1980/40th

Susannah Albright
Salbright2011@gmail.com

Mason Wells
masonbwells2@gmail.com

William Vogel writes: “Take a moment and enjoy an important message. It might save your life or make it worth living. https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/03/23/coronavirus-berklee-virtual-orchestra-what-the-world-needs-now. Enough said.”

Gifford Cochran shares: “I’m afraid I do not have a story of privation, but one of taking refuge far away. My son and I caught a plane from Denver to Cancun on March 20. We were two of six people on the plane. The thought was to stay with a friend in the small fishing village of Xcalak, Q. Roo., four hours south of Cancun. It is at the end of the road on the Belizean border with 500 people, and not a lot of in and out traffic. The upside is that it is really pretty, secluded, and there are bonefish, permit, and tarpon right out the back door. The downside is...I can’t think of one. I landed my first DIY grand slam on Friday and have caught three permit in the last three days. Not sure when they will let us leave, but I will admit to not caring too much.”

A note from Richard Wesley: “Our boys were going to college on the East Coast and came home for spring break just before everything got locked down. They are now taking classes remotely and we are lucky to have a house just big enough for them to do that but not so big it increases the sense of isolation. We are also fortunate to live in one of the most walkable neighborhoods in the world, so we are getting outside regularly and are well supplied. We are cooking too much, though, and really should get more takeout to support our local restaurants. I’m retired now, but I’m doing some online volunteering and some data analysis on the epidemic. Washington was an early epicenter, but we are successfully bending the curve (the two-week smoothed doubling interval was up to 5.3 days yesterday) so I think we are a good model for how to beat this in the disunited states of America. Be well and stay safe.”

Hilary Parkhurst sends this message: “You quickly understand and depend on your neighbors and community. Grateful I went to a school like SPS, where I truly grasp the value of such an environment. I’m grateful for my health and that of my family. I’m a little tired of cooking. Selfishly, I’m tired of working out alone on the erg, as our boathouse is closed. I have been eating too much sugar and drinking too much wine (stress). But this too shall pass.”

A note from Laura Bickford: “Sasha Iglehart came to visit me and her 27-year-old son, Tuck Richardson, my godson, in L.A. We had plans to go to Sonoma one weekend and Ojai the next, but instead got locked down together in L.A. One day we were all working, and the next everyone in the film and television business was sent home for ‘two weeks’ and advised to not travel. We had a stressful next few days trying to decide if we should stay put in L.A. or fly back east to our families. We realized we couldn’t see our parents and risk giving them the virus. Sasha’s husband, Michael, is holding down the fort on the East Coast in New Jersey for her two grown-up daughters, who are in Boston and Vermont. We decided to stay put with Tuck and be good citizens and not fly. Once we had made the decision to go through this together, we have been doing our best to be productive and enjoy. We are lucky to be in Southern California, where the weather is always great. The first week we did a bit of panic shopping and filled the larder with dry goods and canned food, but of course we haven’t needed it. We hike, walk, and do yoga and Pilates online to alleviate the anxiety from the news. We ‘go to work’ during the day. I was prepping a film with Shailene Woodley that is filming in California and is on hold, but script development on various projects continues apace on the phone or Zoom, and I am catching up on reading as most people are. Sasha has a great new shirt business called A Shirt Story (ashirtstory.com) and her shirts appeared in Vogue and Marie Claire this month. At night, we make dinner and watch something. We’ve finished Unorthodox, Tiger King, and ZeroZeroZero. All great! My biggest anxiety has been my parents in New York City, whose version of self-isolation is different than ours. I’ve read a lot about children of boomer parents having a problem getting their parents not to go out. My mother has cabin fever already and I yell at her from afar not to go to Citeralla anymore. My father is teaching me bridge and my family has regular Zoom calls with my sister and her family. We have had a few Zoom cocktail parties with friends in our time zone and morning FaceTime with friends in London. I’m so lucky to have Sasha as a roomie and we are making the best of it. As long as we know there are still flights to New York available in an emergency, we are staying home in L.A.”

