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MAR./APR. 2005 VOLUME 107 NUMBER 5 Class Notes

90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99

90 | Have you ever just wanted to say "I quit"? Laura Calvert Richardson recently just did that: "I finally quit my job in pharmaceutical research in October '04. The stress ultimately took its toll." So perhaps wanting to eradicate stress for the rest of us unfortunately still working the daily grind, she enrolled in school for massage therapy! If passing through Princeton, NJ, be sure to call for a sample!

Some of us are doing the very opposite of quitting. John Cayer became Team Leader of the SCJ Target office in Minneapolis and is the new president of the Cornell Club of Minnesota.Matthew Dunn, attorney with Bryan Cave, has been elected chairman of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, New York Chapter. In this role, he will be the AILA's senior immigration lawyer in New York, running the chapter and liaising with immigration, state department, and labor department officials. Thomas Franks was named head of Global Equity Research for financial services group and retirement securities provider TIAA-CREF; his team will develop new products and investment solutions for clients.

W.Ming Shao was recently promoted to vice president and associate general counsel of Microstrategy Inc., a publicly traded provider of business intelligence software and services based in McLean,VA. Jeff Capra is HR director for Freescale Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Motorola, and with wife Laura has been "thoroughly enjoying" living in Austin, TX. And heck, while we're on a high-tech thread, I'll plug the hosted sales and marketing effectiveness software, Sales Asset Manager,my firm The SAVO Group successfully launched in June 2004; I (Alisa Gilhooley) have been VP of Marketing for this start-up since I left Citigroup in January 2002. If you're involved in B2B selling or marketing, or are interested in where CRM is headed, check out salesassetmanager.com.

Those on the go with young families know that there's no quitting (although plenty of "time outs") in this line of work. Leslie Waltzer Pollak, along with twin sister Michele Waltzer Posen, has kept quite busy: "I am happy to announce the birth of my second child, daughter Jamie Lauren, on June 14, 2004, and the arrival of my niece, Ariel Faith, born September 23, 2004. Ariel joins twin sisters Adena and Rachel--yes,Michele kept the tradition alive by having twin girls.My Jamie joins big brother Jesse." Matthew Lesnick also sends this nicely penned family news: "Our second son, Solomon Quinn Moran Lesnick (to be known simply as ‘Quinn'), was born on May 12, 2004. He seems pretty laid back so far and has a great smile. His big brother Beattie is still sizing him up."

Margaret Mordy Delesalle and husband Christian, MBA '95, find daughter Anna, born in June 2004, to be "a wonderful addition to our lives" and are enjoying every minute at home in Brussels, Belgium, with her. Kenneth Held and wife Barbara (Drugan) '89 had their second son,Matthew Cooper, on May 21, 2004. Adam and Caroline Krass Levy welcomed their third boy, Casey Daniel, in July 2003. Cynthia Loizides Weber reports that Marcela Hahn and husband Albie Kelley had baby boy Nate in September 2003, and that son Andrea is the third child and first son for Valerie Braun Malerba and husband Antonio.

Most definitely showing no signs of quitting is the growth of the child product marketplace! Meg Talty O'Leary and husband Michael are parents to Grace, 5, and Liam, 2. Sheryl Rosensky Miller lives in Bethesda, MD, with husband Lee and daughters Lindsey Ariella, 5, and Amanda Eliana, 3. Sheryl practices law part-time at AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly (LCE), a public interest firm that provides free legal services to low-income older residents. Heather Wright Ryan is at home in Simsbury, CT, with Nicholas (born July 19, 2004), Christopher, 4, and Rebecca, 6. She says that Stephanie Vroom and husband Sander Spierings live in NYC with 1-year-old son Nathaniel. And Jennifer Webster and husband Zsolt Buday divide their time between Budapest and Buenos Aires because Jen's company, Pioneer Productions, has offices in both cities.

Kristen Conrad and husband Daniel McLaughlin celebrated the birth of daughter Rowan Elizabeth in October 2002; son Liam is 4. Less than two years later, Kristen joined Nancy Neuman, Ian Kline, and more than 40 other alums of the Class Notes (the coed a cappella group) on campus to sing in the 20th anniversary "Cuttin' Class" concert. Nicknamed "The Jurassic Notes" (why, we cannot fathom), the "elder" decade of singers also participated in an arch sing, met at old haunts like The Chariot and had a "fabulous, harmonious weekend."

And for those who claim that the class column has gotten way too cheesy, your correspondent retorts: we won't quit punning until our term is over (this year at reunion, by the way). Take note of this update from Stephanie Clark, PhD '97: "This spring, I was promoted to associate scientist/associate professor with tenure. This summer, I volunteered/ served in Armenia with ACDI/VOCA. I taught a new producer about appropriate sanitation practices for safe, high quality cheese, and how to make a variety of goat cheeses."

Hoping no one out there is feeling too blue. Gouda luck to all for much success and steer clear of anyone grating! OK, I'll quit while I'm ahead!-- Alisa "Gil" Gilhooley, AlisaGil@aol.com; Carole Moran Krus, clm42@cornell.edu.

91 | Greetings from the farm! I'm sure that you all have your calendars marked for our upcoming 15th Reunion in 2006! Our reunion chairpersons Dorine Colabella Scher and JeffWeintraub, MD '95, are busy planning the weekend and would like to extend the invitation to all Class of '91 members to volunteer ideas, time, or manpower toward this effort. You can contact Dorine at dmc44@cornell.edu or Jeff at jtw12@cornell.edu.

Dorine reports that other than 15th Reunion work, she is thoroughly enjoying running her own Pampered Chef business from home. Dorine is currently a senior director and trainer with the company and last year was ranked number 17 out of 71,000 sales consultants in the company. "I love it because it allows me to put my children first while still earning a full-time income." Lynn Schechter and her husband Issam El-Zahr have been living in Baton Rouge, LA, with their children Leah, 2, and Leo, 9 months, for the past couple of years. Lynn, who received a PhD in psychology from Columbia, has a private practice located at the Drusilla Clinic in Baton Rouge. Lynn writes: "It's definitely a change living in the South, but we much prefer the mild winters to the freezing cold and hectic pace of New York! I still miss Cornell though . . . "

Daniel Marein-Efron has recently started a website, www.heelingsolutions.com, and produced a video on conservative treatments for plantar fasciitis--known to you and me as heel pain. Daniel writes that while training for the New York City Marathon in 2002, he developed plantar fasciitis, a very painful condition resulting from overstress of the band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. Daniel's video provides proper instruction for stretching, icing, and extra foot support techniques to help treat plantar fasciitis and avoid painful, expensive, and invasive medical treatments for this debilitating condition.

