1983

Wow. I’ve been doing this for a year now…so, what’s new with you all? How about letting me know so that I have something to write about! The ’84s just had their 25th reunion. Does anyone remember ours? I was looking at the pictures on our Shutterfly site the other day and laughing at the fun I had. Apparently Bob Roach showed up for the ’84 reunion. Guess he couldn’t get enough! There were recently a few kids of our cohorts admitted into the class of 2013. Congratulations to Luke and Trisha Murphy, twins of Mary Beth Shimkus Murphy; Elizabeth Raphael, daughter of Justine Robinson Raphael; Christian Fisch, son of Mike Fisch; Chloe Teeter, daughter of Bob Teeter; John Coster, son of Mike and Kathy Batchelder Coster; Hana Bowers, daughter of Kenneth Bowers; Michael Ankeny, son of Chuck Ankeny and Becky Wolcott Ankeny; and Max Hunter, son of Andre and Kelly Fowler Hunter.

Since I have heard from no one I have taken to Facebook to find out what has been happening in our classmates’ lives. I had an amusing “conversation” with Martha Gerhan and Martha Sundberg Hartfiel about Phi Delt running out of beer over Green Key weekend. The Marthas were in Hanover in their roles with the Alumni Council. Always need to check out the condition of fraternity basements in that role.

Wait! Via Facebook comes the following: Marika Olsen decided it would be safer to wait out the recession in Baghdad, where she is working as a media specialist. There are definite upsides. For instance, the stress of incoming mortars and wearing heavy body armor does wonders for one’s figure. She can finally fit into that pair of jeans that has been taunting her for years. She has also learned to be flexible about toilet seats, an attitude adjustment made possible by sharing a bathroom with eight large men, five of whom are 6-foot-4-inch bodyguards. After Baghdad she’d like to live a normal life somewhere, whatever that is. Send her an e-mail. She’d love to hear from anyone. And if you’re in Baghdad, please stop by. We’ll compare whose bodyguards are cuter. Based on the pics I’ve seen on Facebook, I’d say she’d win, hands down. Her e-mail is molsen@fastmail. fm.

Peter Kilmarx checked in: He received the 2009 Moses Brown School Distinguished Alumni Award. “The distinguished alumnus award recognizes an alumnus for significant, long-term success in personal and professional achievements, who has made outstanding contributions to his or her profession and has rendered distinguished service to the public welfare, thus honoring Moses Brown School.” He and his wife, Nicha, were just in north Thailand for two weeks. Peter was providing medical care in five public hospital HIV clinics in Chiang Rai province. Nicha is staying on another month to visit with family and friends and conduct Montessori training for poor hill tribe children’s schools. Peter’s son Ben is at the Juniper Summer Institute for Young Writers at UMass Amherst. Rev. Rob Hirschfeld very kindly met Ben at the bus station in Amherst and delivered him to campus. The 29-hour Greyhound Bus ride gave Ben plenty to write about!

Last column I said I was going to write about small world coincidences…maybe next time. If you’re in my neck of the woods, I’ll be writing about you!

Apologies to Michael DeFelice—I misspelled his name last time. (Interestingly, spellcheck wants to change his last name to “derelict.”)

Condolences to Mary Fairbanks, my old roomie, whose mom recently passed away.

Forever green!

166 Sausal Drive, Portola Valley, CA 94028; (650) 529-2396; marenjc@ yahoo.com