CONCORD ACADEMY MAGAZINE SPRING 2008(grandcanyonadventurefilm.com). I amlooking forward to a fresh political startfor our country in 2008.” Susan Polkand her husband are enjoying the mostlyempty nest. They have one son still incollege; the first two graduated in 2007and 2008. They are very happy theyhave only one college tuition to pay forthe next two years. Susan has a parttimework schedule with small businessand personal accounting clients. In thefall she had coffee with Abby Gillespie.“It was fun to hear about her latestendeavors and to imagine what it mustbe like to have lived in Rome for somany years.” In November, Susan andLibet Campbell Peters ’73 had a privatetour of the Crane Estate in Ipswich,thanks to Lisa Compton Bellocchio, whois on staff at the Trustees of Reserva -tions. Rosamond Smith Rea startedthe year with a Rea family trip to WaterIsland, Virgin Islands to celebrate hermother-in-law’s 90th birthday. “It was awarm and relaxing getaway from theMaine winter. I was very fortunate toenjoy a second major vacation inSeptember, traveling to Italy with someclassmates. It was my first trip to Italy,and now I realize why so many peoplehave flocked there for centuries.” Rozworks as collections manager andadministrative assistant at the Wood -lawn Museum in Ellsworth, ME. Herhusband Fred works at Mount DesertYacht Yard. Their older son Stephen hasreturned from a year of teaching Englishin South Korea and wants to pursuea PhD in sociocultural anthropology.Son James is a junior at WesleyanUniversity, studying earth and environmentalsciences, and hopes to studyvolcanoes in Argentina with one of hisprofessors. Roz sends best wishes to alland hopes to see everyone at the nextreunion. Writing from England, SallieCoolidge Seymour says, “Photos tellmore than words at this point . . . Wehad a fabulous Christmas in Egypt in2006, while in 2007 we spent all ourtime and resources working on our farmhousein Suffolk. 2008 is a big examyear for all three children: Charlotte, 17,has a place at Christ Church, Oxford ifshe passes her A levels. Edward, 16,hopes to move on to sixth form, andWilham, 13, is trying for a scholarshipexam to Rugby in May.” Sallie’s husbandThomas is working hard at the Bar,“while I drift about, complaining abouthow much work everyone else has.”Kate Tweedy quit her job teachingEnglish as a second language and beganwriting a book about her mother, grandfather,and their racehorse, Secretariat,who won the Triple Crown in 1973,something she has always wanted todo. Disney is making a movie aboutKate’s mother and the horse, to bereleased in time for the 2009 Kentucky62Evalyn Bemis ’72 in KentuckyDerby. “I’ve enjoyed working with thescreenwriter, Mike Rich. If you see themovie, a 20-year old rebellious Katemight have some lines; at least shedoes in the current version. I can’t waitto see who plays me and even more,who plays Mom. My book will be lessabout The Horse and more about howhis legacy helped me reconcile with mymother. One underlying theme concernsmy investigation of and distress over ourancestors’ slave ownership in Virginiaand our recent reconnection with theirdescendants, who helped raise Secre -tariat.” Kate’s youngest daughter AliceMcGrath is a 2008 graduate of NYU’shonors program majoring in English andFrench, and plans to get a PhD inEnglish and to teach. Her sister Elena isalso considering grad school, studyinglaw or history. Kate has a beautiful logcabin in the Rockies that is available forrent. “Sleeps six to eight, with viewsto die for . . . I write there wheneverI can. Come visit!” Cynthia Wilson isenjoying every minute of being herown boss again. She and her partnerEmile Wennekes’ company is thriving.