80 | Party till you drop? The Great Gatsby Party had a tamer ending than the book, but was a grand time for some 50-plus attendees, with jazz, flappers, vintage cars, and, most of all, great company, many attired in the form of Daisy, Tom, Nick, Jordan,Wilson, and, of course, Gatsby himself. There was even a visit from the Revenuers in the form of an armed and dangerous former Cornell Lunatic,Mike Kaufman '79. The evening maintained a link to our Cornell education via a discussion led by Linda Van Buskirk from the Dept. of Communications in the Ag college, who deftly managed to extract interesting and entertaining discussion and insights from the audience on the many meanings of the book, such as, "It's all about desire," from Jill Abrams Klein, and why it was chosen (good writing style, not the aspirational characters).

Among classmates witnessed in attendance, in addition to Jill, were flapper Nancy MacIntyre Hollinshead with her husband Walter Mystkowski, daughter Sarah, and son Robert to help her with the exceptional organizing of the event, Brian Bertan, Scott Miller, MD '84, who came over from Princeton, NJ, with his daughter,Marian Dulberg Zeldin with her daughter, and Beth Santa, and me. A number of others checked in with support and regrets to have missed out, including Brad and Maggie Blinder Tolkin, David Toung, and Dennis Cahill. If you missed the party, hopefully you were there in spirit from (re)reading the book sent out by the class. Under the guise of our Class of '80 Constitution that purports a mission of promoting the interests of Cornell and the class "by involving class members in activities that foster class unity and goodwill," we hope to have more events like this around the country in the future. Perhaps a few regional 50th birthday party/reunions for those who are willing to share that milestone with your classmates? Stay tuned. Your class officers are at work and would love your input and participation.

Beth Santa tells us that her interior design firm, Nest of Southport (CT) was recently featured in Fairfield County Home magazine. From the news desk, the Associated Press reports that our own Doug Corwin and his extensive Cornell family, who run Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue, a modern and quality focused operation with 4 percent of the national market and one of the few remaining duck farms on Long Island, is a sponsor of a holiday event focused on a 30-foot "Big Duck" that is a highlight of Suffolk County holiday festivities (featured on NPR!). Doug, I hope the Duck wears appropriate Big Red colors when not wreathed in garlands. Please send pictures.

George Frantz, MRP '91, writes that he has been involved with the New Orleans recovery, including touring reporters and students around to give them a better understanding of the situation. George also notes that there was a San Francisco Chronicle series that noted many Cornellians helping out down there. As the next generation achieves fame, we hear that Steve Benjamin, MBA '82's daughter Megan was the first American woman to win the gold as the World Champion in the individual vaulting at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. Also participating was Annalise VanVranken, daughter of Sheila Kanaley and Rick VanVranken '81, MS '83, who just missed a gold to win the silver while setting an American record in the cross-country event.

Catching up on those much-appreciated Notes you send in . . . Lisa Lindgren has also taken up the equestrian circuit when not busy as an online marketing consultant for high tech in San Diego. Pat Avery, from Sussex, WI, has joined QuadTech Inc. as worldwide leader of sales and marketing. Fred Telischi is director of the U. of Miami Ear Inst. and would like to hear from Fred Cogswell. (To all classmates:We highly recommend the Cornell online Alumni Directory at https://directory.alumni.cornell.edu/ for reconnecting with old friends. And please keep your own information up to date too!)

Continuing, Craig Tendler reports in from Teaneck, NJ, where he oversees implementation of oncology clinical trials for OrthoBiotech and wishes he was watching hockey at Lynah once again. He remembers being a Biology TA for a number of players in the day. Gary Stern says his Chicago law practice has been recognized for four straight years by the Lawyers Network of Illinois. Barbie Stern also writes in, from her job in customer business development for P&G in Cincinnati, that she would like to see some more informal regional reunions and events, as well to catch up with old friends. (Great idea!) Doug Molin checks in from West Stockbridge, MA, where he is in medical practice. Sheri Casper sends her regards from New York; Gail Tishcoff writes from Jackson Heights, NY, how much she misses the Ithaca gorges. She works as supervisor of rehabilitation services for the Shield Inst., specializing in autism.

Ed Friedman, an attorney in Merrick, NY, notes how visiting campuses with his son brings back memories of hanging out with friends at Cornell. He would like to hear from Nat Levner. Angela Abruzzese Daley shared the same trigger of longing for her time on campus and would like to hear from Rhonda Aaron Lovelace. Jean Ellis writes from Wenham, MA, where she is a teacher and a volunteer at the local children's theater. She would love to hear from old friends. Grace Sharples Cooke reports in from the Philadelphia area (where she is a development coordinator at Family Support Services) that she really misses the A.D.White Reading Room. She has written a children's book and is working on getting it published.

As we did last year, we heard from a number of parents who are sending their high school progeny to the Cornell University Summer College Program. Last year this included Mark and Cheryl Hines Carrier's son Mathew, Steven '79, MA '83, and Joy Horwitz Fram's daughter Brianna, and John and LucilleMuccin Oricchio's son John. What a great way to share Cornell with your kids. Check it out at www.summercollege.cornell.edu.

Sadly, we hear from the Virgin Islands of the death of classmate Luc VanWambeke. A Hotel school grad, Luc spent a number of years on the finance side of the hotel business before settling in the Virgin Islands working for a development corporation.

And from our near classmates: The friends of Debbie Moses '79 have established the Debra G.Moses Memorial Fund to benefit Cornell's libraries. Debbie passed away in December 2005 after a long battle with cancer. Anyone interested in contributing to the fund, which will purchase books on varied subjects, should make checks payable to Cornell University Library and send them to Library Development, 701 Olin Library, Ithaca, NY 14853. Please indicate that the check is for the Debra G.Moses Memorial Fund. Debbie was an avid reader and their goal is to pass her love of literature down to future generations. Books purchased by the Debra G.Moses Memorial Fund will include a bookplate which says: "Her love of literature and zest for life live on in those who follow."