David Clarke announced the birth of Elliot Kenyon Robert Clarke on March 8, 2004. David and his girlfriend Christie Freeman are living in Jersey City, where David works as a general manager with Restaurant Associates at Citigroup. Allison Crandall Armieri is living in Chapel Hill, NC, and announced the birth of her third child,Mia Jean, on June 6, 2003.Mia joins brother Dallas, born April 4, 1999, and sister Emma, born November 28, 2000.

Kathryn Pruzinsky married Frank Macaulay '86 in La Jolla, CA. Kathryn is an assistant clinical professor of reproductive medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. She received her medical degree from Emory U. Elizabeth Starkman married Eric Mischel at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. Elizabeth is a vice president of account management for the Intermedia Advertising Group, which evaluates the effectiveness of television advertising and product placement. She received her MBA from Duke. The New York Times reported that Elizabeth and Eric met through an online dating service. All went well on their first date, though just before their second date, Elizabeth got sick and had to cancel. The deal was clinched when Eric walked ten blocks in the rain to bring Elizabeth some chicken noodle soup.

Stephen Turner married Taryn Baff at the Yale Club in New York. Stephen is the chief of general pediatrics at Long Island College Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. He received his medical degree from New York U. Kathryn Pierson married Stephen Lundin on August 21, 2004 on St. Simons Island, GA. Kathryn is a financial planning director at Cablevision Systems Corporation in Bethpage. She received her MBA from the U. of Pennsylvania. -- Nina Rosen Peek, nsr5@cornell.edu; Dave Smith, docds30@yahoo.com; and Corinne Kuchling, kuccori@hotmail.com.

92 | Lately it's getting harder and harder to write this column.Why? Because as we're all getting busier and busier with work and our families, it seems we're not taking the time to update our classmates on our lives. Please do send your news to us, the class correspondents--our addresses are at the end of this column. Write to us directly or mail in your News and Dues when the annual letter arrives this spring.

Megan Kilbride responded to my plea for news. She recently visited Christine Bubrick Bang and her husband Peter in New York City and their two new additions, twins Hannah and Theo. They were born Nov. 9 and share Peter's birthday. Silvia Serpe, JD '95, wrote to say she joined the law firm of Krantz & Berman LLP as special counsel in April 2004, where she focuses on commercial, criminal, and employment discrimination. They are located in midtown Manhattan.

Checking in from their new home in Madison, NJ, David and Christine Watters Stuhlmiller '93 said they are especially enjoying reconnecting with Cornellians in the NY-NJ-CT area. David is working for the U. of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in the emergency dept. at University Hospital in Newark, NJ, and Christine works on the same campus as the Director of Finance for the Dept. of Surgery at the New Jersey Medical School. David plays poker every Monday night with his brother Michael Stuhlmiller '94, Ralph Ciotti '95, Parag Raje '94, Mike Van Brunt '97, MS '01, and Joe Youn '91,MEE '93. David and Christine have also met up with Lauren Bailyn Sapira '93,MBA '94, Jeff Anbinder '94, Marc Goldman '90, and many others they saw at the Cornell-Columbia football game last fall, when they marched from St. Patrick's Cathedral to the Cornell Club in Manhattan for a concert.

The big news for Marc Paradis is the birth of his daughter Cecelia Catherine on April 22, 2004. "She's our first child and of course the most beautiful, intelligent, and fascinating creature to grace this planet," he joked. "Other than that,my wife Sabrina and I are still living in NYC and making it to the Cornell Club for holidays and special events." Tracie Giargiari finished her PhD from the clinical psychology program at U. of Colorado, Boulder in 2002 and subsequently took a position doing clinical research. After grad school, she and husband Jim Hixson decided to put down roots in Colorado and now spend a lot of time hiking and snow-shoeing ("and doing yoga, which is virtually mandatory here in Boulder County!" Tracie quipped). She and Jim welcomed their first son, Cooper, in April 2004.

Alison Abel-Kahn wrote that she and her husband Eric welcomed their first daughter,Madison May Kahn, on August 27. Five days before her birth, they moved to the East Bay of the San Francisco area. Alison works at Charles Schwab & Co. as a VP in the Advice organization. She shared the news that Kathy Halsey Connolly delivered her third son, Finn Michael Connolly, on June 12. Kathy lives with her husband Jimmy and two other sons Luke and James in Garden City, NY. Kathy still works at Goldman Sachs. Alison also mentioned that Adam Greene and his wife Carolyn just moved to Hartford, CT, where Adam started a new job, and that Amy Sugarman delivered her first son, Aaron Henry, on June 2. She and her husband Marc Damsky reside in NYC, and Amy is working on building her private practice as a clinical psychologist.

Harris Weisman and his wife Sarah moved from Cary, NC, to Elmira, NY. Sarah took a position with Elmira College, and Harris was hired by Chemung Canal Trust Company to be their information security manager. They visit Ithaca and Cornell often. Shari Brandt wrote to let me know she was named partner at her law firm, Richards Spears Kibbe & Orbe LLP in NYC. Husband Brett Popolow switched firms and is an attorney at the Newark, NJ, office of Duane Reed LLP. "More important than work, however, are our wonderful twin boys Alexander and Jacob, who turned 2 in January. Our lives are very full." Shari was also happy to share some good news from fellow classmates: Heather Bouchey had a daughter in November, Bryn Bouchey-Delaney; and Stacey Rappaport was named partner at her law firm Milbank Tweed in NYC.

Steven Horowitz's great news is that he got married to Tracy Epstein on September 5. In attendance at the wedding were Jonathan Jacoby, JimWaxmonsky, Igor Roitburg, JD '95,Matt Hagopian, and Andy Regenbaum '93. Steven works as the controller for National Medical Health Card in Port Washington, NY. Jean Kintisch wrote, "After nine years in Washington, DC, my husband Todd Kantorczyk and I moved to Philadelphia in July.We now live the suburban life with a new house, new minivan (ack!), new schools, and new job. Todd joined Manko, Gold, Katcher and Fox LLP, continuing his practice in environmental law. I continue my practice of motherhood with Rose, 6-1/2, Sadie, 3-1/2, and brand new baby Clara, born Nov. 21, '04!"

