Class Note 1983
Homecoming Weekend was a big event for our class: Our 50th birthday bash took place! Thanks to my guest correspondents who were able to provide me with news since I was unable to attend. The weather was perfect, the trees were in their glory and the campus was abuzz. More than 50 of our classmates showed up for the festivities. We started with our class marching in the Homecoming Parade on Friday night. We even had a band play “Happy Birthday” for our class in front of the Hanover Inn. Classmates then convened on the Green for the Homecoming speeches and the bonfire, where the ’15s ran 115 times (almost 10 miles!) around the raging heat and flames. A cocktail party hosted by Anni Dupre Santry capped off the evening. Attendees included Courtney Newton, Matt Wilson, Becky Wolcott Ankeny, Reed Webster, Jack Campbell, Andre and Kelly Fowler Hunter, Laura Bordiuk Kasler, Liz Mueller, Peter Burach, Jessica Rosenberg Brown, Martha Gerhan (who called me in San Diego for directions to Anni’s place in Hanover!) and Mike DeFelice. I hear that all the watering holes on Main Street were well attended by classmates late into the evening.
Saturday morning started with a tour of the organic farm to view our class project. The tour was given by Scott Stokoe, the farm manager and an assistant instructor at the College. Saturday afternoon saw the Big Green football team trounce the Columbia Lions, 37-0, with ’83s having an impressively full section in the stands. Seen at the game were Rick Watts, Steve Baggott, Roger Baumann, Howie Brick and Rich Bradley. After the game, and a brief nap for some, we were joined at our Hanover Inn cocktail party by President Kim, who wished us all a happy 50th and told us about the College’s achievements and future priorities, especially in the areas of athletics, financial aid and faculty recruiting and retention.
Much of the party moved to Molly’s, Murphy’s and the Salt Hill Pub for more revelry and dancing until the wee hours. Some, such as Deb Robbins Healey, Denise Mullane, Amy Haigh Fassett, Deb Ellsworth and Martha Gerhan, headed over to Alpha Chi for a little beer pong with Mac Gardner. (Also spotted playing beer pong, but at Sigma Delta, was Anne Davidson Barr.) I heard that Alpha Chi and Phi Delt’s basements look, and smell, pretty much the same as they did 30 years ago.
Also seen around campus and at various class events were Mary Gerraughty Shaia, Kathy Hoes Provost, Eileen Lynch, Shari Nicolau Williams, Michelle Ott Crookenden, Mary Beth Shimkus, Laura Stein, class treasurer Jim Gregg, Mary Allen, Patti Shepard, Julie Cochran, Laura Vail Wooster, Kate Drislane Howe, Kimball Halsey, Bob Dell Isola, Bill Flanigan and Jim Bloomer. Rob Rohn was spotted hobbling around campus with a torn MCL. (The body at our age isn’t so bendable anymore is it?) A big thanks to Michael Bush, Liz Mueller and Martha Gerhan for coming all the way from California and Courtenay Newton who came from Oregon.
The perfect end of the weekend was a brunch held at Kelly and Andre’s home in Sunapee, New Hampshire. All in all, it was an incredible weekend for our 50th birthday/Homecoming mini-reunion, and thanks go to Becky Wolcott Ankeny, Jim Gregg, Anni Dupre Santry, Roger Baumann and the rest of the executive committee for putting together such a spectacular event! I hope we’ll do it again next year! If you feel like getting together with your classmates and hosting a mini-reunion, let me know. Forever green!
—Maren Christensen, 166 Sausal Drive, Portola Valley, CA 94028; (650) 529-2396; marenjc@yahoo.com