Keep the news coming; get involved; enjoy life. -- Tim O'Connor, tvo2@cornell.edu; Cynthia Addonizio-Bianco, caa28@cornell.edu; Leona Barsky, leonabarsky@aol.com; Dik Saalfeld, rfs25@cornell.edu; and Dana Jerrard, dej24@cornell.edu.

81 | Just a year ago we were solidifying our reunion plans. Our Cornell days seem like yesterday . . . and like 26 years ago. Noted at reunion: Even with age, the eyes always look the same! I enjoyed running into Pi Phi sister Janet TarrWixom at reunion. She got married in 1983, lives in Victor, NY, and works in nutrition at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. She recently sent her son off to Niagara U. I caught up with RuthieWimsatt Jones, who hasn't changed either. Ruthie is a dietitian who specializes in diabetes and renal management. She works for a dialysis unit in a local hospital and teaches part-time at Marywood College. Her husband Jeffrey is a fitness center manager and athletic conditioning coach at Marywood. They live with their identical 8-year-old twin boys Matthew and Christopher in Drums, PA.

Although Steve Pozzi has lived for a number of years in Mooresville, NC, it was great to know he still hasn't lost his Boston accent or his sense of humor. He said he was "living vicariously" through his daughter Natalie '09, who had just completed her freshman year at Cornell, and like him, lived in Mary Donlon. He works for Brenntag North America, after selling the company and working for the new owners.He would love to catch up with Chaz Calitri, who didn't make it to reunion. The week after reunion, Kim '82 and Sandy Mitchell Kelly (Chantilly, VA) celebrated the high school graduation of their son, who in September entered the freshman class at Cornell. They also have a daughter who is in her junior year at U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Rosemarie Pavia Reilly (Bloomfield Hills, MI) didn't make it to reunion, but reports that she has managed computer-generated information for General Motors for the past 13 years.Her two kids are in high school, so what little free time she has, she spends going to their school sporting events.When thinking about Cornell, she remembers walking up Libe Slope, working at Noyes Center kitchen, study breaks at Willard Straight with chocolate chip cookies, and late night runs for ice cream at Ho Jo's. She would love to get in touch with Linda Stern and Kathy Golden Dussault.

Edna Eidelberg Rosloff made it to reunion, along with husband Curt and sons Daniel, Benjamin, and Abraham. Daniel also attended the 2006 Cornell Summer College program. They live in Great Neck, NY. There were several other Cornell alumni children who attended the Summer College program, including: Kenneth and Sara Story Geld's daughter Sofia, from São Paulo, Brazil; Steven Berkenfeld's son Jason; and Peer Munck's son Erik.

Robert Cropf spent the summer in Havana studying Cuban civil society.He was selected this past year as the chairman of the Dept. of Public Policy Studies in St. Louis, MO. Robert's wife GailWechsler '80 returned to grad school to obtain a master's in library science. Their daughter Hannah won first prize in the Missouri Future Problem Solvers tournament for her short story on global warming. This past fall Mark Kirk, a moderate Republican from the North Shore of Chicago, maintained his House seat in Illinois's 10th District for a fourth term. Kirk is one of the only active Naval Intelligence Reserve Officers serving on the House Appropriations Committee. His work in international and foreign affairs contributed to his being named as one of "28 emerging leaders in Congress" by the Congressional Quarterly.

Michelle Goldstein Dresner, MD '85, is an anesthesiologist at Outpatient Surgery Center of Boca Raton, FL. She is married to David and has children Samuel, 16, and Rebecca, 14. Barbara White Apseloff became Barbara Shaffer in February '06 when she married William Shaffer. She is an oncology social worker at George Washington Medical Facility in Washington, DC. Barbara enjoys playing piano with her husband, watching son Nick play lacrosse, and singing in the church choir, and she is a board member of the Breast Cancer Care Foundation. Daughter Natalie graduated from James Madison U. this past year.

Bill Nesheim (Windham, NH) wrote that he is VP, platform software systems at Sun Microsystems Inc. In this new position, he has traveled a lot, especially to the Bay Area in California. This past fall he sent his son Brendan off to UNH.Work and family aside, Bill wrote that he'd rather be hanging out at Squam Lake (where On Golden Pond was filmed) in New Hampshire or hiking in the White Mountains. He did enjoy a trip to see old pal Gilles Nussbaum, MS '86, in the French Alps this past July. Mark Hopkins had his own ski reunion at Beaver Creek, CO, this past April with '81 engineers Glenn Russo and Alex Chermak.Mark and Glen live in Longmont and Broomfield, CO, respectively, while Alex lives in Westfield, NJ. You can see a photo of them skiing in their shorts at http://classof81.alumni.cornell.edu.

Brad Pollak wrote from Long Beach, CA, where he is the director of business development for an online marketing development firm. After hours, he enjoys being a father to two boys, playing piano, bike riding, and reading. He has been teaching his older son to swim while teaching the younger one that it's OK to get his bathing suit wet! Brad remembers looking forward to the joy of spring finally arriving after a long winter in Ithaca.We too look forward to the warmer months ahead!

Check out our class website. There are many opportunities to locate other classmates, get updated information, and give to Cornell for programs or scholarships in memory of deceased classmates. Send reunion photos to our webmaster Jordan Strub at jjs36@cornell.edu. Keep in touch! -- Jennifer Read Campbell, RonJenCam@aol.com; Betsy Silverfine, bsilverfine@adelphia.net; Kathy Philbin LaShoto, Lashoto@rcn.com.

82 | "Give my regards to Davy / Remember me to Tee Fee Crane!" Our 25th Reunion is here! I just cannot believe it, because I swear it was just last week that I was "running" the Phi Psi 500 with the gang and "watching" the Grateful Dead in Barton Hall! The Cornell Class of 1982 class officers and Class Council would love to see you at Cornell! See our newly renovated class website (http://classof82.alumni.cornell.edu/) for the latest on our exciting Reunion 2007 plans. Come one and all!

David Post reports that he is managing member of Llenroc Capital LLC. He says, "After more than 20 years in the investment business, I ventured out on my own and launched a hedge fund, Llenroc Capital. Cornell memories now greet me every day I go to work!"He recalls (fondly?) weeknights at the Thirsty Bear Tavern in North Campus Union. I also have memories of that time and place, mostly revolving around the table being completely covered with Old Vienna splits . . .

