CORNELL ALUMNI MAGAZINE ARTICLES FOR 2004
When the NY Times or the Washington Post err in a report the correction appears the next day. Alas, I had to wait four months to set the record straight. Sam Bookbinder did indeed play in the Alumni baseball game at Reunion and was injured in the process. A hit to the knee resulted in many sessions at the Rothman Institute of Orthopedics in Philadelphia. And to add insult to injury, Sam's wife, Connie (NC), was hit by a foul ball while sitting in the dugout. It only took her four weeks to get better.
By now you have received your class dues letter from Bob Watts which included a news form. I hope you'll take time to fill in some tidbits and send them on to me. Marcia Wishengrad Metzger returned hers and told of her trip with Bob (NC) earlier this year on a canal cruise in the Netherlands and Belgium. She also wrote that had she not been in the Arts school her choice would have been Hotel as she enjoys giving formal parties as well as theme parties. Preparing ethnic foods is also one of Marcia's interests.
Ben and Sandy Lindberg Bole were in the middle of the chestnut harvest last fall with an orchard that produces wonderful nuts. Their customers are the upscale grocers in the Sherwood area just south of Portland, OR. Children and friends came in shifts to help -that made the exhausting days more fun. The Boles' business, Laddhill chestnuts.com on the web, has been featured on Martha Stewart (pre- Imclone), in an AP article, and on local television. Sandy and Ben welcomed grandchild # 8,another Benjamin, last March in San Francisco.
Among those attending their 50th high school reunions were Sue Shelby Schurmeier at Syracuse Central High School, Martie Ballard Lacy at Solvay High and Ruthe "Skip" Hewlett Gorman at Farmingdale High. Ruth flew in from Huntington Beach, California where she is working for a real estate construction firm. Adele Petrillo Smart and Jean Waters Townsend went back to Buffalo Seminary for their 50th. Jean and her husband, Charlie (NC), along with Alice Brunner visited the Waters' son in the country of Georgia. Bill (NC) works for BP which is building a pipeline from the Caspian Sea to the Meditteranean. The group also made a side trip to Armenia.
Flower Clark MacMillen and her husband Glenn began their fall migration to Florida last October. Now that they have a new granddaughter near Kansas City, the route between NY and FL seems to go via MO. They are still living full time in their motorhome and enjoying every minute of it. In May they hosted a family reunion and 95th birthday party for Flower's mother in upstate NY. Flower also attended her 50th HS reunion at Pulaski High School. The MacMillans celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary while attending a Clan MacMillan gathering in NYC, and were at Ground Zero for a memorial service when the big northeast black out hit. Quite an experience, writes Flower.
Eleanor Meaker Kraft will be heading back to Cornell in June
for the law school class
reunion. Ellie continues practicing law, doing indigent appeals
in the San Francisco area. Her 22 year old daughter is in her
second year of college (Ellie wonders if it's taking longer these
days than when we were young!)
Ephraim McLean has spent over 40 years in the field of Information Systems, first with Proctor & Gamble for 7 years before an 18 year tenure on the faculty of the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, and since 1987 in the University System of Georgia, at Georgia State. The highest honor in that domain was recently bestowed on Dr. McLean, that of Regents' Professor, a title held by less than one percent of faculty members in the Georgia System. For those who think they suffer from writer's cramp, be it known that Eph has published over 125 papers and authored, co-authored or co-edited 10 books. One of his books, "Information Technology for Management," is in its third edition, and is the second largest selling Information Systems textbook in the world. In addition, over the years he has raised more than $33 Million for Georgia State, UCLA and the International Conference on Information Systems, of which he had a major role in founding. He sounds like a natural to put the Class of '57/Kinkeldy Room project over the top.
Speaking of that project, Phil McIndoo, one of our classmates who has done such a superb job in bringing us within striking distance of our $250,000 goal, informs me that he and Erica have "committed" marriage.
Always good to hear from Gil Riley, who informs me that RileyFest'03 was held in Maine last August, attracting 20 grandchildren and assorted children and parents. Gil also mentioned that he attended a ritual attended by many of us in the last year, his 50th high school reunion. Anybody getting within shouting distance of Wilton, ME is welcome at the Riley's.
