Tag: 1994

Categories Class Notes, Class Notes | 1990sPosted on

CLASS OF 1994 | 2023 | FALL ISSUE

Caissa writes for this issue.

Hello, all! I hope that this message finds you well. My prayers go out to everyone impacted by the wildfires, storms, earthquakes, and other recent incidents. May you and your families be safe.

On this front, my family is well, and all are accounted for, thankfully. As August comes to a close, it feels like another summer flew by rather quickly. Happily, aside from work, I have been enjoying the beautiful weather; spending lots of time with family; and painting with acrylics, as often as possible. This native Bronx girl even took in a Mets game recently and was pleasantly surprised when they won.

In other news . . .

Holly Bennet writes, “As (one of our) class agents, I want to thank you all for your show of support to Wes this year! Great things are happening AND we have a monumental reunion coming up next year—30! (Brooke Singer, you better finally get back to campus.)” She is still out in Southern California and is now building robot cars to “save us from ourselves and to improve our communities and the climate crisis.” Holly adds that she is also grappling with the fact that “our daughter, Eleanor, is going all the way to The Other Coast for college. I’d be totally wretched except she is going to WES! She has already made off with all my ‘vintage swag.’”

Kate Foster shares that she has started a new job working for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy as their Mid-Atlantic director of Trail Development, which is based in Baltimore. She adds, “my two daughters are in college, so I’m learning how to do the empty-nest thing after two decades of having kids at home.”

Joseph Mahoney and Deborah Levin Mahoney ’96 write, “Our son is heading to Wesleyan this fall to be a 2027 grad.”

Well, that is all for now. Congratulations to all and a warm welcome to our future Wesleyan alumni!🎊

Categories Class Notes, Class Notes | 1990sPosted on

CLASS OF 1994 | 2023 | SUMMER ISSUE

Greetings from Chicago! My law firm merged with Atlanta-based Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP and I continue to practice employment and commercial litigation with a little bit of immigration law too. My daughters, Sarah and Norah, who recently turned 14, are graduating 8th grade in June.

On to other news. I had reported in a prior note that Aram Sinnreich and Jesse Gilbert were collaborating on a nonfiction book. They recently completed and submitted the manuscript for The Secret Life of Data, which will be released by MIT Press in spring 2024. Congratulations to them! Aram and his sister Rachel Hope Cleves also have a forthcoming science fiction novel entitled A Second Chance for Yesterday. It will be released by Solaris Books in August 2023 under the pen name R. A. Sinn.

Joe Pickard reports that his family has relocated (again) to the Bay Area in order to be closer to his daughter who started her collegiate career at University of California-Davis. Joe recently started a new position at Sandia National Laboratories as an ES&H coordinator for Sandia’s Livermore, California, facility.

Raya Salter started her own organization, the Energy Justice Law & Policy Center. She also is an appointed member of the New York State Climate Council and finalized the state’s climate plan. She also went viral after testifying before Congress about big oil and earned an attempted takedown by Tucker Carlson. Raya mentions that she saw Ingrid Lunden, Melinda Lombard, and Hayley Buchbinder in NYC in September 2022, along with David Buchbinder ’90.

I last reported that Dave Campbell extended his stay in Japan to continue to work at Dell Technologies in Tokyo for a fifth year. Dave and his family are leaving Japan later this summer.  He and his wife Brenna ran into Wes alums Grace Rubin ’18 and Lucy Rubin ’17 at a Harry Styles concert at Ariake Stadium.

Josh Protas sent a pretty hilarious update about a prank he pulled on John Lewis. In Josh’s own words: “April 1, 2023, will mark the second anniversary of the proclamation by Mayor Ruthann Fuller of John MacDougall Lewis Day in the City of Newton, Massachusetts. What on earth could John Lewis have done to warrant such recognition? The answer leads back to Wesleyan and several friends from the class of ’94 —Jon Bender, Gabe Meil, Tomer Rothschild, and me. John is one of the most caring and compassionate people you will come across. He is also one of the most gullible. And our group of friends has regularly exploited this to our great delight and amusement through a number of pranks, often executed on April Fools’ Day. Fortunately, John also tends to be a bit forgetful, and he regularly fails to remember how devious his friends truly are and he continues to fall for our pranks. In 2021 I reached out to the office of the mayor in Newton (where John lives with his family) about the idea of a proclamation to recognize John’s graciousness and good humor in being on the receiving end of pranks by declaring April Fools’ Day as John MacDougall Lewis Day. As it turns out, two of the mayor’s brothers (and many of her constituents) went to Wesleyan, and she was game.

