Our Class Notes include a “Thank you, Kenyon!” from Don Gregory, and the following updates:
We begin with Linda Isako Angst: I've been weathering the pandemic in my Southeast Portland neighborhood where the small hub of eateries, cafes, and shops on Clinton Street has managed to keep us connected and sane, all of us abiding by strict social distancing and mask-wearing mandates. In September we also survived the worst air quality conditions in the world as winds, smoke, and air-borne debris from fires down-wind blanketed us for 10 days. This made staying indoors--where for the first 6 months of the pandemic we had always been safest--feel like a death trap (unless you were lucky enough to have an air purifier). As we approach full vaccination levels for Oregonians, I'm also grateful for our now monthly Kenyon Class of '77 Zoom sessions (ie, KZoom meetings), led by John Bogasky and Jerry Mindes. A timely reminder from Phil Church's fall '76 class on E.M. Forster: only connect!
And now from Al Baldwin: Life after Kenyon has been quite an adventure. After a few false starts I taught myself computer programming and got a job as a programmer at Cooper Energy Services in Mt. Vernon. From there I made good use of my Kenyon education in Philosophy to develop a successful and challenging career, becoming a Systems Engineer/Chief Technologist while working in support of US Navy and Air Force aviation. In the course of this Kathy (married 36 years) and I traveled and moved... to VA, CA, MD ... with excursions to a number of European countries, finally retiring about 1 1/2 years ago to Fletcher, NC (a bit south of Asheville) with our current rescue cockers Star and Brady. I am enjoying composing/performing a variety of "styles" of electronic music while Kathy works from home (soon to retire) and makes quilts and other crafts. I remember Kenyon fondly ... and wish I had been more "present" to the opportunities and people there. My best to all who may remember me. Take good care.
Kathy Bingley DeCoster writes that, “Life in the nation's capital has been ‘interesting’ over the past several months. I enjoyed a couple walks around DC with Jerry Mindes. Right before Inauguration, we checked out the fencing and barriers that stretched across the city from the Supreme Court to well north of the White House. And then we spent some time at an African American cemetery that is one of several in DC I'm learning about that are either in disrepair, mostly lost forever, or being revealed by various home renovations. Now fully vaccinated, I'm looking forward to visiting my 21-month-old granddaughter (and her parents) again in early April after a 5-month hiatus of in-person contact.”
From John Bogasky: My pandemic perk has been hosting our monthly Class of 77 Zoom calls, first begun by Jerry Mindes. We have met at least monthly since April 2020. Nearly 50 class members have joined one or more calls. They are great fun! Email johnbogasky@hotmail.com to join us.
Joe Dreher shares that he recently relocated to a newly purchased 1,000 acre farm in Liberty Township, Ohio 12 miles from Gambier @ Dreher’s Grey Horse Farm. Jayne Danska and her daughter, Fiona ‘22, recently visited on Fiona’s return to campus after the COVID break. Glad to have the vibrant students’ community return (at long last).
From Colleen Erb Chisholm: Following a shut-down of several months I resumed my volunteer role at respite care. The mask mandate and social distancing is incredibly difficult for the elderly and dementia patients. We keep our participants busy and happy while their caregivers get a much-needed break. Our director and staff are exceptional. I am also still finding wonderful and intriguing new places to explore around Charleston. Looking forward to visiting family and friends this summer. Hope everyone stays well and safe.
From Richard Harris: Our big news this past year was the birth of our first grandchild, Tatiana Adelaide Zink who was born last July. While the pandemic has kept my wife and I from visiting as often as we would like, now that we are vaccinated, we are planning a trip to LA soon for another visit! Spent a good chunk of last winter working remotely from our place in Naples, FL which wasn't all that bad given the winter weather we had back in Ohio.
From Amy Kirshbaum Harbison: Our first grandchild, Luka, was born 2 weeks before COVID-19 shut everything down and was definitely the highlight of the year. It has been wonderful staying in regular Zoom contact with Linda Sofman Bullock, Nina Freedman, Julie Stern D'Alessandro and Susan Zimmerman Sacks. I continue to work part-time as a certified coach working with leaders in transition and for the Montgomery County, MD government.
Kristin Knopf writes that she is “now retired (for good),” and shares that “due to social distancing and other COVID avoidances, we (my husband Brian and I) are doing 20 plus miles about five or six times a week on our bicycles, weather permitting. Have both shots, so am looking forward to a little opening up, but still wearing a mask on our bike rides. And lots of Zoom meetings for my nonprofit of passion - Literacy Source, A Community Learning Center. It addresses adult learning for anyone wanting to improve basic skills in language, computers, math, GED, etc. Recently we are serving mostly emigrants. Our services are free to all students. I have been on the Finance Committee since 2002, Board for 9 years, Personnel Committee (new) for 1 year and Treasurer for 4 years (term limits).”
