1976

1976

By the time you read this our reunion may have faded into the afterglow, but as I write, a week after leaving Hanover, the kindness, humor, talent, and mutual affection of our classmates still dazzle. I had such a flashback to my departure 40 years ago—the sky as achingly blue, the hills on I-89 as promisingly green and the missing of my classmates just as wrenching. The saving grace was our reunion’s proof that not only have friendships endured, but new ones have formed and we are closer than ever. In addition to all the bear hugs and belly laughs, the beauty of being 41 years out may best be summed up by Bill Murray’s famous words from Meatballs, “It just doesn’t matter!” No one cared about fast-track careers or genius kids. We were just grateful to be together. Rather than list the myriad events of our magical weekend, I thought I’d announce the winners ofthe reunion’s Name That Classmate contest: Mel Treadway, Inky Ford, Ann Fritz Hackett and Brian Bachelder. Each tracked down an impressive 18 out of 20 answers to the following questions.

Who drove a camper more than 2,500 miles to reunion? (Inky Ford)

Who harvests lake ice in winter? (Art Howe) Who initiated the “Salty Dog Rag” as a freshman trip institution? (Mary Heller Osgood) Who wrote Golfojiomics and Super Golfonomics? (Steve Shmanske)

Who earned 11 varsity letters? (Sandy Helve) Which rush chair was forced to give two thumbs up to every candidate because his thumbs had been broken in a ski race? (Tom Reinhart) Who spent a decade in Indonesia and plays guitar in a Florida rock band? (Steve Askey)

Who ran for public office in Pennsylvania? (Nick Aponte)

Who has been dubbed a knight? (Credit is given for either Chris Bjelland in Finland or Ken Cohen in France. Who knew we had two—even if they’re honorary?!)

Whose daughter is a Broadway star? (Joan Tyler Marable)

Wdio has summited Mount Rainer 113 times? (Craig Reininger)

Who arrived in a leg cast freshman year only to find it didn’t matter because roommate Jim Burns imported all the fun people and parties to their dorm room? (Andy Shaw)

Who owns an inn on an island in Maine? (Dick Prentice)

Who introduced Nancy Kepes Jeton and Peter Jeton? (Jeff Reed)

What Coast Guard member chased cocaine smugglers in the Caribbean, served on a destroyer in the Persian Gulf and performed search-andrescue missions off Florida? (Bob Hurst)

Who has summited the highest peak in all 50 states? (Bruce York)

Who did Colman Andrews hire to turn South African Airways around? (Ann Fritz Hackett) Whose first job after graduation was apple picking in Seattle? (Betsy Tobin)

What joyful Twin Cities resident is an arts fanatic and PBS exec? (Amanda Green)

Whose first job was building guitars and second was dancing on The Tonight Show? (Jamey Hampton)

Congrats to our super-sleuths who won weekends in Hanover and on Cape Cod!

—Sara Hoagland Hunter, 72Mount Vernon St., Unit 4B, Boston, MA 02108; sarahunter76@gmail.com