Class Newsletter - SiteProxy Welcome Page

Class of 1987 Officers
PRESIDENT
H. Randall Morgan, Jr.
SECRETARIES
Wendy Becker
Melissa Walshein Smith
TREASURER
Anne Schnader
NEWSLETTER EDITORS
Christen O’Connor
Amy Baker
MINI REUNION CHAIR
Laura Gasser
HEAD ALUMNI FUND
AGENTS
Tim Bixby
Raffiq Nathoo
WEB TALENT
Julie Hubble
Jenifer Holcombe Soykan
ALUMNI COUNCIL
Bob Charles
Back row: Mary Smyers
Kaufman, Christen
O’Connor, Stephanie
Mullins-Wine, Maurice
Holmes, Tracey Salmon-
Smith, Crystal Crawford,
Mike McGinn, Nigel Ekern,
Rick Pepperman, Garrett
Hornsby; Front Row: Mary
McArtor Reynolds, Liza
Rebetz Mackinnon, Tracey
Taylor Eastman, Martha
Ehrmann, Dimetria Jackson,
Tim Parker, Ward Watson
Also attended but missing
from group photo: Dave
Foster & Brendan Connell
Class of '87 Newsletter
Great Turnout at Homecoming 2010
Great Turnout at the Dartmouth Night Parade and Mini-Reunion Brunch at the Hanover Inn
Mini-Reunion Chair Laura Gasser happily reports that we had two well-attended events in
Hanover over Homecoming weekend this year!
Before the Dartmouth-Harvard game on October 30th, approximately 100 ‘87s, ‘86s, ‘85s, ‘84s,
and their families and guests gathered together for a mini-reunion brunch at the Hanover Inn.
We ‘87s had a great turnout! In attendance were 19 ‘87s and their families and friends (51
strong in all): Brendan Connell and Rich Yueng ’93; Crystal Crawford; Tracey Taylor
Eastman, husband Peter Eastman, and daughter Taylor; Martha Ehrmann; Nigel Ekern, wife
Kimberley, and kids Tighe and Skye; Dave Foster, wife Debbie, and kids Sam and Ely; Maurice
Holmes, wife Michelle, and kids Maurice Jr., Miles, and Maya; Garrett Hornsby; Dimetria
Jackson, husband Ernest Priestly, and son Jackson; Mary Smyers Kaufman, husband Seth,
and kids Anna and Sam; Liza Rebetz Mackinnon and kids Megan, Emma, and Conner; Mike
McGinn, wife Debbie Scott, and kids McKinley and Riley; Stephanie Mullins-Wine and
husband Jonah Wine; Christen O’Connor; Timothy Parker; Rick Pepperman, wife Elizabeth
Fearon Pepperman, and kids Kate, Grace, and Chris; Mary McArtor Reynolds and daughter
Maddi; Tracey Salmon-Smith; and Ward Watson, wife Wendy, and kids Niskua and Naika.
Anne Schnader also was going to attend, but unfortunately had to change her plans last
minute.
Laura unfortunately couldn’t make it out from San Francisco, but sends her thanks to Christen
(who graciously acted as on-site coordinator and photographer on Laura’s behalf) as well as
everyone else who attended and made the event a success.
But there’s more: the night before, Stephanie Mullins-Wine took the lead... (Cont'd pg 3)
Dec 2010
1
www.dartmouth87.org

