Yale Service Tours and Day of Service

As we enter the holiday season, you may be thinking of what 2009 will bring.  No doubt, we will face challenges, both personally and as a nation.  As a group, though, our class has been blessed with a number of advantages and we will have an opportunity to play leadership roles in our communities.  Yale is offering a few opportunities next years for us to give back to our communities through the Yale Service Tours, which are trips outside of the US.

Yale is also planning a Global Day of Service on May 16, 2009.  Look for details early in 2009 about service projects in your area.

Please think about participating.

Yale Service Tours: Home

Yale Alumni Exchange with Japan

Recently, Kathy Edersheim has been spending a lot of time volunteering with AYA to implement the Global Alumni Leadership Exchange program which took a group of 60 Yale Alumni leaders and families to Australia in August to work with the Australian National University and their alumni. In 2009, the program will be in Japan to work with the University of Tokyo and a consortium of universities in Tokyo and Kyoto. You can check out the project and the trips at www.galesig.org.

News from Darcy Troy Pollack

Darcy Troy Pollack wrote in the following news: "I am still living in Los Angeles, married with two kids... nothing new there. However, I do have something new to report: Anna Barber (class of '90) and I have founded a business called Scribble Press. Scribble Press is the first ever store where kids (and adults) can write, illustrate and publish their own books and other products. We launched our first store in Los Angeles this May and are planning to open additional locations soon. Check us out at www.scribblepress.com. Even if you are not in L.A., you can create books, notepads, notecards and more through our website!"

News about Paul Doiron

I heard from Paul Doiron recently via Facebook. Paul Doiron is the editor in chief of one of the premier regional magazines in the country, Down East: The Magazine of Maine. After college, he lived for a while in Los Angeles, at the ragged fringe of the movie industry. Missing the North Woods, he returned to his beloved state of Maine, where he was promptly struck by lightning while camping with two friends in the White Mountains - a harrowing event that nearly claimed two lives. The first and only feature screenplay he ever wrote (as his graduate thesis for Emerson College) was filmed in 2005 and released by Lionsgate Entertainment as Drop Dead Sexy, starring Jason Lee, Crispin Glover, and Brad Dourif. Before coming to work at Down East, he was the executive director of the groundbreaking writer's center, Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance. Paul has won multiple awards for his journalism from the International Regional Magazine Association and has published features in Yankee and Fly Rod & Reel, among other publications. An avid fly-fisherman, birder, and hunter, Paul lives on a trout stream in Camden, Maine, with his wife, the poet and environmentalist Kristen Lindquist.

News from Tim Calkins

Tim Calkins wrote to me to let us know what he is up to. He writes: "I'm currently clinical professor of marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. I teach marketing strategy and branding. My new book is called Breakthrough Marketing Plans. It is a short, simple guide to creating a good marketing plan. I saw the need for the book when teaching MBA students; people really struggle to create a good plan, and th existing guides are not that helpful. The book has been well received so far. It seems to have touched a nerve...people really are trying to create better, more focused plans in this tough economy." Tim's websites are: www.breakthroughmarketingplans.com and www.timcalkins.com.

An e-mail I received requesting some historical information

Dear Class Secretaries,

I’m writing an article for the Yale Alumni Magazine on party suites—the rooms that most Residential Colleges designated (and supported one way or another) to throw parties—Silliman’s Beach Club, Branford’s God Quad, Calhoun’s Bookworld, etc. The article will consist mainly of anecdotes from alumni of all ages, thei r funniest and craziest memories from living in or visiting party suites while at Yale.

Would it be possible for you to forward this email to your class’s list serve so that members of your class will have the opportunity to contribute stories for the piece? Many of the suites have long tradition sand I’d love to hear more about the history behind them, as well as any stories that might illuminate how partying has changed over the years. Or things that are just plain funny. Anyone who’d like to contribute can reach me at this email, benjamin.conniff@gmail.com. I can certainly make your story anonymous if you’d prefer.

Thanks so much for your help, and I look forward to hearing from you and your classmates.Best wishes,

Ben Conniff, JE ‘07Benjamin.conniff@gmail.com

Yale Daily News from the Obama Transition

The Yale Daily News writes about the Yalies in the Obama transition team. Apparently, the Class of 1987 is well represented. Writes the YDN: "A lot of people who volunteer are doing it out of a sense of service -- service to the county and the president-elect," said Lihn Nguyen '87, co-lead of the Office of Personnel Management Review Team and president of Albuquerque-based Morningside Consulting. "Most are not doing this as an entree, but as an opportunity of service. That's certainly how I'm approaching it."

