Author: etaylor

Just as I was submitting this column, I received the word that Marshall Webb drowned this week. He was trying to save two grandchildren while boating on Lake Champlain when a sudden storm came up. As you probably know, Marshall grew up at Shelburne Farms in Vermont and has spent the past 50 years working on environmental issues at the farm, including seeking to reduce the farm’s carbon footprint. His presentation during a panel discussion at the reunion was inspirational. Condolences to all family, friends, and co-workers. He will be sorely missed.

For those of you who attended our 50th-51st-52nd Reunion, I don’t have to tell you much. It seems to be unanimous that it was great. Like many of you, I suffer from some CRS syndrome, so rather than relying on my memory of conversations during those 3 ½ days, I’m going with the e-mails I have received.

I’m starting out with Jeremy Serwer in recognition of all his efforts to get people to the reunion. Enjoyed hanging out with him a bit and hearing more about his shooting-while-riding-horses contests. (No animals were injured, but some balloons were destroyed.)

Jerry Cerasale attended the reunion and hosted a discussion about Vietnam.  He also mentioned that he was running for office. Follow-up: “Well I was elected to the Eastham, Massachusetts, Select Board yesterday. Now I can’t complain about local government—I am local government. Horrors!!” In another note, Jerry commented, “The only ‘unnerving’ thing for me [about the reunion] was when Prince Chambliss told us that when we spoke with a current student it was like when a 1918 graduate spoke to us when we were students—boy, are we getting old.”

Randy Miller still is mayor of (I think) Elizabeth, New Jersey.

You no doubt remember Jamie Kirkpatrick playing his bagpipes from time to time up on the roof. Turns out he’s been writing of late. “For the past seven years, I’ve written a weekly column for three online newspapers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.”  He didn’t attend the reunion, but he did write about it: https://chestertownspy.org/2022/05/10/the-way-we-were-by-jamie-kirkpatrick/. (Check it out for an interesting perspective.)

Rob Baker, visiting Kaua’i at the moment (he has a house on the north side), didn’t attend the reunion but explained why: “I began 2022 in the hospital for 22 days due to a hyperimmune response to an unknown agent. I lost 24 pounds and was unable to function normally for a long time. I was fortunate to fit in cardiac surgery before heading to Princeville where I’m recovering well. I continue to surf and play golf, although not as frequently or well. We’re expecting a third grandchild. That’s about it!”  He’s feeling much better; reported he’s been surfing here lately. We met up briefly recently in Kalihiwai Valley.

Harvey Yazijian didn’t make it to the reunion but attended a minireunion.  “Here’s a brief update post-50th Reunion. Elliot Daum, Marshall Webb, Bill Jefferson, and I converged at Shelburne Farms, Marshall’s ‘Magic Kingdom,’ on the shores of cerulean Lake Champlain near Burlington, Vermont. It was an opportunity for us to reconnect under the best of circumstances. It was the middle of spring and everything was budding. The next day was greener than the last.”

At the reunion, Marshall Webb and Jacob Scherr were on a panel about global warming and related issues. It was both interesting and well attended.

Steve Talbot also was not at the reunion but shared the following: “I skipped the reunion—still not inclined to fly across country during COVID and busy here in California with work and family. But I hope those that went enjoyed it. I will always hold our class and what we did at Wesleyan in high regard. Many, many fond (intense) memories.

“I stay in regular touch with Dave Davis, Bill Tam, and a few others. I’m glad to know that Wesleyan has a strong documentary filmmaking program going—renewed many decades after we launched it back in the late 1960s.

“I’m still working on a documentary film—my pandemic project, longest I’ve ever worked on a film—about Nixon and Kissinger and the anti-Vietnam War movement in 1969. Incorporating some footage from my Wesleyan thesis film, “March on Washington,” that I made with Dave Davis, Bill Tam, David White, Susan Heldfond, and others. The good news is that PBS recently told me they want the film and are willing to put up financing. Much negotiating and editing up ahead, but it now looks like I can complete The Movement and the Madman, by the end of this year. Fingers crossed. https://www.movementandthemadman.com”

Ted Reed made it to Reunion. He’s fine. Still writing. Has a business card with photos of his three books on it. After Reunion, he visited his children and his granddaughter in San Francisco.

