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00 | Happy Spring! Hopefully the snow has gone home for the season by now. As I sit writing this month's column,New York City and its suburbs are being bombarded by another major snowstorm. Is it so bad that at 25 years old, I am still praying for snow days? I will let you know next time if my wish came true. For now, let's move on to some very exciting updates.

Carrie Vicens reports that she is still living in Washington, DC, and working for Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. "I have been working on a reservation system replacement project for Walt Disney World for over a year now, so I spend my weekdays in Orlando with the Mouse!" I'm jealous! Some Florida weather sounds good right about now. Carrie, doesn't it feel like yesterday that we moved in next door to each other in Donlon? Heather Foulks is also still working in DC. She is currently the assistant manager of the lounge at the Four Seasons Washington, DC. She writes, "I am working nights, so I don't get out much in the evenings, but I do love the area and my new job. Hopefully after the holidays pass I will have more time to meet up with fellow alumni in the area." Sounds like a great idea! Keep in mind that the Cornell Club in Washington is located in the Cornell Center. They have great alumni events.

On the other side of the world, Jonathan Lasky writes that he has been working in Florence, Italy, for almost four years with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/Gruppi Biblici Universitari. He adds that next year he will attend Bible college in the US or UK. Back to the Big Apple with Dana Day who works at Alliance- Bernstein Institutional Investment Management, working with small pension clients' and high net worth clients' investments. Dana adds, "I'm singing in a great 50-member mixed choral group called The Manhattan Choral Ensemble, with concerts here in Manhattan." Congratulations to O. Shane Balloun who married Michele McNally on Nov. 15, '03 on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. "We celebrated in a small outdoor wedding with perfect weather (it rained twice, which is a blessing in Hawaii) with close family and friends." The happy couple both work for Google Inc. and live in San Jose.

I was so happy to hear from Adam Bult! He e-mailed that things are well for him in Vegas. "I am in my final year at UNLV law school and have accepted an offer with a civil defense firm here in Las Vegas and can't wait to be done with school." Good luck getting through finals, and keep in touch! Adam also provided an update about fellow Nevada alumnus Felix Danciu. "After three years in Los Angeles, CA, with two investment banks, he started his own, Olive Capital, in early 2003 after returning to his hometown of Las Vegas. The company is doing quite well and is on the verge of closing a number of big deals throughout the country."Congratulations, Felix! Alison Moed reports that she is currently in her fourth year in the clinical psychology PhD program at the U. of Pittsburgh. Finally, Jia-Chen Fu is in the second year of an MA/PhD program in history at Yale U. Jia-Chen also worked as a paralegal in Taipei, Taiwan after graduation.

Please keep those updates coming. There are many of you we haven't heard from since graduation. Tell us what you are up to—take a minute to fill out the white cards we send! The best part? No postage necessary! And if you are interested in getting an alumni event together in your city or region, give us a heads-up and we can put you in touch with any of the Cornell Club branches or contact the Alumni Class Council officer closest to you. -- Sarah Striffler, sjs34@cornell.edu; and Andrea Chan; amc32@ cornell.edu.

01 | Happy beginning of spring! We hope that the winter was not unbearably cold for all of you, but most likely, it was warmer than Ithaca! Congratulations to Lawrence and Christina Chaffee Pierce on the birth of their baby boy Lawrence Steven on Oct. 25, '03.We hope he brings you much joy and happiness! Congratulations also to Jennifer Yun, who married Ethan Case '03 on June 21, '03. Ethan was still at Cornell completing his MEng in ORIE. The happy couple moved to the Boston area after Ethan's graduation this past winter.

In Boston, Maureen Thyne is living with Laura Little '00 and having a great time.Maureen is doing cancer genetics at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. She recently visited warm and sunny Los Angeles to visit Molly Darnieder '98. Maureen and Laura welcome any classmates who are visiting the Boston area. Rachel Suchoff has moved from Pennsylvania to Boston, and had a change in careers. She's a Human Ecology grad working in a hotel! Rachel took her management courses from Human Ec and her love of helping others through hospitality and applied it to working at the Sheraton Boston as the convention services manager. Congratulations, Rachel!