“You can read all about our projectsand publications on our Web site,wwclassicsonline.com. Click on thecredits page for a glimpse of the wonderful16th century farmhouse we arehappy to call home.” Projects that havekept Cynthia busy include a major concertproduction in Amsterdam’s Concert -gebouw for a Dutch national broad castingcompany and the Yo! Youth OperaFestival, held in April 2007. Cynthiaalso has finished writing the biographyof Beaux Arts Trio pianist MenahemPressler, a project of many years.Susan Angevin, Janet Eyre, Anne Dayton, and Lorna Potter Walker at the Classof 1972 reunion1972Class Secretary: Jennifer WiseBlackman, jennyb_05492@yahoo.comIt seems that many of us are still baskingin the glow of our 35th reunion ayear ago. All in all, we’re a pretty sassybunch whose talents, skills, and experiencescover an astounding range. Beproud! Since then . . . Evalyn Bemis isworking as a photojournalist on assignmentsfor the U.S. Eventing Association.“I have moved from being a competitorto being an observer — both have beenrewarding pursuits. As ever, the bestthing I took away from my CA educationis the belief that I can be anything Iset my mind to.” See her photos atimageevent.com/evalyn87508. We havesome big news from Janet Eyre, whowrites, “This will come as a huge surprise— I have moved to Concord, MA!Yup, you read that right. Over thesummer, after having lunch with himjust before our 35th reunion, I fell in lovewith Tom Martin, Middlesex ’72. I’mstill not sure how it happened, but I leftHawaii and frequent scuba diving forthe charms of Concord. It feels strangeand yet oddly comfortable to be back.Strange how life turns out.” Congratula -tions Janet! Louisa Heyward writes,“My daughter Chloe is 6 and enjoyingkindergarten at nearby PoughkeepsieDay School, which preserves some ofthe community warmth and happy,relaxed spirit that seems to have sosadly disappeared since the ’60s. Ourbig adventure this year was a month longvisit to the elementary school nearDarjeeling, India, which MariaLauenstein-Denjongpa, her husbandSonam and son Pintso founded twoyears ago. Chloe participated in the firstgradeclass.” Louisa feels that Taktse,the new school, is unique in that itencourages children to think for themselves,rather than learn by rote memorization.Mary Anne Mayo reports thatshe and her husband Steve (Stephen J.Nelson, honorary ’72) have been focusingon their tiny but growing law firm,and that means precious little playtime.Our reunion was a highlight of theirsummer, as was their annual sail toMartha’s Vineyard in late August. InOctober, they did an “insane” crosscountrydriving trip with their dogBowdie to attend the Portuguese WaterDog National Specialty in Ventura, CA,where he “struck out completely.”Meanwhile, after graduating fromColorado College, the “human child,”Parker, has completed internships inatmospheric science at Colorado Stateand biogeochemistry at the SmithsonianEnvironmental Research Center, and isheading to grad school next fall. LibbyHaight O’Connell missed our reunion:“That weekend I won an Emmy for adaytime documentary I coproducedabout crystal meth, aimed at highschoolers. Most of my work is for TheHistory Channel, so this was a realchange of pace for me.” Libby did get tosee the CA–New York crew during thereunion’s planning stages and praisedPam Frischkorn Doyle’s great organizing.Libby also visited Jane DeBevoiseln Hong Kong. “She is a wonderfulmother to four teenagers (the very ideaexhausts me) and is doing really groundbreakingwork in contemporary Chinese
art.” Libby’s son Charlie, 26, and daughterLucy, 23, have graduated fromWesleyan. Charlie is in grad school atUVA and Lucy is working at an adagency about two blocks from Libby’soffice in Manhattan, so they frequentlyget together for lunch. Libby and herhusband Matt celebrated their 30thanniversary this spring. Amanda Powellstill floats on Cloud 9 whenever sheremembers that great June reunion.