Tag: 1994

Caissa writes for this issue.

Hello, all! I hope that this message finds you well. I pray that everyone is having a great year and enjoying the shift into spring. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone that is in a season of healing and recovery.

I know that many are still marveling at the opportunity to view the recent solar eclipse. However, I am still surprised to learn that the Northeast actually has “real” earthquakes. I was working from home last week when I heard an odd rumbling. I initially wondered what could be barreling down the street before realizing that the floor was also shaking. I have added appreciation, and concern, for our West Coast–loving alums who experience this regularly.

I’m happy to report that I just closed on a new house and am in the middle of moving. I’m becoming a regular at Home Depot and Lowe’s as I ponder design ideas and consider my options for the beautiful space. It’s a bittersweet mix of joy and stress. I look forward to having more space to paint, create culinary masterpieces, and invite friends and family over.

I am extremely grateful and thankful to share that my family is doing well. Work is busy, but exciting and I am happily thriving.

            In other news. . .

Charlotte Castillo writes that she is “leading Poderistas, a nonprofit for Latinas focused on power building and driving civic engagement amongst Latinas.” You can learn more about “Latinas who elevate, amplify, and build power through their own actions and by harnessing the power of the collective,” by visiting https://poderistas.com/. Charlotte also shared that “I live in Riverdale with my 14-year-old son and am adjusting to life as a widow. I am also keeping busy serving as co-chair of WesLAN, Wesleyan’s Latinx Alum Network, and as the reunion ambassador for our class.” Charlotte is “hoping to see everyone on campus for our Reunion in May and for Homecoming weekend’s Latino Alumni celebration in November.” She adds that “I live close by and spends lots of time with Cynthia Centeno ’93 and Lisette Nieves ’92, and recently had catch-ups with Tanya Schneider Robinson and Wendy Nivar.”

Kate Foster provided an update that she is “still in Baltimore.” She writes that “both my daughters are in college—one at UNC–Chapel Hill, studying photojournalism at the Hussman School of Journalism; and the other is studying philosophy and dance at Tufts, while also serving on the mock trial team.” Kate continues to serve as the Mid-Atlantic director of Trail Development with Rails to Trails Conservancy, which “allows me to work out of Baltimore and also takes me to D.C., Philadelphia, and Camden, New Jersey, on a regular basis.” She adds that she “saw Sondra Youdelman while in NYC last summer and has also been able to see Tyrone Williams when in Medford visiting her daughter at Tufts.” In closing she said, “Life is good!”

Matthew J. Fraser writes that he “enjoyed three semesters at Wes and grew very fond of my classmates but did not feel right not playing football in 1991.” Upon further inquiry, I also learned that Matthew later enjoyed kickboxing and grappling as an adult. He also shared that “in 1993 I was hired to be a full-time page for the Massachusetts State Senate, where I learned a great deal, while getting to know disabled champion Fred Berry (D-Peabody).” He “got an interview thanks to a man that was very active in the city at the time—my father. One perk of the job: I was allowed to use the Senate Reading Room, and I read there every day. Strange as it sounds, in a whole year, I think I saw someone else in there reading once. Seriously, once.” Now, in 2024, he is happy to announce that “the second edition of my book, Critical Infrastructure for Children: the Astonishing Potential of New England Schools, came out, with a strong four-page section on how supporting the disabled is synonymous with supporting the Massachusetts economy.” He adds fondly, “I will always call Boston home.” 

Zanne Gerrard shared that “I am directing an outdoor production of Henry VI: Parts 2 and 3 for GreenStage to be performed in parks around the Seattle area this summer.” It will run from July 12 through August 17. She added that she has “recruited Ian Gerrard ’91 to join the show as a props designer to help with the manufacture of several severed heads.” Zanne invites anyone that will be in the Seattle area, to “come see this tale of the War of the Roses and the becoming of Richard III. You can also check out  last summer’s production of Henry VI:  Part 1 on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4IZ45kO48fs?si=ADlxHHp1Jg_qE6_k.” Zanne hopes to see everyone at this year’s class reunion. 

