1984

I picked up a book I was given in college by Ralph Barton (now my husband), and two letters fell out of it. One was from him, and the other was from Lucia Jackson. It was a letter written over a Christmas break. I decided to track down some of my buddies and find out both what they’re up to now and what they remember from freshman fall.

The first person I reached was Bobby Salitsky. Bobby is “still working” (at Pentica Systems), “still playing” (near Harvard Square), and still hoping to retire soon. He’s also play- ing with a band, Closet Fish. Their music is “groove-oriented instrumental influenced by rhythm and blues, funk, jazz, reggae, salsa, blues, and gospel.” Bobby remembers not much of freshman Christmas but remembers listening to Dixie Dredges in Andy Pierce’s room and being part of the Choate Lords. The Choate Lords included Bobby, Andy, Dave Loevinger, Dave Finn, and Joe Holland. They wore identical T-shirts off to battle the Phi Delts at the Mud Bowl. I remember Rich Durante and Rick Bayless proudly display- ing their mud-packed bodies to those of us hanging out of Little dorm rooms, watching from afar.

Bobby tells me that Dave Loevinger is in Paris working atthe U.S. Embassy. Bobby says that as our tax dollars are paying for Dave’s apartment, he considers it his apartment in Paris. You, my good readers, should proba- bly do the same.

—J Bobby suggested I ask for “Animal” when calling Brian Smart in Wisconsin. Brian went back there to study agricultural economics and was pleasantly waylaid. He and his brother formed Smart Brothers Inc., which has just finished building its first home for a client. When I asked Brian what he remembered of freshman fall, he responded the way every- one I asked responded: “for the column?” The answers I got from this crew are slight- ly broader than the answers you’ll read. Brian, too, remembers the Dixie Dredges and other fun-filled party memories which won’t make it to this column.

For my part, whenever I hear Little Feat I think of Andy Pierce. Andy and his wife, Lisa, are living in Wellesley with their one-and-a- half-year-old son. Andy works at Mercer Man- agement Consulting. He remembers not Christmas vacation but Thanksgiving. Bobby Salitsky joined him for Thanksgiving break. Bobby’s hair was shoulder-length at the time. He wore a suit (the first he’d worn in three years, he told Andy) and high tops. A vision of loveliness, no doubt. Andy tells me thatjoe Holland is teaching high school in Putney, Vt. One can only hope his students don’t turn out like us, taking foliage tours rather than going to classes. 0 -r ° 1 ■ 1 T-v V" I 1 r. I

I caught up with Dave Finn, the last of the Choate Lords, in his apartment in New York, between Paris and Italy (where he’d just been) and South America (where he was on his way to). Dave is currently the lighting designer for Mikhail Baryshnikov’s and Twyla Tharp’s touring shows. He’s also just finished a doc- umentary, created in collaboration with Dave Hess ’B6, that is going into post-production.

Dave, too, has Thanksgiving vacation mem- ories. He and John Forelli spent part of their weekend backatschool, half partying, half writ- ing a paper for history class. A sleepless week- end which caused Dave to fall asleep on some female classmate’s lap during the first histo- ry class on Monday.

That December was the first time this Florida girl had seen snow in a decade. I remember how magical it was in the trees, and cutting out of Biology 5 to make snow angels with Marci Lait and Paige St. John on the green (let me know if you know where Paige is these days). May your Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year be as magical this year as 1980 was for me!

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