Jennifer Gardiner Liguori has sent in an update: "I sold my tennis business of 13 years in New Jersey back in August, and then we packed up and moved to Charlotte, NC.We purchased a large waterfront lot in the Sanctuary, an Audubon preserve and large development in Charlotte on Lake Wylie. No job, no family, no friends here, just wanted to move to the South! After a three-month stint in a two-bedroom apartment (coming from a 7,000-sq.-ft. house in New Jersey), we bought a small house in southwest Charlotte, near the lake, where we will live while we build our new house. In October I started full-time as a tax accountant at Pesta, Finnie & Associates in Charlotte. I guess this is my third career, after law and tennis professional. The children are dispersed: Elizabeth, 20, at the U. of New Hampshire; Tom, 18, at Georgetown U. (I could not convince him to brave the Ithaca cold); and Steve, 15, at the Salisbury School in Connecticut.We have a premature empty nest.We haven't met any Cornellians yet, but are on the lookout! All five of us are looking forward to the class reunion."

Also checking in was Thomas Gagne, who has moved but still lives in Simpsonville, SC. He is owner/president/attorney at the offices of Thomas Gagne PA, with offices in Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson, SC, concentrating in insurance law, personal injury, and workers' compensation. He says,"My law practice combines my interest in law and medicine."He spends time tutoring his children, vacationing with his wife, playing with his dogs, swimming, and playing squash and golf.He reports he is a busy father of three children--Jeffrey, 17, Katie, 11, and Colin, 4--and is stepparent to a yellow Labrador retriever and three beagles. As many of us continue to find, Thomas says that his family "is a constant source of joy and challenges." Thomas is also attending Harvard Business School, from which he plans to graduate in 2008 with a management degree. The one thing he remembers most from his time at Cornell is "the highly charged intellectual atmosphere," and he would love to hear from old friends Alan Tucker, John Goldsmith, David Blood, and Osamu Uehara.

Stephen Mendell is executive VP for HEI Hospitality LLC, one of the nation's leading privately held hotel investment companies, whose primary focus is the acquisition of first-class, full-service hotels throughout the top 50 US metropolitan markets. Steve is responsible for overseeing corporate acquisitions and new investment opportunities. Other Cornellians associated with the HEI executive team include Gary Mendell '79 (chairman and CEO) and Stephen Rushmore '67 (advisory director).

The Cornell University Summer College offers high school students who have completed their sophomore, junior, or senior year and who have the academic ability, maturity, and intellectual curiosity necessary to undertake college-level work the opportunity to experience the excitement of college life at a great Ivy League university and to take real college courses with Cornell's world-renowned faculty. Among the many talented high school students who attended the 2006 CU Summer College were six of our classmates' children. They included Abigail, daughter of Barry '79 and Barbara Goldman Novick; Jason, son of Steven Berkenfeld '81 and Bernice "Nicey" Blye; Fernando, son of Silvio Montealegre, MBA '84; Karolyn, daughter of Stephanie and Geoffrey Morris; Erik, son of Peer '81 and Jennifer Shachner Munck; and Adam, son of Michael Schuit and Ronda Siegel '84, AS '82. Send news to: -- Mark Fernau, mef29@cornell.edu; and Nina Kondo, nmk22@cornell.edu.

83 | Press releases about fellow classmates fill out this month's column. From the Philadelphia law firm of Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, we hear that Keith Dutill was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2006, as published in PhiladelphiaMagazine's June issue. Super Lawyers is a legal research publication that seeks to recognize outstanding law professionals for their various achievements, awards, professional prestige, community involvement/pro bono work, and success, and selects the top five percent of lawyers by state--as nominated by their peers and a nomination review committee. Keith has been a partner and trial lawyer with Stradley Ronan, a firm of over 140 attorneys specializing in commercial and intellectual property law, since he earned his JD, cum laude, from Villanova U. School of Law in 1986. Catching up with Keith, I learned that his oldest daughter, Katelin, will be a freshman at Cornell in fall 2007. Second daughter Megan is a sophomore in high school, and Keith and his wife Lora recently welcomed daughter number three, Julia Claire, born October 28, 2005.

Over on the other coast, we hear from the marketing director of SOLV (Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism) that Diane Taniguchi Dennis was elected to their board of directors. Diane, who earned a BS in Civil Engineering at Cornell, is the director of public works for the City of Albany, OR, as well as a licensed professional engineer in the state. Professionally, she has established a national reputation with the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies, and the Water Environment Federation as a leading authority on utility management programs. SOLV (www.solv.org) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1969 on the vision of offering a wide range of programs to build community through volunteerism in order to preserve the livability of Oregon. Diane is also working on finishing up her MBA at Willamette U.

Writing to Diane, she updates us that her husband Clay is busy with his manufacturing company, Zephyr Engineering (www.zephyreng.com). He has developed a new woodstove utilizing a large ceramic glass front and innovative materials that concentrate heat and help the stove burn cleaner, meeting stringent EPA standards. Zephyr is the first new woodstove manufacturer to enter the market in over a decade in the US. Diane and Clay have two sons. Alexander, 15, is a sophomore at West Salem High School and busy with marching band, JV lacrosse, and the calculus math league team. Son Cameron, 19, is at New York U. and is studying at NYU's La Pietra campus in Florence, Italy. The Dennis family will be making a Spring Break trip to visit Cam while he is there.

Diane tells us that they had a visit from classmate Moshe Cohen recently while he was presenting his renowned Negotiation Seminar to administrators of the State of Oregon. She says that Moshe is quite busy with his company, the Negotiating Table. On a family summer tour of East Coast colleges, the Dennises visited Moshe, his wife Barbra Batshalom, and their children in Boston, and then found time to visit with Hunter Johnson and his family in Connecticut. They also keep in touch with Urania Poulis '82, BA '87, her husband Paul Avery, and son Nicholas. Another classmate they have kept in touch with is ChuckWhitehead, who has returned from overseas with his wife Debbie and their children. Chuck is an associate professor of law at Boston U., teaching courses on corporations and securities regulation. On a final note, Diane says, "We would love to hear from Cornellians trekking through Oregon."

