CLASS OF 1973 | 2014 | ISSUE 3
Steve Kallaugher writes that he’ll be returning to Wesleyan “for the first time in years” this November, as he’s been invited to speak at the African Innovation Summit, which is being put on by the African Students Association. He is still running Young Heroes, the organization he founded in Swaziland. “We’re now supporting just over 1,000 orphans with monthly social transfer grants, medical care, and vocational/business training. I run a great trip there every year. People should check it out at swazicycle.dojiggy.com and join us next year.”
Steve says he has also “done gigs” in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan since he last wrote, working for a large agricultural organization. Otherwise, he says he is living “a quiet life” in rural New England, where he hikes the woods with his dogs and tends his new wildflower meadow and occasionally gets back on stage. “I just closed in Julius Caesar, in which I played the man himself,” says Steve.
Donald Zilkha tells me he has spent most of his career as an entrepreneur shifting focus and investment styles to “suit what seemed to work to build a comfortable lifestyle for my family while safeguarding my reputation.” He says, “I have weathered various financial storms and seem to have done reasonably well.” He says he has three sons and a wife “whom I truly enjoy.” And our heartfelt thanks to Donald for all he’s done for Wesleyan over the years.
Remember our 25th Class Reunion in 1998 when David Feldman led us through some innovative exercises with his harmonica and how he encouraged us to join him during his demonstration? Sixteen years later, David, who also calls himself “David Harp,” is still very busy with motivational techniques. He teaches students in New York about harmonica-based mindfulness. He also tells them about mindful breathing exercises and says he offers a few new HarMantras and “Kirtans” (spiritual songs for harmonica, in the Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist traditions). He says you can find out more information by going to davidharp.com.
David also writes: “New-work-wise, I’m finishing an advanced beginner to advanced level harmonica book and two-CD set for Hal Leonard Music. And (after testing it out on myself, then on my private phone and Skype clients this past year), I’ve just started unveiling—at Kripalu Yoga Center, and soon at the New York Open Center—my new work on applying mindfulness techniques to issues around what I call ‘the preference, desire, habit, and addiction continuum.’” He says the new work is “applicable to issues around unuseful needs or cravings of any sort: diet, attention, money, sex, love, risk, etc.” David also planned to conduct a one-day public workshop Sept. 6th at the Open Center. It was going to include blues, rock, folk, and classical harmonica (with emphasis on the first two styles).
I’ve now been at WFOR-TV, a CBS-owned station here in Doral since September 2007 and everything continues to go well. As an “older” reporter I focus as much as I can on enterprise stories and have found there is some advantage to being older. I tend to receive more news tips because I’ve been around longer and fortunately, more people trust me. So, no retirement in sight yet.
Look forward to hearing more of your news.
PETER D’OENCH | Pgdo10@aol.com