Charles Albers 
I have been fortunate in many ways. My partner, Julie, and I are well. Life is generally very pleasant here in Sarasota, Florida, with several interesting clubs and an excellent culture and arts scene. The past year, due to the pandemic, has featured many Zoom and virtual events, both educational and cultural. Happily, we now seem to be getting back to “the new normal,” thanks to the wonderful new vaccines.

In February, I tuned in to the Kenyon Update on Zoom. The presentations were impressive and encouraging!

I send greetings and best regards to all classmates.

Bud Bronstein
We came to Gambier on the 40th anniversary of a worldwide pandemic.  Yet, certainly we were all filled with hope and wonder.  Our lives were the feast we came to consume.

Who among us would have thought that we were to experience a plague of that proportion in our waning years?

Edward Chase
Probably not my favorite year, but hell, if you can't endure the tough years, you'll never truly enjoy the good years and I've had my share. I'm concerned for the country I love so well, but I am in the autumn, if not the winter of my years. For the young at Kenyon, let me strongly advise you, the Venezuela experiment is not the answer. I wish all well. 

George Brownstone
For me, at this age, same as my classmates, the best part of class notes is to hear (and still be able to hear) who still is, at least enough of him still is, that he knows what he had for breakfast and where he went to college. I’m happy for them, that they’re still kicking, and hopefully even having a good time.

For those who share my view: Though I’m clearly past my “best before” date, I’m still reasonably healthy, still play passable golf (walking) when it’s not too cold, still teach and supervise. I’ve had my vaccinations, as has my wife (who’s still in her busy gastroenterology practice, dressed like an astronaut), but our social life is still pretty much limited to Zoom, WhatsApp, and the phone. We’re itching to be able to get down to our place in Italy again (where our daughter has been doing home office for the past few months), but the current travel restrictions don’t allow it, and it’ll likely be a while yet. But the hardships are pretty mild for us overall - we’re among the lucky ones.

I’m greatly dismayed - shocked - by what’s happened in/to America, with the nation so divided, and things like armed “patriots” storming the Capitol, and no end in sight; stuff like that only used to happen in places like Sudan. I’m glad I don’t live there anymore. Europe has some of that, too, but not nearly at that violent pitch. A bright spot this year was reconnecting with Steve Chaplin via email, and finding a kindred spirit; regret we weren’t closer at Kenyon. Greetings to all.

Sam Corbin
Well, it's March 25, and spring has sprung. Today in western Massachusetts, the temperature has soared to 68 F under sunny, blue skies, and the daffodils are blooming.

To say the least, this has been an interesting year, not as horrible as I thought it would be. My extended family and I are well and have been hunkered down pretty much like everyone else. It's been a good time to peer inward about destiny and the future, and it's been a great opportunity to pursue more stuff, such as oil painting and classical piano. 

I've been thinking of all my old friends a lot, and my best wishes go out to all of you to stay healthy and safe. As we turn the corner on these unforeseen times, things are opening up. In fact, I’ve even heard that Broadway may open back up this September.

Think good thoughts! Looking forward to better times all the same.

Peter Glaubitz
This past year was spent “holed up” at home in Eagles Mere, PA. Fortunately I had a garden to attend to and huckleberries in the forest. Time inside was spent working as a Trustee and Treasurer of a nonprofit “Tandana Foundation”, serving communities in Ecuador’s remote mountains and Mali, Africa.

This was a challenging year for the Foundation as we had to shift gears to help meet new needs and issues

Tandana's style is not to go into a community and tell them what they need and then pay for it. Rather, we form relationships with communities, listen to their own stated needs, and help them achieve essential services with the understanding that the Community will also provide support towards achievement. As adjacent Communities hear of Tandana's style and support, they have asked to be included.

From time to time I call Kenyon’s past Coach Bob Harrison. Coach is 93 years old and is in a nursing home. Due to Covid-19 he has been confined to his room for the entire past year. He would love to hear from others as well 321-622-8506 or write: Discovery Village @ Melbourne, 3260 North Harbor City Boulevard, Room 206, U.S. Route 1, Melbourne, FL. 32935

I wish my Kenyon brothers a very positive 2021-2022! 

