Unfortunately, the acoustics in Commons last night weren't ideal, and some have asked me to post my comments so they could read them. Here they are:
Class History
Yale Class of 1987
25th Reunion
Twenty-five years ago, Dante Centouri and I stood before you
at Class Day to give the Class History -- a poignant yet humorous look back at
our four years together. I have been
asked to update the class history for this, our 25th Reunion. A daunting task, but here goes.
As I stand here tonight, much has changed.
Back then,
- We had
computer labs and typewriters
- We had
telephones that actually plugged into the wall.
- We had
hair.
But, as we gather tonight, we realize that much is the same.
- The
architecture of Morse and Stiles is still an acquired taste.
- Science
Hill still seems like it is very far away.
- At
every party, everyone gets a little more attractive as the night wears on.
It's working already . . . you are already a much better
looking bunch than the people I had lunch with.
As I prepared the class history for tonight, I struggled
with how to summarize the lives of our 1,287 classmates over the last 25
years. We have certainly done a lot.
Many of us have chosen life partners, it seems. As a group, we appear to have won the mating
version of the lottery. Based on the
spouses, partners and significant others I have met, I must say to our class:
we are either a very persuasive group or we have an uncanny ability to find
people with bad eye sight and poor judgment.
Either way: very well done.
And, in all seriousness, for some of our classmates getting
married at all is an important personal and societal accomplishment. From pink triangles in the 80s, to marriage
for some of our LGBT classmates today, we have come a very long way, and we
have the leadership of many here tonight to thank for that.
One more word while I am mentioning our spouses -- and
really no history of our class would be complete without me making one thing
absolutely clear. For all of you here
with a husband, wife, or partner who is in the Yale Class of 1987, please know
this: this was the most studious class
Yale has ever seen. We did not drink, smoke, or engage in frivolity
of any kind. Saturday nights were
library nights. And, sex. Never crossed our minds. Not once.
Ever. We were saving ourselves
for you. Really.
Glad that is cleared up.
As I look around, I see that our classmates have made up for
lost time. Look at all of these
kids. It's so funny. I see some of them and I know immediately who
their Yale parent is. And when I do, I
have to ask myself one simple question:
were we ever that young?
Now, of course I know the answer. I have seen the pictures. So have you.
And, as I look at those pictures, I wonder how many of us had the same
reaction I did: we were hot. No, really.
Young, thin, unwrinkled. We
didn't need spanks. We didn't need
reading glasses. We didn't drive a
minivan. Hot.
So much youth wasted at the library. I should have gone to more parties.
So, anyway, what did the Class of 87 -- this learned, studious
and hot group -- do when they went into the wide world? And,
how did our outcomes stack up to our dreams?
From the well worn paths to investment banks, law schools
and medical schools, to the less typical and more adventurous paths others
chose, we all ultimately settled into our own personal niches. The two biggest groups of classmates are
lawyers and doctors. However, most chose
other careers. One interesting statistic
-- our class has more people who say that they are writers than admit that they
are bankers. Even our class' musicians
and actors outnumber the bankers. Now,
that might be a sign of the times -- either the bankers are out of work or now
financiers are simply doing it on the down low.
The numbers don't tell the tale, though. We have actually done some amazing things:
We have:
-- Written
books
-- Made
movies
-- Launched
companies
-- Defended
unpopular clients
-- Righted
wrongs
-- Cured
diseases
-- Traveled
to war torn countries to build new nations and heal the sick
-- Served
as elected and government officials
-- Served
as judges
-- Served
as diplomats
-- Spied
-- Made art
-- Made music
-- Made
love
-- Made war
-- Made
people laugh
-- Produced
theater
-- Sang
-- Played
-- Appeared
on TV
--
Researched
-- Taught
-- Preached
-- Experimented
-- Invented
--
Protested
--
Professed
-- Solved
problems
-- Built
bridges
-- Championed
causes
-- Made a
difference
It is really inspiring to hear about all of your personal
successes, how the Class of 1987 has made a mark professionally and personally
throughout the world. The stories are
amazing, and humbling.
