1985

First of all, major snaps to Jeff Weitzman and his committee for a cool but not too hip, organized but not overly planned, detail-oriented by not anal-retentive, Reunion. I also want to personally thank Jeff for choosing not to go with the Star Trek theme as our tenth Reunion logo. Sure it might have been catchy, but let's face it, unless you're prepared to dress up in metallic spandex and put on pointy ears, you shouldn't commit to any event sporting a Star Trek logo. Besides, who needs a catchy logo anyway? Are you going to a reunion for the cool merchandise, or to eat bland Thayer food and get drank while chasing each other's children?

Flushing out the last of my mailbag, and making sure my karma stays clear as I leave this column to a new generation of class secretaries, here's some final news that I've neglected...

As was announced at our Reunion, and bears reiterating, one of our classmates, Dru Van Hengel, competed in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Dru joined the kayak team and competed in the four women kayak (K-4). As of this writing, the Olympics haven't happened yet, as of your reading however, Dru has either put a medal on her shelf, or is getting ready for the '00 Olympics (or both!). Notes of encouragement can reach Dru at . Dru's not the only '85 who will be competing. EricBeinhocker wrote to say that he was recently named as a coach for the U.S. Olympic Rowing Team in D.C. One of Eric's star athletes is his wife, Ruth Davidon. When not rowing, or coaching rowing, Eric works as a consultant for McKinsey & Co.

Diane Rizzi Perna sent me a Christmas card with her scuba diving with her new husband, Joe, in the Caymans. Diane and Joe were married by seven priests (don't ask me why, probably some kind of Guinness thing).

And just in case you're not feeling inferior, slovenly, lazy, unambitious, unmarried, and poor enough after meeting up with your classmates 11 years out...

Christopher Hunt has just had his book, Sparring With Charlie, published. No, it's not a boxing story—it's about Viet Nam. Aaron Hill has been named senior vice president at Dillon, Read. ScottBorek is now the head coach of men's hockey at Lake Superior State University. Barbara Whipple has been recommended by a White House staffer to join the White House Advance Team, which helps plan events for President Clinton, the VP, and their spouses. Let's hope this isn't just a fourth-month gig, Barb! Tony Miksen has been named vice president and branch manager for Fidelity Investments. BirgitKoehler, an assistant professor of chemistry at Williams College, has received a $20,000 grant to support her ongoing research on the interaction of trace gases with aerosol particles in the atmosphere (the woman is literally helping to save the ozone layer, for God's sake!).

Given that this is my last column, let me take a second and thank all of you for six (count 'em) years of fun and frolic. We figured between the two of us, Rick and I wrote roughly 50 columns covering about 400 classmates (and a couple of '84s by mistake!). We wish the next class secretaries, Shelly Leavitt Nadel, JohnMacManus (who has already written his first column—you eager beaver, you!), and Leslie Dahl all the best. Some of you have expressed a desire to take a crack at this column, without wanting to have the commitment of writing it every month (it's a joy, really). On behalf of the new class secretaries, I would like to extend an invitation to anyone who would like to be a "guest columnist." Please contact one of our new secretaries.

And just so's you don't think you've gotten rid of us totally...Rick and I were foolhardy, er, gallant enough to volunteer to plan the next Reunion. So, while the tenth is still fresh in your mind, drop us a line (ore-mail us) with your thoughts on what you liked and didn't like about this past Reunion, and what you'd like to see in the 15th... See you in five years!

523 S. Rimpau Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90020;

Diane Rizzi Perna was married by seven priests (probably some bind of Guinness thing). Mark Stern '85