Tom Allen: Last Fall I announced my upcoming retirement. Now that I have been "in retirement" for three months, I can say I have absolutely no regrets. I am keeping close contact with my students and colleagues and have formed an LLC for upcoming professional engagements. I look forward to our upcoming two-year 50th reunion celebration!
Wallace “Lee” Alward: During the pandemic I have been teaching courses on glaucoma management in Zambia and Mongolia through a charity called Orbis. My activity led to my being designated an Orbis Hero.
Jayne Holmes Arnold: I look forward to seeing family and friends again - in person - and travelling now that I am vaccinated. On the plus side, I managed to complete projects at home, did lots of reading, and re-connected with many friends. Thanks to Tom Stamp for his stellar virtual presentations to Kenyon alumni. Best wishes for a safe and healthy 2021!
Jeff Bennett: Greetings! Susie and I have had both of our vaccine shots and were talking the other night about what we want to do after the expiration of the 14-day waiting period. It's like prisoners anticipating their parole date! Our kids and grandkids are doing well. I'm sure that everyone will enjoy returning to in-person classes this fall. I've been spending most of my time at home during this pandemic and have not done much. I'm on a couple of charity fundraiser car shows scheduled for this summer and hope that we can hold them as scheduled.
I'm enjoying the "old car" hobby. I have a 1972 Volkswagen beetle that reminds me of my days at Kenyon and am a member of several museums and the Antique Auto Club of America.
This coming fall, I hope to do some substitute teaching as I really miss the classroom and students. I even miss prepping my classes. I hope this letter finds everyone in the Kenyon family well and enjoying life!
Marie Charvat: I’ve just hunkered down, taking cheap vacations by reading cozy murder mysteries, etc. I've had my first vaccine and will be getting the second next week. The snowdrops and crocuses are in bloom with daffodil buds getting ready to open - spring at last, bringing new hope for a better, COVID-free year. I hope all of you and yours are doing well. I'm grieving an uncle who died from COVID last month. This is real and yet there are some folks who are still in denial.... They seem to have missed their opportunity to learn how to think, to make use of their education.
Rob Hayes: Like everyone else, I'm sure, our world was tipped over last spring. We had to cancel our second trip to Italy; South Italy this time, having toured Northern Italy the year before. The Travel Agency is graciously holding onto our substantial insurance deposit. My wife of 39 years Donna, who teaches fourth grade Advanced Math (Really? Fourth grade advanced math?) and is having a time of it with her world split between in class teaching and virtual teaching. She's on the cusp of retirement now...this could push her over the edge. Can’t seem to get more than 25 or so years of work out of the woman....My company's business, Real Estate Appraisals, is considered “essential” and has not been affected by COVID. Our oldest daughter, Morgan, is tearing up the marketing world for her company, Microf and is doing an excellent job in raising her adopted daughter, our granddaughter, Madison. And in other good news, my youngest daughter, Tylor Buke Hayes, is engaged to be married to one Derek Molder with a date set for February of next year. Personally I'm fine. I hear from John Higgins usually late at night now and then....a country boy who has moved to the city (Columbus). And I try to stay in touch with Jim Musbach and Ed Moran. I had some health issues...warranty is apparently up on my body, but haven't we all at this age?
Mike Hirschfeld: Linda and I returned from a Panama Canal cruise on March 6, 2020, just beating the shutdown of the cruise industry. Since then, I’ve been primarily working from our Cincinnati home (as has the rest of my law firm, Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP) and honing my skills on Zoom, Teams, Webex, GoogleMeet, Skype, etc. One of the benefits of aging is getting our vaccines earlier, and we look forward to the resumption of some semblance of “normal.” Our three grandchildren are in town and in our “bubble,” so we have at least been able to see them. Our youngest daughter, Michelle, did get married in New York City in October, and we and the groom’s family participated virtually. A special shout-out to classmate and official Kenyon historian, Tom Stamp, for the virtual sessions he has presented to the alumni, including the most recent session on Kenyon and the Civil War. I urge the Class of ’73 to join in on his future presentations; he does us proud!
Julie Johnson: Still working hard on my land use advocacy and the preservation of agricultural land in Ohio from the predations of utility-scale wind and solar developments. Did you know that a rule of thumb is 170 posts per acre are driven ten feet into the ground to support the racks that hold panels? On a normal 1,000 acre array, that is 170,000 posts! There are 176 utility-scale solar arrays in the pipeline for Ohio.