Preparations and plans are beginning for our big 25th Reunion in '08, and we would still love to hear from classmates about what speakers, activities, or overall theme or tone our class would like to see. By the time you read this, our class officers will have met again at the CACO Mid-Winter Meeting in Philadelphia to discuss this and other topics.

We are still planning on putting together a class photo scrapbook on DVD. For those of you who haven't heard about this from our previous columns, our class received a grant from the Cornell Alumni Federation to put together a digital slideshow album of photos from our days at Cornell, as well as from past reunions and Cornell Club gatherings, and even just then-and-now photographs. In addition to photos submitted by classmates, we are collecting supplementary items to include in our DVD album, such as our freshman facebook, our yearbook, old Daily Suns, and any other original materials we can gather that would go toward enhancing the value of our album and increasing its content richness and appeal.We will be contacting the Cornell Library and other organizations on campus for assistance with this part of the project.

If you didn't get the letter from our class historian, Omar Saldana, requesting that you send photos from reunions--or, even better, from our days on the Hill--please consider doing so.We all thought this would be a great way to refresh those faded but fond memories and reconnect with our school that has enriched our lives in so many ways. It's too bad we didn't have the advantage and ease of digital cameras back then, but tucked away in shoeboxes and photo albums there must be some treasured gems you can find: photos of friends you hung around with; memorable sporting events or concerts; Cornell and Ithaca scenes that may be no more.

If you have digital photo files, please send them to me at dpattison@earthlink.net. If you have prints and you don't have a way to scan them yourself, please mail them to Andy Sosa, our class reunion chairman, at 4911 Magdalene Ct., Annandale, VA 22003 (e-mail, jas247@cornell.edu). Be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope so they can be returned, but if they are priceless to you, make copies before you send them. Also, be sure to send in some notes of the names of the people in the photographs (if known), time and place of the picture, relevancy, etc. And lastly, our mailbag in getting low, so make sure to send in some news when you get the annual class mailing this spring! -- David Pattison, dpattison@earthlink.net; and Dinah Lawrence Godwin, Dinah.godwin@earthlink.net.

84 | Aviva Weintraub and Nelly Silagy Benedek are both working at the Jewish Museum on 92nd Street and 5th Avenue in NYC. Aviva is the associate curator and director of the New York Jewish Film Festival, and Nelly is the director of education at the Museum. Gustavo Arnavat is the co-head of the Latin America Legal Department at Citigroup Private Bank. In his spare time, he is director of the Westchester Community Foundation. He also co-wrote a book on a potential democratic transition in Cuba.

Debbie GoldmanWeis is a senior brand manager at GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, working on the launch of a new product they hope to bring to market in 2007. After work, Debbie attends her sons' sports events--baseball, soccer, and football--and helps out at their school. Jason is 11 and Matthew is 9. Other than that, Debbie and family have been doing a lot of work redecorating their home. Her best memory of Cornell is going to Big Red hockey games, especially the Harvard game! Ted Kalinka is a builder of single-family residences. After work, he loves to play softball or golf and go pub-crawling around the Jersey Shore, where, he reports, "not much has changed."He also spends time watching his 13-year-old son play baseball. They road-tripped down to the Baltimore Harbor and the National Mall in Washington, DC, during Tyler's spring vacation. There, they were graciously hosted by Dan Mahoney '85 and Craig Clickenger, both living in Maryland with their families. Ted's best memory of Cornell is the Libe Slope concert parties!

Elizabeth Nichols Mikkelsen is the owner of Mikkelsen's Pastry Shop in Naples, FL. After work, she likes to travel, play tennis, and follow her kids' activities. Last summer she traveled for three weeks to Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Her favorite memory of Cornell is "living at 315-1/2 Eddy Street in Collegetown with my roomies." The friend she would most like to hear from is Len Oniskey. Jon Kimball is the general manager at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. After work, he likes to spend time with his children, ages 6 and 8, and goes bike riding around the Tiburon Peninsula. Jon went back to the Hotel school last year to recruit for Starwood. "It was great to be back on campus."Also on campus, Evan and Lisa Memis Mintz's daughter Shana attended the 2006 Cornell University Summer College this past summer.

David Black is the manager of Fieldwood Farm in New York State. After work, he likes to volunteer with the Tug Pegasus Preservation Project (www.tugpegasus.org), which is restoring a 1907 tugboat. Jim Yeomans is a market research manager for the Dial Corp. in Scottsdale, AZ. Over the past year, he has been traveling a lot for work and pleasure. In his "off-hours" he Scuba dives, hangs out with friends, runs and races, watches DVDs, and goes to concerts.His best memories of Cornell are running around Ithaca with friends and track teammates. Jim would love to hear from his old Cornell friend Michelle Lesnick Goldman.

Anne Gill-Kelly is the managing director, corporate secretary, and assistant general counsel at Ambac Financial Group in NYC. She and husband John had a baby girl, Caroline Crawford Kelly, in May. Congratulations! Brandon Maxwell is the president and CEO of Michael's Restaurant at 20645 N. 28th St. in Phoenix, AZ. If you're in the area, please stop in and say hi! Louise Lango Cymerman is an associate veterinarian at the Concord Veterinary Center in Springville, NY. She works part-time and spends the rest of her time with her children Alexander, 6, and Laurel, 2.What she misses about Cornell is the beautiful campus, especially the foliage in the fall.

Steven Atherton married Megan Ann Clinning of Cape Town, South Africa, on September 1, 2001. Their first son, Joseph Kenneth Davis Atherton, was born in January 2005. Second son Samuel Langton Atherton was born in October 2006. Lynne Jenkins McGivern is a partner in the law firm of Ashford & Wriston LLC, a family law firm specializing in representing victims of domestic violence. After work, she is board president of Hawaii Women Lawyers, board member of the domestic violence clearinghouse and legal hotline, and board member of Hawaii Women's Legal Foundation. Lynne and husband Tim have two sons, ages 12 and 9. Her fondest memory of Cornell is chocolate chip cookies from the Straight breaks! She would love to hear from Peggy Kelly, Cheri Hoffman Yanuck, and Lisa Almedina McQuade.