A Note from Minter Dial

I received a nice e-mail from Minter Dial. Minter writes: "My wife, Yendi, and I are now well installed in Paris having moved here in late 2006. Our son Oscar, 12, is now in boarding school in England (like father like son) learning to play rugby and (real) football. Daughter, Alexandra, is 9 and lives with us at home, learning piano and dancing Capoeira. We hang out with Stephen Groff (Y86) who also lives in Paris and will be visiting the Groffs in Bataan, Philippines, after Christmas. I am working at L'Oreal and running the International Professional Development worldwide for the Professional Division. This job includes running the Division's eBusiness (internet and intranet) as well as developing a Sustainable Development strategy. In my free time, outside of family life, I am playing lawn tennis and real (court) tennis and, to channel my desire to write, am a dedicated blogger (http://minterdial.com). Either come visit me in Paris or on my blog in the interim."

Happy Thanksgiving

Dear Classmates,
When the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving, they gave thanks not because the preceding year had been easy, but because it had been difficult and yet they had seen it through.
For many, including me, this is has been a very difficult year. But as I sit down for dinner tomorrow, I will do so with a thankful heart. I will be thankful for my family and thankful for my friends - all of whom made the most trying parts of this year a bit easier. And I will be thankful that 2008 marked a new beginning for the Class of 1987 - the beginning of a greater sense of community among our classmates.

2009 looks to be another year of challenges. May we face whatever challenges the New Year may bring by supporting each other and may we all look back on 2009 this time next year with hearts that are thankful.

Wishing you and yours the happiest of Thanksgivings.

Tim

News from Adam Reeder

Adam Reeder, who lives in Manhattan, writes in: "DeAnnie and I are having a great time raising our sons, Ethan (11) and Austin (8), who are thriving! We all just got back from four days in Moscow -- an amazing trip! I had not been there for 25 years . . . how incredible to see (and feel) the changes!"

News from Bill Grimes

Bill Grimes wrote in with some news:

"My new book, Currency and Contest in East Asia: The Great Power Politics of Financial Regionalism, has just been published by Cornell University Press.  It is the first book-length study to be published in English on financial cooperation in East Asia.  Financial regionalism is of major interest in East Asian capitals from Tokyo and Beijing down to Bangkok, but it has gone mostly unnoticed except by a small number of academics and Treasury officials in the US.  Anyone who has an interest in being the only person in his or her social circle who knows about this topic should buy my book.  Actually, I welcome book purchases for any reason, whether curiosity, an appreciation for a pretty cool cover, loyalty to a classmate, or guilt.

In other news, Melinda Stanford (also class of 1987) and I recently celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary.  We feel fortunate for all the happy years together and look forward to many more.  Our daughter Isabel is now in kindergarten and loves it.  We are frankly jealous of all the great projects and activities they are doing.  Our 3 1/2 year-old son Will has emerged from a year of major transitions (good-bye to crib and diapers!) as an engaging little boy whose only major bad habit is growling at people when he is angry.  He has decided he wants to be a superhero when he grows up.  Melinda continues to teach voice students and do her own music on a part-time basis, as we juggle our schedules so that we stay involved as full-time parents.  Life is good, although we do notice that our ambitions have increasingly focused on fantasies of more sleep."

Yale/Harvard Tailgate

In my never-ending quest to bring classmates together, I announced recently a Class of 1987 tailgate atthe Yale/Harvard game.  What could be better than enjoying a nice November afternoon with some classmates and their families?

When I first hatched this plan, my wife, Lisa, warned that it might be cold.  "It's always freezing at Harvard," she reminded me.  A Michigan native, I was not deterred by the thought of a cold day.  The average temperature this time of year is about 50, after all. I was sure that the bright sun would keep us warm.  (As those who attended can attest, I was wrong.)

The night before the tailgate we packed the car, which made our pre-dawn escape the day of the Game much easier.  As we drive from Connecticut to Cambridge, we tracked the outside temperature on our mini-van's thermometer -- 14, 15, 20, 18, 22.  Lisa was right, it was going to be cold.  Really cold.  Yet, we trekked on, arriving at our tailgate spot around 10:00 a.m.

We set up quite a spread -- hotdogs and hamburgers and hot chocolate were the best sellers.  The grill doubled as a warming spot.  But, the best part of the day was our conversion of the back of the mini-van to a children's warming hut.  At the peak of the morning, after classamtes and their friends arrived, we had 12 kids of classmates hanging out in that van at a time.  When we finally decamped for the game, it was like a circus clown car, with a never-ending stream of kids spilling out.

One of the highlights of the day was when some hungry and cold current students came by.  Lisa, ever the Italian mom, couldn't help but feed them.  "What class were you in?" they asked.  When Lisa told them that we were in the Class of 1987, they responded in unison, as if they had rehearsed it -- "We were born in 1987."  Lisa and I looked at each other and, without saying a word, could read each other's mind: "These could be our kids.  We can't be that old!"