“Looking good, you girls, and doingeven better! I don’t think we shouldwait another 35 years. Greetings andthanks to all who attended, in bodyand/or spirit!” Jane Waldfogel writes:“Certainly one of the highlights of lastyear was our wonderful reunion at CA. Itwas great seeing so many people andreconnecting after all these years. I can’twait for the next one!” Lorna PotterWalker agrees, and adds, “I’m sorry ittook me so long to realize how muchfun CA reunions could be . . . it wasgreat to be surrounded by such a creative,smart, thoughtful group ofwomen! Staying in the dorm and chatting’til the wee hours with classmates,some close old pals, some I hadn’t seensince ’72, felt just like old times, butwithout some of the old anxieties andpressures of the teen years. I thinkwe’re all old enough to feel comfortablesharing both our successes and our failureswith little self-consciousness.”Christina Wagner is still “happilyretired,” with time for her new hobby:cross-country ski marathons. “As far asmy racing times, let’s just say ‘finishing’can be a goal in itself.” Her daughterjust finished sixth grade and is startingto think about looking at high schools.Felicia Woodward wants you all toknow that she’s already made her reservationsfor our 2012 reunion.1973 35th reunionClass Secretary: Sarah Witte Marshall,sarahmar@maine.rr.comPlus ca change...! But some big surprisestoo! Read on! Sarah Bartlettwrites: “I went to Spain with my kidsand Jan Rosenfeld and her husbandand two kids for the Christmas break. Itwas fun to travel together and enjoy thebenefits of such a long-lasting friendship.I’m in the second year of teachingat the City University of New York’sgraduate school of journalism and feelvery lucky to be there. Great, smart,diverse students and dynamic colleagues.The other thing going on in mylife is a major renovation — I know, I’vebeen saying that for the last 25 years,but this time I really do hope it’s the lasttime!” Candace Browning Platt is alsoin New York: “Still going downtown tothe financial district every day, butchange is all around me. We will soonbe empty-nesters as my daughter isalready in college and my son is applyingto boarding school (a much more complicatedprocess than it used to be). Mymost surreal experience this year washaving coffee last month with JoanneTurnbull at our favorite ‘bulochnaya’(bakery) in Moscow. Joanne and I studiedand worked together in Moscow inthe ’80s, but I hadn’t seen her sinceabout 1990. It was great to catch up andit seemed the same . . . except we are alot older!” Amy Cammann Cholnokyand family took a trip to Kenya to celebratetheir 25th anniversary. “Our oldest,JB, graduates from Dartmouth inJune, so I’m feeling on the cusp ofsomething big . . . I remember HilaryHeyl and I talking for hours about ‘transitions’during our senior spring at CA,and now it’s almost time for another —same bittersweet sense of moving on,yet excitement about new adventuresahead. Family vacations are golden now,soon they will be platinum, which is whyI may not make reunion. It is a weekafter JB’s graduation and we hope tosqueeze in one more trip before hestarts his next chapter in life.” JenniferHowell is sorry to miss reunion, but herdaughter is graduating from Smith in lateMay. “Otherwise, working hard; all myprojects are centered on reducing ortransporting waste — and finding time tohike, read, and garden. I have embracedthe local food movement by having alarge edible garden. Still love the PacificNW.” Sarah Witte Marshall is about tobe the very proud mom of a hunky newmale nurse! Byron graduates from theUniversity of San Francisco in May, andplans to work in community health. “Tokick off the career, we’re taking a fewdays in Sonoma Valley.” Sarah and herfellow, Drew, have had some greatadventures including a frenzied paddleagainst the tide in the Everglades and aninsane effort to kayak around Little DeerIsle, ME with white caps rolling overthe bow. “Last May we went to NewOrleans, and I designed a new site planfor a UU church that was destroyed bythe flooding. I’m celebrating my 20thyear with the landscape architecturefirm I helped start in 1988.” LaurieMatthews is at Harvard BusinessSchool, as an associate director in MBAcareer services. “It’s a neat position,where I oversee our 30+ careercoaches, and all the student careerdevelopmentprograms and communications.I absolutely love the energy ofworking with students, and it harks backto my first jobs out of Bowdoin, teachingschool. Scott and I are newly in love,as we adopted a Portuguese water dogpuppy, Lucy, last summer. . . . Everyoneshould come back in their next life as adog in the South End — and she