Bob Stone enjoyed the delayed Reunion and connected with old swimming friends. (For those who didn’t know this, the old pool in Fayerweather has been transformed. Our class lunches on Friday and Saturday of Reunion were in a lovely dining room where the pool once was. An odd feeling.)  Bob continues to write poignant poetry and posts it on Facebook. Here’s the poem he posted after the reunion:

Our reunion excelled in all ways,

as we relived those formative days.

The intrepid Kate Lynch

made enjoyment a cinch.

Her deft planning is worthy of praise.

Our old classmates remain quite impressive.

Well-informed, erudite and expressive.

They’re incredibly bright.

Display brilliant insight

while their hairlines are growing recessive.

Some required frequent checking of vitals.

Conversations were “organ recitals.”

Codgers long in the tooth

tried reclaiming lost youth,

aided by walking sticks and subtitles.

We saw peers take the lectern and teach:

Vietnam, race relations, free speech,

women’s rights, climate change.

A free-flowing exchange.

And our grasp was in sync with our reach.

We could once again savor the thrill

of a trek to the crest of Foss Hill.

But we’re saddened to see

there’s no McConaughy!

At least Nicholson sits up there still.

For our lunches we gathered together

in a section of old Fayerweather,

at the heart of our school

where the Cardinals rule

among Wesleyan birds of a feather.

When it ended we said fond farewells

in the shadow of South College bells.

Once three more years have gone,

we’ll reprise gamelan.

Just the thought of it and my chest swells!

Steve Masten continues to enjoy retirement and being active in injured raptor rehabilitation.

George Talbot (MD) wrote this short note after Reunion: “Aloha Russ I am still alive, so far. . . .”  (Good to hear!)

Jerry Schwartz made it to the reunion. He writes: “The highlight for me and my wife Janet was taking a crack at playing the gamelan. I’d always wanted to. We don’t live far away, so we drop by for movies and concerts from time to time. Of course, it was great to reconnect with friends from so long ago; particularly Darwin Poritz and Rabbi Jeff Elson.”

Marc Pickard wrote a long piece, which we appreciate. “I am into my second decade of retirement from TV news and having an absolute ball. My wonderful wife of 45 years, Jean, and I travel a ton. She still loves her work in the travel industry (battered by the impact of the pandemic but not bowed) and sees her own retirement still far off.

I am a fly fisherman and have had the good fortune to fish in some of the most beautiful places in the world. I’ve also dabbled in fiction writing—though not very well.

I keep up with a few old farts from my Wes days: Bob Stone, Vic Pfeiffer ’71, Alan Van Egmond ’71, Steve Berman ’72, and Jim Hoxie ’72 .

“Jeannie and I are currently in Cape Town, South Africa, for three months because—why not? It has been our dream to live in beautiful places and we have been incredibly fortunate to be able to do that.

“I am well and active. And there you have it.”

He added, “Thank you, Russ, for accepting the often-unrewarding task of documenting the lives of us cantankerous curmudgeons.” (Hey, I get to read all the news first!)

One of the funny things about reunions is that some folks seem to appear briefly and then disappear. It’s an interesting phenomenon. One such person at the reunion was Maurice Hakim. I saw him just briefly, but he followed up with a full report:

“It was great seeing you and so many classmates last Saturday. It seemed to be an ‘old fogey’ gathering. I wonder what our 55th will be like in 2025! The consensus seemed to be the old age hit when we turned 72–73. It did for me.

“I launched Mister Mo’s Organic Lemonades last summer. These lemonades are the same ones I make for my private label (grocery-store chain) accounts. See link: www.DrinkMrMos.com. Hopefully, these will get the same response and will grow beyond New England.