Gifford West checks in: “Today, I got up and made my first prototype face mask. Myriam and the children say it would be better for robbing a stagecoach, but that’s what the word prototype means. Our eldest made it back from school in Chicago and our middle child cut his college visits short to get back from Toronto. We have all hunkered down in Beverly Farms. The kids have composed a few songs, which is good. We are well.”

1981

Lixy Carey
lixypc@gmail.com

I started a new job as director of major gifts at Horizons for Homeless Children in Boston in late February, just a few days before the order came for all of us to work remotely from home. I’m learning some new tricks on the technology front as a result and am getting used to connecting from a safe distance. Many thanks to Reza Dana for responding to my e-mail to the form in the beginning of the pandemic with a lead on where to find flour.

Jeff Leonard is still living in Christchurch, U.K., and hunkered down during the pandemic. Two of his kids have graduated from university and the 13-year-old is still in school. His only somewhat recent SPS contact was with Jamie Purviance in London a few years ago and he hopes to come to our 40th in June 2021.

1982

Lou Adreani
laadreani@comcast.net

My wife, Janie, and I are working remotely, from home, in separate offices. My daughter has been working remotely from her apartment. It’s both promising and reassuring to see how companies, charities, state, local, and federal governments are stepping up their efforts to mitigate the impacts of this pandemic. It restores your faith in humanity to see people assisting, every day, to make someone else’s life a little better. While the world can occasionally be a cruel teacher, it’s always comforting to know that we have each other.

From Ben Scully: “Greetings from Portland, Ore. About one month ago, I had to bail from Busan, Korea, where I still ‘make sneakers’ for Nike. Now staying at home in a serviced apartment (minus the service). I’ve already twice experienced 14-day self-quarantines, so now I have an excuse for my anti-social behavior. We’ll get through this. Stay safe.”

Cynthia Ferris writes: “We have been in a bit of a scramble moving three kids home from their various schools. It’s great to have them home, a gift to spend this amount of time with our young adult children. Tim heads into Mass. General each day, so we are up to date on what is happening in real time. It does increase our risk of exposure, but the girls and I are happy to hunker down here at home. Natalie, our oldest, is in grad school. The other two (Winslow, a senior at Middlebury with Blair Kloman’s son, Calder, and Margot, a high school junior at The Mountain School) started up on April 6. It is hard to imagine an online Mountain School. My part-time tutoring at Beacon Academy is on hold. For those of you who aren’t from Boston, Beacon is an amazing 14-month academic program that closes a 3- to 4-year achievement gap for a small group of bright and determined 14-year-old students. In the end, they each receive a four-year, full scholarship to an independent school. I’m lucky to live near and spend a lot of time with Julie Perry, Serena and Porter Gifford and James Houghton as well as to visit with Fiona Mellish, Sally Rousse and Gusty Thomas when they come this way.”

From Alison Rona: “I work as an architectural and interior design consultant in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and I help clients in Manhattan and Brooklyn redesign their homes and occasionally restore the exteriors of houses, too. An apartment building, whose lobby restoration I designed and oversaw, was recently featured in the first episode of Amazon Prime’s Modern Love. Besides my interior design work, I like to do landscape watercolors and have recently started playing piano again. I am fortunate to live near many SPS friends, since my family is dispersed with my 21-year-old daughter in Bloomington, Ind., where she is studying music composition and conducting at the Jacobs School of Music. Up until a few weeks ago, Elise Pettus ’81 and I were going to weekly lindy-hop dance parties at Brooklyn Swings. Two weeks ago, Mariza Scotch and I enjoyed a walk in the Botanic Gardens, before the shutdown. A few days later, Nicole Gallagher invited me over for dinner with her daughter and friends, before social distancing rules became stricter. While jogging in Prospect Park, I ran into Tracy Tullis with her youngest son, walking their foster dog. Last Christmas, I went caroling with Rebecca Johnson in Carroll Gardens.”