Arie Blitz is the director of the heart transplantation and assist device surgery at Case Medical Center in Cleveland, OH. Arie spends time outside of work with family and was recently elected president of the Cleveland Chapter of the American Heart Association. His fondest memory is "outstanding education and friendships."He would most like to hear from Dion Terwilliger,MAT '91. Anita Wolter McElroy has recently changed positions at IBM, where she continues her human resources career that started in the halls at Cornell ILR. As IBM's director of global staffing, she now has responsibility for all of IBM's recruiting, staffing, and university programs around the globe. She looks forward to the challenge and the travel.

Patricia Shin Ranunkel is the global head of European equities sales trading. Last year, she traveled down to the South of France to sail on available weekends. Her favorite memory of Cornell is having BBQ parties on Cayuga Lake. She would most like to hear from Luba Drouin, DVM '87. Laurie Sheffield, BFA '85, is a high school English teacher in Massachusetts. After work, she volunteers at her kids' schools and does gardening, home projects, printmaking, and other artwork. Last year, she managed a Little League team and finished a basement renovation. Her fondest memory of Cornell is "sitting on the Arts Quad in front of the Green Dragon, socializing! What a view of downtown from there at night." -- Karla Sievers McManus, Klorax@comcast.net; Lindsay Liotta Forness, fornesszone@aol.com. Class website, http://classof84.alumni.cornell.edu.

85 | At the time I am writing this (mid-December), it is near 70 degrees in NYC, which feels much more like spring than early winter! I have been busy developing my mediation and negotiation business and it is going very well. Something interesting that I have learned is that although the busy holiday season can be filled with stress and conflict (hopefully, yours wasn't!), it is not the busy season for resolution of those conflicts because most people and businesses will wait until January to begin addressing the issues. This has allowed me the time to spend these weeks speaking to groups and businesses and sharing communication techniques that help avoid conflicts. I have also been able to transform a hobby of mine into a side business for the holidays: selling my numerous photos mounted on bright-colored fold-over cards to be used for thank you notes, holiday cards, and gifts. And there is always time for some fun. This year, I am hosting many friends who have decided to spend the holiday season in NYC. It really is a great city all year, but especially during December!

In this big city, it still can feel small when we unexpectedly see someone from our class.When I take a break to pick up lunch, I often see Sharon Tolpin because she works only a block from where I work and live. I also just saw Steve Dadourian at a networking breakfast.

We have more room in the column than news to fill it so I'm hoping all our readers will write in soon.Who have you seen lately? What do you remember most about Cornell? Are you hoping to hear from a classmate? Did you move? Have you had time to travel? Are you starting a new business? What is happening with your family? We want to hear about you, so look for the annual class mailing coming this spring and send us your news. As always, you can write to Joyce and me directly at the e-mail addresses below.

Stan Dembinski wrote in that he is living in St. Germain-en-Laye (a western suburb of Paris, France) with his wife Cristina. Stan is in international sales and business development for medical products and services. He enjoys spending time with his family, sailing, and going to the movies. Sophia Yik Fong wrote in from Sarasota, FL, where she lives with husband Jonathan and their children James and Alex. Sophia is a community volunteer and vice principal for Sarasota Chinese Academy, a Chinese language school that Sophia helped start! She also enjoys spending time watching her children play tennis, soccer, and flag football. The one thing she would rather be doing is enjoying dim sum with her family in Hong Kong. The thing she remembers most fondly from her time at Cornell is strolling the Plantations and Beebe Lake in the fall. Sophia would love to hear from any of her Cornell friends at syik63@comcast.net.

Although Rosemary Stasek has a mailing address in McAdoo, PA, she is actually in Kabul, Afghanistan, as an aid worker training women politicians. She has been having the best time ever with an eclectic collection of missionaries, mercenaries, and misfits, even though they are all in a war zone! The one thing that she remembers most fondly about her time at Cornell is football road trips. Rosemary would love to hear from Tracy Uyehara Nater.Mike Weinstein wrote in that he was recently named VP of investments with Oppenheimer & Co. in Melville, NY, after being with Smith Barney in Jericho, NY. Congratulations to Mike, who is also a fellow classmate of mine from Syosset High School.Mike would enjoy hearing from friends at michael.weinstein@opco.com.

Scott Bookner wrote that "it feels like yesterday" that the column included news about his first daughter's birth--but it was more like 13 years ago. On Oct. 22, 2006, Scott and his wife Elissa celebrated their daughter Ilana's bat mitzvah. Other Cornellians present were David Crandell '84 and Gloria Edis Schoenfeld '60. Scott also recently attended the bar mitzvah of Neal Richardson, son of Nancy Kroll and Michael Richardson.Mazel tov to all of them!

Judy Loitherstein Kalisker shared the happy news of her marriage to Martin on Aug. 27, 2006. Cornellians at the wedding included Chris Beekhuis '86, Neal Forman, and Judy's sister-in-law Karen Spilka '75. Judy is working as director of corporate integrity in the legal department of Boston Scientific, a global medical device manufacturer based in Natick, MA. She and Martin live in Natick with their two beagles, Starbuck, 7, and Gracie, 4 months old. For all of you who live in New England, you may have seen Ginny Scarola Sidman in a segment on "New England Dream House" in November. They "rescued" Ginny's backyard in Reading, MA, and transformed it into a place she can now enjoy with her family.

We received sad news from the parents of Philip Melnick. Philip, who was living in Boston after receiving an MA in library science from Simmons College in 2003, had a fatal accident on May 21, 2006. He had been employed by the law firm of Nutter,McLennen and Fish at the time of his death.We send our deepest sympathies to Philip's family and friends.

