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80 | OK, boys and girls, this is it! Our 25th Reunion is only months away.Where will you be June 9-12? Visiting Cornell? We may not feel like it's been 25 years since we shared our graduation day, but make it your business to pick up the phone, send a quick e-mail, and get a buddy to join you on the Hill.

Our class mailbox indicates that many classmates have been venturing to Ithaca with Cornell-bound children. Jim and Jenny Wartik Carpenter report that their son Ted Eng '08 will be studying computer science. The Carpenters live in Ann Arbor, MI, with Owen, a tenth grader, and Emily, an eighth grader. Jim was recently promoted to chair of the Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery at the U. of Michigan, where in addition to his academic responsibilities, he maintains an active sports medicine practice that includes caring for the U. of M. athletes. Jenny writes that during her college touring last year, she had the opportunity to visit with old roomie Evelyn Hurvitz. Barry and Rhonda Margolin Kublin have sent their daughter Beth '08 to study in Arts and Sciences. Do we have some Reunion Clerks in the making?

Jim and Sylvia Reeves Dake '81 recently relocated from Raleigh, NC, to Hartford, CT, as Jim took a new position with ING Americas. It sounds like the Dakes will still venture to North Carolina to cheer on son Brad, who is running in decathlons at UNC,Wilmington. They also have a seventh grade daughter Victoria.

An enthusiastic note from Andre van Hall tells us that he has completed his first year working at the Denver Athletic Club, where the work is FUN! He was pleased to see his efforts support a reversal in downward membership trends and now he can focus on future club profitability. On the home front, the van Halls are busy with a home renovation and keeping up with daughter Anneke, who loves to ride her horse Dante, and son Evan, a karate black belt and new driver (!). Sticking with the equestrian theme, vet Willam Patterson and his family share a passion for horses.His wife Kim and their daughter Hailey, 11, both compete in dressage and barrel racing, while William prefers polo. The Pattersons split their time between the veterinary practice in Ohio, which is primarily consulting and surgery, and the warmth of Florida in winter, where William works with the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington.

A very newsy note from Bostonian classmate Chris Spear provides lots of information. First, there was a July visit from L.A. resident Joey Green, who traveled east to lecture at the U. of New Hampshire on his books about new uses for household products (Polish your Furniture with Pantyhose). Joey's Boston stops included a photo shoot in Cambridge at the John Harvard statue and other notable locations for his upcoming "Spirit of '76." Joey, we will keep an eye open for this latest publication! Chris also shared some truly inspirational news about the two-day, 200-mile bike ride called the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge. This event, sponsored by the Boston Red Sox, raised over $17 million to support the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Chris has been involved in this ride for many years and, with lots of support from fund-raising sponsors and his family, trains seriously for this event.

This year's training included a new twist as he and a co-worker, Roger, were looking for a new road to travel: "We booked a trip to Colorado, where for a week we never went below 9,000 feet.We climbed seven different passes in six days, including Independence and Loveland, both over 12,000 feet. On the seventh day, we headed for Mt. Evans. This is the highest paved road in the US, at 14,400 feet. It was 14 miles to the top, and took about 2 hours. The view was phenomenal, but the wind chill was close to 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Roger's altimeter watch said that air pressure was 60 percent of sea level. On the descent, I shivered so much I could not steer straight and had to stop several times. This was like my training ride up Mt.Wachusetts in Massachusetts, but 10,000 feet higher."

Well prepared for the August ride, Chris left Sturbridge bound for Bourne. Now, this is not a race, but, Chris said, "several co-workers promised to double their pledge if I came in first again. I rode over the Bourne Bridge in darkness thinking of the extra money for the Jimmy Fund. Some intersections were pitch black, rendering the arrows invisible. Luckily, after 16 years, instinct carried me along the route. The homing pigeon inside me led me along the Cape Cod Canal, under the Sagamore Bridge, along Rt. 6A and other back roads until, after 30 miles, I finally saw the sun. I passed only five PMC riders (when did they start?) and refused help from several local riders who wanted to form a pace line. This was going to be a solo effort all the way. There is no prize for coming in first, I kept reminding myself as headwinds slowed my approach to barely a dozen miles per hour. A support truck led me across the rolling dunes of the Provincetown park. A half mile from the end, an approaching rider yelled, 'You're number 1!'With this boost, I sprinted to the finish line, coming in 15 minutes earlier than 2003. It felt great!"

Chris, thank you for sharing your experience, and I hope it sends a little inspiration to us all. See you at Reunion! -- Jill Abrams Klein, jfa22@cornell.edu; and Cynthia Addonizio-Bianco, caa28@cornell.edu.

81 | Send news to -- Kathleen Philbin LaShoto, lashoto@rcn.com; Jennifer Read Campbell, ronjencam@aol.com; and Betsy S. Silverfine, bsilverfine@adelphia.net.