Louisa Benton shares: “I’m at home working remotely in N.Y.C. The other morning, I took a walk through Central Park in a light rain. All our places of gathering and culture are silent, but the park is still open. I am so sad for my city. My mood was low until I saw a three-legged dog bounding up a hill. His ears were flying up and down. ‘Your dog has given me hope,’ I told the owner, a beautiful woman in a hooded slicker who was striding behind. She replied, ‘The park is a gift.’ I remained in the spot for quite some time after they left. Later, via text, a friend reached out to say she knew about the exchange, and that the slickered woman was known to her, a good friend. But how did you know? I asked. ‘Your Instagram post,’ she said. ‘You spoke of the three-legged dog. I know all the dogs in the park, and that woman is my friend and is Gloria Steinem’s best friend. She loved your conversation this morning. Let’s all get together when this is over.’ I love New York. My nonprofit, Hope for Depression Research Foundation, has created a daily e-mail to address the anxiety that we are all facing right now. Sharing the link in case anybody is interested. https://hopefordepression.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=81144040fd43dd3b2471193a6&id=36be6b839f.”

A note from James Hornblower: “Fiona is now working from home in her new role as president and CEO of the NALP Foundation. She and her team in the Career Development Office bumped-up BU Law School’s ranking on US News and World Report from 23 to 20. It was 32 when she started six years ago. Ainsley (now seventh grade at Dana Hall School) is working from home. She is well equipped with an iPad and is a very independent, self-motivated student. I am concerned she is missing her friends and riding. Her middle school equestrian team placed first in regionals, qualified for Zones, which were then canceled. I continue to work from home for BioSymetrics. No stranger to Zoom meetings, I continue to look for smart, forward-looking people who want to improve medical care and shorten drug discovery timelines by analyzing disparate data types and leveraging AI, ML, and other services. I apologize in advance for the self-promotion, but if you’re interested in learning more, visit biosymetrics.com. Other than that, I enjoy long walks with our Golden Retriever, bike rides, and tennis with Ainsley.”

From Gilberto Arias: “Hi all and a big shout out to Lou to get us all to connect. We’re in self-imposed lockdown in London now, waiting for the UK government to finally move away from the Darwinian posture it’s taken when compared to what other European countries are doing with respect to preventing coronavirus spread. Our 17-year-old son came home a few days ago. Nobody has any ideas on how the critical end-of-year accreditations will work, and no illusions that he’ll go back to pre-essential classes before the autumn (if then). Even here and in lockdown, a little paranoid as we know the bug is going around but getting food delivery slots is now gladiatorial. On the climate change and sustainable development work that I do, this is an interesting experiment in low-carbon economics and how economic development could work in a radically different context. Please everyone stay home and stay safe.”

A note from Anne (Dickinson) Barber: “Northern New Hampshire is a good place to practice social distancing. Early spring means early sap run so Graham is sugaring, which keeps him entertained. The most difficult part of social distancing is keeping the twins entertained. Sixteen is a very hard time of life for social isolation. The other morning, we had a power outage and I thought Nat’s head was going to explode. Ilida is missing her senior spring term at American University, which has been a huge disappointment for her. Ilida copes with stress by baking, but the stores had all been cleaned out of sugar. I don’t really get the toilet paper stockpiling, but I am particularly confused by the lack of sugar, flour, butter, and vegetable oil. Who knew that the end of the world involved baking? Practicing law is very portable when I don’t have to be in court and most court has been canceled. The hardest part is the temptation not to work. It’s almost nine so I have to go make sure the twins are ready to logon for virtual class.”