Bob Watts represented our class at the inauguration of Jeffrey Lehman (please check spelling) as Cornell's 11th (also please check) President, reporting that it was both festive and respectful of the traditions of the University. He marched along in the procession with Art Boland, who represented Harvard.
I had the pleasure once again to experience the wonderful hospitality
of Rod and Liz Beckwith, when my recent meanderings took me through
Charlottesville. They are proud grandparents and superlative hosts.
Homecoming weekend last October was an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of a few classmates. On Friday night before the game with Brown, Vanne Shelley Cowie was among those who received the Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award. Vanne is a Plantations sponsor and volunteer, has chaired the CAU Advisory Board, and has been a member of the University Council. Bob Cowie '55, was another recipient of the award which was presented at a dinner at the Statler. We had a '57 contingent there: Ed and Adelaide Russell, Shari Flynn, Nan Krauthamer Goldberg, Judy Richter Levy, and myself. At the all-alumni lunch before Saturday's game, Nancy Savage Petrie'55 and I compared notes about getting news for our respective columns while Tony Cashen enjoyed the barbecued ribs at a table with Bob and Marj Nelson Smart. During the game's half-time presentation, Tom Itin was cheered along with football team members from past years. Given the way the Big Red was struggling they could have used Tom!
Marilyn Moore Pukmel and her husband celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary last September. They traveled to the Charlevoix region of Canada and enjoyed immersion in the French language as well as whale watching. Back home in Chambersburg, PA Marilyn is involved in a community program, the Institute for Retired Persons. Phyllis Whithed Spielmann , Long Beach, CA is writing grants for Food Finders, a group that collects about four million pounds of food a year from groceries, produce marts, restaurants, and bakeries, and distributes it to service agencies for the homeless, rehabilitation, head start, etc. Jane Taber Gillett writes that her youngest daughter is a veterinarian having graduated from the University of Minnesota, and is a stage 4 breast cancer survivor. Her youngest, Amy '81 lives in St. Petersburg, FL as does her son Dr. Ed Gillett (nc). Jane spends her winters in Jekyll Island, GA.
Harriet Merchant Shipman and Charles'55 say they are failing retirement since they are both so busy, she with her church group, a civic park project, and the Missouri Pilots Association of which Charles is treasurer. Harriet reports that she ran into a medical snag this year when a checkup showed a recurrence of breast cancer. After chemo and radiation her latest tests show that she has fully recovered and advises us all that early detection is vital. Charles'55 is flying once again after a quadruple bypass a few years ago and he and Harriet plan to be back in Ithaca for Charles' 50th. Harriet returned to Erie, PA for her 50th high school reunion last October.
Carmen Lovre Ryan is "enjoying retirement but busier than ever." Her latest venture is painting with pastels. Carmen attended reunion at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, MD last fall and will be in Ithaca this June with Bus'54, to celebrate 50 years since he graduated from Cornell. Gabrielle Kirsch McGhee, fully retired after a career as both a teacher and a therapist, is taking up memoir writing as well as beginning Spanish. Gaby and Don lived on 120 acres in the foothills of the Adirondacks for more than 40 years. Their daughter Alison, is an award winning novelist and author of Shadow Baby. George (nc) and Lita Schwartz Emanuel , Arlington, to the southwest US but also to Hong Kong and Taiwan. Lita numbers herself among those classmates who are both grandmothers and great grandmothers but still finds time to take art history, yoga, and pilates classes at Texas Christian U.
Judy Saari McCrone is enjoying traveling with her newly retired
husband to destinations far and near - Italy, Shanghai, Russia
and Maui, Vancouver, and Seattle. The McCrones live on the northern
California coast in Arcata. Bev Robertson Murrell took a trip
to eastern Europe last year and saw the Black Sea region, cruised
the Danube and visited a former AFS exchange student in Belgrade.
Bev and Jerry(nc) attend the annual meetings of the AMA and Bev
is finding "grandmotherhood certainly much more fun and interesting
than I had ever imagined."
I get more news by email and find it a blessing. For one thing, typed text is much easier to read than the cursive 101 scrawls of some of us.
Steve Lipson reported n that fashion that he has retired after 40 years in the medical field, the last 20 in geriatrics, with numerous research projects and quite a bit of teaching along the way. He and Edna McShane, a medical social worker, have been married for all of those 40 years, and now do a lot of traveling, reading and "dabbling." As is the case with many of us,Steve went to his 50th high school reunion in October.
