1985

What is pressure? Perhaps it's looking at your pre-teens crooked teeth and wondering why braces cost $6,000 and your bank balance is $17.62. Maybe it's that sensation you feel after chugging a 64-ounce Super Big Gulp Mountain Dew on the PA Turnpike and then seeing "next exit 72 miles." For some it could be the realization that the college athletic scholarship you had in mind for Junior is directly proportional to Juniors .000 Little League batting average and you now need a spare $50,000 per year to educate Junior, who will probably just spend all his time playing beer pong and majoring in something completely useless. (Sorry, I'm now channeling my dad.) Maybe pressure is hosting a bunch of out-of-town guests anticipating a major rage at your wedding to Allyson Quibell in Philo, California, on October 25'. If so, Eric Wilinski would be the one to tell us. Congrats to Big E ("E" is for engagement?) and Allyson on their union. If you thought pressure was being a class secretary and having to scrounge around for information the night before the column is due, well, you better ask Leslie, since I am bursting with information (okay, two long e-mails from two classmates). Where to start?

Gary Ryan is living in Pelham, New York, about 30 miles north of N.Y.C., where she works for Real Simple magazine. She is responsible for the Real Simple product found at Target and some other business development initiatives. Having hung up her endurance sports shoes after several triathlons, Gary now cheers on her 14-year-old daughter Isabel at her lacrosse games. She also spent some time this summer in Toulouse taking a painting and writing course. (Similarly, I spent time this summer trying to find a pen that worked and wrote this column in my living room.) Thanks for the news, Gary!

Huge thanks to Sara Dever Reed for her entertaining, newsy note. (Her opening sentence reads, "We never met at Dartmouth." I appreciate her omitting the word "thankfully.") From south Florida, Sara went to Dartmouth sight unseen. It proved to be a good choice since she met her husband, James Reed II '82, at school and they celebrated their 23rd anniversary in August. Living in Kansas City, Missouri, Sara and Jim have sons Alec (15) and Doc (12), both of whom attended a French language immersion school, Academie Lafayette. Alec is now in high school, playing defensive lineman for Rockhurst, while Doc is a premier level soccer goalie. On the career front Sara has had a varied career, first working as a financial analyst for U.S. Central, the Federal Reserve for state-level credit unions. Then it was on to the Sprint Corp. doing financial analysis for the receivables management division and developing and managing fraud prevention systems for several international affiliates while spending time in Mexico, Brazil and Toronto. Next came work with Interstate Brands (Wonder Bread, Hostess, etc.) building a consumer affairs center. Did I mention Sara also earned an M.B.A. in applied finance? Sara provided much more, so I hope I did her note justice, but I must convey an announcement from our class president, Margaret Marder: "The class of 'B5 will be having a Homecoming mini-reunion at the Top of the Hop on Saturday, day, October 17. Please attend."

Well that's it. I'm done—now pressure is deciding between a can or bottle of Miller Lite. I told you being a class secretary was stressful.

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