Jenny Yang and Kil Huh '93 are the proud parents of Miles Yang Huh, born May 21. Jenny continues to work at the law firm of Cohen,Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll in Washington, DC, where she practices plaintiff-side employment discrimination class action work. After completing medical school, Ken Woliner started a fee-for-service nutritional medicine practice in Boca Raton, FL. Lenore Labi Ades had a baby boy named Emmet Abraham Ades on April 23. Jennifer Hetling Vincent and her husband Jeff proudly announced the birth of their fourth child, Claire Eleanor, on Nov. 24. She has two big sisters, Grace, 5, and Sadie, 3, and one big brother, Elijah, 18 months. Jennifer continues to be a full-time stay-at-home mother, and part-time adjunct professor of economics at St.Michael's College. The family lives in Colchester, VT. Barbara Auderieth Levison lives in Sarasota, FL, with her husband and girls Sarah, 7, and Amy, 4. "Since they are getting older, I have started to work a little more," Barb notes. She is a geriatric care manager for a small agency.

Pete Wahl has just entered a PhD program in biostatistics at the U. of Pennsylvania. "Going back to school after 12 years hasn't been so easy for me, especially when my wife Parul and I are raising our son Indy and thinking about having another child soon." On another note, literary agencies have expressed some interest in a novel he wrote about the dot-com boom. The novel is tentatively titled "Exuberance." "Writing novels would certainly make for more time with family!" Pete ran into Cengiz Belentepe, who is finishing his last year of a PhD at Wharton. He's now seeking funding for a currency trading start-up and will soon launch his own company. Pete also shared that Giles Cohen and his wife Tracy are raising their son Avery. Giles left his tax-law firm for a position with the SEC to make more time for family.

Kevin '91 and Amy Sachs Yam, DVM '98, brought their son Benjamin to Homecoming in October. They crashed the Marching Band tailgate for lunch, where Benjamin stood next to the trumpets blaring "Davy" and clapped his hands furiously. Kevin and Amy attended the Beta Theta Pi 125th anniversary reunion, along with Max Chang, Guy Harris, Dan Devorsetz, and Jeff Garber. Kevin is working at AOL as a product manager for the IM2Cell product. Amy works at Falls Church Animal Hospital as an associate veterinarian. Todd and Ruth Herzog Pack were surprised when their daughter Claudia arrived seven weeks early on August 2. They moved to Nashua, NH, last year so Todd could have a shorter commute to his position as director of software in the government/industrial division at iRobot outside Boston. Ruth stays overly busy at home with Claudia and her sister Caroline, and is on the worship team at their church.

Please send your news for a future column. We'd love to print your happenings. -- Renee Hunter Toth, rah24@cornell.edu; Debbie Feinstein, Debbie_Feinstein@yahoo.com;Wilma Ann Anderson, Info@WilPowerEnterprises.com.

93 | Who says great minds don't think alike? Though the names Spencer and Lindsay are not among the top 100 most popular US names, three of our classmates have chosen one or both of those names for their newborn children. Jamie Schwartz and his wife welcomed daughter Spencer Elizabeth on April 2, 2004. Spencer joins older brother Riley, 3. Proud dad Jamie is a trial attorney with the US Dept. of Justice in Washington, DC. Stewart Whitman, MBA '00, and wife Allison Nied celebrated the birth of their first child, son Spencer Lindsay, on October 26, 2004. The Whitman family makes its home in New York City. Last but not least, Melissa Marks and husband Michael Shih '88 welcomed daughter Lindsay Ella on October 16, 2003.Melissa heads up the technology business in the marketing department at Newsweek magazine while Mike is associate senior counsel at Eisai Inc., a pharmaceutical company. She reports, "After a brief and failed experiment at suburban living, we'll be returning to Manhattan in January."Welcome back!

Dan and Rosemarie Ferrante Hooker are also proud parents, though not to a Spencer or Lindsay. They welcomed second son James Michael on May 20, 2004. James joins older brother William Coulter, age 3. Finally, Laurie Mayes and husband Joseph Pelkofski welcomed daughter Jacqueline in September 2004. Laurie is associate trademark counsel at General Electric Co. in Connecticut.

As usual, several classmates have recently tied the knot. Lydia Li married Todd Wheeler '95 at Sage Chapel on September 25, 2004, with a reception at the Statler Hotel. Lydia reports that she met Todd through a Cornell alumni event in their hometown of San Francisco. If that doesn't give you a reason to attend alumni events, I don't know what would! Martha Fodor married Roger (R.J.) Wiegand Jr. on October 9, 2004 in Pittsburgh. A few of the many Cornellians in attendance were Gretchen Boehm, Melanie Hunt, DVM '97, and Alison Ginsberg Shefter. "A good time was had by all,"Martha writes.Martha is an attorney at Pittsburgh law firm Duane Morris LLP.

Jane Chen Chin e-mailed to tell us she has ventured into the wonderful world of consulting, where her specialties are "pharmaceuticals and pointing out the moose on the table." Jane lives in Southern California, where she claims that "a ‘drizzle' by Ithaca standards gains broadcast attention as ‘the storm of the year.' " Vivek Krishnappa also wound up on the West Coast. Vivek works for Barclays Global Investors and lives in Orinda, CA, with his wife Margot Hawley and their baby son Kush. Christy Loomis may have trumped Jane and Vivek in terms of exotic new hometowns. She is a database manager for the National Park Service in St. John, US Virgin Islands. She writes, "I have moved over to the small island. It feels a little like home (Ithaca) with all the park trails."

Speaking of Ithaca, some of us have chosen to stay a bit closer to our one-time home. Lynniece Haley Coughlin and husband Tim are raising two children in Manlius, NY. Five years ago, Lynniece traded her career at the Soil and Water Conservation Districts to be a stay-at-home mom, and she is loving it. She writes, "I recommend this choice to anyone considering it." Wendy Croll Halpern and husband Andy '92 are living in Ambler, PA, with son Ben, 4, and daughter Jill, 18 months. Despite two kids and a career as a dentist,Wendy seems to be great at keeping in touch with classmates. She reports that Heather Rogers Barrow just gave birth to a daughter, Sydney Paige. Sydney joins big brother Jordan.Wendy also recently traveled to Laurel Hollow, NY, to visit Linda Kletzkin Chernoff, husband Marc, and daughters Diane, 4, and Jessica, 2.

Like Wendy,Wil Andersen has a knack for keeping up with classmates.Wil attended class reunions in San Francisco and Boston this year, where he met up with Tina Thung Hugg and husband Joshua, Kim Ashton Cullinane and husband Rob, Kim Powell Sendelbach and husband Matthew '92; and Mark McAnallen.Wil reports that Vincent Cheng,ME '93, got married last year and is living happily in San Diego. As for Wil, he is "the senior (and only)" landscape architect at CPL Partnership in Matawan, NJ. "As of the first week, I am designing an 800-unit residential community to be built in New Jersey. Finally,my own office!" Congratulations to Wil!