Joseph Mahoney and Deborah Levin Mahoney ’96 have a son, Noah Mahoney, who continues the family legacy as a member of the Wesleyan Class of 2027. Joseph notes that Noah “is a freshman there. They apparently don’t say ‘frosh’ anymore. While the campus seems less radical than when we were there, he is taking a course on zombies.” I later learned that the zombies course is a religion class with a connection to Haiti. I await an update from Joseph to hear what Noah has to say about the class.

Michelle Montalbano MD writes that she is “an allergy/immunology specialist in Tulsa, Oklahoma.” She added that she and her “adventurous teenagers tent camped on a journey to New Mexico in 2023. Our excursions included stops in Taos, Chimayo, and Sante Fe, New Mexico, as well as Black Mesa State Park in Oklahoma.” I later learned that Michelle and I were both members of Ebony Singers while at Wesleyan and really enjoyed the experience.

Aram Sinnreich writes that he “and Jesse Gilbert have published a book entitled The Secret Life of Data: Navigating Hype and Uncertainty in the Age of Algorithmic Surveillance that was released by MIT Press in April 2024 and distributed by Penguin Random House. The book launch event was at the Microsoft New England Research & Development (NERD) Center, in collaboration with ACLU of Massachusetts. More information about the book is available at https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262048811/the-secret-life-of-data/.”

            Deborah Sorin writes that she has “been emailing and talking to classmates about the reunion and giving to Wesleyan.” She was happy to share what she had heard and added that “as a former secretary, I know how hard this job is.” Deborah went on to share that Aaron Pyles is “living in St. Paul, Minnesota, and working for a supply-chain software company called ‘Manhattan.’ Aaron added that he and his wife, Carri, “just moved into a new house and have been busy sanding floors and that sort of thing.” Deborah also connected with Aundrea Almond who writes that she “is in Wilmington, Delaware, where I work in county government.” She is currently chief of staff for the county commissioner. Lin (Zhong) ter Horst also connected with Deborah and shared that she “lives on Maui, where she has a small agro-processing company that makes purees and candy from Hawaiian produce.” Deborah had the opportunity to visit with Lin while on vacation a few years ago. She says, “Lin’s products are ‘Soooo good!’ You can try them for yourself by visiting https://www.mauifruitjewels.com/.” Lin added that “we have been doing as well as anyone could have after the August wildfires. The island economy has taken a big hit and there is no sign of improvement any time soon. We are starting to focus on e-commerce, which we have not had the time to leverage until now. We are also hoping to lease some farmland in the future to cultivate passion fruits.” Deborah also heard from Rula Geha, who writes that she “lives in San Diego with her 11-year-old daughter.” Rula adds that she was “formerly in general surgery and have moved into health-care consulting. Look me up if you’re in the area.” Rod Wallace also connected with Deborah, and shared that he is “in Wilmington, Delaware, working as part of a coalition to prioritize the role of nutrition in public health. As the creator of the Foundation for Innovation in Healthy Food, me and my team are currently working to increase the amount of dietary fiber in wheat.” 

Like many of our classmates, Deborah was looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion. Kudos, Deborah! I appreciate your assistance in garnering news and support for Wesleyan.

Greetings from Chicago! I cannot believe another year is coming to a close. I continue to practice law at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP. I was honored to receive the 2023 Vanguard Award from the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago for “making the law and legal profession more accessible to and reflective of the community at large.” My daughters, Sarah and Norah, started high school this fall.  I hope to see many of you at our 30th Reunion!

In other reports received from our classmates:

Raya Salter writes that she has been very busy raising awareness of the fact that the chair of Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees, John B. Frank ’78, is a director of the Chevron company. She has been active with alumni and students to raise attention and wrote an editorial for the Argus, gave a lecture on campus in October, and took part in a rally.

Karen Gaffney writes that she lives in Somerville, New Jersey, and is an English professor at Raritan Valley Community College. Karen also is serving as a reunion ambassador for the Class of 1994 and is looking forward to our 30th Reunion.

Aram Sinnreich and Jesse Gilbert have coauthored a new nonfiction book entitled The Secret Life of Data. The book will be published by MIT Press in April 2024, and distributed by Penguin Random House. More information about the book is available here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/739508.

Happy holidays to all of you, and hope to see you at the Reunion! 

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!🎊

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

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.”

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!

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.

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!