“Below is the text that I submitted, which was pretty closely incorporated into the official proclamation issued by Newton mayor Ruthann Fuller. She even went to John’s house to personally deliver the written proclamation so that he would know it was for real.”

Recognition by the City of Newton, Massachusetts of John MacDougall Lewis, city resident, husband, father, and mensch

John MacDougall Lewis deserves public recognition, not for his contributions in healthcare management, not for being a caring and compassionate husband and father, not for being an upstanding citizen of Newton, not for being a kind and loyal friend, but rather for his exceptional ability to be on the receiving end of April Fools’ Day pranks.

For many years, John’s friends from Wesleyan University secretly conspired ongoing and escalating pranks to unleash on John, many, but not all of which, occurred on April Fools’ Day. As April 1st approached each year, John either completely forgot about the repeating pattern of history or let his airs of suspicion inexplicably drop. In stunning displays of gullibility and/or a misplaced faith that his friends had reformed their ways, John fell for pranks over and over again (the bag of rocks hike, the airport extra cargo fiasco, the cancelled wedding venue hijinks, the fictitious Golden Shovel award, and the office laptop imbroglio stand out as favorites). What is remarkable about John MacDougall Lewis is how he accepts being pranked with grace, laughter, and respect for the effort put in to fooling him.

We can all use a little more laughter, especially during these challenging times. John MacDougall Lewis can take a joke like a champ and has an infectious laugh that brings joy to those around him.

John’s friends hope that by declaring April 1st John MacDougall Lewis Day in Newton, Massachusetts that John will forget all about the pranks we have pulled on him over the years and will not seek revenge.

And finally, Josh updates that he is “very excited by a career change and a deep dive into the world of vermiculture. With my wife Abby Foss and our children Eli, Noah, and Cory, we have launched District Vermiculture (DV) in Takoma Park, Maryland.” Abby also continues to teach AP Literature at a public high school in Silver Spring.

Operating out of a decommissioned air force hangar, DV has a large footprint and has rapidly expanded the scale of its composting operations. DV was recently recognized by the Vermiculture Association of Mid-Atlantic Producers (VAMP) at the National Vermiculture Expo as Emerging Vermiculturist of the Year and won gold ribbons for worm casting quality and soil complexity. Most exciting, DV has landed Sesame Street’s Slimey as DV’s official “spokesworm.”

That’s all for now.  If you are passing through Chicago—or are in Chicago—look me up!

—Samera

Categories Class Notes, Class Notes | 1990sPosted on

CLASS OF 1994 | 2023 | SPRING ISSUE

Hello everyone! As we draw near to closing out another year, I (Caissa) pray that everyone is doing well; that all are hopeful, encouraged, and looking for reasons to be joyful. I am happy to report that my family and I are well. As we enter the holiday season, I am trying out some new dessert recipes; carving out time to write and paint; all while I juggle my work responsibilities and the many doors that the Lord is opening to me. Having recently celebrated Thanksgiving, I am especially thankful for my family and friends and the opportunity to connect, reflect, and recharge. Also, I’d like to send a shout-out the Miriam Suazo, who continues to minister through dance. Perhaps we can get her to share a video link to add to the digital edition of the Class Notes. My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the entire Wesleyan community.

Ethan Hollander writes, that his 24-lecture series called Democracy and Its Alternatives was just published on Wondrium, formerly known as The Great Courses. Ethan states that the course is very timely, and addresses questions like: “Does democracy have a future? What’s causing it to falter? And is there anything we can do about it?” You can stream it at Wondrium.com; buy it at TheGreatCourses.com; or get it wherever great audiobooks are sold.