Despite the age gap, we had a great conversation with these current undergrads.  They are worrying about the same things we worried about when we were seniors -- Where am I going to work?  What is the best career for me?  These seniors were enjoying the day, but their comments made it clear that they are facing a future colored by anxiety about the current economy.  It is a notable coincidence that the current seniors, born in 1987, are facing some of the same uncertainty that we faced just after graduation in the fall of 1987.  

The 1987ers that actually made it into the Game were reminded just how cold Harvard Stadium can be.  Lisa, it turns out, was absolutely right about the weather.  And, Harvard didn't make things any better -- for some reason Harvard's stadium feels a good 10-15 degrees colder than the outside temperature might suggest.  Maybe it's the concrete seats.  Maybe it's the layout of the stadium.  Maybe it's that Harvard Stadium was designed by Dementors from the Harry Potter series.  Think about it . . . that would explain a lot.

So, with the 2008 Yale/Harvard tailgate in the history books, we turn to 2009 class events.  Feb Club Emeritus is just a few months away.  And, we will spend the next 12 months retooling the class tailgate concept, with a heavy emphasis on warmth.  

News from Steve Harper

I ran into Steve Harper at Kara Unterberg's cocktail party in November. Steve told me about his new musical -- The Truth About Magic. Here is a brief write-up:

Fourteen year old Ginny Chen is a natural problem solver: she goes to school, helps pay bills and keeps her 20 year old brother Miles in check. When the Statue of Liberty vanishes, and Miles, a budding magician, claims he did it, Ginny?s world plunges into chaos. With Miles in jail, earthquake tremors inexplicably rocking Manhattan, an overzealous civil servant eager to put Ginny in foster care and the appearance of a mystery woman who just might be the statue in human form, Ginny?s problems, for once, are more than she can handle. Or are they?

The Truth About Magic is a new musical about one girl's struggle to keep her family together, maintain her sanity and restore order to her world. In this comic tale of survival and love Ginny?s journey takes her all the way to the Oval Office as she comes to terms with a family secret and the awesome possibility that magic is real. Original Story by Wendy Fang Chen, Hane Landers, Steve Harper.

For those of you who have not kept up with Steve since graduation, he has been very, very busy. His plays include Urban Rabbit Chronicles (Weissberger Nomination), The Escape Artist's Chidlren, The Laundry Channel, This is Now, Actual Cost and Iggie Imagines Marriage. Other work includes the shot film, Betty on the Bed (also director and actor), the radio pilot The Real Deal (co-writer) and the martial arts feature Undefeatable (co-writer). As an actor, Steve has appeared Off-Broadway (Atlantic 2), at major regional theatres (The Guthrie, The Kennedy Center) and on national television (Law & Order: SVU & CI, Rescue Me). Awards: Telly Award, Le Compte du Nouy price at Julliard, MacDowell Colony NEA fellowship and the Skidmore Residency for Artitsts of Color at Yaddo.

If you're interested in learning more about Steve's show, please e-mail him at harpercreates@mac.com.

News from Christopher Franck

Christopher Franck wrote in the following: "2008 has been a busy year for us. After reluctantly leaving Manhattan in 2007 to test out the benefits a suburban existence might provide our two young children, we finally capitulated and bought a home in northern New Jersey. In April, my wife Cay and I welcomed with love our third child, a daughter we named Cecilia Catherine. Then in August I returned to my professional roots at Deloitte Consulting as a Partner in the life sciences strategy and operations practice based in New York. Needless to say, we're all looking forward to a year without moving, changing jobs, or having another baby!"

More Yalies Needed to Help People Make Wise Health Decisions

Elliot Turrini reports that he and fellow 1987 classmates Rob Long, Graham Anderson, and Cliff Simpson are trying to develop a more effective approach to proactive health, which will make it easier for people to eat right, exercise, build strong relationships, and keep their minds sharp. Too many Americans are making unwise health decisions, creating billions in preventable health care costs. The guys have found that neuroscientific advances are shedding light on why people "just can't do it," revealing that the unhealthy American environment has "trained" many of our brains towards unhealthy actions. They are passionate about addressing this problem, and they'd appreciate any and all help from the Class of 1987. Their effort involves combining the science of behavioral change (both neuroscience and psychology); entertainment (particularly video humor); and web and collaborative technologies -- which means there are lots of ways to contribute. You can contact them at Elliot@CollaborativeHealth.net. If you help, Rob Long promises to make you laugh.

Books by classmates

As you may have noticed, I have started to list books written by classmates on our website and the class blog. I was so interested in this diverse body of work that I have started to read them.
Being a Literature major, I started with a work of fiction - Claire Messud's "The Emperor's Children". It was a great place to start.

Claire's books have been extensively reviewed, and I won't attempt to review this book here. I will say that I found the book to be thought provoking and beautifully crafted.