lovesLaurie Matthews ’73 and Lucy onCape Codweekends up in Sunapee, NH evenmore. Our life is good!” Sue McDonaldsays, “My family and I are still inHamden and loving the New Havenarea. I’m about a year into a new job asdirector of finance and administration atYale Law School, which is stimulatingand challenging and involves constantchange. My oldest son, Dan, is back atTufts after taking a semester off andbeing a volunteer English and mathteacher in Ghana; his younger brotherJon has applied to colleges; theiryounger sister Hannah loves her highschool sophomore year and a widerange of activities that keep her busy.My husband Corey is healthy (still inremission) and living through the anxietiesof operating a small start-up financialservices company in an era ofsub-prime mortgage meltdown.” NancyParssinen Vespoli and her husbandMike have been in the business of manufacturingrowing shells for almost 28years. Their daughter Lauren is a juniorat Choate. Nancy has been busy volunteering,participating in numerous sportingactivities, doing a little bit of painting,and coaching girls’ crew at Choate. “Irun into Laurie Matthews in Newbury,NH. It turns out we are just miles aparton Lake Sunapee. Amy CammannCholnoky and I see a lot of each other atChoate. As usual, Amy’s in charge ofmost everything and doing a great job atit! Her son Robbie and Lauren are classmates.Occasionally, Robin TraversGosnell and I catch a few hours withPui Lamsam Panyarachun, when sheis not roaming the Himalayas or doingphoto treks in exotic places. I hear thatMongolia is her next destination. I seeMary Bush and her birds a few times ayear when we have the opportunity totravel to DC. I almost got to see EllenGravallese last summer when consultingwith her husband Tim, an orthopedist.But Ellen’s life is getting very busy;she has become division chief ofrheumatology at UMass Medical School.Cynthia McCallister and I have just realizedthat we live less than 30 minutesapart.” Confirming the wonderful news,Cindy McCallister writes: “Some ofyou may remember that I was brayingabout wanting a baby at our last reunion.Well, now I have one and, oh boy, becareful what you ask for! Having him at51 was a piece of cake (in case anyone’sstill contemplating the craziness), butkeeping up with a 15-month-old at 52 ismy definition of insanity. He’s eitherkeeping me young or killing me and Ihaven’t yet figured out which. Anyway,his name is Wilkinson RhodesMcCallister and he’s the love of my life;I can’t wait to bring him to the reunionand have him wreak havoc at CA. To theCA friends who encouraged my madness,thank you so much for your support!”So, everyone come see Wilkinsonand all the other smiling faces this June!1974Class Secretaries: Amy Dunbar,akdunbar@aol.com; Cecily DeeganMcMillan, cecilymcmillan@hotmail.comMarj Aelion writes: “We are doing welland looking forward to some sabbaticaltime in a year or so. I am the associatedean for research for the Arnold Schoolof Public Health at the University ofSouth Carolina, and Tom continues aschair of anthropology for another semester.Renee is a senior at CA. Drew is asophomore at Tulane and loves it. Wehave no foreign high school exchangestudents living with us. That leaves Tomand me to do more in town, hit thebrew pub one block from my office, andthen the independent theatre to seemovies, many of which no one hasheard of. Life is too good.” From PeterFisher: “I’m travelling much less nowthat I’m no longer running BlackRock’sAsian businesses and thus have moretime and fun at home with Mary Sueand Duncan, 17, who just (barely) finishedhis college applications. Charlotte,15, has finished her first semester atFoxcroft in Middleburg, VA, so justmonths from now we’ll be emptynesters.The mind boggles.” Alex Kenthas been doing some work with theObama campaign, as well as the usualfamily obligations. “My eldest sonJoshua, 16, is a junior and in the throesof that stress-filled year. My other twoboys, Ben and Jordan, are now in middleschool, a transition that has been63<strong>WWW</strong>.<strong>CONCORDACADEMY</strong>.<strong>ORG</strong> SPRING 2008