2 www.dartmouth87.org
Dec 2010
Class News
Our Class Notes Co-editor Wendy Becker forwarded an electronic “green card” from Elliot Harvey:
I am a high school teacher (Spanish and Mathematics) at The Winchendon School in Winchendon, MA. I am also the
Director of their Summer Semester Program. I am married and have three daughters.
I remember having really outstanding teachers at Dartmouth, especially Liza Knapp and John Finn.
I had Professor Liza Knapp as my Freshman year Russian language teacher. She entered the classroom last, after we were
all sitting down, a tall, pretty woman. She placed a vodka bottle containing what appeared to be vodka and a shot glass on
the table. She poured herself a shot (clear liquid—water or vodka?), drank it in one gulp, looked at us, and announced, “Ya
pyu vodku”. She poured another, drank it, and repeated, “Ya pyu vodku”. What a start to a three month course! She was
an inspiring teacher.
Professor John Finn was the best pure teacher I have ever had—in high school or in college. I will never forget his angry
resentment over the phrase “natural logarithm”. He thought that the only “real” logarithms were base e, and that the word
“natural” was superfluous. He understood that it wasn’t enough to teach a subject, but that he also had to connect what
he was teaching to other kinds of knowledge (like putting Chinese language drills on Dartmouth’s computer system). I
never thought that I would end up teaching math for a living, because it was always my weakest subject. Professor Finn
explained his unusual journey towards becoming a college mathematics professor, and it was very helpful to me when I
decided to become a teacher.
Another formative influence from my Dartmouth years was Nancy Pompian. Although I never really got to know her,
Nancy was in charge of the reading and study skills center. My freshman year, I discovered that I could make money by
tutoring other students and holding study groups, and it seemed that there was no limit to how much money I could make!
I even got syllabi from different professor’s courses and taught study groups in those subjects even though I hadn’t
taken the classes! I learned as much from teaching others for the reading and study skills center as I did from taking
classes myself, and I met some very interesting people. I remember that I tutored a Dartmouth relative of the Rastafari
emperor of Ethiopia named Solomon Heile-Salassie. When it was time for me to apply for my first teaching job (Economics
at the Hotchkiss Summer Program), the recommendation from Nancy Pompian was as helpful as my diploma!
I found Dartmouth a very friendly place. During my public high school years, I never tried alcohol and I went to bed early.
I remember my first few weeks at Dartmouth. The parties began at 11:00 at night? At 3 AM, one could hear voices echoing
in the car-less streets as small bands of students wandered around campus looking for something to do. Everyone was
friendly, helpful, and fun; one thousand eighteen and nineteen-year-olds taken away from the leash of parental
supervision and the guidance of elder brothers and sisters. Where to draw the line? How much to drink? When to go to
sleep? Whether to finish the homework? Go to class? How many goodly creatures were there here! How beauteous
Dartmouth was! O brave new place that had such people in it!
Through the years, I have eagerly asked the question when I saw the T-shirt, “Did you go to Dartmouth?” —usually
resulting in disappointment because it was only, “my sister’s husband’s shirt” or something. But I always ask, because
the white buildings on the green, colorful leaves, Baker Tower, nights drinking and dancing on Frat Row, Winter Carnival,
Robinson Hall, and all of it is still inside me, still alive.
—Elliot Harvey

Homecoming 2010, continued
Class News
The night before, Stephanie Mullins-Wine took the lead in rallying 30 ‘87s and family members to join her in marching in
the Dartmouth Night parade. All the marchers but Jon Zonis and family even made it to the mini-reunion brunch the next
day too. (Ed. note from Laura: you were missed, Zebo!). What a great Homecoming; let’s keep that spirit going straight
through to our 25 th !
Clockwise, starting right: Jackson Priestly, son of Dimetria Jackson
(Editors note: serious cutie, admissions office take note); Garrett
Hornsby, Stephanie Mullins-Wine, Tracey Taylor Eastman, Tracey
Salmon-Smith; Nigel Ekern, Dimetria Jackson, Maurice Holmes & his
wife, Michelle
Dec 2010
3
www.dartmouth87.org

4 www.dartmouth87.org
Dec 2010
Class News
And now, a word from our Class President “H” Randy Morgan
Help Us Have the Ultimate 25 th Reunion!
Would you be interested in participating on our Reunion Committee or helping even in some small way? If so, please
contact our 25th Reunion Co-Chairs - Allison Bleyler McDonald and Dan Wolfe - at REUNION@DARTMOUTH87.ORG.
Our Reunion is going to be well worth the trip to Hanover, but it will be even better if you help us tailor it to be what you
want it to be.
All classmates are welcome! Truly. This is not just for the beautiful people. In fact, most of us aren’t beautiful any more (or
never were, as in my case.)
Most importantly, though, we really want you with us for Reunion. Please. Put the date in your calendar now:
25th Reunion: June 14-17, 2012
Are You Getting Our Emails?
We are missing over a third of our classmates’ email addresses. Is yours one of them?
· If you didn’t know until now that we hosted an amazing multi-class mini-reunion for the 84s, 85s, 86s and 87s last
month, it probably means that we don’t have your email address.
· If you never received our April and June class newsletters in your Inbox, it means we don’t have your email
address. Each year at least one of our newsletters goes out in electronic format only, so you’re missing juicy
class news if you only get the paper version!
· If you have never received a quarterly email from me telling you about the awards and recognition that the
College bestows on us at Class Officers Weekend each year, then we definitely don’t have your email address.
Note: WE WON’T GIVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO THE COLLEGE!
But we would really like to have it for ourselves so that we can keep in touch with you from time to time.
Please send your address to me at my own vanity email address: H@DARTMOUTH87.ORG (vain, maybe, but not
beautiful).
Awards & Recognition
Each year, we start off with a set of goals. We are fortunate to have talented and dedicated classmates and Class Officers
that keep achieving the goals we set out for them. This past year was no exception, and, at Class Officers Weekend in
October, the College recognized the 87s once again for our accomplishments.
Specifically, congratulations are in order for:
1. Our entire Class and our Officers and Executive Committee – for Honorable Mention as runner-up for Class of the
Year Award (25 Years Out and Younger);
2. Tim Bixby, Raffiq Nathoo (Class Co-Head Agents) and our entire team of Class Agents - for surpassing our
annual DCF goal by revamping our development team and strategy in a manner that impressed the Class Officers
Association;
3. Julie Hubble and Jenifer Holcombe Soykan (Class Co-Webmistresses) - for the nomination of our class website
www.DARTMOUTH87.org as Website of the Year (Classes 25 Years Out and Younger).