82 | Happy New Year to all! Hope you enjoyed your holidays and will update us on your news this year! We start with congratulations to Emily Garr Gottschalk, whose company, The Garr Group, of which she is founder and CEO, was recognized as one of Philadelphia's top 100 companies. Proud big sister Patti Garr '79 sent in an article from the Philadelphia Business Journal. It explains that The Garr Group develops and produces interactive promotional CD-ROMs and DVDs to put in boxes of cereal or snack food, bringing the Cracker Jack concept into the 21st century. The company specializes in interactive promotional programs, including educational, music, and entertainment content, and brings together companies that are trying to reach the same demographic group. It handles all aspects of promotional programs, including replication, development, and distribution. The Garr Group, founded in 1998, now has seven employees in its Voorhees office, with two assigned to the West Coast.

From our News and Dues form, we've learned that Dan McGraw, a Lt. Colonel in the NY Air National Guard, returned from a five-month deployment to Kuwait and Iraq as a staff judge advocate for the 109th airlift wing. Dan lives in Clifton Park, NY, with wife Kathleen and children Dan, Rachael, and Keara. He is business manager and counsel of the Operating Engineers Union and lists numerous professional activities, including Chairman, Upstate Council of Operating Engineers; Trustee, NY State Council; and Vice President, NY State Building Trades. Dan was also appointed by Governor Pataki as a member of the New York State Dept. of Labor Public Work Advisory Board. Most important, Dan celebrated his five-year cancer-free date, having been diagnosed with lymphoma in 1998.He even ran a sub-hour marathon in 1999.You can e-mail Dan at dmcgraw4@nycap.rr.com.

Also serving the State of New York is Jamie Zimmerman, who was appointed to a three-year term on the Board of Directors of LEAD New York, a statewide leadership development program for professionals in the food and agriculture industries. The program is sponsored by the Ag college, and directors are chosen by the dean of the college. Jamie is the general manager of the Dairy One Cooperative, headquartered in Ithaca. The Zimmermans--Jamie, wife Joelle (Frahn), and three sons--live in Homer. The press release with Jamie's news also states that Jamie is active in community service on both the local and national levels; he serves as vice president of the Cortland County Youth Hockey Assoc., board member of both the Northeast Council of Cooperatives and the National Dairy Herd Improvement Assoc., and treasurer of NY Alpha of Phi Delta Theta.

Serving the city of Dallas, TX, is Ruth Logan, who was just reappointed for a two-year term by the Dallas City Council as an associate municipal judge. Ruth also maintains a private practice in Dallas, where she and daughter Natalie reside. Natalie is a dedicated swimmer who competes at the national level. Dianne Renwick, a judge of the NYS Supreme Court, Bronx County, and, coincidentally, Ruth's U-Hall 3 roommate, reports the birth of third son Graham Robert Johnson in October 2003. Michele Riess's daughter Kaithlin was born in June 2003, joining big sister Nicole.

Jill Schwartz Rowan (rowanpsy@yahoo.com) reports that her three children keep her very busy, but that she would love to catch up with classmates via e-mail. She "seems to be preoccupied" with three elementary school students, "which is perhaps fitting for an HDFS major!" Lynn Levy Senderoff writes that she has changed professions and now teaches at the school where her sons Nathaniel and Stephen attend. She heads up the science department of a small Christian school near Milford, CT, where the family lives. Paige Klotz Grossman would love to hear from classmates in the Tenafly, NJ, area. After more than 20 years of living in New York City, Paige and family welcome alums to their new home on Thatcher Road.

Smiling in the September issue of House Beautiful magazine is Jill Kirchner Simpson, who is a contributing writer. The text that accompanies her photo reads, "Writing regularly not only for House Beautiful but for such magazines as This Old House and Country Home, Simpson is well-versed in the world of interior design. She has coauthored several books, including Sailing Style (Clarkson Potter, 2003) with Tricia Foley, and more recently, Romantic Style (Clarkson Potter 2004) with Mary Emmerling. Simpson lives in a suburb of New York City with her husband and two sons." Congratulations to Jill on the great recognition!

And please join me in congratulating my co-correspondent extraordinaire, Mark Fernau, who was promoted to senior technical editor at the American Meteorological Society in Boston.Mark writes that he has embarked on his "challenging first journey into management land" as he "helps to guide the AMS technical editors through the uneasy transition to electronic editing after years of putting pencil to manuscript."

Please send us your news electronically or the "old-fashioned" way so we can recognize you, too! -- Nina Kondo, nmk22@cornell.edu; and Mark Fernau, mef29@cornell.edu.

83 | As I write this column, it's mid-October and we're just beginning the free-fall into the final stretch of the presidential campaign and then into the holiday season. By the time you read this, the summer and early fall of 2004 may seem very remote, but their events will still be fresh in the minds of many of our classmates. In particular, our thoughts go to those Floridian Cornellians (try saying that three times fast!) who were soaked and battered by the four hurricanes that hit the southeastern coast this summer. So far, I've only heard from Susan Bassett, who writes that she survived hurricanes Frances and Jeanne with some damage to her house, but nothing that can't be repaired. If anyone else has a hurricane tale to tell, please send your story to me or to my co-correspondent David Pattison.