Wil isn't the only one with a blossoming career. Linda Blount writes, "I was working in the family business that turned into a large merger of real estate brokerages that became RE/MAX Allegiance." Linda is COO of the newly formed company. She lives in Alexandria, VA. Finally, Laura Selke earned a PhD in clinic psychology and settled with husband Mike Fisher in her hometown of Rochester. She writes that she and Mike were recently "happily reunited with our potbellied pig, who was temporarily residing at a pig finishing school in Bucks County, PA."

Well, I can't top news like that, so I'll stop right here. If you'd like to share news about your career, family, or exotic pet collection, please drop us a line! -- Erica Fishlin Fox, ericazzz@aol.com; and Yael Berkowitz Rosenberg, ygb1@cornell.edu.

94 | As I write this column in December, I'm just coming off a two-week sojourn in Australia, where I traveled with my husband Mark.We snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef, bushwalked in the Outback, and haunted the Opera House in Sydney. En route, I was lucky enough to catch up with Carol Rim Hanscom and husband Chris (the beaming parents of young Alice), who are back in Los Angeles after a year in Korea. I also touched base with Jason Saculles, who can be seen driving his smashing new Mini to work at Disney.

Some updates on our classmates in the military: In late fall, Robert Maldonado shared the news of his promotion to Major in the US Marine Corps. "I am serving in the Al Anbar Province (right near Fallujah)." In November, Scott Robinson, a First Lieutenant and physician assistant with the 1st Infantry Division, wrote about his time in Iraq. He was present for the assault on Samarra. "My wife is keeping the hearth warm in Schweinfurt, Germany, the home base of my brigade."

Speaking of spouses, Lee Hutter, who works for the Soleil Securities Group in San Francisco, married Andrea Salzman on August 29. He earned his MBA at Columbia U. Shana Lory and Kelli Farwell held a commitment ceremony on September 25 at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. A resident of New York, Shana works at the advertising agency Euro RSCG. Diane Scheu Lentini of Springfield,VA, wed husband Rob on May 22 in Pearl River, NY. The couple had a good reason for missing our 10th Reunion: they were busy honeymooning in Tuscany.

Mariana Bedetti, ME '95, an employee of "ABC World News Tonight," tied the knot with Christopher Aitken in Miami on October 16. Also in Miami, Michael Freedman married Lori Grumet last November, and the couple now makes their home in New York. In November, Mike Rapolas, a financial controller at Merrill Lynch and the head coach of a junior bowling league, attended the wedding of Michael Serber and Jennifer Stewart in Dallas. Also in November, Michele Swerdloff married Gregg Riedel in Oakdale, NY. The lucky duo then worked on their scuba diving in the balmy honeymoon waters of Bonaire and Aruba. For photos, log on to http://www.greggriedel.com/wedding.

Another newlywed traveler is Kristen Blanchard, who married Michael Carey in Pennsylvania on October 30. Among the guests were Cassandra Coffman, who lives in New York, and Gregory Goodwin of San Francisco. Kristen wrote, "We then had our honeymoon in Costa Rica, which has possibly the worst roads on the face of the planet, and are now busy packing for the move to our new home in the Philly suburbs." The bride, an attorney with Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads, has traveled to Australia, New Zealand, South America, Central America, and Europe in the past five years. She added an update on Cynthia Mann Davin, a recently married alum who lives in New Jersey with her husband Jim.

Travel was in the cards for Kim McKenzie Bendus, one of the tireless and resourceful souls who chaired our reunion.While in Hawaii with her husband Wayde, Kim found out that the closing on a recent home purchase had been scheduled. "We came back on a Sunday, closed on Wednesday, and moved on Saturday." Kim is the director of development and alumni relations in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace U. in New York City.

When it comes to our class, the stork is a frequent flyer. Betsy McAfeeWilson gave birth to Piper Lyn on August 11 in Rochester, NY. The new addition joins Betsy's 2- year-old son Garrett, husband Keith, and 3-year-old dog Zuma. A Hotelie, she writes, "I wish I had taken at least one course in Human Ecology on child psychology and development!" In the D.C. area, Melissa Unemori Hampe and husband Greg have a new daughter, Elizabeth, born at the end of October. Nancy Richmond Goldstein, MBA '96, JD '97, an attorney at LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae in New York, is the proud mother of Zachary, whose Cornell wardrobe is being established with some baby Tshirts.

Paula Bortot Polito and husband Mario welcomed daughter Marisa into the world on February 21, 2004, and Kristen Andresen-Skibo gave birth to Halle Ella last year. A cardiology fellow who lives in Hamden, CT, Kristen also shared news of Suzanne Caruso, a veterinarian who lives in Tulsa, OK, with her husband Mike Brown '97, a police officer, and their daughter Olivia Nicole.

Some alums are moving into new jobs. In August, Jennifer Lawrence Jones began working as an early childhood instructor at Alamance Community College in North Carolina. Barry Schutter, former chemical engineer and employee of ImClone, decided to go into the ministry. He and his wife Amy were planning to relocate to a church in London. Carrie Leffler Wofsy, who got married two years ago, became a homeowner last summer and began a new job at the Renfrew Center of NY, "an organization dedicated to the treatment of women and eating disorders." She has also spent time with AmyMasnick, PhD '99, a psychology professor at Hofstra U., and Lori DiLorenzo Buszkiewicz, a doctor in Massachusetts and the mother of Sara.

Lastly, I am sorry to report that Robert W. Richardson passed away in January 2004 from a rare cancer. Our sincere condolences to his family and his friends. -- Dika Lam, dikaweb@yahoo.com; Dineen PashoukosWasylik, dineen@wasylik.net or dmp5@cornell.edu; Jennifer Rabin Marchant, jennifer.marchant@kraft.com.

95 | Hello, everyone! Can you believe it's almost time for our 10th Reunion? An approaching reunion makes you think about what you've accomplished over these past 10 years. It also makes you wonder who married whom, who had children, and who got fat. Of those three items, I can help you with the first two. For the last one, you'll actually have to go to find out.

Who better to start with than Jennifer Wernli Willis? Jenn reports, "This is the first time in almost ten years that I am sending news to the magazine! Well, I have had several busy years. I got married to Jim in 2002, passed the Professional Engineering Exam (civil), and made associate in my firm in 2003. And in January 2004 I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Keara Dane. Parenthood has been a wonderful ride--lots of surprises and it seems to just keep getting better! We are looking forward to seeing everyone again at our 10th Reunion!"

