1992

Once again, my fiery words of challenge have spurred a classmate into action. Kelly Shriver Kolln apparently wants my job! "Well, since Mike threw down the gauntlet, I'll take him up on his challenge. Here are some of the exotic things your classmates have been up to (as I watch from the periphery):

"International travel! Mike Smith had this random sighting in Croatia last summer: 'Ran into Sarah Brooks and Erik 'Nigel' Gunderson in Hvar Town, a small town on Hvar Island off the coast of Split. I was walking on a wooded path on one of the hills overlooking the town and saw them. They visited Ed Hong, who is working in Sarajevo, then spent three weeks wandering. Sarah is doing a Ph.D. in Byzantine art, and Erik is a doctor doing research on addiction. And they are engaged!" Mike has been stationed in London with Deloitte Consulting, and recently spent a few months working in South Africa.

"World-class film festivals! In Philly for Julia Hynes Shoff's wedding to Steve Shoff in July, and caught up with Todd 'Woody' Richman, who had just returned from the Cannes Film Festival. He was a film editor on Michael Moore's Bowlingfor Columbine, which won a special documentary prize and received a standing ovation at Cannes. Also watched fireworks on the roof of Rob Schon'91's apartment with Jennifer Williams and Lee Elliott '91, both of whom work at Fox News in NYC.

"Society weddings! Dartmouth attendees at Julias nuptials included Betsy Cowles Gavron (with husband David), Gretchen Almy McNeely and Matt Brill '91. Matt informed us that Sanjay Mathew '91 was in The Royal Tenenbaums! The crowd was Wharton-heavy, since that is where the happy couple met. Everyone—a crowd of 200 guests plus wedding party—proceeded on foot from the church to the reception at the Union League Club (the other bridesmaids and I holding Julia's train off the sidewalk like the birds in Cinderella), led by a bagpiper!

"Midwestern domesticity! My husband (Thies Kolln) and I, plus 2-year-old Anna, are moving from Chicago to his hometown of Cedar Rapids, lowa—are we replacing Starbucks with Wal-Mart?—where he is a senior analyst for AAVIN, a venture capital/private equity firm (he had been with Boston Consulting Group). I will continue editing for SoundStageNetwork.com, a group of high-end audio and home-theater sites. We will be leaving behind many dear friends: Gary Rovner and his wife, Suzanne, for instance, will have to look for new Wrigley seatmates.

"Also in Chicagoland (Evanston), Katherine Aires Byrnes, husband Greg and 2-year-old brother Potter welcomed little sister Natalie in July.

Thanks, Kelly! Unfortunately, for all the good that comes across my desk with this duty, occasionally there is the bad. And so it is that I must report the death of Justin Firestone, on November 28 in New York City. Say a prayer for his family—parents Monroe and Marsha, brother Darren and sister-in-law Nicole.

1501 Central St., Evanston, IL60208; (847) 491-7503; m-mahoney2@northwestern.edu