1984

Thanks to you it's working. I speak not of The United Way, though I hope that noble cause is working too, but rather of the forceful yet subtle tactics that I have artfully woven into my columns in an effort to encourage your contributions. For those who may have missed these clever yet effective enticements in the past, I have reviewed three of my favorites, with irrefutable evidence that they work.

Strategy 1: The "Pity Your Secretary's Empty Mail Box" Approach. Proof that it works: Kim Hamer. Kim writes, "Reading the '84 column in the DAM yesterday I felt sorry for you as you seem to be running into some resistance in getting information about our classmates. Maybe this will help you out." Obviously, Kim took me a little bit too literally since she implies that I'm desperate for information, which is of course patently untrue. However, I am not too proud to quote liberally from her letter: "About myself, I've been working (in Washington, D.C.) at National Geographic for over a year now, traveling to the Southeastern states ... with the ultimate goal of getting geography taught in U.S. schools again (as it should be!)." Kim writes that she attended the wedding of Mike Hatcher to Betsy Roche, a "wonderful red-head" (obviously, Kim's editorialization, not mine). She adds that Mike has "turned into a scotch-sipping, golf-playing, suspender wearing, successful lawyer" and that he and Betsy five on Capitol Hill. Classmates in attendance included Bud Young "who is working for French architect Bernard Tschumi in NYC after his graduation work in architecture at Yale, Wendy and TylerFoster who are living in Attleboro, Mass., where Tyler is working in banking, JohnLoConte and wife Deana Washburn, who were married last May in Hanover, and Patty Herb and her husband Chris Zinski."

Strategy 2: The "Your Secretary Can Move Heaven and Earth to Get You to Write" Approach. Proof that it works: Kathy Marshall Diekroeger. Kathy filed this report from San Francisco on October 19, two days after the earthquake: "I want you to know that this is the first time I've made the effort to help out with the Class Notes. This may be the last time, too, if the real big quake hits us soon." She added, "So do you want to know what a 7.0 earthquake feels like on the 25 th floor of a building? Pretty scary. We were shaking. I was ready to leave my office at Marakon Associates and go home to watch the World Series when it hit. We ran under our desks (that's what you're supposed to do). We thought it was just a big quake until the electricity and phones went dead. Then we started to hear about the destruction. And you've heard the rest ... but hey, life must go on. Anybody know of a good job in Atlanta? And one for my husband, Ken?" Send serious offers to 1750 Vallejo Street, #402, San Francisco 94123.

Strategy 3: The "Write About Classmate's Who Your Secretary Hasn't Talked to or Heard From" Approach. Proof it works: Denyse Maxwell. You may recall my mention of Denyse for no reason other then pointing out she was not at the number the alumni office had given me. Denyse began her letter, "Dear Brad, You can bet that I was a little surprised to see my name in our class notes." She has been living in Tijuana, Mexico, since July working as a fulltime interpreter of the Christian Services Association's "Mission to Mexico" branch. She explains, "As Christian missionaries, our basic purpose is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ ... [and to] give clothing and food to the very poor. It is so fulfilling to know that someone who had no hope, has been encouraged." Denyse adds that she has been spending a lot of time in nearby southern California, a fact her Mickey Mouse stationery seems to support.

Until next we talk, keep those cards and letters coming.

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