Blair Kloman shares: “In rural Vermont, we’re not finding it too hard to practice social distancing since that’s kinda how we function all the time. Both my grown boy/men are home with us due to closed work and school, which is fun. They keep each other company with old board games and endless mountain bike rides. I’d forgotten how much they can eat, though. I’m still working in digital communications for Middlebury (though now from home) and thankful I have plenty to do. Lucy Chubb was here looking at the college earlier this winter with her awesome son, Seamus ’21, and it was so fun to catch up. And I sometimes catch glimpses of Cynthia Griffin, since her daughter Winslow is a senior, though she and my youngest son, Calder, will likely not have their graduation after all this spring.”

Mariza Scotch checks in with this note: “Lou, a big thanks to you for entreating us to be in touch. What a privilege it is, knowing we’re all connected during this surreal moment. We’re hunkered down in Brooklyn. Dièry (who considers himself to be an honorary member of the Form of ’82) is training clients on Zoom, a platform I’ll be forced to master quickly in order to continue teaching my graduate seminar at Parsons/ The Cooper Hewitt. Our daughter, Gala, was lucky to get a ride home with a fellow student when Brown shut down, but she’s worried about classmates who don’t have the means to go home, or who may be unable to return to campus when this is all over. My small start-up accessories project with a colleague in Italy contracts by the day, as all our designs are made in Milan and Florence. But before the Brooklyn Botanic Garden shut down, I took a beautiful walk with Alison (Horne) Rona; seeing Nicole Gallagher on the street last weekend was a balm. I’m so grateful to all of you who are working to maintain truth and health while our current government seems unable to handle either.”

A note from Linda Gray: “Here in New Zealand, our prime minister has raised our COVID-19 alert level to three. It will go to four in 48 hours – everyone confined to their houses. Here’s hoping we can slow it. No country can cope with the virus, and New Zealand is no different. Key ingredients for the tests are imported, and the manufacturers aren’t exporting them. I’m looking forward to SPSers uniting through music – maybe we can organize a group sing, like The Sofa Singers.”

From Tarrant Mahoney: “Great to hear from everyone. Elika and I are at home in Beijing, where we have been for most of the COVID-19 outbreak, having been quarantined at home for most of February and early March. The good news is that China has essentially extinguished the virus domestically, which shows that it is possible to stop the transmission with proper protocols in place. Our kids are both in Boston so the hardest part is being far from them.”

Preston Reed writes: “As has been my want for the past 12 years, I’m working from home in D.C. for a technology startup, this one based in Tel Aviv, where my colleagues are essentially housebound. Treasuring my bicycle while at Rock Creek Park going further afield near Antietam yesterday with our 25-year-old son, Johnny, who is D.C.-based. His 22-year-old brother is WFH in Manhattan and is headed down to be with us here soon. MJ has made major adjustments to her practice at Children’s Hospital and has been playing regularly with the volunteer NIH Philharmonic Orchestra. She just passed along this heartwarming rendition of Ode to Joy. https://youtu.be/3eXT60rbBVk.”

From Bill Bateson: “My wife, Ewa, is stuck in Poland; she went in December because her brother was ill. She has been there just over three months, no idea when she can return. Her family actually needs her there more than here; even without any signs of the virus in her town they’re closing down most activities until this problem passes. Meanwhile, I am here in the U.S. – like everyone else – wondering how far the economy will spiral and what that means for friends, neighbors, etc. N.Y.C. is strange and quiet; groceries are full except for essential paper products. Oranges, bananas, meat, and fish are totally stocked, at least in my local C-town.”

Trisha Patterson shares: “I am about two miles from the Westchester County ground zero of this virus outside N.Y.C. Things around here have been alternating between insane (How many rolls of toilet paper do we really need?) and tone deaf (Wait, why can’t we grab drinks Thursday?). My eight-year-old started ‘distance learning,’ and I have to admit that, besides still hating math, I’m enjoying the story time reading her teacher provides every day. Besides all that, I’m continuing building my marketing consulting empire, coaching (online now?), and will be baking things, painting/upholstering chairs, and painting my nails with sparkles with all this upcoming time home. Or maybe the chairs will get sparkles. Who knows? We are definitely in this together and it’s times like these that our shared bonds stand out.”