“Carol and I have been spending the warm months in Clinton, Connecticut, and the cold months in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. But that may change and we may reside full time in Clinton. (See attached pix). The small outbuilding on the left in picture 3 is my Man Cave/office.

“Our daughter Alexandra turns 32 on May 29. She was just 10 days old at our 20th! She’s an internet marketing wiz and on June 1 she starts a new job with Boston Consulting Group. Carol and I are very proud of her. She’s a great and loving daughter.”

The elusive Harvey Bercowitz wrote a long note: “Hope all is well with you and your family. I have enjoyed following your migration to Alaska and now Hawaii. I am well. Sorry to have missed our reunion but there is hope for our 55th! I am retired from medical practice after 44 years. I specialized in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine, treating diving injuries from coastal Virginia and North Carolina and medical urgencies such as severe carbon monoxide poisoning and necrotizing infections. I live quietly on the ocean with my lovely wife Lynn in Virginia Beach, Virginia. We have two children and one granddaughter. I keep in touch with Bob Feldman, Marcos Goodman, David Cantor, and Bob Carter from our class and Chip Bryant and Nathan Nichols from ’71.”

John Yurechko (MD) was on a trip to Alaska as I was gathering news for this column. “Jane and I just got on board a cruise ship doing Alaska. I am in total geezer culture shock. Every step of the journey was handled by young people using cell phones. The airline process? All cell phones. The COVID travel testing process? All cell phones. Canadian and U.S. customs? Cell phones. QR codes. Scanned COVID vaccination record. Dinner reservations and menus all on cell phones. My arthritis hands and 1948 birth year just can’t handle it. Wi-Fi wildlife. Router king crabs. Configure proxy whatever. Half the ship passengers look old. Wheelchairs. Gasp.”  Being nosy (after all, it IS Alaska), I pried out a bit more information: “Three stops. Icy Straight Point, Juneau, Skagway. I wish my old body could explore more but it’s not up to the challenge.”

Mark Mintz made it to the reunion. His note echoes some of John Yurechko’s:  “Our reunion hotel was also where the visiting Middlebury baseball and men’s lacrosse teams were staying and having breakfast each morning. Having had breakfast surrounded by all these 18- to 22-year-olds made me feel that this was my college reunion and not the one over at Wesleyan packed with old men.”

Saw Gus Spohn briefly at the reunion. He, too, followed up with a reunion-within-a-reunion photo and this message: “I’ve attached a photo of the Wesleyan swim team members who attended the 50th. Photo was taken on the deck of the ‘new’ pool. Coach Peter Solomon gave us a grand tour of the very impressive facility. Swimmers, left to right: John Cady ’71; Gus Spohn; Bob Stone; Vic Pfeiffer ’71; Pat Callahan ’71 (and former Wesleyan swim coach); Larry Mendelowitz ’72.”

Had a lengthy message from David Redden, the now-retired, longest-serving, auctioneer at Sotheby’s:

“I can no longer speak. ALS, from which I suffer, has taken away my voice along with the muscles that move my arms, legs, diaphragm and so much more. But ALS has not affected my mind, for which I am eternally grateful. And gratitude goes to an army of caregivers and nurses who attend me day and night, led by the indomitable Jeannette, my wife.

“So, being bed bound for a couple of years now, gives me opportunity to reflect. I consider my life charmed, not so much at Wesleyan where I was somewhat desperately trying to discover myself, but later when I met the most beautiful girl in the world and married her and when I fell into the job I was made for at Sotheby’s and stayed there for rest of my working life, the last 16 of which I served as a vice chairman of the firm. Along the way I dealt with the Kennedy family over the sale of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s estate, Coretta Scott King and her family over the sale of Martin Luther King’s papers, the Forbes family over the sale of the nine Faberge Imperial Easter Eggs inherited from their father, and a thousand other golden moments. This I chronicled in a highly personal and detailed diary, which I titled Diary of a Sotheby’s Auctioneer.

https://www.getty.edu/news/sothebys-auctioneer-david-redden-donates-archive-to-getty-research-institute/

“Now that diary along with a great number of personal papers have gone to the Getty where they will lend the future a taste of the art world of late 20th century and early 21st century.