My only other observation is about perspective. There was a time when I would have more closely identified with the younger characters in the book, thirty year old friends from college striving to find their way in the world. Although I could identify with some of the struggles of these characters, I could more closely identify with the parents than I would have thought possible just ten years ago. And, Claire's examination of parent-child relationships raised as many questions for me (as a parent) about my relationships with my children as it does about my relationships with my parents.

Please share your thought's about "The Emperor's Children" on the class blog.

Class Finances

In an effort to keep our class fully informed, Ray and I have posted the class financial statements on the Welcome Page of the website.

Yale GALA News

Dennis Blackwell wrote in to tell everyone about an exciting event at Yale in 2009. Dennis writes:

I wanted to drop you a line to let you know about an important event that I'm working on. I may have told you that I am a board member for Yale GALA, the group that serves LGBTQ alumni, students, faculty, and staff at Yale. GALA is throwing a major event in New Haven this coming spring. We are calling it Yale's LGBTQ Reunion, and we have a lot to celebrate, including:*the 25th anniversary of Yale GALA*the 10th anniversary of Yale's Lesbian & Gay Studies dept. *the LGBTQ co-op, run by current Yale students, and *the opening of the LGBTQ Resources Office in 2009This event will take place at Yale on 24-26 April 2009. We are planning lots of cool, timely, and interesting events, such as performances by popular theatrical and musical artists; lectures given by important personalities of note in the Yale and gay communities; tours of Yale museums and galleries; cocktail receptions where alums can meet and mingle with faculty, current students, staff, and their fellow schoolmates. On Saturday night, the major event is a dinner on-campus with exciting after-party activities. We are planning to send out a "Save the Date" mailing to all Yale GALA members that will go out very soon, but we on the GALA board also want to get the word out to our alums and other readers through the alumni magazine about this important event celebrating the LGBTQ experience at Yale. More information on travel to and accommodations in New Haven, as well as the reunion itself, may be found at the GALA website, www.yalegala.org. Of course, we are updating the website as more information becomes available. I am also happy to answer any questions or comments at my new email address: <dennis@yalegala.org>.

News from Joe Grocela

Joe Grocela, MD, MPH ES '87 writes in: I am still a staff urologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and sees Wei-chi Wong ES'87, who is a nephrologist on staff there also. Using my MPH degree and keen powers of deduction, I was able to figure out that the "Great Ezra Stiles Mono Outbreak of '87" was either related to a Feb Club party or a Mory's chalice. I quickly relayed this information to Mark Branch ES '86 via Facebook through Andy Chau '86. However, I was surprised to find that Mark's response was not of interest in my further research on his super article for AYA on Mory's, but one of nausea. I guess years of surgery give you an iron stomach.

Parke Burgess

Parke Burgess was kind enough to post a link on Facebook about a book he has just published concerning nonviolence. Parke followed that up with a short summary of what he has been up to: "A couple of years ago I quit my job at Sightline Institute (a sustainability think tank based in Seattle) to write my magnum opus on nonviolence called Our Tragic Flaw: A Case for Nonviolence (see http://www.ourtragicflaw.com). Actually, a couple of years before that I quit my job at Sightline to become a Zen monk. But I didn't become a Zen monk, I wrote my book instead. The vow of poverty was about the same, but the sex was much better! Now I am living with my partner, Ann, and her three children in gritty Tacoma, Washington, teaching cello lessons, remodeling our 1908 house, and talking to whomever will listen about nonviolence."

Class Party

On November 7, classmate Kara (Unterberg) Niederhoffer is hosting a class party in her home in Manhattan. More details soon but please save the date.

Class of 1987 Tailgate at Yale/Harvard Game

We are going to behaving a tailgate at the Yale/Harvard Football game this year. Saturday, November 22 is the date -- please plan to come. More details coming soon!