Josh Thomases writes, “I have never gotten around to sending in news, but here goes . . . .”  He writes that he and his wife have been living in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, for the last 20 years with their two sons, who are now teenagers. Josh notes that the past decade has seen a lot of change and interesting projects for him. He sat on NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott’s cabinet, leading the instructional work and overseeing the city’s college and career-ready agenda. Since then, he has led in higher education and the charter sector. Most recently he decided to launch his own educational consulting business: IPsquared (at the intersection of program and potential). He writes, “It’s been fantastic so far, allowing me to work closely with extraordinary leaders in schools, districts, museums, and ed-tech toward goals that will impact the lives of children. Plus, it gives me a great excuse to spend time reconnecting with old friends and colleagues, from Ben Pappas, Terry Johnson, Reed Cundiff, and Mike Goodman to Sondy Youdelman and Debbie Marcus ’96. The last few years have certainly had their ups and downs, but I find myself feeling very blessed. I have loved hanging with my family, coaching my son’s baseball teams, going hiking outside the city, and playing with our scruffy dog.”

Categories Class Notes, Class Notes | 1990sPosted on

CLASS OF 1994 | 2022 | FALL ISSUE

Summer is over and the kids are back to school. My daughters Sarah and Norah (teenagers now!) are heading to the 8th grade. Time flies.

John Pollock visited Chicago for work in April 2022 and we had a great afternoon catching up over Thai food.

Aram Sinnreich sold his first novel, a literary science fiction story about a software coder who gets stuck in a glitch that sends her on a backward trajectory through time. The book, entitled A Second Chance for Yesterday, was coauthored with his sister Rachel Hope Cleves, and will be published by Rebellion Books under the pseudonym R.A. Sinn in summer 2023.  Congratulations to both!

Aram also is collaborating with Jesse Gilbert. Together they are completing work on a nonfiction book entitled The Secret Life of Data, due to be published by MIT Press in 2023 or early 2024.

Aram also with his wife Dunia Best produced an album of original music, recorded in their home during COVID-19. The album, entitled Bedfellows, was released by German record label GMO on July 8th, and is available on all streaming platforms, as well as vinyl record and CD. More information at duniaandaram.com.

News from overseas: Dave Campbell has extended his stay in Japan to a fifth year and is looking forward to post-pandemic visits from family and friends. Tim, Ruth, and Priscilla are now out of college and into the workforce (finance, social work, and nursing, respectively). Mary will be starting at Baylor University in the fall, while Phoebe will enter 8th grade at International School of the Sacred Heart there in Tokyo. Dave is eager to host visitors. He writes, “With kids leaving the nest, Brenna and I have more room for visitors as COVID restrictions subside. Reach out if/when you’re able/ready to visit!”

Back stateside: Susannah Paletz continues to live in Maryland with her husband and daughter. Through a series of fortunate events, in August 2021 she became a tenured associate professor at the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, leaping from a soft-money funded professional track position. She adores her collegial, quirky, multidisciplinary college, students, staff, and faculty of all types.

Sasha Chanoff writes that he is married to Marni Chanoff and has two kids, Hayden, 14 and Lailah, 12. Sasha and his family live in Somerville, Massachusetts. Sasha leads RefugePoint, an organization he started in 2005 to find solutions for the most at-risk refugees.

If any of you are visiting or passing through Chicago, I would love to get together.  Please keep in touch!

Categories Class Notes, Class Notes | 1990sPosted on

CLASS OF 1994 | 2022 | SPRING ISSUE

Greetings and salutations to all. Prayerfully, everyone is doing well and is thriving. I am happy to report that my family and I are weathering the pandemic well. Early on, I discovered a knack for sewing and got creative with mask designs that were highly functional, attractive, and at times humorous. I also count myself fortunate to have been able to work from home, as this luxury allowed me to further immerse myself in two of my passions, cooking and baking. I mastered baking sourdough and ciabatta bread, complete with flavorful homemade starter, and enjoyed preparing new culinary delights for lunch every day. Since then, I have returned to the office on a hybrid schedule and started an Aerogarden, which is flourishing with my favorite fresh herbs. I am forever thankful to my family and friends who help me eat all of my creations. Additionally, I am still writing and have added painting to my repertoire as well. My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the entire Wesleyan community. I hope that everyone stays encouraged and safe.

