1951

178 Madison Avenue Holyoke, MA 01040

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! As I write this column in October, the autumn leaves are in full blaze here in New England, and the hillsides are on fire. And yet today I sought the warmth of my fireplace, as the air had a bite in it that presaged the season in which you read these lines.

You have no doubt noticed that the Alumni Magazine has a slightly new look, a little different "feel" in the reading. Frankly, I find it a better "read" now, though nothing very drastic has changed. For one thing, I like the new "College" section, with its many brief items which together seem to convey an over-all sense of what goes on in Hanover from month to month. One of these items caught my eye especially: a British publication noted that the ownership of the common green in the center of the College campus is uncertain in that no one seems to know whether the Town of Hanover or the College owns it. Let's hope that none of the factions at the College decides to make this a matter of social and political concern—after all, we've co-existed peacefully enough for over 200 years!

And I loved that article entitled "Bad Things You Learned in Gym"—my body was right all along! But Ted Leland, in his fine summary of Ivy League athletics, was wrong when he placed our Mike Heyman in the class of '54.

Name in the news: On the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather for the night of October 6, our late classmate Al Karcher was seen arguing one side of the "moment of silence" issue on the floor of the New Jersey Assembly at a time when he was its Speaker. Which side, you may ask? This column will never tell, as we are determined to maintain our staunchly non-committal stance on the "Gray Tissues" of our times.

COINCIDENCE: As a teacher of English at a community college, I just last week had occasion to have my students read Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Cask of Amontillado." I'm sure you remember it: An egotist (Fortunato) has in some unspecified way injured and insulted another egotist (Montresor) so grievously that the latter vows to be avenged upon the former. The point of Poe's fiction seems to be that revenge can be carried to an insane degree, as we are shown the one immuring the other, and feeling really good about doing so. Indeed, Montresor's family motto is Nemo me impunelacessit, "No one injures me with impunity." Oddly The Dartmouth Review (at least for the October 15, 1986, issue) cites the same motto.

Clearly, your secretary has little to report this month. Last month I made some suggestions to you to spur some responses, but as we are dealing with a two-month publication lag, I have had nothing from any of you yet. In the meantime, let me toss out a couple of other suggestions: Who among us live on Dartmouth streets? If you do, how about sending us a picture of you in front of your digs, to let us know that you have never really left Dartmouth, that every cent you make goes to Dartmouth, that Dartmouth will always be your home, etc., etc. And here's, another: As your present secretary does not travel much, he has little contact with those of you who live west of Buffalo or south of Philadelphia—and that's most of you. No wonder the same names keep popping up! As many other classes have "guest secretaries" from time to time, a tactic which prevents views from becoming ossifyingly similar, please feel free to let us know your thoughts in up to 600 words.

May this holiday season find you healthy and happy and looking forward to a fulfilling new year.