One of our classmates sent news but didn't fill in the name or any contact information. Please write to Joyce or me so we can identify you. You told us that you are the president of West Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and an active member of many volunteer organizations and boards. You also built a partnership of Stewartstown CEOs with the UK Uganda Fund--and successfully raised the necessary funds--and co-authored a book on family and consumer policy. You most fondly remember Cornell for the beauty of the area, quality of education, good wine, and good friends! I think we can all agree with that, and we hope to find out whom we are agreeing with. Please write again!

For all of you who want to give back to Cornell, a great way to do that is to join CAAAN, the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network. You can meet with applicants to share your experiences at Cornell, assist in organizing a welcome reception for accepted students, staff a college fair, or help plan a send-off in August for those students entering as freshmen. In NYC, the students and alumni had a great time the morning after the send-off when they visited the CBS Plaza on 5th Avenue and appeared on the CBS "Early Show" with Dave Price '87. If you are interested in getting involved in CAAAN, please visit http://caaan.admissions.cornell.edu to sign up.

I hope you have been enjoying a great start to 2007 and that you write in to tell us about it! Send news to: -- Leslie Nydick, LNydick@aol.com; or Joyce Zelkowitz Cornett, jmcornett@bellsouth.net.

86 | Our theme this month is life-changing experiences. And as a class, we've had a lot of them. From travel that has given us a new outlook on the richness of our lives to jobs and children that have changed our notion of what life would be like as we sailed through our 30s and entered our 40s.

Susan Milner has landed in Washington, DC, after finishing her PhD at Johns Hopkins last year and then spending ten months in Paraguay on a Fulbright scholarship. As part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, she was able to travel around South and Central America, and at reunion had great advice for an upcoming trip to Costa Rica. Her most surreal moment? Looking up at a television while in a local restaurant and seeing Jack Lalanne on an infomercial. "Amazingly, Jack looks exactly the same as he did on American TV 30 years ago! He even wears the same navy exercise suit."

Mary Rinko Oefelein traveled far from her home in Spokane,WA, to vacation in South Africa with her husband and three daughters and nine other friends and family. She wrote about seeing the poverty that still defines Soweto; spotting animals on their sunrise safari, including a rare leopard; and hearing elephants grazing outside their tents at night. But as far as life changing? That had to be the "tradition" the guides introduced them to: "You drink a shot of amaroulo liquor with, well, animal dung in it (ours was giraffe dung). You drink down the shot, try to suck the liquor off the dung, and then spit the dung as far as you can. The farthest spit wins! The guides could get it nearly 20 feet! We only managed to choke!"

Jimmy '87 and Maggie Holcomb Schubauer also traveled to Africa with their four children and other family members.Maggie wrote about a soccer game that started one morning after breakfast in Tanzania. "All of a sudden, an enormous bull elephant appeared at the water's edge, took a few drinks, and started to walk straight toward our soccer field.We stood in amazement as this massive beast came closer and closer.We didn't think we were in any danger, but it soon became apparent that our guides were a little nervous.We were instructed to stand near the Land Rover and be still. This majestic, towering animal strode right through our game field, through a bunch of safari vehicles, seemingly oblivious to the slight pandemonium he had created.We watched him continue on his path until he was out of sight. It was an amazing experience."

One classmate chose a more permanent location change--Jen Braman Lyons who moved back to her home city of Honolulu after living in Cleveland and other far less tropical locations. Jen is a lawyer, but she's had time to visit the set of Lost, which gave her son Jack a chance to play in the "snow" that they manufactured to replicate a scene in Buffalo, NY. Jen also was an extra, so check out those crowd scenes in Lost and keep an eye open for her.

Leaving the United States or traveling to its far reaches isn't the only way to shake up your perspective and change your ideas of what is possible. How about spending a week with your terminally ill father at a baking school? For Dylan Schaffer, it was life-changing enough that it inspired his book Life, Death, Bialys & More. Dylan writes, "I learned many important lessons that week, including how to forgive my dad for having been sort of a rotten father, and how to make really good bread. I also discovered that fathers are like dough. They get softer in the middle as they age, they take well to gentle handling, and if they spend too long in a hot place they can explode." Barnes & Noble chose Dylan's book as one of its featured holiday selections, so it should be easy to find at your local bookstore.

Toby Goldsmith's life changed after her husband started a new career and the family relocated from Florida to Georgia. "The move was very quick and resulted in my not working for a year," writes Toby. "It was the first time I had not been in school or employed since the age of 13." Toby now works as an assistant professor of psychiatry at Emory U. and also treats pregnant and postpartum women with psychiatric illnesses. On the flip side, sometimes experiences that we assume will change a person, don't at all. Kris Garbinski Vivian is the mother of six children, which makes most of us who have far fewer children think that we would become frazzled and harried. But at reunion, Kris was as lovely and calm as ever. Even more amazing was her news. Just before she and husband Timothy '87 were ready to move, their house burned down. Fortunately, no one was home and everyone was safe, but they had to start over. Kris talked about the wonderful help and support from her community and church. They now live in Delmar, NY, where Kris works part-time and manages her children and their many activities full-time.

We are low on news! Look for the annual class mailing to come this spring, and please send us the latest on what's happening in your life. -- Laura Nieboer Hine, lauracornell86@ sbcglobal.net; and Susan Seligsohn Howell, susancornell86@comcast.net.

87 | The countdown toward Reunion '07 continues unabated. Our 20th Reunion is mere weeks away! Your reunion co-chairs Mary Bowman and Chris Olsen have been working hard to get us all ready for the big shindig on June 7-10, 2007. Our class headquarters will be in the just-completed Hans Bethe House. Bring your family (or your best friends from the class) and immerse yourselves in one massive dose of nostalgia during reunion.

Your class correspondents appreciate those who responded last fall to the plea for news. Karin Ann Lewis checks in from Lexington, KY. She directs the Academic Enhancement Program at the U. of Kentucky. In addition, she is a certified interpreter for the deaf. She is conducting her doctoral research and writing her dissertation, while attending to her daughters' activities and enjoying home improvement and landscaping projects. Karin is also into deep-sea fishing. She wants to send a shout-out to her DG sisters. In Wayne, NJ, Susan Dinan is director of Honors College at the William Paterson U. She is also an associate professor of history. Susan and husband Benson Hawk have a 5-year-old daughter. She gave birth to another project a year ago, publishing a book entitled Women and Poor Relief in Seventeenth-Century France. Also in academia, Melissa Harshman has been teaching printmaking at the U. of Georgia since 1993 at the Lamar Dodd School of Art. "I have been married for 11 years.My husband Frank is also an artist and has a studio at home making furniture and birdhouses."