Rabbi Steven Lebow received his honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Hebrew Union College. His poem, There are no pianos in Hell was nominated for the Pushcart Prize this year.
Peter Meyer shares the following: I’m enjoying retirement in New Zealand, where I’ve been for the past 30 years. New Zealand is a star in the Covid world. It has a comprehensive, national health service, free at the point of use and a political system which is fundamentally trusted by the population. There was no discussion here about individual liberties in masking or phone app tracking or a national lockdown, all of which were fully accepted and endorsed by the public. We had no Covid to speak of. The government is now trying to figure out how to re-engage with countries who haven’t been as fortunate/forward thinking. My wife and I live in Hawkes Bay, which is worth a visit. Love to see Kenyon visitors!! Summers we head to Europe or Maine, as Covid allows.
Margrit Polak says “Gosh,” and adds the following: The pandemic year afforded us a bit more time to connect with Kenyon buddies all over. Trice Koopman arranged a really nice reunion with Kate Long, Susan James and Mark Holub (we '77 theatre majors!!!). I arranged one with some of my freshman and sophomore posse Susan Wides, Sandy and John ’75 Wendler, Bob Metzger ’75, David Wagner ’75, Tom Arnold ’75, Tom Silverstein '75, Sara Norcross, Bert Marshall ’75, Rosemary Brandenberg ‘78, Richard Schoenberger ’76 and Amy Margulies. I was able to tune in to a couple of our class of '77 monthly Zooms, and all of the above helped my morale and made me nostalgically warm and fuzzy. Trice and I talk every week (we share the same profession), Amy Margulies and I talk most Saturdays, and I enjoy my continuing friendships with all of the above folks, as well as Bruce Feldman ’78, Rob Kolson ’74, Kit Kittle ’78, Vern Oakley ’74, Julie Pistone Pertz ’78, Eric Gaskins ’80 and many more.
My family and I launched a nonprofit during the pandemic to continue my family's legacy! Watch the documentary on my parent's love story during WWII on Netflix through September, Steal A Pencil For Me, and check out our organization, Anne Frank Los Angeles (Anne Frank LA) on your social media sites!
I was sad to hear of Julius Bell's passing, as well as my dear friends Michael Hoffman ’78 and Debbie Robins ’78 and miss the spirits of Liz Polish ’78 and Mitch Webb, too long gone. Still working hard, loving managing actors’ careers all over the world. Cannot WAIT to visit my daughter Sofi who is living in Frankfurt Germany and who we haven't seen in over a year!! Husband Harvey has been busy writing a new musical, and playing porch concerts to cheer people up during this strange year. I'm sure I'm missing names here. My connection to Kenyon College feels as deep and meaningful as it did 44 years ago.
From Paula Stoeke: I've enjoyed joining into the conversations on the monthly call. It is really inspiring to hear about everyone's vocations, avocations and service work. Not to mention travels, trials and future plans. We are all more alike than we are different. The 2020 "pause" allowed me to focus on writing and painting more than in recent years and I'm so grateful. It was really a valuable time to assess life and prioritize. Hoping there was at least a sliver of a silver lining for you all.
And from Matt Winkler: In the 48 years since we matriculated, Kenyon has never loomed as large as it did in 2020. The board of trustees, which I joined in 2006, was suddenly seized by the existential threat of Covid-19: Kenyon learning went remote for the first time in its 197-year history, students, professors and administrators were dispersed, shut in and President Sean Decatur initiated more than two dozen board and committee meetings via Zoom in the ensuing months to keep everyone connected. At first, dread surrounded us personally, professionally and as a community. But President Decatur, channeling Rahm Emmanuel, refused to let a serious crisis go to waste. With the unflagging support of Board Chair Brackett Denniston ’69, Kenyon transformed 2020 into an opportunity to do things all of us could be forgiven for conceding as impossible. Instead of floundering, the $300 million Path Forward Campaign became the $500 million campaign with unprecedented funds for inclusion, equity and diversity, new student housing forever ending a chronic and historic deficiency and a new, bigger, better than ever Chalmers Library with the same natural bright light that welcomed us in 1973. We celebrated the longest-serving editor of the Kenyon Review, my friend David Lynn ’76, who more than anyone rescued the KR from extinction in the early 90s and made it a modern literary masterpiece befitting Ransom's legacy. The Kenyon Review Board (I'm on that one too, since its inception in 1995) welcomed David's glorious successor Nicole Terez Dutton via Zoom. She's off to an amazing start at a moment when the literature we contemplate has never been more inspiring, varied and relevant. As many in this space know, John Bogasky took it upon himself to gather Kenyon '77 on Zoom and those of us who joined each month were blessed to do so. Kenyon is now many generations to me; on the home front we were lucky to host Prita Kidder '11 and Macpherson Carroll '11, our Lydia, '13 and my oldest son Jacob, Kenyon Review Young Writers, '00, (and his three children) for a weekend at our lake house in Milford, PA where Prita, graceful as ever, reminded us on the tennis court what put her on the Kenyon All-Decade list of greats. Lydia crushed all us in ping pong. They also did the mile-long roundtrip swim of 100-foot deep Log Tavern Pond. Mac's barbecued ribs -- enough said. After all these years, our class Earth Mother Nina Freedman continues to bestow her maternal and nurturing gifts in so many situations as my colleague at Bloomberg (Philanthropy) and as a treasured trustee on the Kenyon board. As always, I remain even in these perilous times grateful to share the four-decade-old conversation with my pals, Andrew Gespass, Rabbi Steven Lebow, Peter Meyer and Rich West. I cherish ''this just in'' from my brilliant successor at The Collegian, Vicki Barker '78, whose dulcet reporting from London never fails to enlighten and inform. Thank you for making Kenyon what it became in 2020.