Another 50th, of a slightly different nature, took place in February '03; that of the 50th meeting of te AX pledge class, at a ski lodige in Bondville, VT. Gerry Ruthen emailed that he, David Addis, Mark Alimansky, Charles Berger, Lee Chamberlain, Roger Ferguson, Bill Forgeng, Harvey George, Cliff Hand, Jim Hardman, Rick Knittel, Dick Oswald, Gary Sharon, Gordie Steward and Walter Wills werre there, along with 11 spouses. Mark and Roger got degrees at other schools, but wer members of the AX class of '57.
John Maclay also emails that he has enjoyed what is probably the longest retirement of any classmate, since 1989, from AT&T. However, for the next 12 years, he continued tdo be involved n submarine for , guess who, AT&T as well as other entities. Things slowed in that field after 9/11, but he and Marilyn, who must have married the day we graduated (46 years and counting) have used the time well, having owned 2 vacatino homes in additin to their Walnut Creek, CA residence, haveing traveled to Ireland,, the Panama Canal and New Zealand, Fiji and Australia, on the latter trip along with Sue and Joe Henninger. John flies his Cessna and lovingly takes care of his 2 Alfa Romeos, and is already lookikng forward to our 50th in just over 3 short years.
Bruce Haldeman, unfortunately a non-Cornellian but great friend for 55 years, related to me a tennis tournament in which he and Brad Howes competed as doubles partners. They had to drive from Greensboro to Pinehurst atd 6:00 on a Sunday morning to get to their finals match on time, and BNruce suspects that Brad may have been "over-served" at a dinner party the nigcht before. Nevertheless, they won their match in a 3rd set tie-breaker 10-8, and retreated quietly but triumphantly to Greensboro.
Speaking of athletic activity, Jerome Cohn has been on hiking trips to Iceland and Ecuador, where he trekked the Andes, as well as New Zealand, where he conquered the Southern Alps.
Michael Daly, who is a lyric tenor, has produced an album of all-time Irish songs, including Rose of Tralee, which was recorded at Bailey Hall in 1957 when he was the soloist with the men's glee club, that is available from Bantry Bay Productions, P.O. Box 171-720, Tampa FL 33688-2720.
Mark Levy is also a talented artist, having given a concert last summer at the Mohawk Mountain House that consisted of "patter songs."
Also in the music field, Rick Knittel is an accomplilshed jazz trombonist in addition to passing some time as a consulting engineer, and recently became a step-grandfather - twice.
Terry Tewes, the toughest man to carry a lacrosse stick on Upper Alumni Field, is still CEO of Structured Financial Associates, headquartered in Baltimore, a national litigation annuity company. He is being supported by his two daughters, who manage Tony's officews in Michigan and Ohio. Tony sums up the situation we4ll, by the quote, "Thank goodness for their mother's gentics."
Another VT reunion was eld at Stow last September, where the Cayuga Waiters vintage 1950's gathered, including Jim Broadhead, wo is now retired but is still on the boards of Brink's and New York LIfe. His daughter, Catherine, is in her first year at the Johnson School of Business this year.
Can someone please explain to this Kentuckian whatd patter songs are?
The annual CACO meeting was in January in NYC and about 35 classmates gathered for a Moroccan dinner while catching up on travels, grandchildren, high school reunions, and assorted ailments. No backaches or knee problems for Dori Goudsmit Albert, however, as she participated in the group lesson on belly dancing, with Bert Grunert DeVries and others applauding her efforts.
Class officers met the next day to discuss a number of items. A class directory is to be prepared for our 50th reunion and get ready for new red and white vests (Betty Starr King has volunteered to be chief seamstress). In the evening Marcia Wishengrad Metzger, Judy Richter Levy, Judy Madigan Burgess and I were among those who attended a marvelous Pan-Asian Chinese New Year banquet in Chinatown sponsored by the Cornell Asian Alumni Association. The fundraiser for the library featured the traditional lion dance, a 12-course dinner, door prizes, and remarks by President Jeffery Lehman.
Did you watch the Westminster Dog Show in February? Margaret Keller Curtis owns the sire of the Sussex spaniel who won the sporting Group. In the last 12 months Margaret has been to Vancouver, Peru, and Maui for judging and this past March she took her champion Clumber Spaniel to England for Crufts.