A few reunion reports are still trickling in. During our 20th Reunion weekend, Stephen and Caroline Kane Levy stayed with Ithaca friends Carole Schiffman and her husband Prof. Steven Strogatz, along with another friend SusanMezey Lieb. Stephen and Caroline's children Maya, 7, and Adam, 5, had such a great time at reunion that they can't wait for the 25th! The Levy family moved to Montclair, NJ, in August 2004 after many years in Brooklyn Heights. Stephen is an associate at the Wall Street law firm of Costello Shen and Gaffney, where he concentrates in insurance and medical malpractice defense. Caroline is Deputy Director of Preservation for New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Nancy Schlie Knowles, MBA '89, announces the arrival of son Jack in January 2003, joining siblings Halle, 9, and Luke, 6. In May 2004, Nancy and family moved from Oxford, MS, to Ithaca, where husband Jim '87 is now leading the Big Red down the gridiron as Cornell's head football coach. Nancy adds that she and Jim recently attended the wedding of Christine MillerWhaley '84,MBA '89, where they had the chance to catch up with Mark and Kim Osborn Rhodes.Amy Tayer Goldman and husband Howard '79 live in Needham, MA, where they are busy raising three boys, Nate, 12, Zach, 8, and Lucas, 6. Amy is home full-time managing the family homestead and handling the bookkeeping for Howard's law firm. Two years ago, she co-founded a public school advocacy group, Citizens for Needham Schools (CNS), and currently serves as the organization's president. Amy is proud that CNS has been very effective at educating Needham residents about budgetary issues pertaining to the schools and has successfully campaigned for two tax overrides.

David Chabon lives with wife Karen and their sons Andrew, 5, and Eric, 3, in Chestnut Hill, MA, where he has been self-employed as a contract CFO/controller for more than a year, in addition to keeping busy with his boys' kindergarten and preschool activities. Also busy with children and (gasp!) grandchildren is Susan MacDonald Mycroft, whose son Sam started school in August and whose third grandchild is due this November. Susan and family moved back to the US from New Zealand a year ago and are living in Asheville, NC, where husband John is working as a mainframe computer programmer.

Dennis McNamara writes that he, wife Barbara, and children Conor, 10, and Caitlin, 7, recently moved four blocks--and fervently hopes never to have to move again. From Dennis, we learn that Tom Owens, ME '84, MBA '01, "continues to keep the world safe for democracy. God bless him and all members of the armed forces for their sacrifice and commitment." Philip Cole recently accepted a position as an assoc. prof. of experimental nuclear physics at Idaho State U. On the road again is Richard Haberek, who is "still single and traveling; next stop,Hawaii!"Mark Spiegel reports that he is working for Broadmark Capital LLC in New York, conducting "PIPE" (Private Investment in Public Equity) transactions for small cap public companies.He wants our classmates to know: "If you've got one that needs some money, you know whom to call!"

Now for our class business. In every recent column, we've been reminding you to send us your photos--digital and old-fashioned alike--for our class DVD project. As David Pattison mentioned in his last column, the Cornell Alumni Federation has generously supported this project through a grant of $1,200. In their award letter, the grant committee wrote that they were excited about our ideas and "very pleased to see this level of enthusiasm alive and well!" To complete this project, though, we need your enthusiastic response as well. So please take a moment right now to send us your pictures and other memorabilia and to share your memories of Cornell. Let's show the Alumni Federation our gratitude for their support by making this a truly outstanding project. Hard copies of photos and other items should be mailed to Andy Sosa, 4911 Magdalene Court, Annandale,VA 22003; e-mail, jas247@cornell.edu. Digital photos may be sent to David Pattison at d.pattison2@verizon.net.

Our class has once again selected Trevor Johnson '07 as its Class of 1983 Scholar. In his letter thanking us for his scholarship, Trevor writes about his experiences growing up in an upstate New York farming family with strong ties to Cornell.Now, in addition to pursuing the academic opportunities available at Cornell, Trevor works two jobs and somehow finds the time to volunteer as a Big Brother for a Tompkins County child in need of mentoring and friendship. Trevor is in the process of transferring from the Ag college to the ILR program, as he hopes to pursue a law degree after graduating from Cornell. Trevor adds,"None of these dreams and aspirations would be possible, however, without the scholarships and financial aid that I receive to help pay for my education. So I would like to thank the Class of 1983 for their generosity and support as I endeavor to achieve my goals and promise to work hard to represent both Cornell and the Class of 1983 to the best of my abilities!"

If you are a duespaying class member, by now you should have received your copy of Kafka's The Trial, around which this year's Freshman Reading Project is centered. For more information about the Freshman Reading Project, take a look at Cornell's website, and if you're feeling particularly insightful, join in an online discussion through Cyber- Tower. And let us know what you thought about the book whenever you send us your news (note the subtle reminder).-- Dinah Lawrence Godwin, dinahgodwin@msn.com; and David Pattison, d.pattison2@verizon.net.

84 | OK, classmates, it's time to send us e-mails! Karla and I need to know what you're up to these days.We especially need to hear from the men--most of the notes in this column are from the women. Tell us about vacations, visits with other classmates, life-altering decisions, etc. And ask your friends to send in their class dues! More duespayers equals more space in the Class Notes.