A note from Sally Rousse: “This new reality has me teaching ballet via Instagram (@sallyruze) and delivering some fresh foods to elderly people. My daughter arrives home from Prague any second! I’ll be relieved to see her but after traveling through four airports, she will be quarantined in our house. Many thanks to James Houghton ,who connected us to Lee Emery ’81, an ex-pat living in Prague, who lent much wisdom and calm. My 16-year-old is driving with a permit now, dancing, thrifting, designing. I’m still longing to live near the ocean, as my former SPS roomie Cynthia Griffin Ferris will attest. In January I visited a relative’s property for sale in Cape Cod. That’s on the back burner for now. The award-winning promenade performance ICON SAM and all of its dances about closeness seem painfully potent nowadays. What I wouldn’t do for a hug or a secret handshake with all of you today.”

Réné Pallace shares: “Love to you all from Baltimore. We’re not very quiet here with Giant Schnauzer Ferdinand and Standard Schnauzer Geronimo. I’ve done lots of writing and posting as I hope what I know of grief may help comfort others (bmoregoodgrief.com).”

A message from Nicole Gallagher: “First, a shout out to Tom Brazelton on the front lines. I’m in N.Y.C., working on our ABC News coverage from home. I am one of the directors of Standards for ABC. We are churning out an incredible amount of good information. Meanwhile, I’m at home with one of my two kids. Doing a lot of conference calls and baking sourdough bread. And trying to do some running outside.”

A note from Tom Brazelton: “Not much going on here at UW Health and American Family Children’s Hospital. Just watching Seattle, Calif., and NYC epicenters, waiting for the COVID-19 tsunami to hit us too. I’m too old for this but trying to survive 18-20 hour days working in the Pediatric ICU, running our critical care transport program and setting up our telehealth program, surrounded by the greatest people in the world. We’ve moved our telemedicine capabilities further in 10 days than we have in the past 10 years. We’re trying to flatten the curve by providing secure video consult capability; strengthening our ‘eICU’ support, and providing improved telehealth for our regional critical-access hospitals. These are unprecedented times for our species on this planet and we better learn from it.”

From Amy Field Watson: “My family is together again; a last-minute trip to Boston in a rental car to pick my daughter up from Northeastern turned into moving out of an apartment. Two days later, they closed campus. Our oral surgery office is in emergency mode, tooth pain that cannot wait. We can’t close; we’re part of the system taking care of issues to keep uninfected folks away from the emergency rooms. It is disconcerting as I utilize a drill often, aerosolizing water, debris, and of course viruses. Protective equipment is marginal, no N95 masks in our office. But I can’t abandon my patients. The most painful part of this was laying off 2/3 of our staff, folks I’ve been working with for years. On a lighter note, finally purchased a ‘she’ shed – a fancy look for my garden tools. Our old one is a multilevel apartment complex for furry varmints.”

A note from Forbes Black: “Working from home. My 80-pound Doberman mix puppy does not understand why I cannot play with him 24-hours per day instead of sitting at my desk. My daughter is unhappy that the UC Santa Cruz campus is closed for spring quarter, with all classes now online, but it is nice to have her home. My son (13) is in heaven, playing as many video games as I will allow. When the world is not contagious, I am happily writing software for a company that is four miles from my house.”

Greg Lee checks in: “Dana and my stage as empty nesters came to an abrupt and sudden end, as my daughter, Katie, came home from UC Santa Barbara while my son, Graham ’18, came home from Brown. It’s been nice to have them around, but I feel sad for the trauma they feel at being plucked from their new homes and lives. It has hit so suddenly, and it is scary to drive down the Las Vegas Strip and to see so few lights on in the towers and so little traffic on the street. We closed our two properties in N.H. for what we hope will be temporary, but it could be much longer. In Las Vegas, where the entire economy is gaming and hospitality, the Governor wants casinos to take a more measured approach by limiting the total number of guests in the property and spreading them throughout the casino at social distancing measurements. We don’t really know if this is either doable or financially sustainable, but these new policies could change tomorrow. We will get through this, but it is painful. I just read a novel called Expectations by Alex Tilney ’96. I was surprised how many buried memories came bubbling up and how easily I could reconnect to my 14-year old self. Made me want to return to SPS for our next reunion, but also to have some solitary time wandering the paths around the ponds and to Chapel.”

