|
|
CLASS NOTES
Everett Weinberger
50 W. 70th St., Apt. 3B
New York, NY 10023
everett656@aol.com
The
Class of '86 committee is gathering steam! We've had several
meetings to plan social events to bring classmates together and
also build stronger ties to the College (no solicitations). We will
definitely unite for a tailgate at the 2002 Homecoming game, but be
on the lookout for other events. At the last meeting, also attended
by two helpful representatives of the Alumni Office (yes, they do
care), were Rick Wolf, who's worked hard to make something
happen, Renan Pierre, Nat Litwak, Dave Lebowitz, Erik Goluboff,
Mike Gilligan, Chris Tahbaz, Ward Dennis, Jim Romano, Dave Lee,
Mike Parent and yours truly. When you consider that we had
fewer people at our 15th reunion, this turnout indicates that our
class is looking to get more involved.
Speaking of Dave Lee, he acquired Capstone Real Estate
Group, a commercial real estate investment group in Manhattan. He
lives on the Upper East Side with his wife, Amy. Bernie Yee
left Sony and is putting together an Internet-based entertainment
company. Interested angel investors can contact him at bernie.yee@mail.com. Bernie told
me that Bill Fink and his wife, Lex, had a baby, Serena.
Mike Solender, formerly general counsel of the U.S. Consumer
Products Safety Commission, has rejoined Arnold and Porter as a
partner in the Washington, D.C., office. Mike is married to Holly
Fogler, who also works at Arnold and Porter as special counsel, and
they have three children: Brian, Morgan and Andrew. And lastly,
Solomon Gayle '85 established a $50,000 scholarship at the College
in honor of his fiancee, Seilai Khoo, who passed away in the
September 11 tragedy. Friends can contribute by contacting the
College.
Class
of 1987 |
![](images/bar_long.gif) |
Reunion May 30–June 2 |
Sarah A. Kass
21 Blomfield Court
Maida Vale
London W9 1TS
England
sarahann29uk@aol.com
We
start off this issue with the wonderful news of three births.
Ilene (Weinstein) Lederman and her husband, Marcos, welcomed
a daughter, Hannah Grace. She was born on December 15, her father's
birthday, and was a healthy 7 lbs., 20 inches. Her grandfather is
Ed Weinstein '57 (who also dropped me a note about his new
granddaughter) and her uncle is Jim Weinstein '84.
Congratulations!
Another hearty congratulations goes to our southwest region
reunion chair, Barbara DiDomenico Geary, who, with her
husband, Chris, announce the arrival of Joseph Robert Geary on
October 3. He was 6 lbs., 13.5 oz. and 20 inches long. Joe already
has a Web site (www.joegeary.net). Barbara writes:
"Because we live in Arizona and our families are on the East Coast,
the Web site is the easiest way for everyone to see
pictures."
The
Gearys have been in Arizona since December 1998 because Barbara
began to manage the Phoenix office of Neptune Marketing. "I am
president of Neptune and general counsel to it and its affiliated
companies, most of which are in the telecommunications field. It is
a small family enterprise (14 employees), with offices in Perth
Amboy, N.J., and Phoenix, that is owned by my brother. Neptune is
an agent or part of a third party distribution channel for various
carriers including MCI WorldCom, Qwest, Cable & Wireless,
Broadwing, and so forth. We do telecommunications consulting and
sales to businesses. I am also working on a prepaid wireless/debit
project for which we are seeking outside investor
funding."
Barbara also reports that Tom Johnston is working with
Cushman & Wakefield in Phoenix. He and his wife, Jane, have two
daughters, Molly and Katie.
The
third congratulations goes to Tristan Davies who announced
that he and his wife, Janet Encarnacion, welcomed their first
child, Eli, on September 4, 2001. "Janet and I celebrated our 10th
wedding anniversary in July 2001, but those who knew me at Columbia
will likely recall that we were an item even then. My friends will
remember me as a biochemistry major, too, but that part of my life
has evolved dramatically. After four years as a Ph.D. student in
neurobiology at Duke, I ditched science for TV news, becoming a
producer at a station in Durham, N.C. Janet went to medical school,
and matched to a residency in Springfield, Mo., so I became a
reporter at that city's NBC station. News burned me out faster than
expected, so I'm now in my third career, as public
relations/publications/marketing (we call it university
communications) director at Drury University, a small but
regionally well-known university in Springfield."
