CLASS OF 1971 | 2025 | FALL ISSUE

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Aloha, classmates! Here is the longer version of your class note for this issue of the alumni magazine—more than twice as long as the 800-word magazine limit. Thank you for these wonderful notes.

Bob Yaro writes, “I retired 10 years ago from my day job in Manhattan, where I ran an urban policy group, and five years ago from teaching urban planning at Penn. I continue to engage in efforts to build high-speed rail in the Northeast and across the U.S. and to rebuild New York’s Penn Station. And I’m in my sixth year as chairman of the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, Rhode Island—reflecting my lifelong passion for classic boats. My wife, Susan (Smith ’72 and Wes 12 College Exchange), and I are headed to Nantucket and the Vineyard this summer on our newly restored wooden powerboat, where we plan to visit Blake Allison and his wife, Lindsay, at their place on Chappaquiddick Island. We delight in having our kids and four grandkids (ages 6–10) all close to home in Guilford, Connecticut —but unlike many of you who’ve lived all over the world, we’ve only gotten 21 miles from Middletown in 55 years!

From Stephen Ferruolo: “Time flies. . . . We are just back from Stephen’s (Wes ’20) graduation at SLS (Stanford Law). It was an impressive celebration, somewhat overshadowed by recent events. As much as the speakers tried to be encouraging to the new law grads and to inspire them to resist and not capitulate (as the nine prominent law firms have done), there was a clear sense that we are in uncharted territory, and no one knows where this all will end. Most evident was that there are likely to be many fewer international students at Stanford (and other U.S. universities) in the years to come.

“I have nothing much to report, other than Stephen’s graduation and that I have decided to continue to teach full time for a while longer. I continue to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees of Kuwait International Law School and was in Kuwait in May for a board meeting.”

Warren White says, “I recently joined a VMHC tour of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is celebrating the 250th anniversary in good style. The tour included Elfreth’s Alley, possible work site of my indentured, 1745 immigrant-ancestor Joseph Wilkins Marshall. The Bellevue Hotel provided very comfortable lodging and while someone mentioned this was the origin of Legionnaires’ disease in 1976, it did not occur on our trip.”

C. B. (Kip) Anderson writes, “It’s been a long time. I always enjoyed our encounters, whether as fellow students or as alumni. Life is weird. I alternate now between fooling around with my three grandchildren and falling back on my longtime bad habits: gardening, writing poems, drinking single malt Scotch whisky, and cultivating cannabis. About the last, I must admit that it was much more fun when it was illegal, but its legalization is about the only thing I have good to say about Massachusetts.”

From Phil Rauch, “Officially retired the end of January 2025 after two years of ‘of counsel.’ We are spending the summer/fall in our house in Vermont, where I am volunteering, hiking, fishing, and playing golf. Also spending more time with the grandchildren. Still on the Wesleyan board but will go off next year. Still traveling a fair amount—last trip was to Morocco.”

And from Andrew Glantz: “Greetings from Scottsdale. Roberta Adams, my wife of 39 years, and I continue to enjoy life and work here in Arizona, although Roberta is retiring in January. She has been the director of Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant at Phoenix Children’s/Mayo Clinic since 2002. I’m still making furniture and teaching furniture making and design. I taught at the Wendell Castle Workshop in June, as I did last year. This is an amazing school, situated in Wendell Castle’s old studio. We spent three weeks in April in Australia, most notably on an island in the northwestern part of the Great Barrier Reef, a great snorkeling and diving area. I’m in the throes of renovating our kitchen—we have been here for over 20 years, and it has just made it to the top of the list. Lots of changes and destruction and great fun. Come on out and visit!”

