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CLASS NOTES
Everett Weinberger With the pain, horror and anger caused by the World Trade Center attack fresh in my mind, my sympathy and prayers are with classmates and alumni who have suffered a loss in the tragedy. Please e-mail, write or call me with any related news on classmates. With regret and sadness, I must tell you that our classmate Seilai Khoo was among those who perished. Seilai was an executive vice president and portfolio manager at Fred Alger Management, on the 93rd floor of One WTC. Seilai was a rising star, working closely with David Alger as manager of many of the firm's funds. She'd been with Alger since 1989. With hope for the future, I'll close with congratulations to You Sung Sang and his wife, Jennifer, on the birth of their first child, Brendyn Simon Sang, on May 16 in Norwich, CT. Brendyn weighed in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces.
Sarah A. Kass Early reports from the class picnic in July were sensational, even if, as Lee Ilan said, the balloons did float away after 20 minutes! Remember that our 15th class reunion is now less than one year away. Anyone who would like to get involved should get in touch with Judy Kim at judy@cat.nyu.edu — it's not too late! And start making travel plans to be in New York for the festivities!!! A quick addition to the last column's news: Hannah Jones reminded me that Katherine Feldman was Hannah's witness at her wedding last February. Hannah is married to a biochemist, Stephen Davies, and Kath is a veterinarian working for the Center for Disease Control. My predecessor, Rob Wolf, adds this note about his column-writing days: "I had a great time re-connecting with old friends and acquaintances, and was even able to renew some friendships." Joy (Chia Yu) Chu is now a research sales assistant for Asian shares/international equities for Goldman Sachs & Co. Susan Dreyer has moved to Vermont after teaching and living in New York. She is setting up an alternative high school program in Springfield. Divya Singh, my former Carman 5 mate, wrote: "Life has been crazy busy over the last few years. I finished my orthopedic surgery residency at UMass, did a one-year hand surgery fellowship at the Philadelphia Hand Center (Thomas Jefferson University), and am about to start a solo private practice in Orthopedics and Hand Surgery in Albany, Ore. I have a house in the middle of the woods, next to great mountain biking, horseback riding and hiking." Before Divya began her practice in October, she took a little break to travel to Thailand, cruise down the Mekong into Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, and finish up in Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet. More news from Asia: Patricia Robinson has been living in Hong Kong for the past year and a half with her husband and her two sons, P.J. and Christian. She has been working as a management training consultant part time but has just begun to work with the local American Chamber of Commerce Women in Business committee. Patricia also will be working directly with the committee chairperson to address incest and child abuse — "hidden" issues in Hong Kong. Back in the colonies, Tom Duval is living outside Boston, married with a 12-year-old stepson and 10-month-old daughter. He works in technical publications at Avaya and his wife is working at Harvard. He writes: "Over the past almost 15 years, I've continued to write and play music; I've been on albums by Jack Hardy, Lillie Palmer, Judith Zweiman, blues band Fatwall Jack, and others, and I have probably forgotten more gigs than most people play in their musical lives. I still play in greater Boston with a blues/rock trio featuring Joe Musella, guitar professor at Berklee College of Music, and write and record in my home studio." Jane Bolgatz has moved back to NYC after 10 years in Iowa City, Iowa. She's as an assistant professor of education at Fordham. Dick Dawson and his wife, Kate Tkach, live with their son, Andrew (5), in Westwood, Mass. Dick is now head soccer coach at Simmons College after dropping out of the corporate world following 10-plus years at Oracle and three start-ups. Kate is the head of the EMG Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a clinical professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. Andrew is in kindergarten. James M. McKnight is now partner in the business and finance section of the law firm of Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC in its NYC office. Dan Botich completed a master's in public administration from Indiana in June. His highlight of graduation was shaking the hand of Indiana President Miles Brand, the man who fired Bobby Knight. Having left Whiting, Ind., as its past director of planning, Dan now