Tom Hoffmann
Gambier has been a fortunate place to spend the pandemic. The College and the local community have been diligent in protecting us all. We have missed the students, the lectures and athletic events. We are the host family to several foreign student athletes, and we have not been able to meet with them and have missed their athletic endeavors. Knox County has been very good in administering vaccine shots and we are of an age when we got early doses. By the time you read this Jan and I hope we will again benefit from living in the Kenyon College community.

Jon Katz
Have been monitoring the College's handling of the pandemic and I am impressed with Kenyon’s prudent approach. Living about a mile plus from the Boston College main campus I have seen the results of Covid-19 laxity. I was likewise quite impressed with the post 20 January roll-out of the vaccine here. I received my shots at the Patriot Center and the operation was conducted most efficiently. We now have a new grandson, Jake!  I have paused working full-time after 13 months of primary teleworking and am taking some time to regroup, get a haircut, visit the dentist, etc. Hope to attend the new Chalmers Library dedication this fall and was planning another trip to the Gaspe this summer, but the current Canadian travel restrictions may not permit.

Wishing all classmates the best of health and happiness. Jon

Mike Kischner
Beret and I have spent the year Zooming maskless around the globe for birthdays, weddings, concerts, ballet and theater performances, and even an exploration of Easter Island with Road Scholar guides based in Peru. It was a lot easier than going out of Seattle, and we could afford all the leg room we wanted. At home, I've continued to be active in Wider Horizons (www.widerhorizonsvillage.org), our virtual Village of persons aging in their own homes. While our many in-person activities had to be suspended during the pandemic, we gained more new members than during a comparable period pre-pandemic. This is being attributed to our having ready-made support systems for those experiencing isolation, boredom, or anxiety. Over our phone tree, everybody got called regularly, and over Zoom we've read plays, exchanged stories, and had bi-weekly meetings with three discussion topics to choose from at each meeting. And you didn't have to lug casseroles or salads to potlucks!

Edward Kropa
Got my second shot.

Victor Schur
We have completed the 2 vaccination schedules for Covid-19! Aside from that we have been maintaining our social distancing and wearing masks. Also, we only go to the grocery once a week and the pharmacy when required. We continue to distribute Meals on Wheels but don't do any excess visiting. We appreciate that our grandchildren keep in contact via FaceTime. As soon as we are allowed we will make arrangements to travel again. Hope all alumni are staying safe and getting vaccinated. 

Jim Swaney 
Hope everyone has fared well this year despite Covid! We haven't been badly affected by Covid but have lost one daughter to Cancer and another son had a massive stroke in April. Covid has made it difficult to travel and living in Texas has put us far away from all family. The kids and other family members are scattered from Tucson, AZ to Maine with now no one else here in Texas. We sold our home a few years ago and enjoy living in an independent living facility despite all activities being cancelled because of Covid. Little else is new but we enjoy being retired and are lucky to have generally good health. Hope everyone else is as content. Our best blessing is the election and work being done by our new president, Joe Biden. After being a Republican for about 56 years (though voting independently) I am thoroughly disgusted with the party and welcome the empathy of Joe and the Democrats and Independents. Anyone who still believes in Trump is an enabler of a traitor! Thank you for letting me vent a bit. 

Pat Eggena
I have kept myself busy this past year making live edge wood sculptures, 50 of them. The sculptures are made from our old black walnut tree that no longer stands out front; it fell with others in the tornado of 2018.  Its history is inscribed in the sculptures:  the insults from droughts, storms, man, and diseases – engraved for us to see with lines that show the years that suddenly came to an end. Quite unexpected.  Our black walnut tree was planted around the time our Democracy was formed.  Both stood straight and tall for all these years until they have now been weakened by disease and threatened by insurrection.

These were my thoughts as I cut and sanded trying to capture the feelings and emotions of the pandemic of 2020/21 and the social unrest created by an inept response by our government resulting in hunger, isolation, guilt, pain, fear, sorrow, anger, dying alone. But I also found some flickers of hope, love, passion, comfort, forgiveness. All sculptures have live edges with sap wood and bark to pay homage to the many trees that have fallen on our farm.  

I put pictures of the sculptures in a photobook, which are few pages have been included below.  Here are the comments of a reviewer: