CLASS OF 1987 | 2016 | ISSUE 1
Am I the only one excited about our 30th Reunion next year? (Don’t answer that.) By now, most of us have either embraced or are recovering from the trauma of turning 50. Many of us with kids are becoming empty nesters if we haven’t already, while some of us are starting new families—not to mention new careers! Whatever phase of life you are going through, please keep sharing it with us.
Let’s start with Holly Campbell Ambler: “I live in Cambridge, Mass., with my husband and two teenage daughters … sort of. My oldest, Nora, age 18, is currently living in Florida pursuing her interest in ballet (I still consider that living at home because I can’t get used to the idea that children grow up). My other daughter, Louise, is in 10th grade, and may even agree to visit Wes on her college visits next year! I am working as a social worker in an elementary school in Boston, a job I began this year. I see Trish and John Dorsey frequently, as well as Doug Koplow and family, and Dennis Mahoney. I also had fun catching up with many Davids (David Glotzer, David Josephs, David Igler ’88, and David Witkin) and their families when a few of us met in Chicago last May … did we really turn 50!?”
I love when different people write in about the same events, and I assume DJ is talking about the weekend Holly just detailed above. David Josephs writes: “I will soon be suffering from an empty nest, as my daughter graduates from college in May and I got a great new job. I just joined Visa and am semi-relocating from the Chicago suburbs to San Francisco. Also, a few of us from the class of ’87 who lived on or around what was then Knowles Avenue got together over Memorial Day (2015) weekend to celebrate our collective 50th birthdays.” (Everyone above was listed plus Cindy Willard ’88.)
Susan Arndt “got remarried in August, to Tracey, who is wonderful. She’s from the Gold Coast in Australia so shares my love of the ocean and the beach. Our relatives came from across the globe to share a big house in the country with us for a week and it was a really happy time. Tracey gave birth to our son, Tommy ,on July 8, and his older brothers Jake (11) and Angus (9) are besotted (as are we, of course). They are both growing quickly and filling as much time as possible with baseball, table tennis, gymnastics, music and, of course, Minecraft (homework, what’s that?). Tommy on the other hand is discovering the joys of food (more, please!) and trying desperately to crawl. After an early career in start-ups, and 10-plus-years running big delivery projects mostly in the media space, I’m back to my roots leading delivery for V-Nova, a small high-potential startup in data and video compression software. I keep in regular touch with Peg O’Connor, Amy Baltzell, and Stacy Owen. We’re still in London, where real estate prices are ridiculous but international access amazing.”
Dave Ryan is “currently living the dream, as a mostly-stay-at-home Dad … while working as the associate head writer of Days of Our Lives. My wife, Rachel, and Ripley, our 5-year-old daughter, accompanied me to the Oaxaca Filmfest, where my screenplay, Coffin, just took the top prize.”
Amy Baltzell is the editor of “a new book coming out, which I am very honored to be part of.” You can read about Mindfulness and Performance (Cambridge University Press) at cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/psychology/applied-psychology/mindfulness-and-performance. She adds, “I also became a teacher trainer for the mindful self-compassion program, which I am planning on bringing to sport. I started late with kids—so my tap dancing 10-year-old, rapidly growing 12-year-old basketball player and very tall 14-year-old ballerina are keeping me wildly busy.”
Matt Nestor is “proud and excited to say that my daughter, Miranda ’20, will be at Wesleyan!”
Brad Lubin’s daughter, Gillian ’20, will also be starting Wesleyan next fall and playing lacrosse. “Gillian’s decision to apply to Wesleyan ED1 was made several days after attending the Wesleyan fundraiser performance of Hamilton. Currently, the Hamilton soundtrack can be heard most nights throughout the house.”
In Dallas, Paul Zoltan helped to found the Child Refugee Support Network. Under his supervision the CRSN has, since August 2014, hosted more than 30 legal clinics to assist families and unaccompanied children complete and file applications for asylum. He’d love to hear from any Wes alums in Dallas—especially if they might be inclined to lend a hand.
Josh Bellin has a new novel, Scavenger of Souls (young adult science fiction), due to be published Aug. 23, 2016, by Simon & Schuster.
Sloane Smith Morgan writes that she has been “happily ensconced for the past 20-plus years in the SF Bay Area, and the last eight years I’ve been having great fun being part of the start-up team at Sungevity, currently the largest privately held solar company in the U.S. When not evangelizing about solar, I’m having fun with my husband, Nick, and our three sons, enjoying the best of California’s great outdoors, gardening and cooking with friends and family, and poking fun at expensive SFO real estate, customer experience, and ‘disruptive’ Bay Area tech.
Peg O’Connor “has a new book out this January titled, Life on the Rocks: Finding Meaning in Addiction and Recovery, with Central Recovery Press. It is part memoir and part philosophical ruminations on addiction as both cause and consequence of suffering. Since western philosophy has been grappling with questions about suffering, the meaning of life, and what counts as a good life or a life of flourishing, philosophy has a lot to offer anyone affected by addictions. Just about everyone in the US is somehow affected by addiction, whether one’s own or a family member’s or friend’s addiction.” [Ed. note: See page 16.]
That’s all the news for now. I hope everyone has a great summer! Much love,
Amanda Jacobs Wolf | wolfabj@gmail.com