But, times have not always been easy for our class. Some in our class have survived cancer and
other serious illness. Some have lost
jobs and faced other serious personal struggles. As Class Secretary over the last five years,
I have heard some of these private and personal stories first hand. As inspired and humbled as I have been by the
personal successes of our class, I stand in awe of our classmates who have
faced perilous personal challenges with grace, strength, and the enduring
support of their friends from Yale.
Perhaps the one struggle we have all shared is the struggle to define for ourselves what it means to become a Yale alum. Remember the 100th playing of the Game, when we walked through the alumni tailgates? Remember laughing at how ridiculous some of the alumni looked and acted? That's us now. The thought makes me want to burn all of my tweed jackets and whale pants.
I would note, though, that as a class we have been remarkably active as alumni. We have chaired the AYA and its development counter part. We launched Feb Club Emeritus, the Yale volunteer-led activity with the most worldwide participants. We have received more alumni leadership awards than any other class. And, we even have a Yale Medal recipient.
We've wondered why we have such an active class. It could be that we are the class with the highest percentage of classmates who got in off of the waiting list. That's apochryphal, but let's go with it.
I like to think that our place as leaders in the alumni community and beyond is the result of our class being an historical bridge between generations and world views. We came to Yale with typewriters and left with computers. We experienced economic dislocation months after graduating when the market crashed but also benefited from the innovations and expansion of the 90s. And, while we had easy-to-use cameras, they were not yet digital, so the photographic record of our time here is thankfully limited.
Our unique place in history has allowed us to understand the Greatest Generation, who raised us, the baby boomers who preceded us and the Gen Xers who followed us.
And, it has allowed us to smile knowingly when our children ask us the most profound of existential questions:
- What
was the deal with leg warmers, shoulder pads, parachute pants, and white
sports coats?
- How
did you get anywhere without GPS?
- How
did you "friend" people if your facebook was actually a book --
a real book?
At the end of the day, the Class History really is not about
a list of accomplishments and achievements, it is more about how our four years
together impacted us. How the shared
Yale experience we joked about 25 years ago at Class Day has shaped our
lives. And it most definitely has shaped
our lives -- not just through the classes we took, the things we learned, and the
majors we declared but through the friends we made:
- The
friends who have cheered us on,
- the
friends who have counseled and consoled us,
- the
friends who have inspired us,
- the
friends who have challenged us and set us straight,
- the
friends we laugh with,
- the
friends we came back to New Haven
to see.
After our Fifth Reunion, I was sitting in the Morse court
yard with Dante. I asked him what he
thought of the Reunion. Tim, he said, some people really got their
shit together, some people really lost their shit, but pretty much, everyone
has the same shit.
Profound words. From
a man with blue hair. But, true.
What the history of our class over the last 25 years has
taught me is something I should have realized the first day Freshman Year.
The Yale College Class of 1987 is the most intellectually
diverse, alive and engaged group of people I have ever known. It was a true gift to be part of this group
25 years ago, and it is a gift today.
Our lives, our families' lives, are better because we are part of this
group -- not in terms of money or prestige -- but in terms of the intellectual
vibrancy our classmates bring into our lives.
So, tonight, before we go to the party, I would like to
leave you with two personal challenges:
First, let's make the most of tonight. Look around the room. Find someone you didn't know at Yale and make
a new friend. Reconnect with someone you
knew but haven't seen in 25 years. And,
make a plan for staying connected. Let's
leave the party tonight more connected than we were before.
Second, we are about to write the next five years of our
class history. Let's make a mark.
Together. For Yale. For our local communities and For the world.
Let's start a Class Council that can act as a clearinghouse
of ideas and initiatives. Let's work
together to solve some of the problems we, as a class, might be uniquely
positioned to solve. And, let's learn
about and support each other's passions.
We have such a talented group of people who have already done so
much. Imagine how much more full the
next five years of our lives will be if we live them with a common purpose.
Thank you.
Now, I think it is time for a song and then a party.
HOW DOES THE REUNION SHUTTLE WORK?
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