Johanna W. Schneider has been elected to the partnership at Hemenway & Barnes LLP in Boston, Massachusetts. She has more than 20 years of experience advising public and private clients on real estate development projects and real estate litigation. She is also active in industry associations and serves on her town’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

Aram Sinnreich writes that he just signed a contract to publish his first novel. Tentatively entitled SavePoint, the novel was coauthored with his sister, Rachel Hope Cleves, and will be published in 2023 by Rebellion Publishing under the pen name R. A. Sinn via its Solaris Books imprint.

Elizabeth Toohey writes “I’ve never sent in news, but thought I’d finally try it!” (We are so happy that she did!) She adds that she is living in Brooklyn with her husband, 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, and teaching journalism as an associate professor of English at CUNY. She spent this fall in Cambridge, Massachusetts,  on a fellowship at the Nieman Institute for Journalism at Harvard, where she enjoyed hanging out with Jaclyn Friedman ’93.

Categories Class Notes, Class Notes | 1990sPosted on

CLASS OF 1994 | 2021–2022 | WINTER ISSUE

Greetings from Chicago! The pandemic continues with the Delta variant causing increased anxiety and higher infection rates around the country. I hope that everyone and their families, friends, and loved ones are all safe. Summer came to an end and my two daughters returned to in-person school. They are now in the 7th grade!  I caught up with my sister Humera Syeda ’90 in Albany, New York, with her kids and our parents over the summer.

     Suzie Purcell Byers ’94 and Carl Bradford Byers ’93 moved to Spain in September 2020 so that Suzie could begin serving as Head of School at Madrid Montessori. Because of the pandemic, Carl was able to do his venture capital work at F-Prime Capital and his teaching of entrepreneurial finance at Harvard completely online. Also, their older two children decided to take gap years from college so that they could join them. Their son, Jacob Purcell Byers, will graduate from Wesleyan with a BA in Film and English in May 2022, after having earned his masters in Spanish TV writing at ECAM in June 2021. Their older daughter, Emily Purcell Byers, began her undergraduate degree at Amherst College in August 2021. Their younger daughter, Katherine Purcell Byers, just finished a year at American School of Madrid and will continue her high school years at Concord Academy in Massachusetts.

    Kate Gordon ’94 writes that she joined the U.S. Department of Energy as a senior advisor to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. In this post, she will be working to implement President Biden’s executive order calling for an equitable and just energy transition in coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities. Kate previously served for two and a half years as the director of the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and a senior advisor to Governor Newsom on climate policy.

    Jessica Sharzer sent this heartbreaking update: “Wesleyan has been very much on my mind these days. I was a transfer student so I had my orientation with the incoming class of 1995.  I bonded with a guy named Andy Neiman ’95 and we remained friends for the last 30 years.  When he had a psychotic break right after he graduated, I flew out to Saint Louis to see him in a psychiatric hospital. Andy struggled for years with mental illness and died by suicide in June.  I recently traveled to Saint Louis for his memorial and burial and saw a half dozen Wesleyan folks. Although it was tragic circumstances, it was nice to bond with old acquaintances and exchange memories about Andy.” Deepest condolences to Andy’s family and friends.

As you can see, I received few updates.  I know people keep in touch on other social media platforms but please continue to send in updates so that we can include them here too. Stay safe everyone!

Categories Class Notes | 1990sPosted on

CLASS OF 1994 | 2021 | ISSUE 1

Anne Noel Occhialino writes: “Like many others, I have been hunkered down at home for the last year with my daughters (hybrid school), husband (working at home), and one-eyed Golden Retriever (loving every minute of having everyone home!). The highlight of my year was the Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which held that Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and transgender status, as I worked on these cases for the EEOC at the court of appeals level. A silver lining of the pandemic has been monthly Zoom calls with my cross-country friends, including Joe Mahoney ’94, Sean Mazer ’94, Matt Schneider ’93, Jon Chesto ’93, Arthur Magni ’93, Deb Levin ’96, and Amy Dain ’96. Love Wes! For my 49th birthday last week, my father even sent me a Wesleyan T-shirt! Hope my classmates are staying healthy and that the next few months brings a reprieve from the pandemic.

Jonathan Kirsch is running a new mobile health initiative at the U of Minnesota med school, bringing high quality preventative and advanced medical care to marginalized communities, like farmworkers, meatpackers and other jobs where refugees, immigrants and migrants work.

