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Cornell Class of 91
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Class Notes, 2006 September/October

So how was our 15th Reunion? Well, simply... amazing! If you were there, you know that we completely immersed ourselves in the world we knew 15 years ago. But before I wax further, we have to thank-never-endingly-our perennial reunion co-chairs Dorine Colabella Scher and Jeff Weintraub, MD '95. In addition, many classmates contributed to our fabulous event and should also be properly thanked. I will try and mention all, but will inevitably fall short!

Another outstanding contributor was Bob Baca. Not only did Bob serve as our superb registration chair, he also put together the multimedia Class of'91 CD that you should have received in the mail prior to Reunion. Our record-breaking attendance at our 15th Reunion was in no small part attributable to his Herculean efforts. Despite his obvious brawn, we hope Bob's back is all right after the long weekend. To many of us, it seemed that the baby carrier his daughter was in much of the time weighed at least as much as she did.

One of the things that seem never to change on campus is the presence of new construction. Those of us who arrived on Thursday found that we had to dodge bridge and road construction sites to make our way to class headquarters in Balch Hall. Those of us coming in from the South had to make the pleasant diversion through Forest Home to reach HQ. And, in true form, just to re-create the experience we all remember, it Ithacated nearly the entire weekend! Yes, artfully coordinated by the City of Ithaca to make our reunion a true homecoming, we enjoyed the cold and rainy weather that gave many of us the excuse to linger a bit longer inside and catch up with old friends.(Did someone say old? I meant longtime.) Special thanks to another important Reunion volunteer, Ariane Schreiber Horn, JD '96,who coordinated the class souvenirs for the weekend. We were well-prepared for the less-than-optimal weather with the large red fleece blankets that each classmate received.

As it turns out, we remain a vibrant class by any measure. Many are married, many are not. Some have kids, some not. Yet no matter your life stage, remarkably no one seems to have changed from 15 years ago! How many times did you say that when you saw a face from our days on campus as students? And, as much as the external face of campus has changed, strolling through familiar buildings showed a familiar exactness with how they looked when we walked through them then-with prelims hanging over our heads. Climbing the clock tower to hear the chimes or strolling through Uris Library or meandering through Willard Straight Hall was a stroll down memory lane ...exactly as I remember it!

Actually, there was one other major transformation. Thanks go to Jeannette Perez-Rossello, who transformed a third of the Arts Quad into a carnival for younger reunion attendees, so the older ones who usually are attached to them via stroller or harness or by hand could take a breather while they were fully entertained. With perfect timing, the clouds parted and the sun shone on future Cornellians enjoying a miniature circus, face painting, a huge inflatable slide and moonwalk, cotton candy, tattoos, spin-art, drawing, and a miniature train ride around the Arts Quad. Many children (and dare I say most parents?) showed that it is never too cold to enjoy ice cream. Incoming university president Dr. David Skorton and his wife Dr. Robin Davisson showed a playful side by wearing oversized top hats as they took time out of their busy schedule to visit with those in attendance. "Fun-in-the-Sun" was a screaming success (literally!) and entertained future Cornellians from all reunion classes. In fact, the event was such a success that it will likely be codified into reunions to come.

Friday night was a fabulous Pan-Asian feast right next to the Johnson Museum. While sampling delicious cuisine from India, Thailand, Japan, and China, we heard Eric Kossoff and his wife talking about the strolls around campus as undergrads. Eric just turned over the reins after heading up the Maryland and D.C. Cornell Clubs. On Saturday evening the whole class was treated to the voices of the Hangovers that remain as smooth as ever. A heartfelt rendition of the Alma Mater was sung right before the class picture was taken on the front lawn of Balch Hall. I only hope that one of the dozen or so shots that were taken will be adequate. The class then made its way down to the northwest shore of Beebe Lake for the class dinner. This started out with a raw bar featuring oysters, clams, and prawns, as well as other assorted hors d'oeuvres. Michelle Fox, among others, was seen gracefully enjoying the offerings, basking in the sun reflecting off Beebe Lake, while other class- mates tried their hand at canoeing around the placid water. Also enjoying the serenity of Beebe was Eric Kaufman, BME '95.Eric has returned to his roots to run his family business of vacation home rentals in the Hamptons. Later that evening, Cornelliana Night was as popular as ever, filling half the basketball court floor and much of the bleachers (Bailey is under renovation, of course!).

On both Friday and Saturday nights, there were three big-top tents on the Arts Quad, with different music blaring from each. Open bars and light snacks were included. Not only our class, but all Cornellians who have ever come back to the Hill for reunion have enjoyed the hard work of Jim Wilcox. He has voluntarily organized all aspects of the "beer tents," as we like to call them, every year since we graduated. Thanks, Jim! Among those classmates seen at the tents were Sanjeev Dhawan, who owns his own construction company in northern New Jersey and recently completed rebuilding his entire home; Anthony Magnano, who relocated to Jacksonville, FL, earlier in the year to join a practice as a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist; and Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Hyink, who borrowed an Air Force fighter jet to fly across the country to return to Ithaca so he could join us for Reunion Weekend! For anyone interested, digital pictures will be available at some point either on disk or on our website, from which images can be downloaded. Stay tuned for details.

I close with more words of thanks. First to our reunion clerks, who helped usher all activities without a hitch. And, finally, to all fellow classmates who attended our 15th Reunion. It was made into a grand success not by the sheer numbers who attended, but individually by you. Thanks for attending, and we hope to see you and many others five years from now in that same rainy, snowy, overcast, cloudy, and sunny place in Upstate New York that we all called home for four years. Eric Bluman, ericbluman@ yahoo.com; Nina Peek,nsr5@cornell.edu.


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