works for Crowe Chizek and Co., a top 10 accounting firm based in South Bend, Ind., out of its Merrillville, Ind., office. He is an engagement manger in the firm's state and local government group. Dan said that Crowe Chizek is giving him with the opportunity to work with municipal and county finance while providing general consulting to communities and developers in economic development. Dan, his wife, Lisa, and their daughter, Sophiana (2), moved to Crown Point, Ind., and are in the process of renovating their 106-year-old Victorian Queen Anne home. "One project leads to 10 more," he says, "but the results will be rewarding. Lisa and I are expecting our second child in March 2002. We are hoping the home will be fully renovated and completed for the family to enjoy the full summer with no projects." Thomas Gregory King finished an M.S. in computer science in 1997 and develops systems that track fleets of trucks via the global positioning system (satellites). He lives and works in Princeton, N.J. Tom has an 11-year-old son who likes acting and recently played Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof. Tom initially (1989-95) sold pesticides and is continuing his research on urban ecology. "I find that many people make massive conclusions about urban ecology from very limited data," he said. "So I collect data, and make a small contribution with each paper I publish. I enjoy doing the field work, as well as the satisfaction of making a contribution." Somehow, Tom has found time to travel, most recently to Israel, Greece and Italy. Deena Ackerman and her husband, Chris Adams, have both completed Ph.D.s in economics from Wisconsin. "Just to make the Ph.D. a bigger challenge, we had a son 18 months ago," she says. They are living in Arlington, Va. Lance Hosey sent news from Charlottesville, Va. "I'm an
architect (old news), and over the past year I've won an award of
excellence from the American Institute of Architects, as well as a
grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine
Arts to support travel in Spain, which I plan to do next
spring." Josh Prober reports: "My wife, Melissa, and I are proud to announce the birth of our daughter, Eliana Rose Prober, on December 11, 2000." Descartes Li and Leah Karliner '89 had a boy on March 14, 2001. His name is Isaac Wei-Xiao Karliner-Li, and he has been very much welcomed by his older sister, Pearl. The family is living in San Francisco where Descartes is a psychiatrist and Leah is an internist. That's all for now from this side of the pond. Please keep sending me e-mails and let me know what you are doing and what our classmates are doing. I'm eager to know — enquiring minds, you know!
George Gianfrancisco First of all, let me thank each and every one you who have so bravely picked up the gauntlet thrown down by yours truly. Your letters informing me about our classmates' rumblings, grumblings and stumblings have made my job easier, my smiles brighter and my nostalgia deeper. From Dave (the Slave) Putelo to Maria Roglieri, from Willie Williams to Claudia Rimerman (née Kraut), from John Bassett to the prolific Debbie Schenfeld…I thank you all. And relate all your wonderful stories and warm wishes, I will. Just not today. Because today is dedicated to Mike Bissinger. Biss was a scrawny kid from Jersey. He came from a tight-knit family, tough men and women who took care of their own. He came from a place where family mattered. Biss got into Columbia much like myself, which is to say by the hair of his chinny-chin-chin because he played football. He was part of a band of brothers, 11 men minus one, that would remain spiritually connected over the distances of time, space, shared and unshared moments. Clear in their hearts about the commitment of each one to the others. Once again, a family. Biss went to law school. Although this time not by any breadth of facial hair, but rather with the knowledge of applied desire, hard work and persistence. He went into practice. Cantankerous, brawling, competitive as ever. It is work that he likes, roll up your sleeves and get dirty-type work. He has made something of a name for himself among the judges and trial lawyers in northern Jersey. Some call it collegial. I call it familial. Biss married his college sweetheart, Kritin Friedholm '90, captain of our women's soccer team. For his birthday during senior year, she bought him a CD player. I made him buy me a beer that very same night. He did so uncomplainingly, if somewhat drunkenly. Hey, it was family. Biss with Kristin. Now it would be his own family. The branch of a tree, which started with him and her. Their life, if not a fairy tale, is most assuredly blessed. They just welcomed a daughter into the world. The family had grown. The next day Biss' father died. Family.