Mark Promersberger lives in Shepherdstown, W.V., with
his wife of 12 years, Rhonda. "After completing fellowships in
ophthalmology, I went into private practice in the hills of West
Virginia where I specialize in glaucoma, anterior segment surgery
and pediatric ophthalmology. When I am not trying to prevent
blindness, I can usually be found alongside my wife kayaking or
cutting blues licks on my sax, harp or guitar with a local house
band." Mark is trying to get in touch with his old lab partner
Jon Seckler.
Judy Kim told me that Eric Mendelson is the new
Florida reunion chair. He is there running Heico, an airplane parts
company, with his wife and two children. In addition, Yale
Fergang, Larry Alletto, Mike Liebowitz and George Stone
have joined the class gift committee.
And
speaking of our reunion, don't forget the date: May 30. It's just a
few weeks away, and the committees have been slaving away to make
our 15th an amazing celebration. I hope to see you
there!
George Gianfrancisco
Columbia College Today
475 Riverside Dr., Suite 917
New York, NY 10115
cct@columbia.edu
My
recent sojourn to the booming suburban metropolis of Randolph,
N.J., for the nuptials of one Drew David Krause brought to
mind a number of issues. Confronted with the extant members of my
football recruiting class (and the penultimate marriage of the
same), I was forced into contemplation even as the beer flowed and
the whiskey chased.
Feeling a bit like Charlton Heston in The Omega Man, my
mind wandered to the sense of ironic contradiction that Camp
Columbia evokes in that warm, moist place I call my memory. For a
second, I look around the group of compadres and feel as if we are
huddled up at Baker, lined up at The Pub or sprawled over
knock-down furniture in the lounge of 4 Carman, most barely better
dressed now than they were back then for a night at Beefsteak
Charlie's. I think about Carl Schaerf, a 4 Carmanite,
roommate to the late Chet Levitt. Carl, happily married for
almost a decade with two wonderful children, is a litigator. He has
an office that faces Ground Zero. I realize that everything has
changed. How can I not feel old? The gray hairs are visible on
those all around me, especially my head. The belly on the fittest
of the group is now alarmingly significant. My knees ache. The
hamstring I tore 15 years ago suddenly hurts. Donald Ross from the
Society of Columbia Graduates sent me a letter asking me to
recommend candidates. I immediately think of many of you. Many,
many of you. Then I stop and ponder this entreaty. The only thing I
should be recommending is a good bar at which to get a cocktail or
six.
I
feel old. But my memory feels young. Is the memory of Columbia so
warm in retrospect, so incoherent from this point, that it
nourishes a warped sense of maturity whenever it is looked back
upon? Nick Leone and Durc Savini have children who
are closer to their first years at Columbia than either of them.
David Putelo has two daughters. Mike Bissinger is a
father, for Pete's sake, as his newborn daughter reminded us at 3
a.m. every night during which I visited. Everything is different.
Even Martin Lewison, barely cognizant that we had a varsity
11 on campus then, is a faithful follower of the current Light
Blue, going so far as to fly from Pittsburgh (where he finally
finished up his Ph.D. at Pitt's B school) to Philly to see the Penn
game a few years back. Now he teaches at the University of Arkansas
in what smacks of Green Acres-ish delights. Everything must have
changed. And I am just way behind the eight ball. But wait...
John Miller still dresses with the same flair for matching
earth tones as he did in 1984. I am still able to work up a mean
scowl. To a man, the recruiting class that time forgot can still
drink far too much for far too long. Are things different? Or do we
just look at things differently? Drew Krause had wed. And
his betrothal to the beautiful Effie came complete with Effie's
lustrous daughter, Krysta. Drew hadn't merely wed. Poof ... he had
made an entire family in one afternoon.
A
letter from Emily Skopov, a writer doing time on a sci-fi TV
series in L.A., made me realize that maybe I have changed but I
just act the same. Emily recently gave birth to a daughter, Austen.
She met the father, Todd Normane, through an online service that
she described in terms that made me not want to get near my laptop,
and after three months, he had moved west from Jersey (did the
teeming Randolph lose a citizen?). And marry ... they didn't. She
tells me that the way you view the world is altered after you bring
life into it. I think she must be right. For I still see things a
certain way. But only, I think, at certain times. For a moment I
feel sorry for nailing her with that water bottle at football camp
junior year as she ferreted libations to dehydrating, foolhardy
oafs. Then I think better of it and feel no more remorse than I did
that day in Blair, N.J. some 15 years ago.
But
when I am in Randolph, I feel alone. I know that I shouldn't, but I
do nonetheless. I am amongst people with whom I have bled,
suffered, reveled and worse. Still, the group planned to retire to
one of its Connecticut manse for fireworks and finger-painting with
the children for New Year's Eve. Having been summarily ejected from
the booming Randolph early in the a.m. by an un-amused Bissinger
spouse, I journeyed to Miami at daybreak. Rubbing sleep out of my
eyes, wondering if I am still that reckless young man, just a bit
grayer, a step slower, with every ounce of energy and guile. Or if
I just felt that way when I was around those guys. Either way, I
had a good time.
I
always do when I think about Columbia. I feel that way. Like
nothing has, or ever will, change. I hope you all do,
too.
Amy Perkel
212 Concord Dr.
Menlo Park, CA 94025
amyperkel@yahoo.com
Our
deepest sympathies go out to Chris Della Pietra and his
family for the loss of his much-loved brother, Joseph Della Pietra
'99. Joe was an employee of Cantor Fitzgerald and was one of 11
Poly Prep alumni lost in the downing of the World Trade Center. In
remembrance of Joe, the Della Pietras have joined with other
families in creating the collective Poly Prep September 11 Memorial
Fund to benefit future students who qualify for financial aid and
scholarships. Chris notes that there has been no lack of support
and a lot of outreach to the families of the victims, with a number
of well-delivered services and receptions. "It has been the best of
the worst," he observes. To contribute to the Poly Prep fund,
please send a donation, and indicate on whose behalf you are
giving, to Poly Prep CDS, September 11 Memorial Fund, c/o
Development Office, 9216 7th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11228.
Heidi (Himelfelt) Wolpow, her husband, Adam, and their
4-year-old son, Jason, welcomed baby Benjamin into their lives on
February 24, 2001. Heidi recently became a fellow of the Society of
Actuaries after 10 years of taking exams. She works full-time at
Ernst & Young doing human resources consulting, working with
large employers to help them restructure their health and welfare
benefits, and at the end of the day starts her second shift at
home, taking care of her boys, work that she admits she enjoys more
than her day job. Adam is a stay-at-home dad.
After graduating from the College, Heidi got her degree in
industrial engineering from SEAS in 1990. After a year as an
engineer, she realized that though she loved the academic side of
engineering, she didn't enjoy the work as much. So with some advice
from a good friend and classmate, Bill Nelson (who lives in
England with his wife, Kathy, 4-year-old son, Collen, and
1-year-old daughter, Clare, and is a writer and a stay-at-home
dad), Heidi decided to start taking the actuarial exams. She did
not realize what she was getting into — these are a series of
exams (close to 20) that take, on average, 7–10 years to
complete. The early exams are intensive math exams, and the later
ones deal with insurance, risk, finance and so forth. After 10
years, she is finished.
Heidi had worked at Milliman & Robertson, an actuarial
consulting firm, for six years, doing healthcare consulting. A few
months ago, she joined E&Y. She has been married for more than
10 years to Adam; they had dated since sophomore year of high
school. The Wolpows have been on Long Island since they were
married and purchased their house in Plainview four years ago.
Heidi would love to hear from classmates. You can reach her at
hlw1007@aol.com.
Much
thanks to Michael Schrag, who provided me the following
"Report from the Best Coast." "You should have seen Andrea
Franchett walking across the stage to receive her M.D. from
UCSD with son Oscar (4) at her side, son Eli (1) in one arm and
daughter Ruby (1) in the other. Proud husband Michael Schrag
(how many other '89-'89 marriages are out there?) was snapping
photos. After six years in La Jolla, Calif., Andrea dragged the
family to beautiful Sonoma County where she is now a first-year
family practice resident at the Sutter Hospital in Santa Rosa.
Michael spent a few years at a large San Diego law firm prosecuting
securities fraud class actions and now practices law with his
father, working on complex product liability and consumer fraud
cases. The move back to northern California gives them more time to
see Erik Price, his wife, Paula, and their children Sasha
(6) and Ben (4).
"After several years as an academic adviser at UC Berkeley,
where he guided student-athletes through the maze of NCAA and
Pac-10 requirements, and a cup of coffee as an Internet media
consultant, Erik dove into the political arena. He is the chief of
staff for a local attorney and school board member who is running
for a State Assembly seat. The Prices and Schrags see David
Streitfeld as often as possible. Dave married San Francisco
actress Deb Fink, a close high school friend of Erik and Michael's.
Dave accumulated enough food and wine knowledge working the elite
SF restaurant scene to have his own show on the Food Channel.
