Class Note 1970
Issue
Greetings, fellow ’70s. As I write this on the eve of the first game of the 2013 World Series I am reminded that 46 years ago the same two teams, the Red Sox and the Cardinals, faced off during the fall of our sophomore year. The Sox had just completed the year known as “The Impossible Dream” and were poised to erase the curse of the Bambino that had haunted them since 1918. Alas it was not to be, and it would take another 37 years before that spell was broken. Two years later in the fall of our senior year we witnessed an even more momentous event, one that had a profound impact on the lives of many of us—the draft lottery. Denis O’Neill has captured the essence of that moment and used it as the focal point for his recently released account/memoir Whiplash, aptly subtitled “When the Vietnam War Rolled a Hand Grenade Into the Animal House” (a portion of which was adapted in the last DAM). Denis chronicles tales of our junior and senior years, compressing them into a single academic year, autumn 1969 through spring 1970. In his author’s notes Denis observes that, “(W)e were a band of brothers and a confederacy of dunces all rolled into one. As I have compressed two years into one I have also blended several characters into one and given most new names.” Anyone familiar with Chi Phi/Heorot of that day will have little problem sorting out many of the character pieces. Denis even borrows from outside the brotherhood (anyone recollect a Tennessean with the nickname Moonbeam?). Bottom line is for you to go online and buy this book! Enough reminiscing on the nostalgia highway. Ann and I recently returned to North Carolina from a three-week trip to New England that ended in Hanover for Homecoming Weekend. Great win over Yale (don’t ask about Bucknell the following week). Had dinner at the Hanover Inn with Star Johnson and Bob Mlakar on Friday evening. Apparently we missed the start of the class parade, since there was no standard bearer for the great class of 1970. Bill Holekamp was in town and last seen playing beer pong in the Phi Delt basement with his son. Star and Wayne Osmond put on a great pregame tailgate, where we were joined by Denny Brown. To paraphrase Daniel Webster, “It is, sir, as I have said, a small gathering. And yet there are those who loved it!” Finally, Tom Peisch reports, “Alice and I are just back from Seattle, where we had a wonderful lunch with Carole and Bill Koenig. Both are semi-retired and look great. Daughter Erica and husband (both coaches) and two adorable granddaughters live nearby. The years melted away.” Tom adds that Joe Avellone continues to make great progress in his campaign for Massachusetts governor. To the more than 500 living classmates whom I don’t know (and who likely don’t know me) let us hear from you so I don’t have to keep writing about the usual suspects. —Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com
Jan - Feb 2014
Greetings, fellow ’70s. As I write this on the eve of the first game of the 2013 World Series I am reminded that 46 years ago the same two teams, the Red Sox and the Cardinals, faced off during the fall of our sophomore year. The Sox had just completed the year known as “The Impossible Dream” and were poised to erase the curse of the Bambino that had haunted them since 1918. Alas it was not to be, and it would take another 37 years before that spell was broken. Two years later in the fall of our senior year we witnessed an even more momentous event, one that had a profound impact on the lives of many of us—the draft lottery. Denis O’Neill has captured the essence of that moment and used it as the focal point for his recently released account/memoir Whiplash, aptly subtitled “When the Vietnam War Rolled a Hand Grenade Into the Animal House” (a portion of which was adapted in the last DAM). Denis chronicles tales of our junior and senior years, compressing them into a single academic year, autumn 1969 through spring 1970. In his author’s notes Denis observes that, “(W)e were a band of brothers and a confederacy of dunces all rolled into one. As I have compressed two years into one I have also blended several characters into one and given most new names.” Anyone familiar with Chi Phi/Heorot of that day will have little problem sorting out many of the character pieces. Denis even borrows from outside the brotherhood (anyone recollect a Tennessean with the nickname Moonbeam?). Bottom line is for you to go online and buy this book! Enough reminiscing on the nostalgia highway. Ann and I recently returned to North Carolina from a three-week trip to New England that ended in Hanover for Homecoming Weekend. Great win over Yale (don’t ask about Bucknell the following week). Had dinner at the Hanover Inn with Star Johnson and Bob Mlakar on Friday evening. Apparently we missed the start of the class parade, since there was no standard bearer for the great class of 1970. Bill Holekamp was in town and last seen playing beer pong in the Phi Delt basement with his son. Star and Wayne Osmond put on a great pregame tailgate, where we were joined by Denny Brown. To paraphrase Daniel Webster, “It is, sir, as I have said, a small gathering. And yet there are those who loved it!” Finally, Tom Peisch reports, “Alice and I are just back from Seattle, where we had a wonderful lunch with Carole and Bill Koenig. Both are semi-retired and look great. Daughter Erica and husband (both coaches) and two adorable granddaughters live nearby. The years melted away.” Tom adds that Joe Avellone continues to make great progress in his campaign for Massachusetts governor. To the more than 500 living classmates whom I don’t know (and who likely don’t know me) let us hear from you so I don’t have to keep writing about the usual suspects. —Bill Wilson, 304 Highlands Bluffs Drive, Cary, NC 27518; wilson8689@aol.com