Audrey Jones Cauchois was in London for Thanksgiving enjoying museums, galleries, the War Rooms, and theater. Last year she toured Alaska for a few weeks and made it as far north as Barrow. Now that spring is here Audrey enjoys tending her roses in Quogue, NY.
Barbara Baltzel Burton celebrated her 50th high school reunion last summer in Plattsburgh. Then she and Sandy'58 joined Shirley Calloway Lindsay, Gina Turnbull Christie, Mary Lou Fleming Veit and their husbands for a mini-reunion in Old Forge. Much of the Burtons' travels these days have been from Bar Harbor, Maine to Kettering, Ohio to visit children and grandchildren(6 of them).
Another grandmother of 6, Sue Davidson Braun, writes that her kids live in 3 different cities and "rely on me to come and help after a baby is born." And such an event prompted a visit to the New York City area where she toured the NY Historical Museum with Mina Rieur Weiner. In January Sue and her husband tried an Elderhostel trip in Yellowstone Park, describing it as a gorgeous experience and one where the park staff said it was the most beautiful winter they had seen. No snow in Rochester last September when Sue attended her 50th high school reunion. Sue asks, "How come some of us have a better time at these reunions than we ever remember having when we were attending the school?"
Judy Madigan Burgess' former husband, Jack, died of lung cancer in October and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in December.
The arrival of Roger Jones' 12th grandchild lends a symmetrical shape to his family - 4 children each have 3 offspring. He and Peg continue to live in the Spruce Creek Fly-in Community in Port Orange FL, although he has sold his airplane. They took their nordic tug through the Bahamas during the winter. Roger writes ballads and waltzes and has a direct computer link between his organ and computer so that he can print out the sheet music as he writes it. (How did Mozart get so far without that capability?) Roger has seen Phil McIndoo, Ted Raab and Joe and Sue Henninger recently. The latter couple was also on a Cornell Alumni Association tour of Fiji/New Zealand/Australia with John Maclay, who has given up the trumpet after 25 years of activity in various community bands and orchestras in the Walnut Creek CA area. Unlike Roger, he still flies his Cessna182, and also spends time enhancing his automobile collection of Alfa Romeos. He is 11 behind Roger & family in the grandchildren department. He's in good health and looking forward to the 50th.
Dick Gross owns his own company involved in consulting in the
education field, after retiring from a career in public
education. He has 2 new grandchildren and took an
extended trip to Italy last spring. Rick Freeman is also
retired from 35 years in education, teaching economics and environmental
studies at Bowdoin. While Dick was in Italy, Rick was in
South Africa for 3 weeks. Last summer he saw my old Baltimore
high school buddy, Beach Kuhl, who is still litigating in San
Francisco. Rick Knittel was in Italy at approximately the
same time as Dick, and shares a musical involvement with Roger
and John, becoming increasingly active as a jazz trombonist.
Ted Engel also is a grandfather, as of last year, and is still in the business of breeding, training and racing standardbred horses. He is also involved with the Indianapolis Indians baseball team, the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Sam Leadley is also involved with animals, as a calf and heifer management specialist, and served as a presenter at the Western Veterinary Conference and World Dairy Expo last year. He reports having seen classmate Don Williams recently.
Chuck LaForge has been honored by the Village of Rhinebeck NY upon his retirement as proprietor of the Beekman Arms, "America's Oldest Hotel." He has moved to Florida, stuffing the local Goodwill with excess family treasures in the process.
Phil Gravink sends along news of a reunion of the greatest crew (my phrase) in collegiate history. In addition to watching the "Victory at Henley" film, they golfed and walked and in general relived a glorious past, a past which makes all of us proud.
Some of you may have been in Ithaca this summer - to attend CAU or for a spouse's reunion (unless you return every June with the Continuing Reunion group). Others, like Dooley Sciple Kiefer, live there year round. Dooley is a copy editor at the Ecological Society of America and also serves as a Tompkins County legislator.
