1970

Unfortunately, this column had to be prepared before our reunion. However, I think I can say in advance that a good time was had by all. How could it have been otherwise? Those of you who were unable to join us will have to wait for the next newsletter or for this column to appear again in the fall, but I think you know what great fun it was for many of us to get together again.

Only a small amount has come in this month. I guess a number of us have been saving our news for the reunion itself.

Recently, in the April issue of Westways magazine, I came across an article written by Kent Johnson '75, illustrated with photographs by our classmate, Mac Johnson. The article was called "Kayaking the Canyon." The trip was apparently a fantastic one. People have been visiting the Grand Canyon for years, but still come away awe-inspired by what Kent describes as "its beauty and grandeur, its isolation and ruggedness" and by the current of the river itself, "stronger than the mere mortals that briefly trespass through." Mac's pictures are absolutely incredible and give the reader a real sense of the majesty of the canyon and the ex- citement of the trip.

I am happy to report that our classmate, R.Bruce Rich, has become a partner of the prestigious New York City firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. Bruce and his wife Melissa also have big news on the homefront with their second child on the way.

I have been receiving reports on the progress of our class in the reunion fund drive. The response thus far has really been impressive. Our class has had a history pf low participation. The size of individual contributions has increased over the years, but growth until recently has been slow. This year with the reunion at hand, a number of you have been most generous. I don't know how much of the increase came as a result of contacts by our class agents, but I suspect that in many cases a number of classmates have decided to make significant increases in their contributions on their own, even before any agent called. I think it is a wonderful thing there are many of us who feel secure enough with our lives, regardless of our particular income level, to share some of our funds with Dartmouth.

This marks the end of the sixth year that I have been writing this column. I must say that it has been a pleasure, although it is sometimes tough to sit down to work on the column. The pleasure has been in hearing from a number of you. In some cases it brings back memories of times past and in other cases it has been a way to come to know those whom I never met during our four years at Dartmouth. Several things have struck me throughout this six-year period. One is the way in which all of us have grown. In one respect, we have grown apart learning new skills and taking a variety of career and lifestyle paths. On the other hand, what has also struck me is that all of us seem to be experiencing much of the same hopes, fears, joys and dis- appointments, albeit at different times and under different circumstances. Maybe it would be helpful for all of us to know that, as individual as we are, much of what happens to us happens to others, and we are not the only ones trying to sort things, out.

Finally, I have to add that one of the most satisfying things about our class is the candor and down-to-earth way in which people are still able to communicate with one another, including their class secretary. I have made it a point to try to write the column in a way that would embarrass no one, so that people would feel at ease in writing or discussing their personal thoughts with me. Inevitably that has meant that some judgments had to be made in transforming personal letters and discussions into a published column. Some personal details were, I hope, properly deleted and some pride in our classmates' achievements was, I hope, properly added.

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