After two years of traveling, seasonal jobs, and bike races, Zach Vanderkooy finally "settled" in Boulder, CO. He landed an incredible yearround job at the International Mountain Biking Assn. He loves Boulder and the riding is awesome! Zach tells us that the people are beautiful, the mountains are right next to his house, and the skiing, climbing, and paddling are unbelievable. He hopes he can serve as a beacon of hope for the hordes of frustrated unemployed class members out there. Zach says that there are jobs out there, so keep trying. Zach also tells us that the best part about Boulder is that he doesn't drive a car—you can walk or ride a bike anywhere. He's also having a good cyclocross season so far. There are a few fellow riders from the Cornell Cycling Team out in Boulder to train with, including Alan Enos '99,ME '00.He also traveled to his hometown of Portland, OR, in December for the Cyclocross Nationals. We wish Zach the best of luck and can't wait to hear the results!

Brooke Hafets is working as the Outreach Manager at a nonprofit organization in Park City, UT, called the National Ability Center. The company provides year-round recreation for people with disabilities and their families. In the two and a half years that she has worked there, the participation has grown from 10,000 lessons per year to 20,000 lessons per year, making the organization the largest disabilities sports organization in the country. For more information about her company, check it out on the Web at www.nac1985.org.

Pamela Toschik is working on a master's degree in marine, estuarine, and environmental sciences at the U. of Maryland, College Park. She has been selected as a finalist for the Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, administered by the Sea Grant Program at NOAA. She was to begin the fellowship in February 2004. Another class member continuing his graduate studies is Tim Durham, who was awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship for graduate study in New Zealand for one academic year.He's planning on enrolling in the resource studies program at Lincoln U., tailoring coursework around biotech and public perception of risk. Another class member in grad school, Talia Ben-Jacob received her Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition from Cornell in 2003. She now attends the U. of Vermont College of Medicine.

Congratulations to Jesse Nankin and three other Cornellian co-workers, who recently received two multi-year federal grants in excess of a million dollars while working for Polaris Health Directions Inc. of Greater Philadelphia. Polaris Health Directions has a history of federal research and development funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Inst. of Mental Health (NIMH), and the National Inst. of Drug Abuse (NIDA). They use these resources to construct outcomes management and clinical decision support systems for organizations in the fields of medical and behavioral healthcare. Polaris Health Directions systems are designed to provide real-time information to access, plan, monitor, and manage behavioral healthcare treatment.

This past Thanksgiving, Kate Oliver, Brandon Bray, Connie Blair, and Nadine Latief spent time together in Littleton,CO.Kate flew from California, Brandon from Washington, Connie from Massachusetts, and Nadine from Texas. They had fun doing the entire Thanksgiving celebration and baked their traditional pear pie, watched a movie, visited the mall, played Clue, and sat around creating an impromptu story about fuscia-haired folks and people with avocados growing out of their ears. Needless to say, they enjoyed the time together! In the news-in-brief department, Jonah Bamberger is living in Israel, Gina Cardillo is living in Seattle,WA, Donald Boscoe, ME '02, is living in Norristown, PA, and Mariana Niell is living in Poughkeepsie, NY.

As always, we'll end the column asking what's new in your lives? Any exciting trips? New job? Grad school? Weddings? Baby births? Let us know. E-mail us at classof2001@cornell.edu.We hope that all is well with each of you and that you'll let us know about it! -- Lauren Wallach, lew15@cornell.edu; and Itai Dinour, id22@cornell.edu.

02 | Spring brings more news of the Class of 2002 in their various pursuits in work and in school. Andrew Russell, who lives in the Capital District of New York, writes that he's presently employed as a full-time pedagogue, teaching Latin to junior and senior high school students. He plans to return to school in the near future for an advanced degree in education.