John Schimmel writes: “I had the opportunity to visit Bob Wienner in hospice before brain cancer took him from us in June of ’24. (His obituary can be read here.) Bob was pretty thoroughly nonverbal by then but, blessedly, he could still laugh. We did a lot of that, especially on the day our Wesleyan roommate Jeff Waxman ’70 joined us. And speaking of Jeff, I just learned that we are going to be in London at the same time in August, great news since we don’t get nearly enough time to visit. Jeff will be visiting his son. I’ll be in the UK for work for most of the summer (I’m still producing narrative content for Cloud Imperium Games, and I’ll be seeing a first cut of a generative AI film I’m producing), but then my wife and two of our three kids are meeting up in London at the start of a much-overdue holiday for Maureen and me: London for fun; Manchester, so she can see the game studio; Edinburgh for the theater and fringe festival; Dublin for more theater. Our youngest has been living with us as she solidifies her transition out of college and into the workforce, but she’s looking to move out soon. Empty nest awaits us.”

From Katy Butler:“I’m not sure I’m transitioning. I still cling to my identity as a writer and often get up at 4 a.m. to write, though it’s harder to find publishing outlets, due to my age and changes in the media landscape. (I think I already let you know I was a finalist for a National Magazine Award in 2025 for an article in Tricycle, the Buddhist magazine.)
Exercising has become a half-time job, necessary for my survival and ‘healthy aging.’ I have to follow the advice in my own book (The Art of Dying Well). I swim three times a week at a community pool and just started weight training at the local community center. My energy isn’t what it was: I take a nap every afternoon or I’d fall over like a redwood tree. I have returned to my earlier infatuation with Zen and joined a local sitting group.

“In the meantime, my relationship with Brian Donohue, my second husband, continues to deepen. His touch gets more tender, I grow more honest and open, I get along better with my two stepsons, and we both get happier, more self-aware, and more grateful.  We are both in awe of what’s possible so late in life. We aren’t rich, but we’re lucky enough to have no money troubles and no debt and to live in a beautiful place, two blocks from a Whole Foods. (You should see the camellias in the backyard when they are blooming in late winter!)

“We have updated the upstairs bathroom and added grab bars. We know we should add a walk-in shower downstairs but find it too daunting! Projects I would have rushed into decades ago with little anxiety are emotionally harder now. 

“Brian continues to lead sing-alongs once a week in a memory care unit—they respond to him more and more by the week. It’s a ministry, a calling, and the source of a little income. I am working on a memoir of growth and healing, still trying to slim it down and figure out what the ‘plot’ or elevator speech is and mindful that it can’t include everything about my adult life but the kitchen sink. I have lost my hotshot New York agent over this project, which she abhorred. It’s a labor of love, not a money project.”

And a non-transition note: From the proud poppa, a press release from Steve Leinwand about his son, Ethan ’05:

Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation

Ethan Leinwand brings a powerful and deeply authentic voice to the world of early American piano music. Specializing in barrelhouse blues and St. Louis-style piano, Ethan’s performances are a raw, rhythmic, and riveting celebration of a tradition that helped shape the foundations of jazz and ragtime. His unique blend of musicality, storytelling, and historical depth makes him a standout in today’s traditional music scene. 

Based in St. Louis, Ethan is deeply immersed in the city’s rich musical legacy and has become a leading voice in preserving and promoting its distinctive sound. He is an active member of Friends of Scott Joplin, a St. Louis-based organization dedicated to honoring the legacy of the King of Ragtime. Through this work, he also helps organize and host the monthly Ragtime Rendezvous, a community-centered event that brings musicians and fans together to celebrate ragtime and early jazz. 

In addition to his work as a performer and advocate in St. Louis, Ethan serves on the Board of Directors for the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation, where he plays a key role in supporting the festival’s mission and artistic direction. His involvement reflects both his passion for the music and his commitment to ensuring its future.

Whether he’s delivering a gritty blues number, an energetic stomp, or a soulful slow drag, Ethan captures the heart of a bygone era with integrity and spirit. His music is alive with character and history, and his performances leave audiences feeling as if they’ve stepped back in time—and discovered something timeless. 

We’re proud to welcome Ethan Leinwand back to Sedalia, where his artistry, leadership, and dedication to community continue to make a lasting impact on the ragtime world. 

That’s all for this time. Keep sending those emails on how you are progressing in this life. Take care and peace!

NEIL J. CLENDENINN | cybermad@msn.com
PO Box 1005, Hanalei, HI 96714