Claire Sanford Perrault retired a few years ago from her job as copy editor at New York magazine. Her current day job is "getting to senior exercises, serving on the board of the neighborhood organization, slogging through the paper and tossing daily junk mail." In May she reconnected with Dee Heasley Van Dyke at the Baldwin School's 50th reunion. Last fall Claire and Bob(nc) traveled to Europe stopping in London for a visit with Claire's sister, Maryann Sanford Johnson, before heading to Spain. They especially enjoyed the Guggenheim in Bilbao as well as Barcelona and surrounding areas. As for Claire's most pressing problem today (responses to the class news form are greatly appreciated) it's "surviving the news in the New York Times." And Claire's solution? - "reading the New Yorker, cartoons first, editorials second."
Joyce Dudley McDowell's annual holiday letter was filled with news of travels, activities, literary recommendations, and even a grammarian reminder that "au jus" is not a noun. Ed, Chem E '54 and Joyce have made Kilauea, Hawaii their official residence although their collection of snuff bottles is still located in their Hermosa, CA home where they hosted a group of Snuff Bottle Collectors last October. Did you know there is an International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society? Is Joyce the only collector in the class? The McDowells took a Norwegian cruise that sailed almost to 80 degrees north. They also visited the Orkney and Shetland Islands as well as Portugal before heading to Boston and Joyce's 50th high school reunion.
Joan Reinberg Macmillan is enjoying retirement and when not organizing the house and settling financial affairs is off traveling, most recently on an Alumni Holiday Danube cruise in June.
Rochelle Krugman Kainer was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to St. Petersburg in Russia. She was there this past spring teaching her clinical book, The Collapse of Self, and to research the artist Kazimir Malevich.
Ron MBA'57 and Helen Kuver Kramer took their second trip to Antarctica in December with the CAU group. Their daughter joined them and placed second in the Iron Penguin Triathalon. The travelers enjoyed a New Year's Day dip in the ship's pool - filled with Antarctic Ocean water. Brrr - just the thought should cool us off on these hot July days!
Thanks to the generous support of Al Suter and Bob Staley, our 45th reunion class project of raising $250,000 to underwrite the renovation and restoration of the Kinkeldey Room at "the Libe" has now been completed. The goal line has been crossed and the room is now officially named the "Class of '57 Kinkeldey Room." Special thanks to Steve Laden, Phil McIndoo, Judy Richter Levy and Sue DeRosay Henninger for their outstanding leadership and dogged determination in taking us over the top.
Bryn Mawr PA was the setting in early April for the wedding of Dan Moore and Debbie Cooke, both of whom were at our 45th reunion. Bob Watts attended, along with Peter and Frances Wolf, Bobbie (Haglund) and Gil Schlerf and Nancy (Kressler) and Alan Lawley.
I had a chance to experience Jack McCormick's hospitality during the past winter, and he passed along to me an article from the Orthopaedic Journal at Harvard Medical School honoring Art Boland for his "enthusiasm for teaching, mentorship of residents and fellows, academic achievements, outstanding patient care, clinical wisdom and surgical skill." We all know of his athletic prowess, captaining both the football and track teams in our senior year and being a member of the university's Hall of Fame, and his medical career has achieved those same high standards. After graduating from Cornell Med School in 1961 and completing his military service as a medical officer in Germany, Art was in private practice until 1981. In 1975, he became the head orthopaedic surgeon for Harvard athletics, and continues to see patients today in his office at Mass. General. To say that he is a giant in the field of sports medicine is to say Babe Ruth was a pretty good ball player. His honors and accolades would consume this and many more columns.
Other honors have been handed out, namely to Gonzalo Ferrer, who, having shaken off a couple of medical nuisances, has been appointed as a lifetime member of the University Council. He must have set some sort of a record by catching (and releasing) 48 sailfish on a recent fishing bonanza in Guatemala with his son and daughter-in-law. I can't help but wonder how many of the 48 were repeats that were having too much fun to quit. Steve Gottlieb has been re-elected to a second term on the NYC Civil Court and continues to serve as an acting Supreme Court Justice in Queens County. Of his 4 children, 2 are involved in the legal profession, one lives in Ithaca and works for the university, and daughter Jessica is assistant women's basketball coach at the University of Richmond.