Doretha Leftwood (Smallwood): Late April to mid-May is Senior Games competition time for Rockingham County North Carolina. Currently, I’m getting ready to compete in sports activities against other participants 50 years of age and older. Some of the activities I’ll be competing in are: 1500M race walk, 50M & 100M dash, bocce, shuffleboard, corn hole, horseshoes, mini-golf, softball & football throws. I’ve won gold, silver and bronze medals in the various competitions in past years. Senior Games is a holistic approach to “healthy aging” by keeping the body, mind and spirit fit while enjoying the company of friends. Although this year has been quite challenging with the Covid-19 pandemic, the Senior Games offer in-person and virtual activities and will follow public health guidelines. So wish me luck, folks. I’m going for the “gold”!!
James Loomis: I see the end of this pandemic--at least in this country. I have had my two doses of the Pfizer vaccine and have gone to two high school basketball games since. Our team lost in the state semi-finals. It was my first sporting event in over a year. And I've bought tickets for a day at the races at Keeneland in April. I've got all the immunity the vaccine can offer me, so I'm not holding back any longer. I will continue to wear a mask when it is expected of me, but I am no longer going to curb my travel. After our spring break, we will have as many students return to school 5 days a week as want to. I'm ready for them. Hope the rest of the class of '73 has endured this pandemic with equanimity and grace.
Mel Otten: 2020 was an interesting year from an emergency medicine perspective. We had a pandemic, which we handled quite well and at the same time a decrease in the number of ER visits and practically no influenza cases (which I predicted).You never know what the next crisis is going to be. I would retire but I am having too much fun.
Lucinda Peterson (Haerr): I have derived a lot of joy from texts with college friends Sara Sedgwick ’72 and Barbara Johnson. We reconnected at the 2019 reunion and have stayed in touch since. The reunion of our first class of women was a powerful and wonderful experience! I have also been cooking once a week for a nonprofit in Cincinnati which feeds street people. And I have been donating as much as I can to relief organizations especially during the pandemic. I have an autoimmune disease so I haven't felt I could deal directly with a lot of people. Now that I am vaccinated, I look forward to my book group, going to museums and movies! Hopefully, when my hero Dr. Fauci says it is safe.
Mark Rakoczy: I continue to enjoy the practice of law (on a part-time basis) at Skadden Arps where I represent many of our pro bono clients, in addition to training our young trial lawyers and litigators. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to continue working at this stage of my career on such important matters. On a personal note, my wife, Marianne, and I enjoy spending time at our home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, with our 5 kids and 8 grandchildren. They are a source of infinite joy and energy for us....
David Snell: After many years of procrastinating (and a few failed attempts), the family now consisting of wife and myself have relocated from the wild fire wilderness of Southern California (SoCal). Due to the efforts of J. Scott Douglas and his wife, moving van and personal vehicle found their separate ways to Hilton Head Island, SC. Currently, we are awaiting the relocation of said Commander Douglas to his former vacation (soon to be permanent) home in the same location and awaiting next assignment from the US Dept. of Justice--Bureau of Prisons to (hopefully) a facility within driving distance--a totally new experience for the former road warrior known as Clinical Director Snell.
Ann Starr (Wiester): I greatly enjoyed the Zoom lecture by Sante Matteo ’71, who reminisced about his Kenyon experience as a student who felt out of place. Wonderful insight into many untold stories. An inspiring alum!
Solomon Dennis Stevens: As many of you already know, Bonnie Klomp, my wife for 44 years, passed away in 2017. After several years on my own, I have just married again to Michelle Sklow of Brisbane, Australia. In addition, I have just retired from my position of Provost at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. Michelle and I are enjoying the new life we have found with one another.
Julie Miller Vick: I live in Haddonfield, NJ, just across the Delaware, River from Philadelphia, with husband Jim Vick ’74. We have been vaccinated and are stepping out just a little, spending some inside time with our son, daughter in law and granddaughter (5 years old) who live in Philadelphia, and seeing some local friends. Sadly, my mother died of Covid-19 on Nov. 28, three days after she was diagnosed with it although she showed very few symptoms. She was 98 years old, living in her home of 61 years in Belmont, MA, outside of Boston, with her 24/7 aide and my brother. We held a lovely memorial service on Zoom that was attended by about 250 people. She had many friends of various ages all over the country and the world.
Jim and I are basically doing the same as the last time I responded to this: we walk every day, Zoom or Face Time with our three kids (in Toronto, Philadelphia and Los Angeles) and three grandkids regularly, Zoom with Kenyon friends weekly, read and watch some good television. I attend virtual Pilates classes, virtual book groups, and virtual lectures and discussions from Kenyon and the University of Pennsylvania. I am currently taking a course for Penn alumni (I have an M.A. from Penn) on the Iliad and enjoying it very much.
Lauren Woolcott (Elliott): CV Silver lining: every other Friday Zoom with Laurie Sherwood, Cathi (Sonneborn) Gilmore and Ann (Ritchey) Shugrue Kransdorf. Zoom has fallen pretty low on most people’s happy list, but here it provides great comfort and connection. I hope others are finding a good use for it, too.
