Class Note 1985
I do not check my personal email daily and I am not connected to any social media. No, I am not vying to be the class Luddite. I just find myself jazzed by the simple pleasure of opening an envelope when someone has thought to send me snail mail, usually a silly card sent for no reason other than to make me laugh. Like the one with two dinosaurs sitting perched atop a mountain in the rain, surrounded by rising waters, watching their fellow animal friends, boarded two-by-two, sailing away in the ark as one dinosaur remarks: “Oh, crap! Was that today?” So, as today’s column deadline slowly approaches, here’s what I’ve got.
Class officers Joe McGee, Beth Gilman Hobbs, Veronica Jenkins and Joe Riley descended upon Hanover at Class Officers Weekend to share best practices among fellow classes. Rumor has it they were suffering Hanover withdrawal from our June class reunion and just needed to get their fall fix. Turning to Homecoming Weekend, our class accepted the Class of 1960 Dartmouth College Fund (DCF) Scholar Program Award for demonstrating the greatest commitment to student financial assistance in FY’15 through the Dartmouth Fund Scholar Program. Our 30th reunion efforts in raising funds dedicated to scholarship students included funds to support 40 DCF scholars this year, 10 of whom are specifically designated as Class of 1985 Scholars. Give yourselves a rouse, classmates! Class president Joe Riley was all smiles accepting this award with classmates Valerie Hartman, Lauren (Sonstrom) and David Rosen, Mark Caron, Mark and Kathy Gross and Laura Hicks Roberts also in attendance at the plaque unveiling in McNutt Hall. Lauren and David departed Hanover to watch their ’19 son play water polo against Yale in New Haven (where many other Big Green teams traveled as well), while the football team crushed Yale on the home field gridiron, with several classmates in attendance. Dave Hall and Tyler Woolson looked ageless among the ’19s packing the stands—I almost expected them to join the freshman on the field at halftime but they resisted that temptation. Additional sightings included Alison Cooper Philips, who rode the Dartmouth Coach to enjoy a meal in Norwich, Vermont, courtesy of host Allison Shutz Moskow and joined by Jennifer Archibald Williams and Valerie Hartman; post-game found Katie Leede dutifully walking her dog while conveniently heading in the direction of the football tent. Word has it Katie was likely to find Rick Weissman, although doubtful that Sean Murphy was present—he is still celebrating his crowning as “MV Reunioner,” with his bold move buttoning that top button on his polo shirt for our class dinner. Styling!
Sue Finegan continues to dedicate her invaluable resources to Moving Dartmouth Forward while also serving as president of the Alumni Council, joined by fellow ’85s Laura Fried Yecies, Mark Caron and Laura Hicks Roberts. Safe to say our class is well-represented.
Do not to go the way of my snail mail dinosaur buddies and become extinct to your classmates—send news! All the best to all of you!
—Leslie A. Davis Dahl, 83 Pecksland Road, Greenwich, CT 06831; (203) 552-0070; dahlleslie@yahoo.com; John MacManus, 188 Ringwood Road, Rosemont, PA 19010; (610) 525-4541; slampong@aol.com