Another classmate looking forward to seeing everyone at the 10th is Brian Kannry. He writes, "So I finally got up the courage to quit my finance job last year to pursue a lifelong dream of making a living as a singer/songwriter (guess I must have gotten used to the applause while singing in the Waiters). I just finished a debut album, which is out on college radio, and I'm setting out to tour around the Northeast. If you're interested in supporting a fellow alum pursuing his dream, check out www.briankingston. com (no one could ever spell my real name right!) and grab an album or come out to a show!" Chris Reid is also involved in the music business, albeit in a slightly different way. Chris Reid's World Percussion Store, Bang A Drum, was named "Best of L.A." by the L.A.Weekly in the Arts and Recreation category. "Through the store's "Drumming Up The Vote" campaign, 66 people were registered to vote. Chris enjoys providing drum circles at corporate events, universities, and public events.Watch for Bang A Drum on upcoming episodes of "Blind Date" and "Family Business."

More classmates who you should run into next June are Sarah Schneider Cohen and Howard Kubel (although not necessarily together). Sarah recently completed her pediatrics residency at Tulane U. and moved back home to Maryland with her husband and two children, ages 5 and 3, to work in a private pediatric office. Sarah adds, "Since I've lived in New Orleans for the past eight years, this reunion will be my first opportunity to visit Cornell since graduation. I can't wait!" Like Sarah, Howard writes, "Looking forward to hearing from those I haven't spoken to in a number of years and hopefully seeing everyone at reunion."Howard has been married for more than five years to Amy, a Long Island school teacher, and has an energetic son Jared who will be 3 in March. The Kubel family lives in Old Bethpage, NY, where Howard is a business manager for Aramark Refreshment Services.

It seems the tide is starting to turn in our class, or at least our class updates, as baby announcements are more numerous than wedding announcements! On June 30, 2004, Charles "Charlie" Jacob Gray was born to Matthew and Leslie Goldberg Gray. Kevin Martone and his wife Drey welcomed their first child, Kevin Patrick Martone Jr. (called Patrick), on August 21, 2004. This was a popular day for future Cornellians, since Todd, ME '96, MBA '97, and Robin Biderman Peskin '97 also had their first child, Jason Leo, on August 24, 2004. Leah Rose, the second child to Robert and Lisa Barravecchio, was born on September 19, 2004. Paul Thur and his wife Mara Stolber '98 are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter Ava Ruth on November 5, 2004. Paul adds, "Luckily, she takes after her mom in the looks department." On the joys of parenthood, Priscilla Falconi Avellan writes,"My daughter Martina is 1 year old, and she is the best thing that has ever happened in my life!"

Ryan Max Abfier greeted his parents Jason and Jennifer on May 26, 2004. Jason adds, "We're all doing great. As for me, I am halfway through with my gastroenterology fellowship at Sloan-Kettering in Manhattan and looking forward to finishing. If you're in town or in the neighborhood, call or stop in. Looking forward to the 10th Reunion in June 2005!" Greg and Kelly Heilmann had their first son, Tyler, in October 2003 and have since moved up to Beaverton, OR, from the San Francisco Bay Area. Greg is still running an independent consulting company doing custom Web design and applications, while Kelly continues work as an RN.

Josh and Beth Gellert had their first child, Lindsay Frances, in July 2004. "We are living in the Bay Area and just bought our first home--feeling very grown up!" Brian and Caroline Rose are delighted to announce the arrival of their sweet daughter and second child, Nina Vivian, born September 4, 2004."Nina's secular name translates to ‘great-granddaughter lives on' and honors her maternal grandfather and late paternal grandfather, both of whom passed away during Caroline's pregnancy with Nina."Nina has a proud big brother Cyrus.

Of course, this wouldn't be an official Class Notes column without weddings and job updates, and Dohi Kim has sent in both.Matthew Sexton and Dohi were married this past April in the presence of classmates Christina Nahwon Kim (bridesmaid), Debi Lee, Anita Lung, and Alexander Wendell (groomsman). Husband and wife honeymooned in New Zealand and settled in the Twin Cities area.Matt is working on his doctorate in physics at the U. of Minnesota, and Dohi is a meteorologist with Northwest Airlines. Dohi adds, "We're both East Coasters and are able to frequently escape the frigid cold of the North Country to see family and friends.We can't wait to see everyone again at reunion! You can count us in!"

Jonathon Barnes sends the following, "On April 10, 2004, I married my beautiful wife Stacy in suburban Detroit. It took me a while to find her out here in Michigan, but she was worth the wait! I can't wait to show her the beauty of Cornell at our 10th Reunion. Reuban Richmonds was one of my ushers. Beyond that, I'm still working for Ford Motor Company and continue to be amazed by the scope and complexity of the auto industry." Diego Valderrama wed Afra Afsharipour '96 on October 8, 2004 at the Green Room in San Francisco. Their wedding served as a primer for our reunion. 1995ers in attendance included Eric (best man) and Anna Zakos Feliberti, Patricia Seith, and Alexandra Gelber. "We danced until 1 a.m. The party was great!" Heather Gordon '99 and Peter Friedland were married at Wagner Vineyards on September 5, 2004. In the wedding party were Rachel Gordon '03 (Heather's sister), David Gordon '06 (Heather's brother), Bill Freeman, Jason Leedy, and Jason Zamkoff. In addition to those in the wedding party, many of the guests were also Cornell alumni. In May 2004, Jennifer Motl married Rolando Del Castillo.

The final update in this edition comes from Gregory Norek and serves as good preparation for our grand meet-up next June. Greg writes, "Greetings from Boston! I recently returned to Ithaca for the first time in nine years (for Ithaca's Apple Festival). The campus never looked better, and Sunday brunch at Jansens was as good as I remember! Career-wise, I'm still with Sheraton Boston as senior sales manager, and loving every minute of the hotel world. And thanks to the wonderful state in which I live, I am very happy to report that my partner John Riley and I were legally married on May 30, 2004!"

Looking forward to seeing you all at our 10th in June! Where has the time gone? Hard to say, but more importantly, look where we, each of us, have gone! -- Abra Benson, amb8@cornell.edu; Alison Torrillo French, amt7@cornell.edu. Class website, www.classof95.alumni.cornell.edu.