Yalies Discuss the Economy

On Tuesday, September 23, the Yale School of Management hosted a Roundtable of 30 leaders to explore the current financial sector crisis as well as the Treasury Department proposals being debated in Congress. Nine Yale faculty were joined by business leaders, shareholder activists and professors from sister universities. Participating business leaders included Yale University alumni William Donaldson ’53 BA, former Chair of the SEC and founding Dean of the Yale School of Management; Nancy Peretsman ’79 MPPM, Managing Director of Allen & Company; Wilbur Ross ’59 BA, Investor; Scott Schoen ’80 BA, Co-President of Thomas H. Lee Partners; Stephen Schwarzman ’69 BA, Chairman and CEO of the Blackstone Group; and George Wyper ’84 MBA, Managing Partner of Wyper Capital Management, along with distinguished practitioners including the former Executive Chairman of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation; the President and CEO of Marsh & McLennan Companies; and the President and CEO of Credit Suisse Investment Banking. School of Management Dean Joel Podolny opened the event. Yale faculty joining him included economist Robert Shiller, accounting experts Rick Antle and Stan Garstka, banking law expert Jonathan Macey, finance expert Will Goetzmann, political scientists Douglas Rae and Jonathan Koppell, and Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Senior Associate Dean of the School of Management, who organized the event and served as Moderator. You may have already read or listened to commentary from the Roundtable since it was extensively reported by CNBC and the Wall Street Journal (co-sponsors of the event). However, as part of Yale’s efforts to bring the campus to you – whether through free online courses or the netcast series – we wanted to share materials from the Roundtable in view of the extremely important topics under discussion. Please click to the Yale SOM website http://mba.yale.edu/news_events/CMS/Articles/6608.shtml. Also, you may want to bookmark this site since additional materials will be posted. Obviously, the Roundtable could only offer an introduction to the range of views being debated.

News from Ayesha Kahn

Ayesha Khan wrote in to say that she lives in Karachi, Pakistan, where she is a researcher working on gender, health, refugee, and other human development issues. Her kids are growing up and the years seem to have gone by too fast. Contrary to what the media tends to cover, there is lots of mundane ordinary living going on in Pakistan. Power breakdowns and escalating food prices have made it tougher, but breakthroughs in favour of democracy have made things better at the same time.

News from Vinca (Showalter) LaFleur

Vinca was nice enough to send in the following note:

"I write from Washington DC, where I've lived since 1988 -- came here to get an MA from SAIS and somehow never left. I worked on Capitol Hill for five years, then became a foreign policy speechwriter -- first for Secretary of State Warren Christopher, then for President Clinton. Now I'm a partner at a firm called West Wing Writers, together with four of my Clinton White House speechwriting colleagues. It's been an unexpected career for someone who majored in French, but one that has allowed to combine the things I always loved most -- writing and international affairs. And Washington has proven a wonderful place to live these past two decades (though it's hard to believe I've been here that long!); I married my high school sweetheart Dave LaFleur in 1997 and we've got two great kids, son Jack (10) and daughter Evan (8).

Needless to say, there are lots of Yalies in DC too -- but I always enjoy reading the class notes about people I haven't seen in a while. I especially appreciated Yuka Manabe's latest report -- she and I attended high school together as well as Yale, and I am impressed but not surprised to know she is doing such great things."

News from Janet Goodman Taylor

Janet Goodman Taylor writes in that she is married to David Taylor, Class of 1985, and is working in the Development Office of Mount Tamalpais School in Mill Valley, CA. She goes on: "I recently enjoyed a visit with Justine McGovern '85 who was on the West Coast with her daughter Ivy and son Nate touring Bay Area colleges. My son Virgil is a sophomore at The Urban School in San Francisco, my daughter Mabel is in 7th grade and Cosmo is in 4th. David and I are very happy and trying to eat/live locally by raising chickens and growing apple trees."

Updated from David Code

David Code got some additional coverage from the Wall Street Journal for his recent article on marriage and children. Very interesting. http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2008/09/08/put-your-spouse-first-have-happier-kids/

An interview with Master T

We caught up with Professor Robert Thompson -- TD's "Master T" -- recently. Here are some thoughts he was kind enough to share with the folks of the Class of 1987:

Y87: As the Master of TD, you get to know undergraduates pretty well. In what ways, if at all, are today's students different from students 25 years ago?

Master T: As Master, I get to know musicians in their concerts (we had a world class composer, Timo Andres, in last senior class), women and men from all directions and career choices working as my aides and assistants. I love football and obviously get to know those playing 'ball, but I make an effort to get to know the shy as well as the gregarious, the super-studious as well as the joe and jacqueline college types. With 382 rascals under our roof it is hard to get to know everyone but we damn well better try. Students today have the immortal concerns: will I get a job (a good one) after graduation, girlfriend and boyfriend problems, the whole human bit. Human nature, thank God, is not an electronic gadget, in today and obsolete tomorrow. Human nature is forever.

Y87: Has technology changed what you try to accomplish or can accomplish in your research or in the classroom?

Master T: Not really, though I have backup slides for when power point blows and becomes power pointless.

Y87: What current African-inspired art or music do you think we should be going out of our way to see or listen to?

Master T: The most thoughtful rapper I know is Kanye West, who actually sang a rap about Jesus and, on the latino side, the tremendous energy of reggaeton, Puerto Rico's home brand fusion of reggae, salsa, and the old habanera beat, the beat that goes back clear to W.C. Handy and his St. Louis Blues, the beat that formed the first tangos. It's back just as hard-thumping as ever, DA-ka-KA-kan, DA-ka-Ka-kan. Salsa is now international with a vengeance, and according to The Economist, of all journals, the number one beat of the planet now. I watched superb salsa and reggaeton dancing in Tokyo last summer and incredible salsa at a place called Mama Rumba in Nexico City. To coin a phrase, the beat goes on.