“This means an important part of me will live on, although what the future will make of my late night ramblings, I have no idea.

“But, of course, there is much more to life than what goes on at the office. I have two children, Stephen and Clare, who in the best Wesleyan tradition, are still searching for themselves; Stephen having spent time at Wesleyan and Clare who is on her way to a doctorate in psychology.

“I have been involved with numerous environmental and cultural organizations, have at one time or another chaired most of them, and appreciate the lasting imprint they have left, both environmentally and culturally.

“And, lastly, I have been blessed to own some of the most beautiful properties in the world, filled with my very personal and idiosyncratic collections.

“I now have entered the most difficult period of my life, the end game, but I still feel blessed to have my utterly gorgeous wife and my children at my side.

“As a footnote I did send to the Wesleyan library a small archive of material from my time as an organizer of Wesleyan SDS in 1968.

With best wishes to all,

David Redden”

Bruce Williams wasn’t able to attend the reunion, but he wrote, “Getting used to living in an older model vehicle. The beautiful, young ER nurse had seen Men in Black and did a credible impression of Rip Torn crawling out of the opening crash site. ‘That’s exactly how I feel,’ I said. Sorry to miss our 52nd but had a great visit and lobster dinner with Mark Fuller and Miles Siegel on Mark’s ‘Reunion Tour East.’ Look forward to our 55th.” And in another note, Bruce wrote, “Sitting here with Mark Fuller and Miles Siegel, who insist that I post this movie: https://vimeo.com/ileife/marvel.

My apologies.”

Tim McGlue also sent a note, “News? You probably know the same things I do about the world, which don’t look good, and we don’t want to think about it. The climate is changing more quickly, and the rich are getting richer while more and more believe their tweets—we all know what happens to the poor. Religious and tribal fanaticism is reaching medieval proportions and ravaging entire peoples all over the world. The virus is morphing. The Devil still wears Prada. God’s identity is up for grabs and nobody knows what they think. The big question is still ‘Who do you love?’ Not enough. Maybe there’s good news in sports.

“A lot of good music and thinking out there, some good writing but I’m still looking for a heart like Albert Camus, Toni Morrison, or Primo Levy. Sometimes I wonder about heart—I find it occasionally in writers like Louise Erdrich. We need more Marvin Gaye, Gil Scott Heron, Neil Young, Buffy Saint-Marie. The WES ’70 Reunion photos were nice—I couldn’t make it, alas. I’m planning on a big trip to the States in the fall, if possible (see above) to see friends (notably my good friend Bill Bullard) and family and to promote my first real book (historical fiction), which is scheduled to come out in September. I hope. I’ll give Wesleyan a holler, with special thanks to the College of Letters and staff of ’70.

“Thanks for the heads-up, stay healthy, and watch your back, all of you.”

Also had a note from Charlie Holbrook: “Leslie and I will shortly return to Old Lyme, Connecticut, from June 1 to October 15. This will enable us to visit Wesleyan and see a few football games this fall and get a chance to see Professor Nat Greene. Professor Greene is still teaching at Wesleyan, and I have had the pleasure of taking a course for credit from him in 2010 and auditing his class nine times from 2012 to 2021 with the exception of 2015. This summer he is not teaching a class but every year we always meet for lunch. Our cottage at Point O’ Woods Beach is 31 miles from High Street in Middletown. I retired from full-time teaching at Beaufort High School in Beaufort, South Carolina, in 2016, then did two years of teaching half-time and two years of subbing. COVID put an end to my extended career in March of 2020. I never had COVID, but at age 72 in 2020, I felt that it was not worth the risk. With no teaching obligations, it has given Leslie and me more time to spend along the Connecticut shore in Old Lyme. We have a good life! Winters in South Carolina and summers along the Connecticut shore. All the best to the Class of 1970.”