Tom Riford lives in Mercersburg, PA. "I am the president and CEO of the Hagerstown-Washington County (MD) Convention and Visitors Bureau. There are lots of things going on; during the past two years we've had three films and seven network television episodes filmed in and around Hagerstown." Last fall Jennifer Maisel had a reading of her newest play, Birds, performed by the Rorschach Theatre at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. "Eric Lichtblau and Claudia Regan were kind enough to attend.My collaboration on this play with my director Wendy McClellan was just awarded the Women Working with Women 2006 Collaboration Award from the New York Coalition of Professional Women in the Arts and Media.We'll be presenting an excerpt of the play at their awards ceremony on September 18 at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York. I am currently living in L.A. with my husband Michael and our daughter Julia, who is 4 years old."Mark Mandarano dropped us an e-mail."My wife Mina Smith and I now live in Riverdale, NY, with our two children, son Augie, 3, and daughter Giovanna, 1. In June 2006,Mina, a cellist, brought us all along to Rome and other cities of Italy while on tour with the New York Philharmonic. I have been conducting in various parts of the country and have met up with Cornellians at concerts in California (TedWhetstone and David Stanton), Texas, New Jersey, and elsewhere. In May 2006, I performed with the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center. So if you ever see that I'm performing in your neighborhood, please come to the show so we can go out for dinner afterwards!"

From the Aloha State, Robert Goldberg and wife Candle "live on beautiful Kaua'i with our three princesses, Julie, 6,Mollie, 4, and Leilani, 2. Candle wants a fourth. We're growing fruit trees (mango, papaya, lychee, avocado, jackfruit, guava, lilikoi, banana, jabong, rambutan). In this tropical paradise, Ithaca's snows are a distant memory. I'm a small-island attorney, focusing on civil litigation, and really blessed with a wonderful life." I was pleasantly surprised to hear from old friends Yelena (Baranova) and Stephen Crescimanno. "We live in Hatfield, PA (a suburb of Philadelphia), with our four children: Jacqueline, 18, Daniel, 16,Matthew, 11, and Daria, 10. Steve is a research chemist at Rohm & Haas Co., and I am a senior programmer analyst at Severn Trent Services Inc. Last Labor Day weekend we drove our oldest daughter to college-- Boston University. She is our first to leave the house and we (the parents) are still working out the separation issues! She is doing great, however, and I am reminded of my first weeks at Cornell. Boy, that was a long time ago! After a busy summer, life is settling in to the usual school-year pattern: music lessons, Girl Scouts, Jazz Band rehearsals, various sports, etc."

Yoyen Lau reported that, after Cornell, she went to medical school in Florida, did a family residency in Michigan, and is now "practicing in a little rural town in Alabama. I have been with my husband for 17 years, since the very beginning of medical school. He is an otorhinolaryngologist." They have three children under the age of 10, who keep their parents busy. Jennifer Chan Burgos, who lives near me in Belmont, CA, wrote to say that she is an area planning manager for Kaiser Permanente, "securing funding for new hospitals." She plays in a competitive tennis league in her spare time, when she's not chasing after her two boys. She wants to say howdy to Richard Carbin.

CU at reunion! Meanwhile, send your news to: -- Tom S. Tseng, ttseng@uchicago.edu; or Debra Howard Stern, dstern39@yahoo.com.

88 | Greetings, Class of '88! I hope 2007 started off well and you are enjoying a taste of spring in your respective parts of the globe. In course-related news, '88ers signed up for the many fascinating choices offered by Cornell's Adult University. This year the participants included Paul Kitamura taking Golf, BethMindlin in Tennis, Alison Minton studying the Roman Epoch, and Erron Silverstein exploring Underground Ithaca.

Lisa Daniels, an ILR graduate, has her own law practice and lives on Long Island."My brother was ILR '84 and the twins' father was ILR '86. I'm referring to my 11- year-old twins Zoe and Zachary. They have a newly discovered singing talent and have been cast in New York City theatrical productions. In addition, Zach played Tiny Tim in a Long Island run of A Christmas Carol this past December." Congratulations to the budding Thespians!

I'd like to share with you an update from Charles "Chad" Snee, our former class treasurer. You may recall from a recent column that Chad is deployed in Afghanistan. In the interest of space, I have consolidated some of the paragraphs, and edited just a bit:

"Dear Family and Friends: Today is Saturday, Dec. 9. I am back in the office, here in Kandahar, following a trip to Kabul, Dec. 4-7, to attend a conference hosted by the Afghan Ministry of Defense for all public affairs officers (PAO) assigned to the five corps of the Afghan National Army (ANA).My ANA PAO counterpart,Maj.Mohumad Esa, and his assistant, Capt. Rahulla, attended the conference. For my part, the conference provided me with some guidance regarding topics that I need to stress with both of them, so that they can be more effective doing their jobs. In order to better understand some of the discussions and presentations, my interpreter, Hanif Shafee, came with me.We have a great working relationship, and I am grateful for his linguistic skills.

"After five years in Afghanistan, we are beginning to pull back from the mentor/advisor role, to help break the cycle of dependence that the ANA has developed. Instead of telling them what to do, we ask, ‘What is your plan? How are you going to fix this problem?' This role transition is important, because we don't want to be here forever. "The first two days of my stay in Kabul, it snowed almost continuously--a thick, wet snow that made everything damp and dreary. The next two days were sunny but much colder: temperatures dipped into the low teens at night, which made for a quick scurry back and forth to the bathroom. I saw 13 of my 14 Navy shipmates who trained with me at Camp Shelby, MS, while I was in Kabul. I flew back to Kandahar the evening of Dec. 8. The flight was delayed, so I and a few others took advantage of the extra time to have dinner at a Thai restaurant at the airport.