Erika Phillips (formerly Amy Phillips) writes: “The program that I created, manage and facilitate for The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego where I am an Arts Engagement Programs Manager, Reflecting Shakespeare, is a transformative arts program for the incarcerated and justice-involved.  During the pandemic, with generous grants from the California Arts Council and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the program has expanded to reach the Reentry and Youth populations.  For the adult populations on lockdown, our program has transformed to correspondence and video formats.  The videos have been released on The Old Globe’s website and youtube pages and can be viewed by the public at large.  We are currently in Series 3 exploring Much Ado About Nothing through a healing and social justice lens with a panel of hosts that include artists who were formerly incarcerated.  Interested parties can watch and send in their responses.  We will feature community writing in a final episode.

I was also recently featured on Episode 17 of the podcast A Life in the Theatre, where I got to talk all about this work.” 

Eliza Comer reached out to a bunch of friends and provided us with the following updates: “I don’t know if I’ve ever written in, but I used the Class Notes deadline as an excuse to check in with some friends via WhatsApp and text to try get some deets on everyone’s current realities, as well as their TV and movie suggestions. And to continue my tradition of ultimate procrastination (which I honed at Wes and has served me well in my career), I only reached out to people today, the day before the notes were due. And now, in alphabetical order by last name…”

Neeti Bambrah, from DC: “I am still a practicing PM&R physician (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation), doing mostly electrodiagnostic testing and spine in an orthopedic practice. I have been living in downtown DC since medical residency … so have officially been through some interesting times! Especially lately… I still manage to try and get a daily run in by the monuments.”

Julie Beattie, from Colorado: “I’m in product marketing and research in the technology talent acquisition space (working for DHI Group Inc if that’s easier to say). Adam ‘93 and I live in Denver with our daughter who started high school this year at the same high school I attended (although between Covid and how the school has evolved it’s a pretty different experience!). We’ve been thankful to live in CO and enjoy extra ski days this season as a family pandemic activity.” 

Nicole Cho, from Massachusetts: “I’ve been working in philanthropy as an Information Services Manager for over a year in Boston and spent the past year working from home with my husband. Ted Lasso is a must watch for a good laugh and a bit of light heartedness!”

Karine Chung, from California: “I’m a fertility doctor in Los Angeles with two smelly teenage boys, my husband who is a critical care doctor, and our dog Auggie, who we are obsessed with. My favorite pandemic tv series is Ted Lasso because it makes me feel so happy. But also just started watching an oldie but goodie – Freaks and Geeks.”

Nimali Fernando, from Virginia: “The Dr. Yum project, a nonprofit I founded, is holding its annual fundraising event as a Virtual Celebration on Friday, April 16th, at 7pm. Go to https://www.doctoryum.org/ for more information.” 

Adji Gadson, from California: “I live in Los Angeles, a mile from my twin sister, and am working at CAA. With a 30-foot commute instead of 30-minutes, as a long time New Yorker, I have a new appreciation for California!” 

Rula Geha, from California: “I moved to California from NYC in the fall after being in NYC since 2001. Now I am closer to my family. I have one daughter who is 8 years old. I work as a physician consultant for a financial company doing biotechnology due diligence and medical and scientific philanthropy as well as running the corporate health program. Fortunately school is open here, because I was losing it as an elementary school teacher!”

Pammie Nguyen from NY: “We’re in the suburbs north of the city, and I’m still a neuroradiologist, still at Columbia. Mike is still a head and neck surgeon. Our loud rambunctious boys are now 9 and 12 and were happy to play board games with us at the beginning of the pandemic, but that didn’t last long. So we got a pandemic puppy, a Golden doodle named Baloo. And that’s about it! Oh, and Ted Lasso is my latest obsession! And Wanda Vision!”

Kristy Scanlan, from California: “We are moving within the same building, to a 2 bedroom on the other (sunnier) side. Now that I will be WFH permanently, as well as my bf, we needed a bit more space and a home office.  I do not miss the commute and actually really like working from home, but sitting all day at the dining room table sucks.  I look forward to having an actual room with a desk and proper desk chair.  But moving is no fun.  I am up to my ears in boxes. I just started season 2 of Schitt’s Creek (I know, I’m behind).  Love it!!” 