Margaret Crupi remarried in April 2004 to George Skelly, a partner at Nixon Peabody LLP. Prof. Christy Burns did a reading at the wedding.Margaret retired from practicing law to be a full-time mom in Carlisle, MA, to children Caroline and William. She reunited with Susan Chang, who was visiting from Singapore with her family. John Bustard is in Chatham, MA, and has been shell-fishing commercially since graduation. He writes, "Some years have been better than others, but it has been an adequate existence." Ellen Blum is on leave from private practice in pediatrics to spend more time with her husband and their daughters Emma and Sylvie. She's "running a barn in her spare time,"with a horse, two donkeys, two cats, and a dog!

Kevin Chin and his wife now have three children, Rachel, Ethan, and William, in Plano, TX. Kevin travels to Taiwan and China for business. Claire VollbrachtMoulé's husband passed away in 1996, and now Claire works at a church as a catechetical leader and is being trained as a spiritual director. She has traveled extensively and spends quality time with her niece as well. Anita Riddle and her family left Dallas, TX, for Baton Rouge, LA, where they enjoy the mild winters. Anita is a department head in the Exxon Mobil Refinery Process Division and really enjoys the work.

Sharon Toll Rubinson is in Marlboro,NJ, as a small-animal veterinarian. She's been married since 1991 to Elliot and has boys Ethan and Bryce. The Rubinson family loves all things outdoors: soccer, tennis, skiing, and the beach. Beth Budin Raff and Sharon were freshman roommates in Balch Hall and get together a couple of times a year. James Torgeson, ME '86, represents the Cornell Railroad Historical Society in Barton Hall at each reunion.When he's not at reunion, he lives in Lockport, NY. Annette Stancliffe Kissinger tells us, "While I sometimes miss the hotel industry,my new career creating yoga programs for schools is much more conducive to family life. I've released my first yoga video for children; visit www.classroomyoga.com.My daughter Nancy makes a cameo appearance in the video."Annette has seen Mike Cahill in Colorado and Lynda Kommel Browne '83 in Connecticut. Annette missed reunion because husband Tom competed in a triathlon that weekend. The Kissinger family visited San Francisco, St. Louis, and the Dominican Republic, and said the kids' program at Club Med was great.

Christopher Lindsay and wife Nancy have four children from teen to early school age. Chris is asst. labor relations director of the Eastern Contractors Association. For 12 years in Albany, NY, he served on many school board and neighborhood committees--the list is too long to print here! The Lindsay family has enjoyed Disney World as each child entered Pre-K. Family and school reunions keep the family connected also.Amy Seward Stacy of Bergen,NY, celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary this year and has four children. Amy works as a registered dietician in a local hospital and stays in touch with Wendy Hill. Linda Zell Randall and family survived the four Florida hurricanes with only minor damage. She passes along the news that Louis and Laurie Kimball have a son Samuel and they are living in Larkspur, CA.-- Lindsay Liotta Forness, fornesszone@aol.com; and Karla Sievers McManus, Klorax@attbi.com. Class website: http://classof84.alumni.cornell.edu.

85 | As the class of 1985 prepares for our 20th (gasp!) Reunion, June 9-12, we are happy to report that our mailbag is bulging with great updates from alumni.We can only suspect that these folks just want to get a head start on all the small talk in June.Winnie Dunn has promised to bring her new bundle of joy, Olivia Emily Kearns, for her first Cornell trip at reunion. Olivia was born on August 24, 2004, and Winnie and father Larry Kearns couldn't be happier. Some lucky alumni have already "met"Olivia through the slide show the proud papa developed when she was all of one week old.

Fred Schwartz, now in Northbrook, IL, saw two Rochester Cornellians recently. First, Marty Schwartz stopped by to visit before he handled a case before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Then Fred and his World Skating daughter Sydney skated with Jake Vigoda and his daughter, who had come from Thailand for a recent competition. You can only imagine how busy Heidi Sakanaka is, as she is a substitute teacher and a Girl Scout leader for two troops.Her daughter Mihoko loves art and gymnastics, while fourth grader Mikie concentrates on musical theater. Heidi ran into fellow Tri-Delt Karen Lowe '80 in line for a movie. Then she happened across another Tri-Delt, Jennifer Sullivan Recker '87, at the Mamaroneck Fireman's Parade. She hadn't seen either since graduation!

Alejandro Badia was recently named to the Cornell University Council and met with the board of trustees on campus in October at the annual meeting.He also just launched his website,www.drbadia.com,which is aimed at educating both patients and international colleagues on the advances in hand surgery at the Miami Hand Center.And you were right when you thought you saw Edward Bemis on television. He and his wife Tina (Rovito) are now hosts of a cable gardening show called "Bloomin' with the Bemis'." They love it, and report everything is still rosy at their garden center, Bemis Farms Nursery in Spencer, MA.

It's not just because she's a proud mother of Claire and Robert that Carolyn Choh Fleming,MBA '87, was asked to present her paper on Global Education and E-learning at the Global Conference on Excellence in Education and Training (GCEET) in Singapore last May. She has completed her career transition from pharmaceutical marketing executive to professor of marketing, teaching pharmaceutical marketing at Saint Joseph's U., Philadelphia. She also recently celebrated her birthday with Ann Delaney, MBA '87, and Jennifer Ong-Meyers '86.