"We received a sobering dose of reality two days after Thanksgiving, when we learned that one of our own, 2nd Lt. Scott Lundell, had been killed in an engagement in the vicinity of a place called Tarin Kowt, which is about 100 km north of Kandahar. The entire staff mobilized to prepare for the ramp ceremony (placement of the body aboard an aircraft for the final flight home to the family) and memorial service.My main task was the preparation of the program for the memorial service. It was a tough couple of days for many, including me. Lundell leaves behind a wife and four young children, but his sacrifice was not in vain. Perhaps the most poignant moment of the memorial service was the roll call. The sergeant major of the command, Sgt.Maj. Deck, came to the podium and called out the names of several soldiers, each of whom smartly replied, ‘Here, sergeant major!'When Lundell's name was called, twice, there was no reply. Sgt.Maj. Deck then addressed the corps commander, Col. Petrucci (my boss), saying, ‘Sir, 2nd Lt. Lundell is no longer with us.' Col. Petrucci replied, ‘Strike Lt. Lundell from the roll.' It was an honor to be there, to acknowledge a patriot who selflessly served our country.

"I appreciate the feedback concerning The Main Effort that I've received from many of you. The newsletter is my biggest contribution to our collective efforts here, and I am pleased that so many back home enjoy reading it. I have regular meetings with Maj. Esa and Capt. Rahulla, and I take every opportunity to interact with Hanif and the other interpreters.Most of them are from Kabul and are in their mid-20s. They are educated, aware of the world outside of Afghanistan's borders, and insatiably curious. As I see it, Afghanistan's future rests in the hands of Hanif and others of his generation who hunger for a better life.We have marvelous discussions about myriad subjects. The most recent focused on dating and marriage. The interplay between Afghan families, when a marriage might be in the future, is fascinating. Every aspect of the young man's life is scrutinized by the woman's male family members (usually her brothers) before any consent is given by her father to allow the union. Very different from what we in the US are accustomed to.

"The approach of Christmas has precipitated a deluge of care packages. I and my colleagues thank all of you. Your thoughtfulness and desire to send comforting (and tasty!) touches of home have lifted our spirits immeasurably. For the time being, however, please refrain from sending reinforcements. I likely will return just after New Year's Day, which will put me at less than three months until I go home on leave. It will be a lift to greet 2007, the year that will mark the end of my deployment. I close with heartfelt thanks for all of your prayers and support, for me and for [my wife] Lynne, [and my children] Katelyn, Charlotte, and Margaret. Grace and peace. Chad."

As always, we love to hear from you! Remember that there can be quite a lag between submission of news and seeing it in print, so please be patient with the process. Stay safe out there! Send your news to: -- Suzanne Bors Andrews, smb68@cornell.edu; or Steve Tomaselli, st89@cornell.edu.

89 | Hope everyone had a good winter and is ready for a warm, blooming spring! As we come out of hibernation, please remember to send us your news and updates. The old adage is not true--no news is not good news! All your classmates want to share what is going on in your world.

Aaron and Amy Parker Sumida wrote that they love spending time at the lake with their family and enjoy golfing and boating in their spare time. Aaron is vice president at Aldi Foods Inc. in the Tully, NY, division, and says his fondest memory from his time at Cornell was football. Go Big Red! Suzanne Suppa was named co-chair of the Brown Bag Lunch Committee of the Boston Bar Association's Labor & Employment Law Section (whew, that's a long title!). Suzanne is a shareholder at Littler Mendelson PC in Boston and a graduate of Boston College Law School.

Kimberly Levine Graham is proud to announce that her husband Barry became a citizen in 2005. They added to their family in July 2006: Avraham joined big sister Shira Leah, 4, and big brother Naphtali Tzvi, 2. Kim is a full-time mom, which she emphasizes is way harder than multi-million-dollar litigation! She lives in Silver Spring, MD, and encourages anyone visiting Washington, DC, to contact her. Kim attended the wedding of Stacy Heidecker '04, her old boss's daughter, who married Eli Lansey of Highland Park, NJ. Her dad Perry Heidecker '72 proudly looked on, and there were plenty of Cornellians in attendance. Kim also informs us that Josh Abelson '87,MA '89, and wife Susie welcomed daughter Rachel in January 2006, and Josh is completely smitten!

Lauren Flato Labovitz announces the birth of son Jacob Edward in 2003, who joins big sister Gabrielle Hannah, 5. Last November Lauren took a trip to New York City to visit with Cornell friends and spent a beautiful day wandering around the city with Jake White '88, after which she had dinner and drinks with Stephen Sinaiko, Rob Ceske, Chris Mann, ME '95, Elinor Langfelder Schwind '90, and Chris Saxman '88. Chris, Lauren and husband Steven '92, and Larry Rosen '88 are planning a trip to Prague. Lauren lives near fellow Cornellians Chris and Sheila Richmond Hasser '90 and Gary Fisk '90, and let us know that Carlyse Marshall Evans has lived overseas most of the time since graduation.

Ted Shafer and wife Rita announce the birth of triplets Zachary, Zander, and Katherine. They have been showing the kids the world: Brussels, Florence, the Grand Canyon, Cancun, NYC, San Francisco, and Las Vegas, to name a few! They made the news last October (www.chieftain.com/national/1161930286/6). Ted informs us that Joe and Heather Campbell Forkey are the proud parents of four children,Mike and Christy Clark Pambianchi '90 also welcomed their fourth child last year, and Brad Siciliano and wife Laura added Sara to their family, joining big brother Benjamin. Ted remains in contact with Cam and Peggy Curan Haugen and Marianne Wait, and says they are all doing well.

Hard to believe it's been 18 years since graduation. It seems like only yesterday we were freshmen. As college acceptances come in, please let us know of any legacies-tobe. Keep us informed, and we can keep you informed! Have a great spring everyone. -- Lauren Hoeflich, laurenhoeflich@yahoo.com; Stephanie BloomAvidon, savidon1@ hotmail.com; Mike McGarry, mmcgarry@dma-us.com; and Anne Czaplinski Treadwell, ac98@cornell.edu.