Dwight Emanuelson, still with Wachovia Securities on Hilton Head, is a member of the Board of Trustees of Telfair Museum in Savannah.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2004 - WOMEN
Mark your calendars for Homecoming - October 16 - when we not only play Colgate, but our class has been invited to the dedication of the Class of 57/Kinkeldey Room in the Main Library. Many of you had a tour of the room under renovation during our 45th reunion. However, why wait until the 50th to see the completed work. If the weatherman cooperates can you imagine the view from that room? A reception is planned so that all attendees can see their campus legacy.
Some classmates were back on campus in June for the Law School reunion as well as the Continuous Reunion Club. Judy Richter Levy reports that she saw Ellie Meeker Kraft, who works on criminal appeals in the San Francisco area. Connie Santagato Hosterman enjoyed the weekend. Connie passed along the news that Phyllis Shames Korn is chairing the capital campaign and building committee for a new rehearsal hall at the Seagle Music Colony in Schroon Lake.
Olga Duntuch Krell was awarded the first Honoris Causa Doctorate in architecture and design by the Faculdade de Belas Artes, Brazil. Although she hasn't practiced architecture since three years after graduation she was being recognized for her dedication to promoting the profession and professionals, primarily through her magazine, Espaco D'. Olga travels a great deal in her job as editor and publisher so she missed the Cornell Glee Club when it toured Brazil. However, Olga writes that her daughter Lisa '92, also with the magazine, "did the honors for the Krells and helped all she could."
Finally, a sad note to report - the death of Priscilla Kiefer Parrish. "johnnie", as she was known to one and all, was a regular attendee at our reunions. But after putting up a "feisty fight" (as she wrote in her annual Christmas letter) against lung cancer she passed away in March. Condolences to husband, Steve, a well-known Wordsworth scholar, and her children Kit Baker-Carr and Sue Baker-Carr.
No News to Report :-(
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 - WOMEN
Steve and Marilyn Miles hosted a reception at the River Oaks Country Club in Houston in honor of president Jeff Lehman '77 and wife Kathy Okun this past February. The event drew 225 Cornellians from the Houston area (with a smattering from Austin), and served as both a Texas welcome and probably the largest gathering ever of Texas Cornellians. A small dinner party followed the reception, and among those dining were Ned '55 and Paula Arps and Southwest/Mountain Regional Director Susan Hennessee and husband Dewey. Steve is a lifelong member of the Cornell Council.
Allan Dunn, a noted orthopaedic surgeon, specializes in something we all need or will need soon, namely the regrowing of cartilage in arthritic joints. He discovered Intra-Articular Growth Hormone (IAGH.com) injections. Allan, you might want to bring a truckload to our 50th in less than 3 short years.
John Maclay very gently called to my attention that I goofed in my April column in reporting his marine exploits involving submarines. It should have been submarine cables. He also recounted how he needed a new roommate after his 2 roommates of the fall semester of his 5th year finished after that term, and that, your honor, is how he convinced Marilyn that they should get married. I'll reserve judgment on that until I hear her side of the story.
For those of you tired of light reading, Mordy Blaustein has published his first textbook (with 2 other authors) entitled "Cellular Physiology." It might not be a page-turner in the Grisham fashion, but you'll be able to wow your buddies on bowling night.
In a tangential situation, Sam Thier is a newly elected member of the American Philosophical Society, which bills itself as the "nation's oldest learned society." I believe it, because Frank Rhodes is currently that organization's president.
Our class president (note the flow), Bob Watts, had a most memorable Father's Day weekend. With his 2 sons, and grandson aged 9, he spent 4 days hiking in the northern Presidential Range in New Hampshire's White Mountains, at one point climbing 3700 feet in 5 hours and on to a 5300 foot summit the next day. They endured 30-degree temperatures and 50 mile an hour winds on the trek. This was a homecoming of sorts for Bob. He spent Cornell summers working for the Appalachian Mountain Club trail crew in the White Mountains.
Last spring, my son, grandson and I visited Ithaca for an NCAA lacrosse tournament game. We visited the Uris Library (grandson Ben rang the noon chimes in the tower-at age 4 he needed very little help to count to 12), climbing to the Class of '57-Kinkeldey Room, where we were pleased to find the room full with students studying for finals. Ben and I had our picture taken in front of the plaque designating our class's participation, following which I was asked if I was a member of the class. When I responded positively, several "thumbs-ups" appeared, and I was the recipient of a number of high-fives, administered quietly -quite a kick.