and intellectual precedent. In January Yale University Press released the book that tracks his journey into that world, The White Pedestal: How White Nationalists Use Ancient Greece and Rome to Justify Hate. He was surprised at the depth of knowledge and research that often accompanied these comparisons. His book explores the veneer of legitimacy often afforded to classical thought. In the words of his publisher, “This book reveals that contemporary white nationalist intellectuals know much more about history than many people assume—and they deploy this knowledge with disturbing success.”
Tom Kim has been living a unique double life. Starting after graduation as a commercial illustrator in New York, he was frustrated with the lack of creative freedom and long-term career purpose. Searching for a different path, he met with an emergency medicine (ER) doctor and realized that it might be a new trajectory for him. Tom enrolled at the NYU Grossman Medical School and completed his ER residency at GWU in Washington, D.C. Accustomed to living like a graduate student, he ground through the next few years in a group house, paying off his loans and living the austere life of a young ER doc.
At 40 he found himself with all financial obligations met and creative freedom awaited. Inspired by the vibrant street art scene in D.C., Tom began painting stunning works that can be found on Instagram at DeathByNarwhals. His work incorporates environmental concerns, Korean-American heritage, and the introspective humor that many of his classmates would immediately recognize. As one reviewer notes: “As the viewer leaves the exhibition, Kim seems to hope that it will beg him/her to question: How can we live in the present and be kinder to one another and our world to develop a better future?”
Tom also switched outdoor passions—although an avid snowboarder in Hanover, he’s taken to surfing, even having a couple of international adventures with Shenandoah Sampson ’03. Although art consumes most of his time, he still finds time to work holiday ER shifts and fill in when others need time away. And he sees lots of fellow D.C.-area ’00s, including Christen Einsiedler, Jessie Travis, Sarah Garman, Bree Dusseault, and Matt Nelson. It was also good to speak with him as he was my own (and outstandingly patient) freshman roommate. (See more on his art on page 51.)
Thanks to all the ’00s who have been sending me updates and keep it up.
—Ben Patch, 56 Ridge Road, Bristol, RI 02809; dartmouth2000secretary@gmail.com
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Curtis Dozier is assistant professor and the chair of Greek and Roman studies at Vassar, where “classic scholarship is woven into the core of the curriculum.” His curiosity was piqued over a decade ago when he noticed alt-right discourse online often centered around antiquity. He launched PharosClassics.org to chronicle the phenomenon of hate groups using classical thought as justification and intellectual precedent. In January Yale University Press released the book that tracks his journey into that world, The White Pedestal: How White Nationalists Use Ancient Greece and Rome to Justify Hate. He was surprised at the depth of knowledge and research that often accompanied these comparisons. His book explores the veneer of legitimacy often afforded to classical thought. In the words of his publisher, “This book reveals that contemporary white nationalist intellectuals know much more about history than many people assume—and they deploy this knowledge with disturbing success.”
Tom Kim has been living a unique double life. Starting after graduation as a commercial illustrator in New York, he was frustrated with the lack of creative freedom and long-term career purpose. Searching for a different path, he met with an emergency medicine (ER) doctor and realized that it might be a new trajectory for him. Tom enrolled at the NYU Grossman Medical School and completed his ER residency at GWU in Washington, D.C. Accustomed to living like a graduate student, he ground through the next few years in a group house, paying off his loans and living the austere life of a young ER doc.
At 40 he found himself with all financial obligations met and creative freedom awaited. Inspired by the vibrant street art scene in D.C., Tom began painting stunning works that can be found on Instagram at DeathByNarwhals. His work incorporates environmental concerns, Korean-American heritage, and the introspective humor that many of his classmates would immediately recognize. As one reviewer notes: “As the viewer leaves the exhibition, Kim seems to hope that it will beg him/her to question: How can we live in the present and be kinder to one another and our world to develop a better future?”
Tom also switched outdoor passions—although an avid snowboarder in Hanover, he’s taken to surfing, even having a couple of international adventures with Shenandoah Sampson ’03. Although art consumes most of his time, he still finds time to work holiday ER shifts and fill in when others need time away. And he sees lots of fellow D.C.-area ’00s, including Christen Einsiedler, Jessie Travis, Sarah Garman, Bree Dusseault, and Matt Nelson. It was also good to speak with him as he was my own (and outstandingly patient) freshman roommate. (See more on his art on page 51.)
Thanks to all the ’00s who have been sending me updates and keep it up.
—Ben Patch, 56 Ridge Road, Bristol, RI 02809; dartmouth2000secretary@gmail.com