Laurie Sorabella, from Virginia: “In the last several years, I have been restoring oyster reefs in Virginia’s waterways, teaching science, running races (with Claire), and living in Virginia Beach with my husband and three children. My oldest has started looking at colleges, so we’ll be visiting Wes this summer.”

Caitlin Dunne Wilson, from New Jersey: “I am working on Verizon’s next generation network, from home. I have been enjoying the extra time I have been getting to spend with my twin 10 year olds, and the rewards I am getting from homeschooling them. In my spare time, I’ve been busy with my company caitlinwilson.com. If you need serious design help, or just a pretty pillow, let me know.”

Claire Wingfield, from DC: “My nephew will be attending Wes this fall as class of 2025–following in his mother, father, auntie and cousin’s footprints—the 5th family member to graduate since 1991! I have rewatched Schitt’s Creek seasons 1-6 at least 3 times, and Derry Girls twice through, but I’m still stuck in season 2 of Breaking Bad because it stresses me out!”

Sondra Youdelman, from NYC: “I live in Brooklyn, NY and am the Campaign Director for People’s Action, a national network of state-based power-building organizations. I’m thrilled to no longer have to orient everything against Trump (though Trumpism is still alive and well!), and finally be able to work on some proactive campaigns, including being a piece of the puzzle to land the $1.9 trillion federal relief bill that was just secured. Next up – addressing recovery in a way that creates jobs, addresses climate change, and focuses on equity and structural reform! “Seeing people” has been limited of late, but I live a long walking distance from Melissa Woods and have managed a few social distance get togethers with Nicole Davis and Eliza Comer as well.”

And finally, Eliza Comer provided her own update from NYC: “I’m lucky to have had continuous work with Zero Point Zero (mostly WFH), mainly on the CNN series “United Shades of America” with W. Kamau Bell. We managed to shoot 7 episodes across the U.S. from September to February, with serious Covid protocols in place, and nobody got sick. (S6 premieres 5/2.) I’m grateful to be in post production now and am sleeping much better! In my down time, I’ve been tooling around the neighborhood on my new blue Razor scooter, and have been bidding in Housing Works Thrift Shop auctions on various items I don’t need, like a tin chair with a ram’s head on the side, and then praying that someone will outbid me and I won’t have to spend $175 on a chair I don’t really want. I recently re-watched a few 80’s favorites: Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET, and Trading Places. I’ve also joined the 21st century and enjoyed Schitt’s Creek, Tiger King, and Bridgerton, and am just getting into Watchmen.” Thanks for all the updates, Eliza!

As for me (Caissa), I’m happy to report all is well from New Jersey. I completed and received my master’s in adult education in December 2020. I am looking forward to the virtual graduation ceremony to be held this month. I pray that all is well with all of you!

Categories Class Notes | 1990sPosted on

CLASS OF 1994 | 2020 | ISSUE 3

Greetings from Chicago! The pandemic continues and I hope that everyone and their families, friends and loved ones are all safe. I continue to practice law in Chicago—mostly remotely these days—and was recently named my firm’s administrative partner. As many are, I am negotiating working from home with two kids who are schooling from home! I caught up with my sister Humera Syeda ’90 in Albany, New York with her kids and our parents over the summer. I reconnected with frosh hall mate Amy Grundt whose daughter started at Wesleyan this year! Also, I had great fun being a guest on Peter Chandler’s cooking show where Lourdes Arista also made a cameo experience. Check out Peter’s show on Facebook!

Evan Sils writes that he relocated to Los Angeles after 20 years in NYC. He is heading up the in-house legal department and business affairs team at a media company. 

Josh Thomases writes that he is living in Brooklyn with his wife and two sons. He helps run a small school in Brooklyn (El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice), leading the small schools effort in NYC where he helped open 350-plus schools and currently leads a small organization providing high dosage tutoring and mentoring to secondary schools in five cities on the East Coast. Josh keeps in regular contact with our classmates Monique Sully, Terry Johnson, Mike Goodman and Ben Pappas.

Aram Sinnreich announced that he and Jesse Gilbert are writing a new book called The Secret Life of Data, based on an article they published in the International Journal of Communication in November: They recently signed a book contract with MIT Press and hope to have it in print in 2022–23. Congratulations!