96 | Welcome back, 'Sixers! As you read this column, I am certain you are deeply immersed in 2005, and I hope it is off to a terrific start. Looking back at the year that was 2004, I feel it merits a solid rating--even better if you happen to be a Red Sox fan. Once again, classmates are up to some pretty nifty things, including parenthood, couplehood, some heavy duty work responsibility, and, of course, non-stop fun and hijinx. Read on to enjoy the happenings of the members of the Class of '96.

Sara Ende Masri and husband Aaron welcomed Julia Miriam into the world on October 25, 2004. Sara, Aaron, and Julia live in Providence, RI, where Sara is the Director of Planning and Allocations at the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island and Aaron is a financial analyst at Hasbro. Sara reports that Julia is already taking New York by storm to see her grandparents and great-grandparents, as well as visit with many Cornellians, including Mindy Goodman Sickle '95, Jodi Goroff Green '97, Elayne Heisler '98, and Adam Ross '99. Grandpa James Ende, JD '72, is sure she will be a proud member of the Class of 2026. Ava Kailey Rapkin was born on November 7, 2004 to proud parents Jonathan and Erin Rapkin. The Rapkins recently relocated from New York City to Wellington, FL. Jon writes that he ran into New York transplant LeslieMoskowitz Byck, who gave birth to her first child, Samantha Gabrielle, back in September.

The first-ever Classes of the '90s Zinck's Night event was a smashing success. Over 150 Cornellians joined in a drink to Theodore Zinck on Thursday, October 21, 2004 at Stir, a newly opened lounge on the Upper East Side of New York City. Heather Zeller '95 and Stephanie Cockerl organized the event in conjunction with the Cornell Metro NY Regional Office. Some 'Sixers sighted at the event were Irina Rivkind, Stephanie Lessig, Roberto Suarez-Ojedis, ME '97, Becca Kornfeld, Clay Carol, Dave Feinstein, Boris Chernobilsky, Christina Cellini, MD '00, Lisa Drayer, Sundip Murthy, Gail Rosenberg, Karen Schnelwar,Matt Podell, and Erica Gantner.

Carin Lustig-Silverman writes that Eric Sinoway is currently executive vice president of marketing and development for After-School All-Stars. He is simultaneously going to school as an MPA candidate at the Kennedy School of Government. He lives in Newton, MA, with his wife Jennifer and new puppy Lady. Jeanine Schoen received her MBA from NYU in 2002. She is now the associate brand manager on the Choice Brand (over-the-counter diabetic care products) for Bristol-Myers Squibb and lives in New York City.

Melissa Davis, Bethany Meyer, Casey O'Looney, and Stevie Thompson '95 gathered in Tampa, FL, over Memorial Day to celebrate Erin Linehan's 30th birthday. Bethany is a teacher in San Francisco; Melissa is an attorney for Kirkland and Ellis in D.C.; Casey is in advertising in Reno, NV; Stevie is still in the Navy and living in Pensacola with his wife Janet and son Drew; and Erin is living in Tampa and working as corporate counsel for Raymond James Financial Inc.

Ian Craig writes that he and wife Heather were married in June 2001 and have been living in the UK since 2002 (and enjoying their lives as DINKs, Ian adds). Ian is a lieutenant in the Navy, and the executive assistant to the commander of the US Intelligence Center in Europe. Ian and Heather were knocking around Spain for a bit on their holiday, but were able to see Brian Drumm and Robin Smith at Dan Passe's wedding in August 2003. And speaking of weddings . . .

Karin Klapper and Jamie Orenstein (Harvard '84) were married on June 20, 2004 at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. Karin's maid of honor was Jasmine Abdel-Khalik '97, a fellow alumna of U. of Michigan School of Law. Other Cornellians celebrating with the happy couple were bridesmaid Jonelle Bradshaw,Matthew Tobias, and Rachel Kurtz. Karin is an associate at Stillman & Friedman, a small law firm in midtown Manhattan. A few days before their wedding, Jamie became a federal magistrate judge, but no worries, Karin writes."He'll have to recuse himself if I ever show up in front of him." Karin and Jamie live in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

Many familiar faces have been appearing in the New York Times Wedding section. Ted Yu and Jan Woo were married at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan. Ted is an associate at the Manhattan office of Blank Rome, a Philadelphia-based law firm, and Jan is an associate at Hubbard and Reed, a Manhattan law firm. Douglas Chernack and Amy Powell were married on June 12 in Pacific Palisades, CA. Doug works in TV in L.A. and is an MBA candidate at USC. Amy is the vice president for interactive marketing at Paramount Pictures.

Susan Dunn and Robert Cunjak were married on August 7, 2004 in New York. Susan and Rob met at Harvard, where they both received their MBA. She is an analyst with Harvard's real estate group, and Rob is an assistant vice president of Sankaty Advisors, a bond investment group. Alice Chang and Patrick Chu were married in New Rochelle, NY. Alice is a graduate of MIT, and is currently an associate in the asset-backed securities group at Merrill Lynch. Pat is an associate in the tax department of Skadden, Arps. Mary Abrams and Robert Beck were married in Dobbs Ferry, NY. It sounds like Mary has one of the coolest jobs in the world: she is director of marketing for Major League Baseball. Robert is a financial consultant in real estate finance at Credit Suisse First Boston in Manhattan.

Please continue to keep in touch and let us know about all of your good news. Or just give us a shout out here at Class Notes to let us know where you landed. Always great to hear from you. -- Sheryl Magzamen, slm1@cornell.edu; Allie Cahill, AlexandraCahill@aol.com; and Courtney Rubin, cbr1@cornell.edu. For updated class events, news, and resources, visit http://classof96.alumni.cornell.edu.

97 | Thanks to all of you who responded to our desperate requests for news to fill this column. Erica and I have received some great updates. If you don't see your news in this column, be sure to check back in future issues!

2004 was another year of higher education for many of our classmates. Michael Mischna (mischna@earthlink.net) writes that he graduated this past July with a PhD in geophysics from UCLA. Since graduating he has been working as a research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA.Way to go,Michael! He also has kept in touch with David Frank, who is now living in Texas and a father. Another graduate is Drew Keister (medstar2@yahoo.com), who completed his family medicine residency at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland last year. He is currently practicing as a faculty member at the U. of Nebraska military/civilian residency program and living at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha. Recent PhD Dania Braunstein (djb42@aol.com) completed her degree in clinical psychology and an internship at the Yale Child Study Center last spring. Despite the busy schedule, Dania had time to visit San Diego and Joann Stanford, who is currently working for a start-up cell phone gaming company.

