Class Note 1992
Issue
May-June 2026
Class Note 1992. “Re-university” continues to build momentum! So far we have hosted five online symposia in collaboration with the classes of 1991 and 1993. Check out 1992.dartmouth.org for links to replays, plus information on our shared 30th reunion, June 17-20, 2027!
On February 4 Cliff McDonald led a panel where he, alongside Trey Laird ’93 and Michael Rafferty ’91, discussed alcoholism and addiction at Dartmouth and shared their personal journeys of recovery. They founded the “Dr. Bob” Dartmouth men’s recovery group, which meets Monday nights via Zoom. As some of you know, Dr. Bob (Robert Smith) graduated from Dartmouth in 1902 and was cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous. If anyone would like to create a similar group for women or an Al-Anon group for those affected, Cliff (cliff@recovery.com) would be happy to speak to you.
We asked classmates: What did you do to celebrate your 55th birthday?
Julie Fromer says, “I had been planning a trip to New York City for my 50th, but of course that was canceled as Covid took hold. So for my 55th, I threw myself a party (there’s a first time for everything!). A local event space in Elmira, New York, had started hosting ‘Bob Moss’ painting parties (yes, it’s Bob Ross, but they couldn’t call it that for copyright reasons). I arranged to hold my own private Bob Moss painting party with my friends, and the event space catered it with an amazing grazing table of fruits and vegetables, cheese and crackers, charcuterie and olives, and salted caramel cupcakes from a local bakery. It was so much fun! We painted a mountain and river with fall foliage. They provided canvases, paint, and brushes and played (and rewound and replayed as needed) a Bob Ross video. Also in attendance were my husband, Garrett Piech, sister Suzie Fromer ’94, and her husband, Andrew Hyman ’94.”
Kathie Calkins-Keyes writes that for her birthday she “just took some time to be quiet and grateful.” Geoff MacDonald relays, “My 55th birthday present was a new house! My birthday was the first day Tracy [Tysenn], our kids, and I spent in our new home in Waynesboro, Virginia. I got to watch the sun rise beautifully over the Blue Ridge Mountains from the comfort of bed. After that I had a big bunch of boxes to open (unpack), but none of them had gift wrap.”
Cait Brennan Navarro says, “Happy birthday, everyone! I gave myself a new Mercedes for my 55th! I had been driving the same big SUV for 13 years taking my kids around. Now that they are grown, it was time for me!” Contrarian youth Brian Gordon wrote: “Ha, some of us are still in that coveted 25-54 demographic. I still have several more months of sway with advertisers!”
We welcome tales of birthday (and other) festivities for upcoming columns! And if you have photos of the merriment, please share them in our Facebook or LinkedIn groups or on Instagram! You can find our social media links at 1992.dartmouth.org.
—John L. McWilliams IV, 7429 Marquette St., Dallas, TX 75225; Kelly Shriver Kolln, 3900 Cottage Grove Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403; dartmouth92news@gmail.com
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More of 1992 Class Notes
On February 4 Cliff McDonald led a panel where he, alongside Trey Laird ’93 and Michael Rafferty ’91, discussed alcoholism and addiction at Dartmouth and shared their personal journeys of recovery. They founded the “Dr. Bob” Dartmouth men’s recovery group, which meets Monday nights via Zoom. As some of you know, Dr. Bob (Robert Smith) graduated from Dartmouth in 1902 and was cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous. If anyone would like to create a similar group for women or an Al-Anon group for those affected, Cliff (cliff@recovery.com) would be happy to speak to you.
We asked classmates: What did you do to celebrate your 55th birthday?
Julie Fromer says, “I had been planning a trip to New York City for my 50th, but of course that was canceled as Covid took hold. So for my 55th, I threw myself a party (there’s a first time for everything!). A local event space in Elmira, New York, had started hosting ‘Bob Moss’ painting parties (yes, it’s Bob Ross, but they couldn’t call it that for copyright reasons). I arranged to hold my own private Bob Moss painting party with my friends, and the event space catered it with an amazing grazing table of fruits and vegetables, cheese and crackers, charcuterie and olives, and salted caramel cupcakes from a local bakery. It was so much fun! We painted a mountain and river with fall foliage. They provided canvases, paint, and brushes and played (and rewound and replayed as needed) a Bob Ross video. Also in attendance were my husband, Garrett Piech, sister Suzie Fromer ’94, and her husband, Andrew Hyman ’94.”
Kathie Calkins-Keyes writes that for her birthday she “just took some time to be quiet and grateful.” Geoff MacDonald relays, “My 55th birthday present was a new house! My birthday was the first day Tracy [Tysenn], our kids, and I spent in our new home in Waynesboro, Virginia. I got to watch the sun rise beautifully over the Blue Ridge Mountains from the comfort of bed. After that I had a big bunch of boxes to open (unpack), but none of them had gift wrap.”
Cait Brennan Navarro says, “Happy birthday, everyone! I gave myself a new Mercedes for my 55th! I had been driving the same big SUV for 13 years taking my kids around. Now that they are grown, it was time for me!” Contrarian youth Brian Gordon wrote: “Ha, some of us are still in that coveted 25-54 demographic. I still have several more months of sway with advertisers!”
We welcome tales of birthday (and other) festivities for upcoming columns! And if you have photos of the merriment, please share them in our Facebook or LinkedIn groups or on Instagram! You can find our social media links at 1992.dartmouth.org.
—John L. McWilliams IV, 7429 Marquette St., Dallas, TX 75225; Kelly Shriver Kolln, 3900 Cottage Grove Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403; dartmouth92news@gmail.com