Y87: Many people in our class have children. What do you think we should be teaching our kids, about art and music, or about life?

Master T: The best thing to teach children, via the insights of mambo men and mambo women is: feel inferior to no one but feel superior to no one either. When you treat everyone the same, the world opens up to you.

Y87: I've used what I learned in your class twice in my career - once to land a job and once during a criminal trial. Did you ever think of your "New York Mambo" class as a pre-law course?

Master T: This happens all the time. One guy took my course and entered Proctor and Gamble. P&G guy hated him because he was a Yalie and so sent him out into the South Bronx hoping for zero response for him. The guy heard a Tito Puente mambo on a jukebox as he started to work and told people how much he loved him, then identified another mambo as it came on and la gente said, "valgame este gringo conoce mambo!" He kept his job all right and passed the other jerk by. A woman, trying to enter a law firm, was getting a cold shoulder until a Yalie noted she took my course. "You took mambo? I took it in 1974, is he still around?" She got the job If there is anything Yale taught me when I was an undergraduate it is that a liberal education leavens and prepares you to talk to the world in terms of what's important--as opposed to the latest electronic fad--like, values, for instance. If you want more of my philosophy check out the page Newsweek ran on me last February called 'Mambo On My Mind'. As for my research my latest book is called Tango: The Art History of Love which makes the point that Buenos Aires is one of the most civilized cities on the planet, more theatres than Paris, more psychiatrists than New York, and restaurants that stay open until 2 or 3 or whenever long after New Haven tables are broken down and you feel they are trying to tell you something at 9 p.m. I am working on a new book called Staccato Incandescence: The Story of Mambo and there is lots in there about the latino definition of humor--refusal to suffer--something that might help us deal with a world of shrinking economics.

David Code Article in the Christian Science Monitor

David Code wrote in to announce that an essay he wrote appeared recently in The Christian Science Monitor:

"Wanted to share some happy news: I'm thrilled that my essay on how parents can raise citizens instead of consumers was published in "The Christian Science Monitor," and it is now Yahoo News' most popular opinion piece.

My article describes how we shoot ourselves (and our kids) in the foot by making our children the center of our universe. Child-centered families create anxious, exhausted parents and demanding, entitled kids who act out. As this self-absorbed generation enters the workplace, I believe America's global leadership and our ability to compete will be seriously compromised. Read more at: http://news.yahoo.com/mp/1783

I hope you'll consider spreading the word by clicking on the "Email" link, and emailing my article to your friends or journalists you may know.

You can also listen to an audio interview with me at: http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0826/p09s01-coop.html Look for the audio link at the beginning of my essay."

A little perspective

This weekend, the Class of 2012 will begin its time at Yale. For some perspective, here is what Beloit College explains will inform the mindset of the new crop of Yalies:

Students entering college for the first time this fall were generally born in 1990.

For these students, Sammy Davis Jr., Jim Henson, Ryan White, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Freddy Krueger have always been dead.

Harry Potter could be a classmate, playing on their Quidditch team.

Since they were in diapers, karaoke machines have been annoying people at parties.

They have always been looking for Carmen Sandiego.

GPS satellite navigation systems have always been available.

Coke and Pepsi have always used recycled plastic bottles.

Shampoo and conditioner have always been available in the same bottle.

Gas stations have never fixed flats, but most serve cappuccino.

Their parents may have dropped them in shock when they heard George Bush announce "tax revenue increases."

Electronic filing of tax returns has always been an option.

Girls in head scarves have always been part of the school fashion scene.

All have had a relative--or known about a friend's relative--who died comfortably at home with Hospice.

As a precursor to "whatever," they have recognized that some people "just don?t get it."

Universal Studios has always offered an alternative to Mickey in Orlando.

Grandma has always had wheels on her walker.

Martha Stewart Living has always been setting the style.

Haagen-Dazs ice cream has always come in quarts.

Club Med resorts have always been places to take the whole family.

WWW has never stood for World Wide Wrestling.

Films have never been X rated, only NC-17.

The Warsaw Pact is as hazy for them as the League of Nations was for their parents.

Students have always been "Rocking the Vote."

Clarence Thomas has always sat on the Supreme Court.

Schools have always been concerned about multiculturalism.

We have always known that "All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten."

There have always been gay rabbis.

Wayne Newton has never had a mustache.

College grads have always been able to Teach for America.

IBM has never made typewriters.

Roseanne Barr has never been invited to sing the National Anthem again.

McDonald's and Burger King have always used vegetable oil for cooking french fries.

They have never been able to color a tree using a raw umber Crayola.