Matthew Lowenbraun writes that he moved to Pittsburgh in December, where he is continuing his work with General Mills.Now on the West Coast, Serena Schlake is a graduate student at the U. of California, Davis, where she is working toward a master's in food science. Eric Gonzalez, Ryan Buckham, and Christine Marchuska all work together for Morgan Stanley's Fixed Income Division in NYC. Eric and Christine have been there since April 2003, and Ryan started in August 2003. Ryan and Eric are also roommates in NYC. Christine writes that recently they held a dinner party at her apartment with fellow Cornellian Nicolette Carbo who also works in NYC for Federated Department Stores.

Elizabeth Mirabelli reports that she was married last summer to Brian Scully. She works as a fourth grade teacher at the Tuscarora Indian School in her hometown of Lewiston, NY. Cornellians in attendance included Kerry Donegan, Jennifer Valla, Julie Vultaggio, Mary Allison Goodman '03, J.D. Sauer, Cindy and Eric Swenson '01, and her brother Mark Mirabelli '98.

Natalie Benjamin is a Peace Corps volunteer in a small village in the north of Peru. She will be finishing her Peace Corps service in 2005. Li- Fen Chen is in the midst of her second year of medical school at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Lynsay Ayer and Gwen Fay are roommates in DC.Now that her fellowship at the NIH Lab is coming to a close, Lynsay is applying to graduate psychology programs. Gwen is traveling often and enjoying her work at ICF, a public policy consulting firm. They regularly see fellow Cornellians Gillian Klempner, Ariel Schwartz, Jim Robenalt, Sarah Mann, and Susan Cohen. Lauren Downey writes that she is attending Boston U. for her master's in art history.

Take a minute when you get a chance and tell the class where 2004 finds you and what keeps you busy. News, big and small, is always appreciated and great to pass along. Happy spring. -- Elizabeth Richards, elizabethlauren_ richards@yahoo.com.

03 | As I write this column, we are moving into the holiday season and preparing for 2004. Of course, by the time all of you read this, the stresses and joys of the festivities will be well over. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that your new year has gotten off to a great start. For the rest of this column, however, forget for awhile that we have already celebrated the new year and that hockey season is nearly over, and instead journey back to the fall for some updates from our classmates.

I was lucky enough to make it back to the Hill for Homecoming. I heard great news about a lot of classmates and saw quite a few of them, too. Saturday night, wandering between the Palms and Dinos I ran into quite a few '03ers reliving those good times. Steve Harasim, our current class historian and former class president, was in his old booth at the Palms, joined by Mike Cody and Anne Marino. Steve is currently working out in Michigan for Dow Chemicals. Nicole Riches just had to walk up Eddy Street to get to the Homecoming festivities. She is in Ithaca this year. She writes, "I'm working as a researcher in the Aegean Dendrochronology Project at Cornell, where I study tree-rings from the Mediterranean region in order to find building dates for various archaeological sites and modern buildings." Christine Yantz, meanwhile, has moved to Albany, NY, and e-mailed us to say, "I am now a first year clinical psych student at SUNY Albany. School continues for another five years!"

By now, most of you have gotten renewal notices to remain as active members of our class. Well, if the subscription to the alumni magazine and these fascinating updates are not enough of an incentive to renew immediately, you should also know that one of our own classmates is now on the staff of the Cornell Fund. Rachel Wilson has joined the participation and marketing team. Rachel will be working with the Regional Alumni Phonathons, direct mail, and the Volunteer Student Phonathons. I have no doubt that she, as well as the rest of the alumni class council and everyone else at Cornell, would much appreciate your continued involvement! So if you haven't done so already, go online and take a moment to make your contribution to the class! Elizabeth Herrera is helping bring outstanding students to Cornell in her new position with the Cornell Undergraduate Admissions Office as the Admissions Counselor for Multicultural Recruitment.