David Geller attended the reunion and sent this follow-up note: “Had a wonderful reunion visit to Wesleyan. In general, our classmates have aged well, have had impactful lives—with more to come—and hopefully will return to campus in three years for our 55th. I think that scheduling a reunion while current students are on campus was a great idea and I hope we can make this year’s schedule work the next time we gather together. I attended a cinema class on Thursday morning at the Basinger film center. It was terrific. Off to Italy and Switzerland this Friday, May 13, for 12 days. Will report on trip highlights for the next class update.”

Fun note from Jeff Sarles: “Jeff Sarles suggests the following three panels for our 60th Reunion: (1) Death; (2) Ailments; and (3) Sex and the 82-year-old.”

Gordon Fain was seen briefly at the reunion, too, and wrote: “Gordon Fain, Ross Mullins, and Nik Amarteifio held a minireunion at the student center. Ross helped Nik with a patient Wesleyan store worker (current student age) with Apple cell- phone problems, so we were pleased to sit for coffee nearby. The cell phone was especially important as Nik traveled from his Ghana business site to our reunion. . . .  Meanwhile Ross traveled from Switzerland. We proudly discussed our respective grandchildren in USA and Switzerland. The three of us had started at Hewitt Hall at Wes, which many of you know Wes built some years before we arrived. Hence, as freshmen we had the advantage of strolling downstairs for breakfast and still making the 9 am morning classes. Ross recalled he stayed all four years on our squash team, whereas I played only freshman squash. He told of one defeat by the high-level army team member. The army opponent suffered a hand injury requiring bandaging and a break, but refused to concede defeat, in stoic military fashion. Ross was among our best ’70 players and in the minority that stayed on all four years. . . .

“The Shabbat dinner held by Rabbi and Mrs. Leipziger on Church Street at the newly remodeled Chabad House. Their fine Shabbat meal featured talking with three current Wesleyan wrestlers, once from Dallas, and Wes science grad students, among others. Their 11-year-old boy proudly shared his nondairy birthday cake and filled us in on making a Lego fire truck. Their Wesleyan varsity team has a great match record this year.

“The Wesleyan men’s baseball team has had a winning year in its league but had a tough time pitching to the Middlebury men’s baseball hitters at the Friday afternoon game (first of three).  When we watched in about the seventh (of nine) innings, the score was about 15 to 7. It turns out Middlebury is in top three teams nationally in Division III in hitting, base stealing, and homeruns—that’s what the proud parent of THEIR starting infielder told us while he used his professional, digital camera to capture their hitter stealing two bases, then scoring on a deep fly ball toward Wyllis Avenue. By then, Wes had used nearly all the bullpen pitchers (stationed near the library hill.)  I felt sympathy for the Wes baseball coach quietly signaling his hitters from the third-base coach’s box. They did have one strong inning in the sixth.

“The Public Affairs Center, as those who came now know, has plywood and scaffolding as it’s undergoing major remodeling for government and other departments. The rest of the library hillside and baseball field looked quite familiar.”

Captain John Sheffield wrote this about the reunion: “It was great getting together with so many of you, and meeting many of you for the first time (since, being on the ‘five-year plan,’ I didn’t join the class of 1970 officially until my second senior year). I hope we might get even more ’70 alumni together (on campus or elsewhere) in 2025 for our 55th.

“My hat’s off to Kate Lynch who was tireless in keeping those of us on the reunion planning committee focused on our in-person reunion target throughout these four-plus years. Kate, you’re the best!”

And also heard from Tim Greaney, “Gang: Sorry to have missed what I’m told was a great event . . . only a minor stomach illness that would make a 5.5-hour red-eye very unpleasant and ‘minor surgery’ (the technical medical definition of which is ‘somebody else’s surgery’) kept me away.