And our final entry from Canada’s Vicky Wyatt: I'm still teaching at University of Victoria, where I'm active in the Faculty Association. I'm enjoying being a member of the Equity Committee of the Canadian Association of University Teachers. My son Robert (27) lives in town, and my daughter Marita (25) attends York U. in Toronto and has been with me for a year now taking her courses online. It would be great to hear from classmates coming to Victoria, BC once we're traveling again!
Class Day of Service
March 18th was the 77th day of 2021 and our Class’s first 77th Day of Service. We had a tremendous response for our inaugural year. At least twenty-six classmates made a total of 38 donations and/or acts of community service. We expect this to be the first of many such annual days of giving back.
Denese Fink Giordano originated the idea. She delivered cartons of books to three NY-area nursing homes and donated to Kenyon’s Rutkoff Professorship – Diversity and Inclusion Endowment. The efforts of other classmates are listed alphabetically.
Of those classmates donating to Kenyon, most contributed to the Peter Rutkoff Professorship for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, an endowed initiative. These included Kathy Bingley DeCoster, Karen Handel Walker, Lindsay Mead Lowdon, Jerry Mindes, Julie Stern D’Alessandro, Matt Winkler, and Denese. Lindsay also spent the day teaching her 120 middle school students, demonstrating that for many classmates every day is a day of giving back and service.
John Bogasky, now a “professional volunteer” in retirement, completed volunteer tasks for SourceAmerica, Special Olympics, and our Class by keeping our Facebook page up-to-date with all of our classmates’ service contributions.
Kathy Bingley DeCoster donated to Kenyon’s diversity and inclusion programs, Asians Advancing Justice, and the Capital Area Food Bank.
Diane Braunstein donated to Messiah’s Second Chance, a charity supported by Jerry Mindes’ daughter, Sophie.
Carol Bruggman Mitchell donated a painting to Equest, Texas Horse Park, a therapeutic riding program in the Dallas area.
Karen D’Arcy Couzens donated to Kenyon’s Mental Health Services and to Feeding Westchester.
Mary Lou Jansen-Fusi donated to the NAACP and visited 6 elderly members at home for wellness visits.
Karen Handel Walker donated to RAICES, the Anti-Defamation League, Planned Parenthood, and Kenyon’s Diversity and Inclusion initiatives.
Marna Herrity continued her work with Imani House, tutoring an immigrant from Guinea over Zoom, helping her work towards her GED.
Kathy Hopper Flynn volunteered with the American Red Cross and donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Tricia Mauro Warrick worked with her 3 co-founders towards their September 2021 startup of the Pittsburgh Minority Business Accelerator, aiming to help close the racial wealth gap through entrepreneurship.
Shari Miller Sims worked on her 21-Day Westchester Equity Challenge, where all participants are examining barriers to true equality and seeking changes to reduce those barriers.
Jerry Mindes spent an afternoon clearing litter at the Mt. Zion and Female Union Band Cemetery in the Georgetown section of DC. Both are historic Black Cemeteries now being restored.
Chris Rie continued his longstanding practice of donating blood several times a year.
Jeff Salt, a longtime supporter of the New Paltz, NY Rescue Squad, helped with ambulance coverage at the local NY State Mass Covid Vaccination Site.
Michael Spetrino donated to Feeding Medina County and The Child Behavioral Health Fund of the MetroHealth Foundation.
Paula Stoeke continued her long-term art classes (now on Zoom!) to support a community of folks afflicted with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Mark Teitelbaum made a massive donation of home goods to the Salvation Army, a side-benefit of a home improvement project.
Dennis Wipper donated to Book Harvest, among other unspecified organizations.
Connie Varnhagen cared for 21 patients in their charity veterinary clinic, where they also gave out cookies that Connie and Stanley made.
Amy Wylie Gardner donated to the Norman High Girls Basketball Team, worked on projects for her church’s knitting group, and Amy and Jim baked hundreds of cookies for local charities.
