1980

Lest the old traditions fail: Thank goodness for 50th birthdays (a contrarian view) and for Lisa Shanahan (a unanimous view). For the first time I thought I might be news-less. Then Lisa wrote with news of a fabulous 50s bash: “Susan (Adler) Funk ’81 organized a trip last spring for a number of us facing the difficult task of turning 50. In the serenity of Canyon Ranch Susan, Carol Pelmas, Anne Van Roden, Marty Peterson, Lori Zelikow Florio, Ellen Martin Taratus, Margie Schechner Gart, Meg Blakey and I convened for a weekend of biking, hiking, yoga, exercise classes, spa treatments, long walks and long talks (not to mention wine snuck into the dining room in paper cups so as not to offend the teetotaling guests). The weekend’s highlight was the surprise disco dancing instruction organized by none other than Meg. Once again we proved that you can still have too much fun!” The disco queens plan a reprise in Mexico this year. With the economy so down I suggested that a more modest affair could be held at the (former) Beta house, a.k.a. Disco Beta, on Webster Avenue. They might find an antique disco ball in the attic. Small world: Lisa and I look forward to our respective daughters’ parents weekend at Deerfield Academy, where the block “D” and green and white colors bear an uncanny resemblance to those we all know and love.

I rang up Steve “Tex” Collins and reached him at the Apple store in Dallas, where he was jump-starting his own private economic stimulus program. True to form, Steve said he was “trying to keep a smile on my face and hoping it was contagious.” But the big news is about Steve’s erstwhile and new neighbor: President George W. Bush has moved back to the ’hood. As I pressed him for non-classified news Steve regaled me with tales of his long friendship with W, including the president’s successful bid to get Steve to stop smoking. While that may not represent a Kyoto Protocol-level achievement, it impressed me as one for environmental and health care policy. One of Steve’s sons worked at the smoke-free White House last summer and had a fantastic experience. Steve also reported a reunion of the 1978 Ivy champion football team organized by Chris Sawch (who was No. 1 on the placekicker depth chart above Steve) last fall. It included a nostalgic dinner at the DOC House attended by current coach Buddy Teevens ’79 and former coach Joe Yukica.

Page Lipe writes of a February mini-reunion in Cleveland, Ohio, at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships held at Quicken Loans Arena. That’s where LeBron James normally holds court. Although he wears sneakers he’s such an awesome athlete that one can imagine him twirling a female skating partner—say, Page for example—high into the air and then finger-rolling her softly back to the ice. Before my focus melts, I confirm that Page, coaching a junior competitor, was joined by Andy Glassberg and Barb Martin, whose daughter competed. Barb serves as a board member of the venerable Detroit Skating Club, which has produced two national champions this year.

Our longstanding class support for the Laurie Van Buskirk fund continues to do good: In 2008 the fund supported as much as 60 percent of the cost of freshman trips for 83 students. Clearly in these challenging times that sort of generosity is both admirable and sorely needed. The year 2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the trips’ sponsor, the DOC. When we took our freshman trips the DOC was only 67 years old.

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