Congratulations also to Joel Gershon whose first feature-length documentary film, entitled Cirque du Cambodia, is set to have its world premiere at the United Nations Association Film Festival in October! Cirque du Cambodia is about two teenagers from Cambodia who became determined to be the first Cambodians to take the stage with Cirque du Soleil after seeing one of their videos. The teens learned how to become circus performers at a special school for the arts near their home village and later moved across the world to Canada where Cirque du Soleil is headquartered to attend the world’s most elite circus school after receiving full scholarships. Joel started work on this film in 2011 and tracked the two main characters for more than six years as they continued to try to fulfill their dreams, filming in four countries in three languages! Check out information about the film at cirqueducambodia.com.

It is always wonderful to hear from you all. Please continue to send in your updates!

Samera Syeda Ludwig | samera.ludwig@gmail.com

Caissa Powell | cdp2000@hotmail.com 

Categories Class Notes | 1990sPosted on

CLASS OF 1994 | 2020 | ISSUE 2

Greetings, all. After spending Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico, I was so enamored with the island that I had to fight the urge to abandon New Jersey, open a bakery, and remain in Fajardo permanently. While I enjoy my legal career, I’m still dreaming about the day when I will leave the world of derivatives and have been perfecting various pastries, cookies, and treats in the interim. When I’m not baking, I am writing a book detailing my healing and Christian journey since the loss of my mother in 2017. This past Mother’s Day was an unexpected source of joy, as I delivered my first sermon at Wellspring Worship Center in New York. I am happy to report that in the midst of our changing world, the majority of my family is safe and well. My thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Wesleyan community. I hope that everyone stays encouraged and safe.

Max Belkin and his colleagues recently published a new book, Relational Psychoanalysis and Intersectionality: New Perspectives on Race, Gender, and Sexuality. He teaches graduate courses in individual and family psychotherapy at NYU’s Department of Applied Psychology and supervising psychologist at the William Alanson White Institute in New York City.

Ethan Hollander and his wife, Christie, welcomed their first child in March, a son named Isaac Howard Hollander. He continues, stating that “we have no idea what it’s like having a baby in normal times, but having a baby under lockdown has been strange and wonderful.” He also shares that in November, he was elected to the city council of Crawfordsville, Ind. He and his wife teach political science and economics, respectively, at Wabash College.

Doug Schaer just finished up a three-year stint as chief operation officer of LiveXLive Media, a global digital media company focused on live entertainment, after spending five years at Hero Ventures, producing The Marvel Experience, a global touring themed attraction. He remains on the board of directors at Hero Ventures. While contemplating his next chapter, he continues in the role of chief advisor to Baron Davis Enterprises, which was founded by two-time NBA All-Star and record-holder Baron Davis. He proudly shares that “In this dream role, I am active in overseeing several companies, including No Label, SLIC Studios, BIG (Business Inside the Game) Factory, and The Black Santa Company.” He adds that he “advises on portfolio investments across media, tech, and consumer product ventures.” Doug also notes that both his fourth and sixth graders are at Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences, “which seems to be a feeder school for Wes.”

Aaron Yeater writes: “I am sad to report that our classmate and friend, Amy Morrissey-O’Rourke, died this December. She leaves her loving husband, Matthew O’Rourke, and two beloved boys, Gus and Gabriel. Several of Amy’s classmates helped their family and friends grieve and celebrate Amy’s life at a memorial: John Lewis, Heather Lipkind and her husband, Jason Sunshine, Ben Mahnke and his wife, Elisa, Andrew McNeil, Jennifer Quest-Stern and Kevin Fairley, and my wife, Caroline Marple, and me. Amy was my hallmate and friend throughout my time at Wesleyan, and I am honored by her friendship of almost 30 years. We miss her dearly and will remember her intellect, humor, tolerance, and kindness. For those who wish, donations can be made to Steps to Success Program that promotes equity for students from low-income families in Brookline (PO Box 470421, Brookline Village, MA 02447) or to the National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI; nami.org.”

Samera Syeda Ludwig | samera.ludwig@gmail.com

Caissa Powell | cdp2000@hotmail.com