Mike "Boomer" Bloomquist reports that his girls Katie and Megan love horseback riding and soccer. Mike's enjoying his seventh year at Deutsche Bank as a VP, Derivative Sales.His wife Annie and he hosted self-styled California "beach doctor"Dave Bloom during his recent visit to the East Coast. Margaret Nagel Gnegy had great fun at the wedding of Christine MillerWhaley '84, MBA '89, and reports she is very excited for reunion and hopes to see everyone there. Deborah McKee Johnson and her family, hubby Terry and kids J. Alex and Halie, are all settled into their new home in Fairfield, CA. For the past 18 years, Deborah has been a program administrator for the California Youth Authority.

David Maione is currently operating Core Management Services in Endicott, NY, with brother Tony Maione '81. They provide janitorial and cleaning consulting services to Fortune 500 companies and colleges throughout North America. Robyn Miller just completed her fellowship in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Wright State U. in Dayton, OH. The Air Force then moved her and husband Richard Smoot to Tampa, FL.

As a pre-cursor to reunion, Mark Martin, Hans Rempel, Bill, ME '86, and Stephanie Liniger Page, and your faithful co-correspondent Ed Catto joined Tim Cole '83, MBA '84, in Boston for the wedding of Al Jacobs '86 in October. Nostalgia was thick in the air, for this crew all lived in Boston 20 years ago just after graduation. Objectivereporting spouses Kelly, Betsy, and Kathe noted there was a little less hair, a few more pounds, but just as much fun as always.

We look forward to building some new memories with you at reunion in June. In the meantime, keep sending your e-mail updates! -- Ed Catto, edcatto@hotmail.com; and Risa Mish, rmm22@cornell.edu.

86 | For Alex Hsia and his wife Janelle, things happen quickly. After spending months preparing to travel to China to adopt a little girl,Alex and Janelle got the word that their adoption agency wanted them to come immediately, and within five days they and their son Logan were across the globe. From China, Alex e-mailed the news to former roommate Larry Robiner, who forwarded it on to me. "After a couple of days in Beijing, where Logan got to climb on the Great Wall, we are now in Nanjing, where we got Jessica Lynne just yesterday,"writes Alex. "I think she's having trouble adjusting to having us as parents, and any change, even just taking off a shoe, is traumatic for her. On the positive side, she's been eating well and has adjusted to having us feed her." Back home, Alex works for the Network Operations Center of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Boulder, CO. Gail Weiss also writes us of daughter Rebeka Rose, now 1, and passes along news of a baby girl born last August to Leigh Weber.

Ed Decker sends news from northern New Jersey, where he practices ophthalmology. "I'm proud to report the birth of my son Noah Aiden on August 7. Sisters Carly, 5, and Ellie, 3, are excited to have a little brother." Joining those brave parents of three are Richard Forte and his wife Helen, who welcomed Michael Sam on May 2."He joins Andrew Jason, 6, and Julia Grace, 2, born in May as well." In his spare time, Richard practices hematology and oncology in greater New York.Also in the medical field, Anthony Mauriello reports that he started an orthopedic surgical practice in Lancaster, PA. "There are now four doctors in the group."Anthony informs us that KreggWhite and wife Anne welcomed a baby girl, Campbell Ann, last December.

It was good to hear from fellow Tri-Delta Heidi Duitsman Collihan, too. "I married a terrific guy this spring in Chicago at Navy Pier. I then had to travel to Australia on a four-week business trip. But fortunately, Bob recognized me when he picked me up at the airport!"Heidi is director of project management at Heat & Control Inc. in Northern California. "We supply food processing and packaging systems to major food companies throughout the world," she says.Heidi also reports that Katherine Stifel '87, who lives in Washington, DC, was able to make the wedding.

Finally, big thanks go out to Donna Mandell Korren, who filled an entire page of the news form. "It's hard to believe," she writes, "but the girls of 110 Linden Avenue are all (dare we say?) turning 40." To celebrate, the five former roommates met in New York City. The gang included: Lenore DiLeo-Berner, an assistant middle school principal; Elyssa Katz Hurlbut, a registered dietician; Katie Roth Boyar, a mom to two girls and living in Manhattan; our own class president Lisa Hellinger Manaster, a real estate broker pursuing her master's in special ed; and Donna herself, a partner in the regional magazine Elements. "Twelve great kids and five happy marriages since graduation, and we're still great friends--20 years later!"

Indeed, it's hard to believe almost 20 years have passed since our time on the Hill. I echo Donna's sentiment about 40--dare we say it? But seven months into the big 4-0, I have to report that it really isn't bad. In fact, now that I've gotten over the shock of plugging it in at the LifeCycle at the gym, I even sort of like it. Professionally, I'm hitting my stride.At home, after 14 years with the same mate, I finally have realistic expectations of marriage.And after almost a decade of parenting, I feel I may even know what I'm doing, especially on days like this one, when I happen to have answers for my 9-year-old's questions ("Isn't there a month with 32 days in it?" "Do I need to bring my library card when I bring books back?").At 40, I also realize my shortcomings, and know that I'm still okay (for example: this column is more than a week late . . . and I already used all my cell phone minutes with ten days still to go.) So if you haven't taken the plunge, be reassured. In fact, embrace it. Life at 40 is good. Let us know how it's treating you. --Allison Farbaniec MacLean, aaf9cornell.edu; Jackie Byers Davidson, jackiekd@sbcglobal.net; and Hilory Federgreen Wagner, haf5@cornell.edu.