Jane (Petzold) Enterline writes: “Walt and I are fortunate to be home in Boulder this year. Last year we rented our home and took a gap year. Our daughter, Cora, flew home from the NYU Tel Aviv campus last week and is completing courses online. William is at University of Denver and living in his apartment there. With Denver and Boulder going on stricter lockdowns today, we’re hoping it’s not too long until we see him next.”

From Rufus Clark: “My wife, Deirdre, son, Brett ’14, and I are working from home and Chars is taking her classes online. So far so good, but it will be nice to return to normalcy. Thanks to all of you on the front line, and I hope everyone remains healthy.”

A message from Bill Graham: “Like so many others, I’m home with the nuclear family in Connecticut – Caroline, three boys in various stages of development, one dog. Of the boys (okay, young men), Will is sheltering here from his apartment in New York, Charlie’s ‘studying’ online at Duke, and Pete is a senior in high school in the final throes of college letters. I’m technically furloughed from work due to the virus, but still working for the Boston-based energy efficiency company I joined in January. The commute is a lot better, the pay not so much. I’m running tech support for Caroline, who is teaching her yoga classes online.”

From Justin Solomon: “My sons, Daniel ’08 and Noah ’09, are living together in Denver and are both working remotely. Daniel is counseling online learners and Noah is finishing his Charles Schwab training after teaching and coaching crew. He hoped to get to N.Y.C., but I am not sure if he is reassessing. I look forward to spending time with them in Rockport, Mass., this summer, but the older they get the harder it is to all be together. As the assistant head of the Forman School, we are trying to transition to online education and we have always stated LD students are not well served this way. My area of institutional advancement is handicapped by everything going on. Life at home involves a lot more time with Tracey and our Great Dane, Oakley. We get to hike more, and I find myself cooking for the first time in years. I enjoyed dinner with Bill Bateson three short weeks ago and I have seen Trish Patterson and her family a few times this winter. I would love to see or hear from more of you.”

Wendy (Saliba) Leonard writes: “We are living in Mill Neck, N.Y., and, like most of you, sheltering in place. Husband Rob is working and teaching his graduate forensic linguistics classes remotely now; son Selden home from USC and taking his classes online; son Mason is the coronavirus coordinator for Senator Brooks’s office here in Nassau County and also working from home. Daughter Davis (still working remotely for Senator Warren) and son Avery, (UX designer for College Board) are under self-quarantine in Brooklyn and hope to join us in Mill Neck in another week. Spent some time with Anne Dickinson on Nantucket last summer. Saw Lee Williams and her lovely husband in N.Y.C. a couple weeks before the shutdown.”

Kate (Hamm) Deane shares: “Hello from Rochester, N.Y. I’m working from home due to my compromised immune system. I work as an occupational therapist for a wonderful agency, The Mary Cariola Center, that serves individuals with disabilities. I also work with a therapy dog, Lucky. He’s a rescue from Puerto Rico and does great with kids with ASD and who use wheelchairs. My husband has just transitioned from full-time private practice as an allergist, rheumatologist, and immunologist to research. They are part of the vaccine study group for COVID-19 and are hoping to do some drug trials as well. My older son, Rob, had just gone back to school after a couple of years as a welder. He was excited to be pursuing his dream of working in sculpture. Unfortunately, that is on hold now. My younger son, Matt, has had a hard road with mental illness. We’ve tried to help him the best we can, but he’s determined to find his own way. I’m a staunch advocate for better mental health services in our schools and medical facilities.”