There has always been Pearl Jam.

The Tonight Show has always been hosted by Jay Leno and started at 11:35 EST.

Pee-Wee has never been in his playhouse during the day.

They never tasted Benefit Cereal with psyllium.

They may have been given a Nintendo Game Boy to play with in the crib.

Authorities have always been building a wall across the Mexican border.

Lenin's name has never been on a major city in Russia.

Employers have always been able to do credit checks on employees.

Balsamic vinegar has always been available in the U.S.

Macaulay Culkin has always been Home Alone.

Their parents may have watched The American Gladiators on TV the day they were born.

Personal privacy has always been threatened.

Caller ID has always been available on phones.

Living wills have always been asked for at hospital check-ins.

The Green Bay Packers (almost) always had the same starting quarterback.

They never heard an attendant ask "Want me to check under the hood?"

Iced tea has always come in cans and bottles.

Soft drink refills have always been free.

They have never known life without Seinfeld references from a show about "nothing."

Windows 3.0 operating system made IBM PCs user-friendly the year they were born.

Muscovites have always been able to buy Big Macs.

The Royal New Zealand Navy has never been permitted a daily ration of rum.

The Hubble Space Telescope has always been eavesdropping on the heavens.

98.6 F or otherwise has always been confirmed in the ear.

Michael Milken has always been a philanthropist promoting prostate cancer research.

Off-shore oil drilling in the United States has always been prohibited.

Radio stations have never been required to present both sides of public issues.

There have always been charter schools.

Students always had Goosebumps.

Catherine Foster

Catherine Foster wrote a nice note about her life in Palo Alto: "I can hardly believe I've been a Californian for 10 years. Still living in Palo Alto, with my hisband, Jon (Saybrook '85) and two boys. I've been running my own consulting business, doing policy and advocacy work for non-profits and foundations.

"It's a very exciting time doing this work, particularly with my recent focus on community organizing for education reform and health access. I've been fortunate to have classmate Deborah Yaffe's recent book on NJ education reform as a useful reference! (Go, Deborah!)

"Would love to see more Yalies out here -- I know you're here somewhere, but other than brief sightings of Dan Levy and a visiting Caroline Ewing, I haven't seen many of you. Wish I had made it to reunion."

Valerie Norton

Val Norton sent in a note recently. She says: "Just finished a 3 1/2 year term as medical director of the Emergency Department at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego. Highlights were giving a press conference with Governor Schwarzenegger about the crisis of ER overcrowding in our state and around the country."

News from Kinney Zalesne

Kinney Zalesne writes in that she gave birth to a book and a baby this year. The book is MICROTRENDS: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes, which she so-authored with Mark Penn. The baby is Gideon Zalesne Sigg, who joins big brother Matthew (5) and big sister Adina (3).

Tamar Szabo Gendler

Someone forwarded to me recently an announcement about a program called One Day University (www.onedayu.com) that is featuring a lecture by our classmate, Tamar Szabo Gendler. Tamar is a professor of philosophy and Chair of the Cognitive Science Program at Yale University where she teaches a popular freshman seminar entitled, "Life Lessons: What Philosophers Got Right about the Human Condition." In recognition of her teaching, Yale has awarded her a Paul Moore Fund Grant for Instructional Innovation. Her research ties together traditional philosophy with recent empirical work in developmental, cognitive and social psychology. Her contributions have been recognized by the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Collegium Budapest, all of whom have awarded her fellowships. In addition to her scholarly work, Tamar is also the editor of a major introductory philosophy textbook, The Elements of Philosophy: Readings from Past and Present, and author of the philosophy entries in the latest edition of the American Heritage Dictionary. You can read more about her upcoming lectures on the Events page of the class website.

News from Sarah (Hundley) Garcia

Sarah (Hundley) Garcia wrote in recently with the following:
"I am living in San Francisco with my husband, Jon. We love the Bay Area and our lives here. For the past 10 years, I have been helping companies in transition or turn around situations and am now with a private equity fund helping them with some of their portfolio companies. My work has involved significant travel throughout Asia and parts of Latin America (nothing glamorous - mostly remote places most sensible people would avoid). In addition, I work on the weekends as a hotline crisis counselor, primarily for victims of domestic violence but also for people in other emergency situations. As for my roommates- I may not be as update to date as I would like, but here it is: May Tao just moved to the Bay Area from LA with her husband and two kids to accept a high level management position with an exciting medical start up venture. Yuka Manabe has been teaching at Johns Hopkins Medical School but is currently in Uganda for several years (with her doctor husband Jimmy and their 4 kids) helping to run a program for people with HIV. Becky and Jordie Symons are living in Seattle and their daughter just completed her Bat Mitzvah (are we really that old??). Ellen Whalen and her husband Nicholas (yale 1988) are living in a NYC suburb where Ellen also works as an internist and balances life as a mother to two great kids. Catherine Slusar and her husband are in Philadelphia with their twin girls (adorable and budding thespians) and are very active in the theater community there. Karen Yashar and her husband and two children are living in Minneapolis and Karen has taken a brief sabbatical from law before immersing herself in the corporate world again. Caprice Young is living in LA with her husband and three daughters and is running a company there - or is she running LA? Not sure- knowing her, probably both."