Eric Uyguanco (ericuyguanco@yahoo.com) sent news that he is enjoying himself as a first-year cardiology fellow at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in my old borough, Brooklyn, NY. Say "Hi!" to the folks at Caputo's Deli on Court Street for me! Working to save the lives of our furry friends is MelissaMartinchick (melzilly@yahoo.com), who is working as a small animal veterinarian in Dartmouth, MA.Melissa graduated from Tufts U. School of Veterinary Medicine in May 2004. She has also been a busy wedding guest, attending the nuptials of many Cornellians, including classmate Margaret Safford, who married Christopher Cullinan in September 2004. Our last graduate is Richard Baecher (rabaecher01@aol.com), who completed his MBA at Fordham in 2004. Richard has since been working at a medical diagnostics company that is about to begin overseas operations in China. Sounds like there might be some trips to the People's Republic in your future, Richard. Congrats to all our grads and best of luck with your new careers!

I received an update via e-mail from Roger Norum '96, BA '97 (rogernorum@yahoo.com). Roger writes that he is currently working as a writer and editor of travel guidebooks for Rough Guides after giving up freelance translation work. His new job is probably also useful for his new status as graduate student in social and cultural anthropology at Oxford U. Roger seems to be enjoying himself and his new status as a "30-something." Another classmate undergoing a career shift is Grace Kang (gracekang@verizon.net). Grace left her job at Bloomingdales after seven years and has joined the team at Saks Fifth Avenue as a buyer for handbags and shoes in their ecommerce division. Grace also took on the role of bridesmaid for Jennifer Grant '96 at her wedding in October 2004.

Just when you think that it is too late to change careers, Giovanni Revedin di San Martino proves otherwise. Giovanni (revedin@earthlink.net) has shifted from the Internet world during the dot-com boom to finance, first at Citigroup Private Bank and now at Brown Brothers Harriman as a vice president in their investment management division, and seems to be enjoying his new career. He is able to travel to Europe for business and often runs into classmates Celia Koukouli, Nathalie Picquot, Idil Ustun, and Karl Hakime, ME ORIE '97. While in New York, Giovanni writes that he is able to keep in touch with Anne-Cecilie Engell, Michael Bisordi, Arthur Bruhmuller, Robert Berstein, Nicole Pappas-Drallios, and Sammy Rodriguez.We'd love to hear more about what all these people are up to, so send us details!

Of course, no column would be complete without updates on the Class of 2022--our kids! Eun Carl Cook (eunnycook@finsvcs.com) gave birth to a baby girl, Kaelan Elizabeth Lani Cook, on August 13, 2004. Eun and husband Geoff are living in Hawaii, and Kaelan was born at Maui Memorial Hospital. Patara Yongvanich, MBA '00 (yongvanich@yahoo.com) became the father of a baby girl, Amanda, on May 17, 2004. Amanda was born in San Jose, CA. Patara saw classmates at the recent wedding of Jason McKee, including Marc Duquella '98, El-Shaffei Dada, Derek Deich, and Tom Harp.

Another new mother is France-Marie Exantus Jordan (fexantus@bellsouth.net). France-Marie got married in April 2003 to classmate Sheldon and gave birth to a baby boy, Dante, on June 25, 2004. Robert Pattison (pattison_r@yahoo.com) and Beth Kellerman welcomed their first child, Alexander Kellen Pattison, in September 2003. Robert spends his time out of the house as an associate for UBS Financial Services in Albany, NY. Last but not least (in my biased opinion),my husband Josh Carter and I welcomed our baby girl,Madeline Louise, into the world on November 4, 2004.Maddie is keeping both of us busy and already looking forward to her first visit to Ithaca.

Fret not if you don't see your news here. There is more where this came from. Please keep sending in updates via mail or the class website (http://classof97.alumni.cornell.edu), or email Erica or me directly using the addresses below.We want to hear what makes your day. Don't be afraid to toot your own horn! -- Sarah Deardorff Carter, sjd5@cornell.edu; Erica Broennle Nelson, ejb4@cornell.edu.

98 | Hope everyone is doing well. I am taking a break now from studying for my finance exam, so writing this is definitely a good distraction. Since each column is usually about what is going on in your lives, in this column I am going to write a little about what is going on with my co-writer Erica and me. Please send us more info to update us on what is happening in your life.

I am obtaining my MBA from Columbia Business School. It is really strange studying for exams again after almost six years. I cannot say I miss the prelims, but having to sit through five hours of exams on how to value a company and when supply equals demand, this coming week won't be too much fun (especially for a guy who doesn't want to do finance). I miss Psych 101. I did get the opportunity to see Erica a couple of months ago.We've been writing this column from across the oceans for a couple of years. First, Erica was in China, promoting condoms and safe injection among sex workers and drug users. She is now living in London as a consultant and trying to figure out when supply can equal demand in the transport sector. She came back to the US to visit some friends and I was able to keep her company up on campus while she waited for her ride to D.C. from classmate Aaron Tax. It was good meeting up, even though it was only for a couple of minutes.Most of our conversation was about how to get more news from our classmates and how we might have to resort to writing about ourselves (like I just did)! Anyway, enough about us . . .

Thanks to the New York Times we have many weddings to announce. Jeremy Shell married Jessica Elghanahyan on May 8, 2004 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Both are completing their MBAs at Columbia Business School. Dori Allison Engel, MD '02, married Lee Anchin on August 15, 2004 at the Madison Hotel in Morristown, NJ. Dori is a third-year resident in pediatrics at the Weill Cornell Medical Center of New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Alexandra Goldman married George Morrill at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in Brooklyn, NY. They met each other at Cornell. Alex received a master's degree in education from the U. of Virginia and is a special education teacher at the Boston Renaissance Charter School. George is the vice president of the Wellesley Capital Corp., a commercial real estate finance company in Framingham, MA. Congrats, Alex. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was sitting on your floor in the dorm room in Sperry 3, hanging out and trying to study! Jessica Berlinger was married on June 26, 2004 to John Gilmartin at Tappan Hill in Tarrytown, NY. Jessica received her MBA in May from the U. of Pennsylvania.

Sohita Mitall is married to Sush Torgalkar '99. She reports that she is still living in Boston, finishing up residency. She is having a blast spending time with classmates Becky Sands Stone, Gretchen Shaw Parrack, and Leiha Macauley. Sohita was nice enough to also fill us in on what the three of them are doing. Becky is in her third year of ENT residency, Gretchen is working in marketing research, and Leiha is working as a lawyer specializing in trusts and estates.