Class News
Goals
This year, our primary aim is to reconnect with as many of our classmates as we can. Our Class Notes in the DAM, our
newsletters, our mini-reunions all serve this purpose well. However, there are some areas on which we plan to focus
even greater attention this year, including:
1. Expand our Listserv Database - We want it to contain at least 75% of our classmates by the end of June.
Please see above for sending us your email address(es);
2. Recruit committee members for our 25 th Reunion – See above for details;
3. Leverage FaceBook – Our brand new official Fan Page for the class is Dartmouth Class of 1987. “Like” us
today! In fact, if any of you FaceBook gurus out there would be willing to help me with administration tips, I
would be greatly obliged.
I wish you all enjoyable holidays and a Happy New Year. Thank you for helping make this past year so special.
Warmest regards,
H
President
Class of 1987 and the Dartmouth Class Officers Association
Please put the date in your schedule now: 25th Reunion: June 14-17, 2012
Seen below, L to R: H, Jock, Allison, Anne, Raffiq, Christen
Dec 2010
5
www.dartmouth87.org

6 www.dartmouth87.org
Dec 2010
Class News
And now, a word from President
Obama:
Mark Brzezinzki Rocks!!
Oh, wait, I think I paraphrased a little too heavily. Here’s
the real release:
President Obama Announces More Key Administration
Posts, 11/16/10
WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama
announced his intent to appoint the following
individuals to key Administration posts:
· Mark C. Alexander, Member, J. William
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
· Mark Brzezinski, Member, J. William Fulbright
Foreign Scholarship Board
· Lisa M. Caputo, Member, J. William Fulbright
Foreign Scholarship Board
· Shelby F. Lewis, Member, J. William Fulbright
Foreign Scholarship Board
Mark Brzezinski, Appointee for Member, J. William
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
Mark Brzezinski is a partner in the Washington, D.C.
office of McGuire Woods, where he specializes in anticorruption
law. As a Fulbright Scholar in Poland
between 1991 and 1993, Mr. Brzezinski authored the
book “The Struggle for Constitutionalism in Poland.”
He was later elected and served two terms on the Board
of the US Fulbright Scholarship Association. He served
on the Obama Presidential Campaign’s foreign policy
team from January 2007 until the election. Mr. Brzezinski
served first as a Director for Russian/Eurasian affairs,
and then as a Director for Southeast European Affairs
on the National Security Council under President
Clinton. He earned his BA from Dartmouth College, his
J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School, and he
has a doctorate in political science from Oxford
University.
(Editor’s note: I know we have updated you on Mark
from time to time, but seeing it all laid out like that makes
it more impressive.)
Update on Ken Block:
Just as a refresher, because you don’t exactly get these
newsletters often enough to create a true narrative, we
heard last May from Chris DiGiovanni, saying:
Just wanted to let you know that Ken Block ‘87 is
running for governor this year in the state of RI, and I
think he has a good shot of winning. He founded the
moderate party of RI this past year effectively on his
own, and it has snowballed into a major campaign
within the state … I suspect some people from our class
at Dartmouth might appreciate knowing this, and
might even want to help support his campaign.
Chris was on to something- The Providence Journal
most certainly read our class newsletter and sent a
reporter to cover Ken. One reporter described a debate
between Ken and the other two candidates (1 D and 1
R), saying Ken was clear and to the point:
“We need to fix our economy and fix our education
system,” he said. “That’s what most normal people want
out of life, that’s what they expect out of their
governments, and we don’t give it to them.”
“It has to change,” he said. “We have to do things
differently.”
Few noticed at the time, but the applause for Block —
perhaps the least known to many who attended the
event — was among the loudest of the night. (Source:
Randal Edgar, Providence Journal, Sunday October 24 th ,
2010)
The result is not that one of our classmates has become
a governor, but Ken did receive an impressive 6.5%
percent of the vote, which is enough to keep his new
Moderate Party on future ballots. Personally, I love the
line “That’s what most normal people want out of life”
because I think a) that it’s true, and b) that it’s kind of
amazing that we have the privilege to want a good
economy and a good education system. Seems like a lot
of parts of the world would be asking for things a little
lower on Mazlov’s hierarchy of needs.