A note from Jeff Pepper Rodgers: “This certainly is a strange time to be a musician, as concerts and tours are scrapped. Along with continuing to release my original songs, in May I was set to debut a new project called ‘Dead to the Core,’ a collective of singer-songwriters interpreting the music of you know who. A few classmates have caught the Jerry Garcia birthday shows I’ve hosted at Club Passim in Cambridge in the last three years that inspired the creation of a touring show. A lot is on hold, but I’m fortunate that I do things other than perform, and I’m currently busy with writing assignments and online teaching (my Syracuse University creative writing class, guitar and songwriting workshops). I’m working on plans for streaming shows too. If anyone needs any ‘quarantunes,’ drop me a line. My son, Jasper, is just back from his canceled semester abroad in New Zealand, holing up with me in Syracuse. My daughter, Lila, is hunkered down in Boston while on hiatus from her lab work for her Ph.D. at Princeton.”

News from Jennifer (White) Callahan: “We are still in D.C., working (Richard and me) and learning (Meg, who is nine and in third grade) from home. So far, we are allowed outdoors and so are walking, running and cycling in our neighborhood as much as possible. It’s not terrible by any means, though I am wondering what it will be like in a couple of weeks. What I would have led with a few weeks ago would have been the fact that I have just changed roles at Allen & Overy and am now a pro bono lawyer, doing and coordinating work for NGOs and various human rights organizations and a range of similar legal work. Richard is still with the One Campaign. I hope everyone and their families stay well.”

Donald Miller writes: “Just completed my training on ‘donning and doffing’ the personal protective equipment I need to wear when managing patients with COVID-19. We don’t have many cases just yet here at Dartmouth, but we’re expecting a big surge over the next several weeks. The medical center has been spooky quiet recently, with all but the most urgent visits being canceled. We’re saving up supplies and trying to keep ourselves and our staff healthy for when this contagious tsunami washes over our medical system. It’s been sobering to read the reports from Italy and New York. Our group of ophthalmologists isn’t really on the front lines for COVID, but we’re preparing to help when the time comes. I appreciate people like Amy Field Watson and Tom Brazelton and all the others whose work puts them at high risk and who are directly involved with caring for the sickest patients. For me, a side benefit from the recent lull in patient activity has been more family time with Lyn and our kids who are home from college/boarding school, and more time to read, exercise, and clean up my office.”

A note from Clo (Dickey) Giffen: “News from us in Anchorage, Alaska, where we have been living since 1987. We have a new lab mix pup, Otter, after our previous lab mix, Raven, died. This spring we are buying a remote cabin on a lake, two-hour drive north of Anchorage, several miles in by foot, bike, skis, or floatplane. My husband loves to do long-distance snow biking on snow machine trails in the vicinity of the cabin. Our oldest son, Luke, a baseball-playing sophomore at Washington and Jefferson College, is home, and we are hanging close to home. Sean, sophomore at South High School, is also out of school. We were downhill skiing a lot at Alyeska Resort, 30 miles to the south of Anchorage, but they are closed for the season due to the virus. I’m seeing Cindy Drinkwater ’77 occasionally because we used to play ice hockey together and now she owns Cynosure Brewery in Anchorage with her husband, Clarke. Recently, Cindy has invited me to the brewery for a beer with Darcy Skinner ’91 and Nancy Bigelow ’78 to honor the SPS XIX Society.”

And from Clay Yonce: “My family is also working and learning from home (in South Hamilton, Mass.). Ginny and I – and our two dogs – are enjoying having our three college kids with us after the previous months with an empty nest. We have relatively easy access to beautiful and serene fields, forests, and beaches. My kids are helping me become more proficient with social media. I’m realizing the power of such technology to share heartwarming, heart wrenching, entertaining, and humorous messages/images/stories/songs/etc. – welcome distractions from the reality of waiting out the pandemic.”

1984

Alexandra Strawbridge Maurer
mainestraw@gmail.com

Ben Hall writes: “In early March (just before COVID-19 hit), I managed to catch up with Greg Selch over breakfast in Greenwich Village. He says his daughter is doing great at SPS. I’m still working at Suffolk University in Boston, writing stories and producing videos about our students, alumni, and faculty.”

Angela Hans-Ong shares: “I recently moved to Montreux, Switzerland, a peaceful and picturesque little town on Lake Geneva, mostly known for its summer music festival. I have been through major life changes since my husband, Nico, fell ill in 2015 and passed away early last year. This experience taught me many valuable lessons, and I am now using this temporary interlude to gather my thoughts and plan the future. There is something nice about a blank book and unknown possibilities.”

1985/35th

Andrew Corsello
corselloandrew@mac.com

My wife and I were watching TV (Dr. Pimple Popper), almost ready to go to bed, when we sensed a presence in the doorway: The older of my two quaran-teens. In a corncob suit. Grinning. And whispering. Mama...maaaaaaa-maaaaaaa...The boy greeted our screams with a quick little frog squat, then fled down the stairs bellowing threats of violence at his young brother. That was day two.

A note from Diane Moss: “I’m still displaced with my husband, teen son, and two dogs, while we continue to try to dig our property out of mud since the 2018 Malibu fire burned down our house. Working full-time in clean energy policy that thankfully remains demanding so far, despite the lockdown. Looking after my 90–year-old mother, who is dangerously social and kindly allowing us to continue to live in a couple of little rooms in her house while we try to restore utilities at our burned-out lot.”

John Turner writes: “I have spent this season of repentance abstaining from shaving while not abstaining from watching Wagner’s Ring on my cell phone. (I figured it was the only free Ring cycle I’m ever likely to find and I don’t like the prices of the non-free ones.)

A message from Ron Provost: “Busy teaching virtually. As faculty members, it was wrenching to send our boarding students home with the likelihood that we would not see our seniors back for graduation, and that some of our international students might not return due to visa issues or parents not wanting them that far from home in the era of pandemic. Luckily, I still get to see many of their faces daily. Also participated in my first virtual happy hour last week. Had beers with friends around the country and an hour of Zoom conversation. Lastly, we recently adopted King, a 91-pound, 11.5-year-old German Shepherd, whose former family had to go into assisted living. He was very attached to the man of the family, so he has become bonded to me and follows me around like a shadow.”

Rob MacKay writes: “My quarantine story is that I’ve lost two pounds. Proud. Maybe I’ll make a video like the ‘Sweatin’ to the Oldies’ product so beloved by Richard Barth and Bernard von Bothmer back in the day.”

A note from Juliet Hochman: “As a triathlon coach, I’m researching, testing, and scripting training that my athletes can do at home with no pool, no gym, and often on the bike trainer. Consulting for a global triathlon training company, making a canceled event virtual for athletes around the world. Keeping three Hochmen fed while setting up space in our 1,200-sq.-foot home for all of us to train effectively. And did I mention we are moving? Yes, downsizing! Our timing is remarkable. The dog, at least, is pleased we are all home. Especially as the insatiable appetites of the aforementioned Hochmen means there is always food on the floor.”

Cynthia Day shares: “Greetings from sunny New Hampshire. Nate Emerson’s son, Chance ’18, is a singer/songwriter legend (now at Brown), who recently came out with a new album, The Raspberry Men, that you can find on Spotify. His top hit is “Wandering Mind.”

1986

Amy Sullivan
Amysullivan2009@gmail.com

A note from Aleen Keshishian: “I was heartbroken to hear about the loss of Stan Kirsch. I had the pleasure of starring opposite Stan in Harold Pinter’s The Lover in David Newman’s drama class. It was an intimidating play, and we were both so young. But Stan was the kindest and loveliest partner and it was, by far, one of the experiences I cherish most from my time at St. Paul’s. When I heard the sad news, I reached out to Courtney Cox who remembered Stan fondly from his work with her on Friends and said he was such a sweet man. My heart goes out to Stan’s family and friends at this unbearably difficult time.”