1994

Congrats to '94 president Ken Bower, who is soon to have a first ladyby his side! Ken and Mary Elizabeth Phipps were engaged in St. Louis this summer. For those who did not hear Ken's romantic proposal story, Ken explains that from the top of the Gateway Arch, she looked down—with binoculars—to find a sign which posed The Question. 'After 60 seconds of laughter, I reminded her that she hadn't answered the question," writes Ken.The answer, of course, was "Of course!"

We move from engagement to marriage with news from Lauren (Campisi) Smit about her wedding in Denver last December to Michael Smit. Lauren met Michael in Denver while finishing medical school. They recently moved to Concord, New Hampshire, where Lauren is a resident in family practice at Concord Hospital.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes...Matt Niehauss third child. Matt writes from San Francisco, where he, wife Erin and kids Lily, 2, and Colin, 1, anxiously await the arrival of the next Niehaus, who will be welcomed into the world just as the world welcomes the new year! Matt sees Greg Alden, Jeff Richards and Derek Braddock often. "Jeff has the latest news," writes Matt. "He is marrying Sallyjeffers on September 7 in Sun Valley." Matt was also in Hanover recently, and had a chance to play the newly rebuilt golf course. Matt endorses it as "a nice upgrade to what was already a fun course," and looks forward to returning to Dartmouth again for the 10th reunion.

Ilsa Webeck returned to the Big Green a bit earlier than the loth—she and Richard Hass were married there on September i. In fact, Ilsa has spent lots of post-graduate time in Hanover, as she completed her M.B.A. at Tuck in 2001, and will likely return, as Rich is now a second-year at Tuck. Rich recently completed his Ph.D. in physics, and Ilsa has been working for Health Advances in Weston, Massachusetts.

Ilsa also writes that another '94 couple recently tied the knot in Hanover—Eric Portland and Kim Blanchard were married this August. I hope to hear more details about that undoubt- edly large Dartmouth affair, too! Another couple that is getting ready to return to Hanover is Luke Dann and wife, Elizabeth. Elizabeth will begin a residency in radiology at Dartmouth Hitchcock in June 2003. "We are looking forward to returning to New England after living in sunny Miami for the past five years," writes Luke.

News from another '94 couple who recently moved back to my current neighborhood these days—Liz (Berger) and Jordan Friedman are back in Durham, Noith Carolina, after two years in the Bay Area. Jordan has just started his first year at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke, and Liz is working as Fuqua's director of alumni relations. "It's great to be back," writes Liz. "I graduated from Fuqua.in 2000, so it feels like a homecoming of sorts for both of us." I am so happy that the '94 contingent continues to grow in this area, but also feel slightly pathetic that my own degree program here at Duke started two years before Jordan's, and will likely continue even after he graduates with his M.B.A. Ah, a Ph.D. in the humanities—it's kind of like being engaged or pregnant....for five to seven years. Except you don't get a life partner or a cute baby at the end—you get tenure and produce a book. I recommend an M.B.A. or childbirth instead. The pain doesn't last as long, and you'll have more human contact. Speaking of human contact, please write to me. I'm clearly not going anywhere. Take care.

3716G Meriwether Drive,Durham, NC 27704-2 873; nmfarooq@earthlink. net