News from Stuart Gaul

Stuart Gual writes in with the following e-mail: "I'm in Pittsburgh, my hometown, with my wife, Ann, and our daughters -- Elizabeth, who's three, and Joanna, who will be one at the end of July. They're tremendous. I'm a partner at Thorp Reed & Armstrong, where I share a secretary and an office wall with Dave White. On the roommate front, I made it to Chicago in January for Bob Dow's formal installation as a federal judge. Gary Feinerman and Lissa Dow both did great work with their introductory comments. Rob Raguso made the trip to Pittsburgh from Ithaca for a conference in March, and he filled us in on his family, their new surroundings and their semester in South Africa. Locally, I see Matt Meade, Steve Kline, Lisa Battat and Ken Lund from time to time. Rod Diaz's job brings him here from Harrisburg a couple of times each year, and we grab a meal.

News from Jonathan Becker

Jonathan Becker wrote in: "I’m happily living with my wife, Virginia Watkins, and our two-year-old son William. Better late than never is parenthood, and I can’t imagine a more wonderful kid for us than the one we have. We reside in Piedmont, in the east bay near San Francisco. We’ve had visits in past months from James Esseks, Steve Conn and John Pogue, the last two with their delightful families. After years as a management consultant working for firms, I’m working for myself. So far so good, and I’m really enjoying the autonomy and responsibility."

News from Douglas Allen

Douglas Allen writes that he's still living and working at Westminster School in Simsbury, CT. After 12 years of teaching math and coaching and living in dorms, he moved over to the alumni and development office. Douglas and his wife, Amy, and have two children, Lauren (7, but thinks she's 14) and Thomas (2, and apparently plans to stay 2 until he's 14).

Tom McNulty

Tom McNulty wrote in to report that he has been in Houston for the last 12 years, ever since finishing his MBA at Kellogg. He is with a small consulting group there doing complex transactions and valuation work. He has most recently been in touch with classmates Loly Hlade, who runs her own marketing firm in LA, Brandon Chabner, an LA lawyer, and Dan Murphy, a lawyer in San Diego. Tom also reports that he has an adorable 5 year old daughter, Megan Eleaonor McNulty.

Winter Mead Takes on Jeopardy

I heard that Winter Mead appeared on Jeopardy earlier this year. Winter did admirably, leading the contestants after Double Jeopardy. Unfortunately, Winter got tripped up in final Jeopardy and ended up in second place. The Final Jeopardy answer for Winter was: “FDR liked to rest near water, but because of fears after Pearl Harbor, this inland place was created for him.” For the correct response, and a question by question breakdown of Winter’s valiant efforts, please check out the summary of Winter's Jeopardy appearance by clicking here.

News from David Code

David Code also reached me through the new website. David is a minister and family coach who blogs on marriage and parenting for a Pennsylvania newspaper site. Please check out his blog and his website, both of which are accessible through the class website’s Contact Us section.

News from Howard Riker

Via the new website, I heard from Howard Riker. Howard writes that he has lived in Washington, D.C. now for 16 years, and - hard to believe - has worked at the same firm for the entire time. Howard works at Hines, an international real estate firm headquartered in Houston. Presently, he is responsible for a very large mixed-use development located in the middle of Downtown, as well as the redevelopment of a CBD office building.

This past Spring, Howard attended the Yale Real Estate Club Conference in New Haven, and had the chance to catch up with Jordan Warshaw, as well as other alumns at the well-attended event.

On a more personal, and much more important note, Howard also announced that he and his wife had a baby boy (Adam) in June. Adam was welcomed by Howard’s 4-year old son, Seth.

A test video

Let me know what you think:

News from David Pollay (July 1, 2008)

Classmate David Pollay writes that he is living in Florida with his wife, Dawn, and their children Eliana (5) and Ariela (4). He has been quite busy, with a training and development company called The Momentum Project and a weekly newspaper column, entitled The Happiness Answer?. One of his columns, Beware of Garbage Trucks - The Law of the Garbage Truck has really taken off on the internet. http://davidjpollay.typepad.com/david_j_pollay/lawofthegarbagetruck.html. David also has a blog focused on how to keep momentum in your life, career, and business.

Test Post

From time to time, I will be using this new blog to help communicate with the Yale College Class of 1987. Please let me know how it goes.

-- Tim