Tiffany Richter is married to Cary Friedman '97. (Hey, weren't you my RA? A lot of news from Sperry 3 this time!) Tiffany writes that she gave birth to Austin Harnson Friedman on March 13, 2004. She says that she is looking forward to bringing him to visit the place where his parents met--Cornell! Tiffany was promoted to assistant director of recruiting at Ernst & Young LLP, where she has worked since graduating from Cornell. Congratulations on the promotion! She adds some news on other classmates as well. Alison Duboff (Sperry 3!) is doing her residency at St.Vincent's in New York City in surgery. Den Rauch is doing her residency at Cornell Medical Center in ob/gyn. Amanda Reiss is pursuing her MBA at Wharton. And Nicole Sandman Karp recently moved to Pennsylvania and is working at GMAC.

One year down, many to go for Laury Ann Incorvaia Hinz. She and her husband celebrated their one-year anniversary in their new home in Staten Island with their Shiba Inu puppy named Ninja. Laury works as a buyer for Macy's Department Stores in New York City and was in the Thanksgiving Day Parade this past November. People who are reading this are very jealous. Laury, we want to hear again from you about your experience. Did you get to dress up like a clown or hold one of the helium balloons? Daniel Davidson, I (Gregg), and some friends went to see the balloons being blown up on the Upper West Side the night before. It was pretty impressive. Laury also asked whether we had reported on the marriage of Lucas Kovalcik and Anna Dietz, who were both Hotelies. I did not get a chance to check the archives but just in case we did not, there you go. Congrats to the both of you.

There's the latest update. Please keep sending news on what you and your friends are up to. Use the News Form that came in the annual class mailing last fall, or write to us directly. Hope everyone is doing well.-- Gregg Herman, gdh5@cornell.edu; and Erica Chan, hc31@cornell.edu.

99 | It's the wake of Boston's first blizzard, and as the snow piles up, the streets begin to buzz with neighborhood kids, sleds, and dogs giggling in their newfound winter wonderland. As their laughter fills the air, I'm reminded of our very first Cornell snowstorm freshman year on West Campus. That day, now nine years ago (!), I was with California girl Sumreen Mirza and the Baker Court crew. As the first few flakes floated past her window, Sumreen, who had never before seen snow, pulled us all outside in her excitement, despite our being barefoot and clad in nothing more than pajamas.We were quickly enveloped by the bitter cold, sweetly intermingled with a freshman frenzy--all us overgrown kids pouring out of the Baker complex and Zoo Halls, our eyes aglow with mischief while snowballs were packed, snowmen constructed, and snow angels toppled into. I even recall my old friend Ethan Linden tossing me into a snow bank, despite protest! Now, Sumreen, Ethan, and the entire Baker crew (myself included, although I was actually adopted from Sperry Hall) are as content today as we were that evening long ago, sipping steaming cups of cocoa after our wintry adventures.

To start off, Sumreen readies herself to jump leaps and bounds away from the Golden State. Leaving her role with the US Army Corps of Engineers in L.A., Sumreen will start the New Year off as a junior Foreign Service officer for the State Department. She confesses, "I have my reservations about the job's high risk and perpetually nomadic lifestyle, but I'm sure part of it is that I've just been so comfy living in sunny Southern California." In February, she'll find out where in the world she'll be posted (near Carmen Sandiego?), with Southeast Asia at the top of her list. Ethan is undergoing his fifth year with the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, hoping to be a rabbi by 2006. After walking down the aisle and under the chupah with sweetheart Liba Kornfeld in June 2003, the couple moved to Jerusalem, where he resumed his rabbinical training. Now celebrating their second anniversary together in Israel, Ethan continues to master Hebrew, enjoy his coursework, and adapt to the challenging living environment.

This past October, the Lindens took a vacation to the West Coast to visit with Natalie Bridgeman, who has kept herself busy between moving to a new house, taking a trip to Spain, and entering her third year as a litigation associate at Wilson Sonsini. Baker lady Becky Orfinger also got hitched,marrying MatthewWexler on May 16, 2004 in D.C. The two began their steamy interjournalistic romance while seniors at Cornell when Matt, then editor of the Cornell Political Forum, collaborated with Becky, editor of SciTech Magazine. The Wexlers now live in Boston, where Becky pursues her Master of Science at the Harvard School of Public Health while Matt studies for his MBA at MIT's Sloan School of Management. Big-man-at-Baker Eli Aoukar, in Yorktown Heights in New York, has put his food science degree to good use at Kraft. And P.S., fellow columnist Jess Smith continues to thrive in D.C., now a senior account executive with Fenton Communications, where she promotes several successful political campaigns for key clients like MoveOn.org.

North Bakerite Wenbi Lai, ME '00, currently lives down the street from me in Cambridge with Keigo Hirakawa, MEE '03, and I often haunt their charming abode in search of good food, fun cooking lessons, and secret videotape sessions for "What Not to Wear"! I'm not kidding--these two schemed along with the rest of my Boston "friends" to nominate me for BBC's famous fashion police reality show, and I, apparently the worst dressed person you'll ever meet, will be featured in their spring season. The good thing is that in exchange for purging my entire wardrobe, I'll get $5,000 worth of new clothes, which can be used to snazzy up life at my new job in children's publishing. But I digress . . .

Back to Wenbi.When she's not eight-to-fivin' as a quality engineer for Setra Systems, she's leading the Civic Symphony of Boston as second violin principal, taking violin lessons, learning Japanese, or knee-deep in Six Sigma classes. Quote, "I only realized in November that I might be overbooked."Nah . . . Keigo tries to keep up with Wenbi's feverish pace by pursuing two simultaneous graduate degrees, going for his master's in jazz piano performance at the New England Conservatory while finishing up his PhD in EE at Cornell. They're just a tad busy. Speaking of musical couples,Wenbi and my fellow choral buddy Hillary Brown married Vineet Shende, DMA '01, our past choral assistant director who was best known for his karaoke rendition of "Like a Virgin." The two tied the knot on the coast of Maine on July 25, 2004, and subsequently honeymooned in Italy. Around election time, Hillary worked on the Kerry/Edwards campaign.

Well, happy spring to all of you '99ers! And remember, the next time you're combing through the channels, look for my signature faded, frayed jeans and Swedish chef shirt and "Børk! Børk! Børk!" you'll have found my long-awaited TV debut. Signing out and up: -- Melanie "Has Gotten Real" Arzt, snoopymel@hotmail.com; Jennifer Sheldon, jls33@cornell.edu; Jess Smith, jessiniowa@hotmail.com.

 

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