Instead, however, he earned an M.S. in computer science and is now
reverse commuting to the Valley, where is a programmer for
high-tech behemoth Intuit.
"Michael, Erik and Dave were unable to convince Jeff
Udell to move to California and fully reunite this Ruggles
foursome. Last November, Jeff and his wife, Lucy, became the proud
parents of Micaela Udell, whose Lion credentials were firmly
established when she was born at Columbia Presbyterian. After
serving time in a major NYC law firm, Jeff escaped to the U.S.
Attorney's Office in Manhattan, where he now works in the public
corruption unit."
A
late-December trip to Los Angeles proved to be fruitful for Class
Notes. Looking for any excuse to get down to L.A., I was keen to
see whom I might run into at the alumni event, a reception on the
UCLA campus followed by the Columbia Lions basketball team
competing against the Bruins. It was a great game, as summarized in
a Columbia write-up: "After trailing the number 15-ranked team in
the nation by 22 points with 10 minutes to go, the Lions staged a
furious, heart-stopping rally to cut the lead to four with just
over a minute to play before bowing in defeat, 64-55."
I
was pleased to run into Duane Bartsch, Frank Seminara, Benny
Seybold, Russell Glober and Matt Sodl '88, who are all doing
well and looking terrific. With his still-fabulous, close-cropped,
curly blond hair, Duane has his own practice, where he serves as a
defense attorney. Frank, who played professional baseball for three
years with the Mets and Padres organizations following graduation,
was in town visiting his in-laws. He and his wife have twins, a boy
and a girl. Frank is a financial planner for Morgan Stanley Dean
Witter, based out of New Jersey. Benny continues his career in real
estate. He is a vice president with CB Richard Ellis in Anaheim. We
got to meet Benny's new daughter, Madison, at the basketball game;
Benny has two older sons, as well. Russell continues to write
scripts while he does his day job as a personal trainer. Matt is an
investment banker specializing in the gaming industry.
I
also was able to visit Barbara Rosenthal Bagley, who gave
birth to Sara Rosenthal Bagley in December. Both looked well only a
few weeks after Sara's birth. Much thanks to Kathrin Wanner '90, my
host while in L.A., and my high school and college tennis partner.
Kathrin is a partner with the law firm of Mannat Phelps &
Phillips. Much thanks, also, to Elaine Matthews of the Alumni
Office, who helped organize the terrific alumni event at UCLA,
allowing us to reconnect. It was so terrific seeing Duane, Frank,
Benny and Russell — after not seeing them since graduation
— that I'd really like to begin encouraging everyone now to
start thinking about attending our 15th anniversary reunion, set
for the spring of 2004.
Best wishes for a wonderful 2002.
Rachel J. Cowan
521 Glen Hollow Dr.
Durham, NC 27705
cowan@duke.edu
Let's all take a long walk down memory lane to freshman year.
In a word association game, if I heard uranium or bike ride to
Montreal, I'd instantly think Ken Hechtman. It seems that
others think more or less the same way, including Michael
Moore and Pete Neisuler, who each sent me links to news
stories about Ken. From reports in the San Francisco
Chronicle to news from BBC World, we've learned that Ken, a
freelance journalist in Canada, was taken prisoner by the Taliban
in late November. He was caught without travel documents in
Afghanistan, 10 miles from the Pakistani border. After being held
for four days, Canadian diplomats negotiated his
release.
A
bit closer to home, I heard from Carol Shahmoon and Marc
Seidenberg, who are thrilled to announce the birth of their
third child, Jordan Matthew, on November 1. His siblings Rachel
(412) and Jake (3) also are delighted. Carol is taking a break from
Morgan Stanley, where she practices securities law, to hang around
their Great Neck house with the kids. Marc is a financial adviser
with Merrill Lynch. Laura Shaw Frank had her third child in
October. Elinadav Asaf (Davi) is the baby brother of Ateret (4) and
Yanniv (2). Richard Waldman '58 is proud to announce that his son,
Mitchell T. Waldman '90E, became a first-time father. His daughter,
Kaitlin Sarah Waldman, Class of 2022, was born on December 11. He
and his wife, Jolene, are happy to have her around, as is her
grandpa. I've also learned that Eleni Demtriou, her husband
John Passalaris (Tina's brother), and their daughter Maria
(3), bought a house near Princeton, N.J., where John joined a
medical practice.
I
have some exciting news of my own: I am a season ticket holder for
the Durham Bulls. Front row, too. If you find yourself in the
Triangle wanting to see some baseball, let me know.
|
|
|