Carded by a friend:
I was not able to attend the Class Officers Weekend, or Homecoming, but
Sara Dann and I held a mini-mini-reunion of our own when I was in Miami
on business in November. She and Bob had their entire combined crew
around the table, each of whom politely excused themselves as I drilled
down on the eldest who is applying to college this year. I hadn’t realized
you don’t have to write a Dartmouth specific essay any more, which I
understand in terms of efficiency’s sake but kind of makes me sad too.
Most of you don’t know this about me, but I was originally accepted into
the Class of 1986, and then deferred to join you all (I knew a future award
winning class when I saw it). I spent the deferred year in England with
fellow 87’s Carl Failmetzger and Tim Rooney, but that’s a whole different
set of stories.
The point of all this is that I answered a different question than most of
you, because for the ‘86’s the question was “How do you define success
and how do you hope to achieve it?” Since that evening at Sara’s house
I’ve been thinking about that success question. Oddly enough, my
definition has changed many times throughout the years, but is now pretty
close to what it was when I was in 12 th grade, applying. Plus ca change, as
they say.
Anyway, Sara was doing well, which was both not very surprising and
wonderful. She is one of the few women I know who embody the concept
of balance (Kate Harris being another.) Most of the rest of us poor slobs
talk about it but are merely paying it lip service, as we remain over
committed and stretched thin.
87 th Day/Night Mini-Reunions in Spring 2011
Class News
Sara Dann (l) and Amy Baker
(r) in the loud shirt
competition. Note also the
Harry Potter glasses on me.
So out there it will look normal
a decade from now.
Another tradition continues: the 87 th day of 2011 is March 28, and Laura once again will be coordinating mini-reunion
events around the country on and around that date in March and April, with the help of her trusty group of volunteer
organizers. If you would like to organize an ‘87 th night gathering in your area, please contact Laura at
laura.gasser@cpuc.ca.gov. Stay tuned for details in the next newsletter, on our website, and via email early next year.
Dec 2010
7
www.dartmouth87.org

8 www.dartmouth87.org
Dec 2010
Class News
Our 25th Reunion is less than 2 years away!
Help us make it the best reunion our Class has ever seen — mark your calendars NOW and plan to come! And, if you’re
the sort that wants to be involved, or likes to plan parties, or just has some good ideas, consider joining the Reunion
Committee. We are looking for enthusiastic folks to help with a wide range of tasks, many of which would require little to
no time away from socializing during the Reunion Weekend.
Here are some of the areas where we need volunteers:
~ Recruiting & Attendance - help drive excitement and attendance for our 25th Reunion, volunteer as liaison for your
Region, your Dorm / Team / Fraternity / Sorority or other group
~ Meals - help plan & organize one or more of the meals during the Reunion weekend
~ Entertainment - help plan & coordinate with bands or other entertainment for the weekend
~ Yearbook - help put together our Class yearbook
~ Loads of other roles of manageable size, such as Souvenir/Gift, Class Memorial Service organizer, Speaker (for Class
Dinner or Class Panel Discussion) organizer....
E-mail us if you’re interested in joining the Committee, or for more info on specific roles & descriptions!
Allison & Dan
REUNION@DARTMOUTH87.ORG
It’s a Wrap
That’s all the news that’s fit to print, and for our next newsletter, we ask you this:
Over the 23+ years since our graduation, where is the oddest place that you’ve ever run into an ’87 classmate?
I know for me, it – wait. That’s for next newsletter. Send us your story, and from both Christen and me, may you enjoy a
wonderful, Happy New Year.
All the best,
Amy Baker Christen Fitzpatrick O'Connor
Amy.Baker.87@alum.dartmouth.org Christen.M.O'Connor.87@alum.dartmouth.org