87 | I started this column while en route to Asia on yet another business trip. I cannot remember if I ever wrote at a 37,000-ft. cruising altitude.What is even more intriguing is that I arrived in Hong Kong on the waning days of the US presidential campaign. Now, ensconced in my hotel room in Taipei, I am flipping the TV channels between CNN and the local Chinese stations to get the latest information on the election returns. I can only hope that by the time I board my flight home, we'll know who the next American president is.

I am always surprised how few e-mail updates I receive from classmates. In October, Kim Leinwand Erle sent in her news electronically: "I enjoy reading the class news each month in the alumni magazine. I recently had the chance to get together with classmates Betsy Schwartz Brint and Pam O'DwyerMcGaan--separately, but on the same weekend--when both were in NYC (from Chicago) for the US Open. It was great to catch up with them! On the home front, I founded an investment management firm, Trajectory Asset Management, in 2002. In July 2003, our firm launched a set of three mutual funds together with AIG SunAmerica Asset Management. It's a big change from the financial product design work I had been doing as a consultant for many years; now we're designing investment products of our own. It's great to have made the switch!" In January 2005, Kim is planning a mini-reunion of sorts with Pam McGaan, Veneeta Oberai Fraser, Betsy Brint, and Jenny Moore Stahlkrantz '86 in the Grand Cayman islands (leaving, collectively, 16 children and 5 husbands behind) to celebrate our 40th birthdays. Now that is some birthday bash!

That same month, Heidi Russell sent an electronic postcard from Europe: "I am having a great experience in Greece. The island of Paros is very nice and we have visited a couple of other islands. I have taken many photos and am getting close to having my website up and running. I am taking theory of art, art studio (painting), blackand- white photography, digital photography, and philosophy. The people are great and the accommodations are comfortable. It is very windy here; otherwise the weather is perfect."

Kevin and Karen Morel Joostema (Palos Verdes Estates, CA) added a third child to their family: "Third daughter, Kyra, was born September 10, 2003, joining big sisters Kristin, 7, and Katherine, 5. (Yes, all our names start with K.) Finished big home-remodeling project that caused us to move to four different temporary homes and went through two general contractors over 1-1/2 years. But we are very happy to be back in our home and are enjoying it. Our remodeled master bedroom was featured in a recent episode of 'Designers' Challenge' on HGTV."Karen further reported,"Lauren Spergel Blumenfeld, MS '92, and husband Mike and two boys visited us.We had a great time doing lots of kidfriendly stuff. Even took a gambling trip to Las Vegas!" Fellow Southern Californian Jennifer Maisel writes, "I won Showtime's Tony Cox Award for my screenplay 'The Last Sedar' at the Nantucket Film Festival last summer." She and her husband Michael Berick have a daughter Julia Rose Maisel-Berick.

We have some news related to the Big Apple this time: Basil Dean Angelakos is happily married with a 4-year-old son. He is an assistant comptroller for labor law in NYC. Caryn Weinberger Jacobs resigned from her position at CIBC in NYC to move to Dallas for a career opportunity for her husband. "I had my second child, Spencer, on July 7, 2003, two months after arriving in Texas.My oldest son,Hayden, turns 3 on February 2. Dallas is nice, but no place can beat New York!" Debbie Garkawe Gilman had a mini-reunion with Patty Nordhausen and Rebecca Fisher in NYC to celebrate Rebecca's birthday. "I saw classmate Michele Heiman Ventura and her new baby Julia, born in April 2004.Michele and husband Ron also have a 3-year-old daughter Camryn.

Jill Major HaLevi and husband Andrew live in Charleston, SC. They traveled to China in February 2004 to adopt daughter Mira, now 2 years old. "Big sister Noa, 6, is very happy to share her room and (almost) everything else.My last trip to Mainland China was junior year at Cornell, when I studied Mandarin and taught English. Needless to say, I barely recognized the place, and my language skills were not the help they once were. But it was a thrilling trip, and Mira is settling in to our family wonderfully. Jenny Wang, MA '91, visited us after the adoption, and we hope to see other friends from Cornell soon."

Karin Lewis Tamme has the distinction of being the first classmate I've reported on to have a child in college:"My oldest daughter started at Wellesley this past fall."Karin herself is "working at the U. of Kentucky while proceeding with my doctoral dissertation research."Meanwhile, baby news continues for other classmates. Jerry and Lauren Cioppa Ludwig now have four kids. The newest arrival is Gerard Francis. All together, they have three boys and one girl, "and their family is complete!" Jerry and Lauren took a trip to Florence, Italy, last winter. And at Lauren's high school reunion, they ran into Debra Howard Stern and Jill Barnett Kaufman. Dean Rosenzweig reported that he and his wife now have a boy, Harrison, who was born May 4, 2004. Harrison has two older sisters, Emma and Clara, and "they are thrilled to have a little brother!"

Send your traveler's checks, lost luggage, and news to -- Tom S. Tseng, ttseng@stanford.edu; or Debra Howard Stern, dstern@acksys.com.

88 | Hello, classmates, and Happy New Year! I sincerely hope that the holiday season just past was an enjoyable and peaceful one for all and that the new year has greeted you warmly.

At the time of this writing, there are two fierce battles being waged in the US, one for the Presidency and the other for the World Series championship. By the time you read this, these contests will have been decided (one hopes!). Since I'm sure there are many passionate Cornellians on each side of both these battles, I will refrain from stating any personal preferences.

Let's start with a note from Debbie Brown. Debbie writes that she has forsaken working in Africa and living in the San Francisco Bay Area (where she is missed) and has relocated to Houston. She'd love to hear from area Cornellians or those just passing through. Drop her a line at Debbie.brown@chevrontexaco.com. Karen Franklin Smith let us know that she and her family--husband Jim, and kids Andrew, 7, and Shannon, 4--have been back in Oregon for over a year now, after nine years in Massachusetts. Karen works for CNF Inc., managing the retirement plans and administration department.

Back on the East Coast, James Miller is living happily in Chester, CT, with wife Sonal, son Christopher, 6, and daughter Anjali, 4. James's law firm, Shepherd, Finkelman, Miller and Shah, represents plaintiffs in class action lawsuits. The firm has moved its Connecticut office to Chester, so now James only has a half-mile walk to work.When he wrote, James was studying for the California Bar exam since his practice often takes him to California courts. James's simple statement on his commute and the first exam he's taken in 13 years: "The walk will be good; the Bar will be bad."Also in the legal profession is Kristin Hileman-Adams. Kristin spent 11 years as a criminal prosecutor in Maryland and now works as an associate county attorney in general litigation. Kristin has three children, Sabrina Lourie, 6, E.Welsey Adams, 2, and Colton Eugene Adams, about to celebrate his first birthday on February 10. Another classmate attorney, Andrew Levi, sends word from Miami that he recently accepted a position as Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. In Nashville, Kim Coffin Johnson has left practicing law to stay at home with her kids Amelia, 5, and Sam, 2-1/2. Kim now takes on the perhaps greater challenge of teaching Sunday School to 4-year-olds at her church.

Turning our attention from law to medicine, classmate Florence Parrella is a senior staff physician at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA. Florence is a board-certified cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist. David Levine, MD '92, is an orthopaedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.David's wife Davena (Barfus) completed her master's in education last year.David and Davena make their home in Bedford, NY, with children Sophia, 10-1/2, and Payton, 7-1/2. Perry Sutaria, MD '92, has become a partner is his medical practice and writes that his family has "settled down in hopefully the last house we will ever buy" in Mendham, NJ.His third daughter, Grace, will soon be celebrating her second birthday on February 18. Perry regularly sees fellow Cornellians Sharon Mass '89, Renato Giacchi '89, and Jeff Schwartz '90, MD '94, working at Morristown Memorial Hospital.

In medicine of the non-human variety, Linda Hunter, DVM '92, has worked as a veterinarian in a number of places since 1992 and is now a PhD student at Cornell's own College of Veterinary Medicine with a concentration in molecular biology. Linda is studying the genes that cause ocular cataracts to develop in canines.

Elaine Hall sent in news on several other classmates: Alice Tse is a doctor in Kotzebue, AK. Frances Lee works for Morgan Stanley in New York City. Debbie Reynolds and husband Jorge Juantorena live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and have two children. Debbie works for Pfizer Foundation and Jorge is an attorney at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen, and Hamilton. Tricia Hernandez lives in Austin, TX, with husband Mark and had a baby back in 2003. Elaine herself is a media account director at MPG working on the Intel account and lives in Hartsdale, NY. Peter Ford Keenan is a senior landscape architect living in Bradenton, FL, with wife Maria and children Thomas Ford, 3, and Jonathan Andrew, 11.

On the international front, Nancy Michalski Wall sends an update that her family made the previously reported move to Okinawa and has been adjusting as quickly as possible. They survived tropical storm Megi and typhoon Songda, which kept them in lockdown for two days. Nancy is busy preparing for a career change, having started a master's program in elementary education. She expects to start teaching once the family returns to the States.Nancy tells us she has updated her e-mail and "snail mail" address in the online Alumni Directory (a very useful tool for any Cornellian, certainly this correspondent) and would love to hear from anyone who cares to make contact. Also in the east is Ed Drimak who has started his sixth year in Malaysia and "hopes it never ends." Ed says it has been a few years since he has seen any other alums or fraternity brothers. If anyone is in Penang or just passing through, he would like it if you'd stop by and say "Hi!" Ed's e-mail address can also be found in the alumni directory.

Our past reunion chair, Pamela Darer Anderson, wrote of her involvement in the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network (CAAAN). Last year, when Pam met high school students interested in attending Cornell, she listened to their questions, concerns, and worries and wondered if we had the same feelings when we were applying to Cornell as seniors in high school. Unfortunately, I think it is now at the point where it is difficult for many of us to remember that far back! Jill Silverman Greenspan has returned to work three days a week now that her 5-year-old twins Arielle and Joshua have entered kindergarten, and older daughter Claudia is in second grade. Jill sees Peter Jacobs quite often, as his 5-year-old son Noah is good friends with her son.

Lastly, Mike O'Hara is enjoying life with wife Sue Audie and their children Greta, 7,Madeline, 5, and Jack, 4 months (back in July 2004) in "beautiful, low-stress Niskayuna, NY."Mike leads the development effort at Union College in Schenectady, which Mike calls a "wonderful, smaller version of Cornell." Mike's work in fund-raising has shown him how important it is to give back to one's alma mater. As he put it, "Philanthropy makes you feel good. So support CU, all you '88ers!"

In addition to Mike's urging our classmates to support Cornell, let me make a plea for news from all '88ers. In particular, I'd like to note that many of you often send in our class news form with only an address and phone number or e-mail address.While it is very important that up-to-date contact information reaches Ithaca (and we make sure all those updates do), when you jot down that new address, please take a few extra minutes to note some other news in your life. Cornellians are all up to interesting things, and your classmates want to hear about you! And don't hesitate to send Suzanne or me e-mail updates as well. That is perhaps the best way to ensure that we have as much recent news as possible in our columns. --Steve Tomaselli, st89@cornell.edu; and Suzanne Bors Andrews, smb68@cornell.edu.

89 | I'm humming our Alma Mater as I write this, thanks to having seen some original members of the Cayuga's Waiters perform recently at the Basin Harbor Club here in Vermont. John and I enjoyed a lovely evening in the company of our friends Colleen and Brian Leffler '88, and quite a few other Vermont alumni. It was a fun chance to catch up, share Cornell memories, and sing along to our favorite Cornell songs, led by Cayuga's Waiters from the classes of '50 through '57. Though our five or so tables of Cornellians were the minority in the large dining room, the diners all rose in an ovation to the Waiters after being treated to the Cornell Alma Mater during the dinner prior to the concert.

I received a couple of updates right as I was writing this column. Thanks for the timely news! Jon '88 and Juliana Kelly May sent a change of address card, with the news that they've finally moved into their Manhattan home after almost two years of renovation. The Mays can be reached by e-mail at jmaye95@yahoo.com. Susan Comninos (slc36@cornell.edu) e-mailed the following: "Last year, I left my staff job as a Reuters Health reporter to try my hand at freelance arts journalism. Since then, I've written for the Atlantic Online, Forward, and Boston Phoenix, among others, and seen my poetry included in The Blueline Anthology (Syracuse U. Press, 2004). I'd be interested to hear about the experiences of other Cornellians in the writing business, especially those working as freelancers."

A handful of classmates took the time to jot down some news when they sent in their class dues. Tom Atkinson (tom.atkinson@att.net) noted that he has moved to Istanbul and is eager to get in touch with fellow alumni. Rimbert Rivera wrote from Alexandria, VA, that he recently bought a new house and was promoted to management at work. Chris Osgood reported that he and wife Angela are enjoying their son Robert Marley Osgood, who'll turn 4 in April."He is loving school here in Atlanta, talking the entire time he is awake (his favorite thing to say is 'Cheers' while clinking his juice bottle with whatever you're drinking), and throwing baseballs. He is already very tall for his young age (like his old man!)."Chris is full of enthusiasm about his job also, writing, "After spending all of my time since graduation in radio in Hawaii or Texas, the business brought us back to the East Coast (here in Atlanta) at the beginning of 2003. I am the local sales manager for News/Talk 750 WSB-AM, the second-oldest radio station in the country-- home of the Atlanta Braves,Atlanta Hawks, and Georgia Bulldogs, as well as personalities Neal Boortz, Clark Howard, and Sean Hannity--and loving every minute of it. I communicate quite a bit via e-mail with fellow Hotelies Jim McManus and Tom Cleary and Steve Grieco '86. I speak with Jaime Worth at least once per quarter.He is still living in upcountry Maui, and is married with two beautiful children."

Our final update is from Dina Weiss-Linfoot. Readers who enjoy medical shows may already be familiar with Dina's news, as she explained, "I am excited to announce (belatedly) the birth of my second child--a girl--Jordyn Paige, on September 5, 2003. She joins big brother Noah Solomon, age 2-1/2 (3 by the time you read this).You might have seen Jordyn's birth, as it was featured on the TLC show 'A Baby Story.' Fellow Cornellian Laura Pearlman Kaufman and her children Adam and Elliott were also included in the 'Baby Linfoot' episode!" Dina also reported that Susie Kupferman married Michael Raskin on August 1, 2004, in Newport, RI. --Anne Czaplinski Treadwell, ac98@cornell. edu; Mike McGarry, mmcgarry@dma-us.com; Stephanie Bloom Avidon, savidon1@hotmail; Lauren Hoeflich, laurenhoeflich@yahoo.com.

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