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CLASS NOTES
Michael
Hausig Harold Cohen is a lucky guy. Last May his wife, Karen Batt, donated a kidney to Harold. Both are doing well. Karen was honored recently for her donation at a public ceremony in Philadelphia. Paul Wachtel's latest book, Race in the Mind of America: Breaking the Vicious Circle Between Blacks and Whites, published in 1999, attempts to move beyond both liberal and conservative clichés to find the real structure behind our racial divisions and inequalities. It shows how blacks and whites unwittingly participate together in an ironic set of vicious circles that keep our racial divisions going, and points to new ways of addressing our racial inequalities that depend on breaking our regular perceptions and seeing what our favored ideologies (liberal or conservative) obscure. Paul is the founding director of the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies at City College of New York where he is also CUNY Distinguished Professor in the Ph.D. program in clinical psychology. Robert Randall just completed the second edition of The Portable MBA in Strategy (John Wiley & Sons), to be printed later this year. The first edition, published in 1994, was a Fortune Book Club selection and has been translated into French, Portuguese and Chinese. The book includes chapters by internationally recognized authorities on strategic management such as Michael Porter of Harvard and C.K. Prahalad of Michigan. Richard Horowitz became a grandfather for the third time. His daughter, Deborah Frey, gave birth to her first child, Daniel Alexander, in July. Deborah reports that Richard and his wife, Diane, are loving their roles as grandparents. Dave Blicker's adventures in Kenya with the Peace Corps continue. I had the opportunity to sort through about 20 pages of notes on various in-country observations and experiences. In summary, Dave has lost about 20 pounds and has slowly been learning about Kenyan culture; he has had to adapt to understanding that the way things are is the way they are likely to be for a long while. In one telling anecdote about a water shortage and the wait for the rains to come, he concludes with, "We will just have to hope." (Isn't that very Kenyan? The Lord will provide. Lord knows, the government can't.)
Ed
Pressman Michael Stone, who has been working with start-up Internet companies for the past several years, is moving to Florida, where he is joining MyCity.com in a senior management role. MyCity.com, based in Miami Beach, builds on-line communities. Mike is also getting remarried to a lovely woman named Shelley Kaye. Mike was introduced to the company by classmate Steve Berkman, who has been living in Miami for 20 years and now has an extraordinary home on Fisher Island. Mike is confident the move to Florida will improve his golf game, if he ever gets time to play. Mike writes that his daughter, Nancy, is moving to Reston, Va. because his son-in-law, David, is also joining an Internet firm. His son, Andrew '91, is graduating from medical school in May and will be heading to either Boston or New York for his residency. I have spent the last 10 years or so with Stan Waldbaum, former Spectator sports editor, as regular spectators at Columbia football and basketball games. We have gone to many away games as well as most home games. Win or lose, we still get that special feeling seeing the Light Blue compete. Stan has established a successful law practice in his hometown of Spring Valley, N.Y. Many of his clients are Columbia alumni or active at Columbia. An interesting sidelight of Stan's past was his role as a spotter for the New York Titans (predecessors of the New York Jets). Stan's son, Brian, has followed in his father's footsteps and has become an attorney, recently passing the New York State Bar. Phil Lebovitz is serving in his second year as president of the Chicago Psychoanalytic Society. In addition to running the society, Phil also teaches courses that aid graduate students in research and writing. The Society is holding a conference dealing with clinical issues of concern to gays and lesbians. Phil and his wife, Donna, are proud grandparents of Lily.
Sidney P.
Kadish The millennial Class of '00 will graduate this spring, 37 years since we experienced a similar rite of passage. Start making plans to gather for our 40th reunion. Ascher Sellner has been elected to the board of directors of the National Organization of Rare Disorders. He also serves as president of the Wilson's Disease Association. Keith Mano kindly updated his alumni file. On a professional level, he serves as contributing editor for National Review and Playboy. TV credits include Homicide, LA Law, and St. Elsewhere. Keith has been a productive author, completing his ninth novel, The Fergus Dialogues: A Meditation on the Gender of Christ. This book examines the historical relationship between cannibalism and human sexuality. On a personal level, he reports that he is still married to Laurie Kennedy (for 21 years), a Tony-nominated and Clarence Derwent Award-winning Broadway actress. Their older son, Roderick, is an executive at Prodigy, while their younger son, Christopher, restores and manages historical buildings belonging to the Huguenot Historical Society of New Paltz, N.Y. Lastly, Keith reports that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. This has caused him to end a record-breaking streak of consecutive Columbia football games (home and away) at 232. On the positive side, the experience with the disease inspired him to write the Fergus Dialogues. Please note my new zip code for snail mail and a new e-mail address. Now you have at least two ways to send me your info.
Norman
Olch Richard Alexander writes from Clearwater, Fla., that he is "professionally trained to the highest levels in Dianetics and Scientology counseling, and is continuing to enjoy a 30-plus year career in helping others." On a personal note, I am happy and proud to report that my son Alexander has completed his four years at that institution on the Charles River, receiving a summa cum laude for his senior thesis. That same institution awarded him a fellowship, which will take him to Spain. Alas, there is nothing else to report. All of you should resolve for the new century to write to me so I can fill this column with news.
Leonard B.
Pack Much news from classmates in anticipation of our 35th reunion on June 2-4. Jim Alfini is a law professor at Northern Illinois University College of Law. He is the current chair of the American Bar Association section of dispute resolution and of the Association of American Law Schools's alternative dispute resolution section. Stan Feinsod and family moved to San Francisco in 1994, where he is a public transport consultant and senior vice president at SYSTRA Consulting, Inc. He and his wife Leslee Ann have three children and two grandchildren. Simon Friedman moved at the end of 1968 to Los Angeles, where he is a partner in the law firm of Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy. One adjustment: "have not enjoyed learning to drive." Larry Guido is completing his first year as director of Columbia's Office of University Alumni Relations, after serving three years as assistant director of the Columbia College Fund. Larry is actively involved in planning our reunion and looks forward to seeing as many of you there as possible. Steve Hoffman is president of the New York County Lawyers Association. His smiling face greeted New York lawyers and others on the front page of the New York Law Journal on February 22, in a report that the association filed a class action lawsuit challenging New York State's system for compensating lawyers assigned to represent indigent defendants in criminal court and litigants in family court. The suit is aimed at raising fees paid to assigned counsel, which have been unchanged since 1986. Barry Kamins recently was awarded the New York State Bar Association's Award for Attorney Professionalism. A former Brooklyn Bar Association president, Barry has authored several books and numerous articles on various aspects of criminal law, including search and seizure and the rights of criminal defendants. He is an adjunct law professor at both Fordham and Brooklyn Law Schools. Gerald Kruglik is partially retired and doing teleradiology from home in South Florida. Tony Leitner was promoted to managing director at Goldman Sachs, where he is general counsel of the equities division. He plans to attend the reunion. Martin LeWinter is a professor of medicine and director of the cardiology unit at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. When he is not actively engaged in teaching, researching cardiovascular disease, writing articles and editing books, he plays jazz piano with a local trio. Peter Smith is a senior manager with Fleet Boston Financial. He has been a member of the Boston Symphony Tanglewood Festival Chorus since 1997, with which he sang for the 1998 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, at the United Nations, and recorded Hymn to the Fallen for the Saving Private Ryan soundtrack. David Stewart is practicing medicine in Hillsdale, N.J. His son is a member of the Class of '03 at SEAS and is living in Carman Hall.
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