“For my update: Just taught my last class at University of California Hastings Law School in San Francisco but will continue my advocacy, amicus briefings, and general kibitzing on health-care law and policy. Happily situated in the People’s Republic of Santa Cruz, California, with two grandkids 10 minutes away. Nancy and I celebrating our 47th anniversary (is that a Wesleyan record?).  Let me know if any of you are visiting the Left Coast.”

David White wrote, “So sorry that health issues kept me away. I very much wanted to catch up with you and others after so long. I very much admire the work you’ve been doing. It sounds like the reunion was a great success. We continue to be part of an incredible class.”

And Ted Reed had this to say about the reunion: “I have many great memories from our reunion, as I know we all do, so I want to share just one. On my trip home to Charlotte, I rode to Bradley International Airport with Prince Chambliss. We arrived early and sat at the gate, waiting for our flight (Prince was connecting to Memphis.). After a while, Ross Mullins showed up for the same flight, and we sat there talking. The amazing thing was that I know Prince from my very first days at Wesleyan—we were both in the French immersion program that preceded regular classes—but I don’t think I had ever spoken to Ross before. So, in Middletown this spring, I saw old friends and made new ones.”

Steve Ossad, he of the gray hair but great hairline, attended Reunion and later sent a photo of another reunion of sorts, a Commons Club roommate reunion captioned “with Phil Casnoff ’71, Graeme Bush ’71, Miles Siegel ’70. Missing Dan Rosenheim ’70.”

He also had this to share about the class dinner: “Regarding the class dinner, especially for the Philosophy majors and students of Victor Gourevitch. I was the one who asked about President Roth’s courses and why he taught them, after praising his imitation of The Voice. Roth and I shared a close relationship with Victor until his death in 2020, and before the dinner, among other things, I asked him directions to the grave.

Below are the course descriptions, readings, etc. Miles Siegel and I (Commons Club) were also the ones who engaged him on the endowment, now at $1.6 billion.”

Steve also attached the following: Virtue and Vice in History, Literature, and Philosophy

https://owaprod-pub.wesleyan.edu/reg/!wesmaps_page.html?stuid=&facid=NONE&crse=014658&term=1229

Philosophy and Movies: The Past on Film

https://owaprod-pub.wesleyan.edu/reg/!wesmaps_page.html?stuid=&facid=NONE&crse=012016&term=1231

“Stay well, I’m lobbying for 55 in ’25.”

Bill Tam read that comment and replied, “Thank you for that vignette. It is those personal stories that trigger memories and make the experiences live. Maybe the 55th can be under better circumstances.”

Bill later sent an account of a minireunion on O’ahu: “On May 9 and 14, Peter and Emi Kalischer, Elbridge and Diane Smith, Steve Ching, and Bill Tam and Mae Isonaga gathered at the Barefoot Beach Cafe, Queen’s Beach (Waikiki below Diamond Head) to catch up on 50 years of professional journeys and personal misadventures. Little did we know how many earlier Hawaii connections we shared.

“Bill and Steve (who are also Punahou High School classmates) both served in the Peace Corps (Sierra Leone and the South Pacific). Steve went on to ophthalmology, public health, and university teaching. Bill went into public interest law (Hawaii water and natural resources) and occasional teaching at UH Law School. Elbridge still practices employment law in Honolulu. Peter (as always) has a new entrepreneurial enterprise which promises to produce energy from . . . [it is still classified].

“On May 20th, all (except Steve who returned to Kauai) gathered at Bill and  Mae’s house in Kaneohe to share dinner and embellish their stories. The next day Peter and Emi returned to Japan where they continue to act as ambassadors at large for Wesleyan.”

Steve Talbot wrote, “Recently, I had lunch with Dave Davis in Oregon. He plans to retire at the end of 2022 after 35-plus years at Portland Public TV. The Oregon & Washington TV Emmy Association will honor him with a Lifetime Achievement Award (“Silver Circle”) in June.”