Just a few weeks after Homecoming, I drove to Yale to cheer on the team at the Cornell-Yale hockey game. Despite the Big Red Band getting to the game late (the bus broke down), the alumni cheering section was loud and energetic. It was great to be able to participate once again in the unique experience of being a fan of the Big Red.What other college has such a loud and boisterous fan following? Matthew Kusulas made the trip to New Haven from New York City. He is teaching earth and life sciences to sixth through eighth grade at the William Spyropoulos Greek-American Day School of St. Nicholas Church in Flushing, NY.

Meredith Nelson joined our cheering section from Boston. She is working for the New England Aquarium and gets to spend her day caring for sting rays, turtles, and other critters of the sea. Now that's definitely not a desk job! Enid Castro was cheering from two rows behind our out-of-town contingent. She's in the Master of Public Health program at Yale with quite a few other Cornellians, including Ankur Pandya, who I met up with briefly the next day. He told me that Aishawarya Sarkar is also working on the same graduate degree. All of them are enjoying their studies at Yale and having a good time connecting with Cornellians, some of whom they had not had a chance to get to know while at Cornell.

Gretchen Poulos continues to live in Ithaca and is working for Gannett as a health promotions assistant. She spends her time as a drug and alcohol counselor for the freshmen class and working to stop hazing at Cornell. Pursuing her interest in theater, she has acted in numerous local plays and was to open in the Schwartz Center's Bee-Luther Hatchee, February 4-15, playing the role of a nun.Maybe some day in the future we'll be going to Broadway shows starring Gretchen Poulos! Diana Schatz, meanwhile, has moved back to her home state of Colorado and is currently counseling adolescent girls at Excelsior Youth Center as a group living counselor.Her work is keeping her busy, but she's managing to enjoy herself in Denver and find some fun new dance spots—though by her own admission they don't quite live up to The Palms.We got to hang out for a little bit while I was in town for training (one of the best parts of being a Cornell alum is that there is always someone to meet or visit wherever my job takes me!).

Back on the East Coast, Michelle Newton writes, "I am still at First Environment New Jersey and I'm doing greenhouse gas management, soil and groundwater sampling, litigation support . . . basically all kinds of stuff.Work keeps me very busy and makes the time fly by." Rachel Criscitiello writes that she is now the executive director of the GAIA Vaccine Foundation in Providence, RI. Laura Gallant also updated us on her busy life. She writes, "This past fall I worked as an intern for the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in the Marine Invasions Laboratory. This lab focuses on non-native marine species and studies their settlement patterns through monitoring marine sites throughout America. This spring I will work for Pier Wisconsin as a deckhand/educator aboard the S/V Denis Sullivan, an educational sailing vessel.We will be sailing out of Tampa and stopping at ports around the Caribbean. I will be instructing high school and college students in oceanography, nautical science, and fresh water conservation."

The Class of 2003 seems to have settled into life after Cornell fairly well. It's great to hear everyone's exciting updates.We want to know about weddings, jobs, travels, and any fun stories you may have to share. Please continue to send your news to us, and don't forget to keep your address updated with Alumni Affairs as you move around! -- Sudha Nandagopal, sn58 @cornell.edu; or Samantha Buckingham, sam_buckingham@hotmail.com.

04 | Hello 2004! I'm Vanessa Matsis, the Class Correspondent. I'm an ILRee planning to return to my hometown, NYC, in a few years. This first column is to introduce the Alumni Class Council. After this, all the columns will be updates about you, so keep your experiences and news coming (e-mail, vgm3@cor nell.edu)!

