1990

As summer turns to fall—a time of year when many of us became acquainted with the Upper Valley through Freshman Trips—a note from a classmate demonstrates how often the past becomes prologue: After spending the decade after his Stanford M.B A. working abroad in economic development and environmental conservation, Jerry Casagrande has moved to the D.C. area and founded an outdoor education/experience program. Organizing "summer expeditions" for a diverse pool of talented high school students, 3D Life Adventures takes participants on trips affording opportunities for outdoor adventure, cultural exploration, and environmental learning in locales like South Carolina's Sea Islands, Appalachia, New England and Quebec. Observing in a Washington Post profile that 3D aims to provide an experience "deeper than a lot of programs" do, Jerry notes that trips include both city visits and service projects. For more information, click on www.3dlifeadventures.org.

Both Bill Levin and Tim Kolk have forwarded stories about another new '90 project: Distressed by what seems an impulsive degree of backbiting in current literary criticism, a circle of New York writers, including Heidi Julavits, have begun publishing The Believer. Leading-off with Heidi's essay titled "The Snarky, Dumbed-Down World of Book Reviewing," the magazine promises to "focus on writers and books [editors] like," to keep in mind "the concept of the inherent good" and to interview a philosopher in every issue. Describing the new journal in an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Heidi notes that The Believer "started out as a pure book review [b]ut in our sort of interdisciplinary world, books naturally spill out into these other artistic and cultural arenas," adding that she's taken to calling it "a literary and culture review." After reading about the June issue—featuring interviews with Richard Rorty and Liz Phair—I'm headed to www.believermag.com to learn more.

On another literary note, Alvino-Mario Fantini sends word from a World Bank assignment in Bolivia that he's received a one-year, $50,000 journalism fellowship to research "and write a book on the cultural and political transformation of my home state of Vermont as a result of the 19605." Mario, who grew-up around Brattleboro's School for International Training, receives this award from the Phillips Foundation, endowed by Eagle Publishing chairman Tom Phillips '60 to "support American culture and a free society."

In an upward shift in his political career, Tom Kean has traded his seat in New Jersey's state assembly for another in the state senate. Selected unanimously in January by fellow Republicans to complete the term of a retiring senator, Tom will pursue a full four-year term in Novembers statewide elections. Despite his recent arrival, caucus colleagues have appointed Tom to serve on the senates budget, health and public-education committees.

Rounding-out this catalogue of new ventures, some news from Blunt allows me to feature freshman hallmates from Giles basement in two consecutive columns. With winter on the way, we learn that ski and snowboard maker K2 has named Monte Baier vice president and general counsel. Monte moves to K2'S Carlsbad, California, headquarters from Asia Global Crossing, where he focused on corporate-finance issues.

Though many of you will send your own children to school this September, let me nevertheless tout the benefits of writing your own "What I Did over the Summer" essay, and ask that you send it my way. As you sharpen pencils, pack apples and prepare to drop a line, I send best wishes for a pleasant and peaceful fall.

101 Kenyon St., NW, Washington, DC20010; (202) 986-8780; ramzi.n.nemo.90@alum.dartmouth.org