Steve Talbot’s forthcoming documentary, The Movement and the Madman  (about the 1969 anti-war movement and new evidence of Nixon’s consideration of the use of nuclear weapons in Vietnam) will be shown on PBS next year (after Steve edits it down to 90 minutes).

“Keep your family and friends close. Take care of your health. Be kind to each other.”

Also attending the reunion:

Joel Adams (still working on his COVID drug);

Elliot Daum (still on the bench and looking forward to the next Burning Man).

Late word from Marcos Goodman:

“Headed to Ukraine and Moldova: I often figure out why I’m going where I’m going after I’ve gotten there. This time, I’m a little ahead of the game, but then, that might change. So, this time, pre-trip, I’ve come to conceptualize this route as a tour around the southern old-Soviet sphere. A couple of years ago, I decided to visit the lands of my grandparents, and I went to Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Looking at a map, you’d see that these countries are basically the northwest region of the old Soviet Union. The expected itinerary for this current trip, after a couple of weeks of a non-Soviet start in Venice and Vienna with an old friend, will continue on into the Soviet portion for another four months or so. Prague (Czech Republic), Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary), Timisoara and Bucharest (Romania), Sofia (Bulgaria), and then to Istanbul, Turkey, as a spot to hop from.

“Oh, right, and then there are Ukraine and Moldova, special stops along the way. When I went to Ukraine four years ago, hardly anyone in the U.S. could locate it on the map, even my somewhat more educated friends. Actually, I didn’t really know just where it was until I started making my plans. Now, most people know where Ukraine is, at least they know that it borders Russia. However, very few people I know have any concept of where or what Moldova is, which is part of the reason why I’m going there. Moldova is the European country least visited by foreigners, and it’s the poorest country in Europe. It’s landlocked, although technically it has access to a part of the Danube that flows into the Black Sea. Ukraine is to the south, east, and north, and Romania is its western border. Moldova has one section of it which broke away and is basically a Russian enclave, so it’s a special hot spot, along with Georgia, which had its war with Russia a few years ago but still has ongoing troubles with them. Interestingly, I’ve recently run into a few people with family connections in Moldova, so, hopefully, I’ll be able to spend some time with some locals.

“Yes, I’m headed to Ukraine, although to an area far from the current war action. Weirdly, through two good friends from different universes, I’ve connected with an American who moved to Ukraine 20 years ago, started a family, and bought a place in the country. I’m going to fly from Bucharest up to a Romanian town near the Ukraine border and take a bus across and up to my new friend’s place. He assures me that it’s safe, but I must admit that I’m looking for a bit of intrigue, although not too much. I’ll explain more about Moldova and Ukraine when I’ve had some more firsthand experiences.

“At this time, I’m thinking that I might just fly across Turkey in order to get to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, since Turkey wasn’t a Soviet country, and it probably deserves a separate trip. It’s questionable whether I’ll cross the Caspian Sea and make it to the old Soviet “stans,” Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Maybe I’ll save them for the Turkey trip. Who knows with a lot of this? In fact, I just had some hassle to get on my flight leaving for Venice any minute. The ticket counter wanted to see my return ticket, and I told them that I never know when I’m returning and don’t really know just where I’m going. They didn’t like that, and I had to buy a return ticket in order to board this outgoing flight. This is an EU Schengen Agreement thing that supposedly assures that you don’t spend more than 90 days in the Schengen area. I canceled the return flight as soon as I passed into the boarding area.

“Do any of you know people along my route? Of course, I like the architecture, castles, etc., but I really want to meet local people, not just other travelers. Your connections don’t have to be native locals, as expats would certainly do. Please get in touch with me and let me know of any possible people to meet along the way! Give me possibilities to follow up on. OK, gotta catch my flight. More later.”

Wesleyan has posted some Reunion photos on Flickr:

And this is the link for the Wesleyan Facebook photos, which you do need an account for:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.466093905316769&type=3

I hope that between the two links above, you’ll be able to add photos to your FB page and direct your classmates to the general sites.

Good luck!