Amy Perkel The following column contains reflections — thoughts and feelings — from classmates and myself during the week ending September 16, 2001. Lisa Landau: "While a week has passed, I remain in shock. I can't believe those planes crashed into the World Trade Center (and Pentagon and Pennsylvania field). I can't believe the Twin Towers are gone; even after I observed the plane hit from a neighboring building in the World Financial Center (about a block away), I never thought those buildings would collapse. I can't believe so many lives could be lost and so many families devastated in just moments. I can't believe those attackers could pull off that plan on four planes at once. I can't believe we have an enemy/enemies who don't even value their own lives… "We are all so very sad. We all lost a friend, colleague, neighbor, client or family member. There are so many stories ... nearly 40 families in one New Jersey town … almost more than we can bear. "One good thing has come out of this: I am amazed by my fellow New Yorkers and people across the country. Not just the heroic acts of rescue workers and other volunteers, but kindness at every turn ... a gentle civility. No one is honking their horn if they don't like my driving. The guy at the deli is handing out food. Everyone wants to help. People ask each other how they are doing and pause to listen. The sense of community is profound. "And thank you to all of my Columbia friends — from Boston to Houston and L.A., we appreciate your calls and e-mails. Thank you for sharing your concern, your prayers and positive vibes, even calls from folks I haven't spoken to in years. It means a lot." Dave Kooby: "This past week's tragedy obviously affects all Americans, especially those who lost friends and loved ones, followed by those who lost homes, property and businesses. As New Yorkers (and for those in D.C.), the damage to our city probably stirs feelings that are not as developed for those living in other parts of the country, as this occurred in our backyard. "I am glad that I returned to New York before it happened. I feel as if I needed to be here. I was operating when the events occurred, and worked hard to maintain focus on the patient in front of me. At that moment, he was the only person that mattered. I thought and hoped that my hospital would be transformed to a makeshift trauma center in the coming hours, but to our dismay, the patients never came. "All my training was useless in this situation, as the terrorists did such a complete job, and that made me feel helpless. I know many health care workers felt the same. I know this is naive, but can't we all be friends? I hope this message finds our classmates well." Peter Schnur: "I, like most others, spent most of the day Tuesday glued to the television and trying to contact everyone I knew who worked downtown, while my family and friends outside frantically tried to reach me to make sure I was safe and nowhere near the downtown area. "I work in the Chrysler Building (42nd and Lexington), which was evacuated at 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning. I ended up walking home (extremely quickly) the 40 blocks to my apartment on 82nd and Third with all the rest of the evacuated people from midtown offices. It was so strange seeing that many people, either silent or with their heads down, most of them crying, all walking uptown (some headed for as far as the Bronx, because there was no public transportation) and pausing every once in a while to look backwards in disbelief at the huge black smoke cloud behind us. "We were open for business on Wednesday, but I worked from home that day and came back in yesterday. It's hard to concentrate on work at a time like this. "I hope all of your friends and families are safe. My heart and prayers go out to all of those people who have not been so fortunate and have lost friends and relatives." Stephanie Falcone Bernik: "I was called to the St. Vincent's ER as part of their disaster plan, as I work at the Cancer Center. Everything was very well orchestrated and there was an overflow of doctors. In the first hours there was a steady flow of people with smoke inhalation injuries, patients with significant burns, some dead on arrival, and a few victims who required some surgical intervention. "One of the patients I was taking care of with a large laceration on his head and abdominal pain was from the 84th floor of the north tower. That gave me hope that there would be more and that maybe even people from the higher floors had gotten out. But then the flow of patients came to a halt. I headed to Chelsea Piers where a triage center had been set up to help with the victims. There were more than 60 stretchers set up to deal with the critical patients. No one came. They were all dead beneath the rubble. "I have always loved New York, but this trauma has shown me a new side of the citizens of this great city. As the crew from the cancer center headed to Chelsea Piers, everyone we passed in the streets asked how they could help, where could they donate blood, where they could volunteer their services. People have pulled together in this tragedy and shown that no one can kill their spirit." Donna (Herlinsky) MacPhee: "I hope your family and close friends are OK. I happened to be on a plane to Las Vegas from Newark airport when the planes crashed. They took us off the plane and we could see the WTC crumble from the airport terminal. It was unbelievable. I just wonder what could have happened if we took off. I sit and pray for those families who are missing someone. This tragedy has affected everyone. Stay safe! Our world has changed." Rob Kresberg: "The Columbia campus seemed in disbelief immediately after the events of September 11. People and cars were flocking north on roadways, and the whole episode seemed surreal. Calls and e-mails from parents streamed in to my office [Rob is the women's varsity tennis coach at Columbia], and as much as I try to convince families that their children will be taken care of, there is apprehension in their voices. The initial decision to play athletics contests over the [first] weekend was met with controversy, and ultimately, the change of heart not to compete sat better with most. A week after, there still remains shock, confusion and anger. The Columbia campus, like