Russell Franklin and Esther Tang, our Co- Presidents. Russell: I'm double majoring in economics/ government and working on an honors thesis.My experience here has been exceptional. I have met incredibly intelligent students, become friends with extraordinarily fun people, and studied under truly brilliant professors. The Cornell experience is something special and I'm honored to be in a position where I can assist in ensuring that it remains so. I trust that you will join me in seeing to it that our class is an integral part of Cornell history! Esther: Like any other senior, I'm preoccupied with contemplating my career path. I want to see a clear path to how I can significantly contribute to humanity while earning enough to make sizeable gifts to Cornell. I grew up in Los Angeles and lived abroad. A fan of Cornell politics, I have spent three years on Student Assembly and am serving my second year as class president. Above all else, I owe my priceless Cornell experience to my parents, Peter and Rebecca.

Diana Seung and Dana Marohn, Co-Vice Presidents of Affinities. Dana: I'm a Biology and Society major, president of Kappa, and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity and Order of Omega. After working, I want to return to graduate school. I became an officer because at Cornell I never participated in a group or organization that has represented the entire student body, and it excited me to serve in that capacity and represent 2004. Diana: I'm majoring in Anthropology, and am currently the Theta president.My experiences at Cornell have provided me with challenging academics, great friends, and endless memories. Involvement in the Greek system and other organizations has given me the opportunity to meet talented and intellectual individuals, which is why being an officer is important to me. I hope your experiences have been just as wonderful and that you'll help make 2004 the strongest alumni class yet!

Farah Meghji, Vice President of Colleges: I'm double majoring in Psychology/Economics, and I'm from Toronto. You may have seen me walking backwards around campus, giving tours. My involvement in various campus and service organizations has contributed to a memorable Cornell experience, and one that prompted my involvement as an officer.With your help, I look forward to sharing my experiences and helping to make yours as memorable as my own.

Mike Rosenberg and Gretchen Schlosser, Co-Vice Presidents of Giving Societies. Mike: I'm glad you took this chance to meet our class officers. I'm a government major from Cherry Hill, currently writing my honors thesis and anxiously awaiting law school decisions. I have enjoyed being involved in building class and Cornell unity, through Class Council and as a proud member of the Lynah Faithful. I look forward to working with this talented officer group to increase senior class participation in alumni life, especially at the level of giving societies. Gretchen: I'm from Los Angeles and am interested in practicing medicine. I became an officer because I'm so grateful to have been a part of Cornell and wanted to get involved in bringing the class together. Giving societies really target seniors that share the enthusiasm to give back, and in turn, spread the word on why gifts are so crucial to the university's progress. I look forward to a promising turnout.

Emily Kane, Events Chair: I'm from a suburb of San Francisco. It's hard for me to believe that my undergraduate days are almost over. During the past years, Cornell has impacted who I am and what I hope to achieve in the future. My goal as an officer is to remain connected to fellow alumni and contribute positively to Cornell. After graduation, I hope to return to the Bay Area and work in marketing. I'm looking forward to a fun and productive five years!

Duane Sun, Publicity Chair: I'm a PAM major, and will be trading on Wall Street after graduation.My undergraduate experience has been fabulous. I have experienced competitive athletics (crew), community service (Help A Life Organization), and class council, and have forged friendships that will last a lifetime. I look forward to being an active alumnus as publicity chair!

Angie Chau, Secretary/Treasurer: I'm from Vancouver and am majoring in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering. I'm active in Class Council, Alumni Funds, and the Engineering Student Council. Eat Dessert First is one of my favorite places, and I enjoy supporting Cornell's talented a cappella groups. Next year, I will be investment banking in Hong Kong.Why did I become an alumni class officer? To help make the Cornell experience more accessible to prospective students, and to learn, meet people, and have fun!

Barry Le Vine, Webmaster: I'm from New Jersey. I've biked cross country and am triplemajoring in Government, Economics, and Science & Technology Studies. I work as a program assistant, an information specialist, and the student coordinator at the Fitness Centers, and am co-chairperson of the Red Carpet Society and serve on the Academic Integrity Hearing Board. I'm delighted to have the opportunity to serve my class as the webmaster. Check out our new class website at http://classof04.alumni.cornell.edu!

Send news to: -- Vanessa Matsis, vgm3@cornell.edu.

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