the rest of the country, will need time to get back to the regular day-to-day routines." Amy Perkel: "Oh, how I loved the skyline of New York City. I remember my first visit to New York, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the skyline. I was in Queens playing a junior tennis tournament around the country. In our free time, I was so nervous walking around the streets of New York with my mom. In contrast, as a visiting high school senior, I glided along the cobblestone of the Columbia campus on a crisp, cool fall day, not even remembering my earlier fear. I was excited, enthusiastic, and ecstatic with the hope of attending Columbia. Back at home, even after acceptance, time crawled. When would I ever get to Columbia? Would I ever get to Columbia? I ached for Columbia, and New York. And then I arrived, and loved every minute of it. "Much of what I loved most was the awe-inspiring buildings. Post graduation, I loved living on the East Side in midtown. I loved that I was able to walk right past the 'lipstick' building and through the indelible Citibank building to get to my subway, which ushered me to my job in Soho. And indeed, I loved seeing the New York skyline. It didn't matter when I saw it. I would be returning from tennis practice in New Jersey, driving across the George Washington Bridge, and there it was. My favorite glimpse, really, was when I returned to New York after an extended absence. The skyline caught my breath; it quickened my heartbeat; it filled me with passion — a blended sensation of excitement, tranquility, and hope... for everything and really nothing specific at all. "At the same time, it was impossible for me, as well as many of us, to escape the lure of the financial markets of New York. I had become transfixed by the energy of Wall Street through upper classmen, alumni, and the Wall Street Journal. My first job out of college was with a Japanese bank in Tokyo. While awaiting the work visa, I spent a number of weeks working out of their New York office, located in the World Trade Center. It was a little worn down, particularly in contrast to the newer World Financial Center across the way. But we loved its underground world of subway lines and its revolving doors, where we ran into classmates (high school, even) we hadn't seen in years. Goodness help you — and your heels — if you didn't keep pace with the sea of corporate soldiers marching to their destinations, where they had bonds to trade, stocks to sell and contracts to settle. "I mourn the loss of the World Trade Center. I mourn the loss of our skyline. I mourn the loss of industry, including all business that has come to a halt and will be stalled and stagnant for quite some time. I mourn the loss of people — those in flight, those at work, and those courageous enough to arrive on the scene to help and then help some more. I praise the strength of our leaders. "To those of you that are most deeply affected, I'd like to offer strength for recovery. To the rest of us, I wish us the ability to regain our mental well being as quickly as possible." If you have reflections you'd like to share in this forum, please send them along. On an upbeat note, I'd like to congratulate Lee Feldman (and his parents, Jackie and Stanley, the most loyal of Columbia supporters) on his three (!) new nephews — Zachary, Harry, and Alex — bright lights during these dark days. Philippa (Feldman) Portnoy, Barnard '86, Lee's sister, gave birth to them on September 14. Congratulations, Philly.
Rachel J. Cowan July 14 saw a handful of our classmates celebrate the wedding of Dan Sackrowitz and Rachel Adler, a second-year medical student at NYU. I had a good time catching up with Colin Campbell and wife Carolyn Moehling, Pete Neisuler, Eric Yu and wife Linda, Steve Winick, Joel Tranter, Judy Shampanier and husband Mike Bowen, Anita Bose, Soterios Johnson, as well as three Barnard '91 alumnae, Laney Kuhn, Bina Kalola and Sam Puathasnanon. Dan and Rachel honeymooned for two weeks in Italy, hitting Capri and the Amalfi coast. Dan says it's the first time he's traveled with a suitcase instead of a backpack. Of the gang in attendance, the one willing to share is Steve Winick, who married Wendy Haugh on August 5 in Shelburne, Vt. Wendy is a Williams grad and an anthropology grad student at Penn. Steve is the folk arts program director at the Walt Whitman Cultural Arts Center in Camden, N.J. He schedules concerts with folk and world musicians, creates exhibits for the gallery, and maintains an archive of southern New Jersey folklore. He also teaches folklore classes at Penn and is a contributing editor at Dirty Linen, the magazine of Folk and World Music, and a frequent contributor to music publications such as The All Music Guide, Music Hound Folk and Baker's Dictionary of Music, writing about folk music from Europe and the Americas. Steve earned his masters from Penn in 1992 and his Ph.D. in 1998, both in folklore and folklife. Claudine Wolas wrote from Los Angeles. "Ever since finishing at Columbia I've been pursuing a two-career track: art and business. I recently completed my M.B.A. at USC in information technology and marketing while working for several Internet start-ups. Today, while I hunt for that great full-time job, I am doing business development for several companies. I continue to pursue a career in art selling my photographs privately and through art dealers. My photographs have appeared in movies and on TV shows. Recently, I was in an art show at a well-known gallery, Bliss, where I premiered new three dimensional work incorporating photographs and mirrors. Keep an eye out for my new Web site, www.lovethat.com. If you need something photographed or see something you like for your home, office, or as a gift, e-mail me at my permanent e-mail address: claudine@lovethat.com." In the Kitchen Saga update, Isaac-Daniel Astrachan has drawn up initial plans for Judy Shampanier's new kitchen. Stay tuned to see if she approves his ideas on the first try. In Isaac's other full-time job, he's been remodeling a Sheraton in Boston, providing the chance to pop in on Mike and Susie Cashton. Isaac also reports that Robert and Abigail Gross have recently been blessed with twin boys, bringing their total to three sons. They live in Allentown, Pa.
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