Notes from the Cornell Class of 1991 - 2009 September/October

Class Notes, 2009 September/October

September/October 2009

By now, most of us have celebrated our 40th birthdays. We would love to share stories of how you marked this milestone. I was fortunate to enjoy a celebratory girls' weekend in Bethany Beach, DE, from May 15-17 with 21 of my Tri Delta sisters. Organized by Cristina Moeder Shaul, the perfect party planner who thought of everything, including T-shirts commemorating the occasio--yes, even 40-year-old sorority girls wear matching T-shirts to a party--this relaxing getaway was just what we all needed. From tennis, biking, and running to walking on the beach, shopping, and trips to the spa, each of us found a way to unwind from the demands and complexities of our daily lives. Each and every one of the "dashing Delta darlings" who made the trip to Delaware looks fantastic and is excelling on all fronts, giving proof to the cliché, "40 is the new 30." We missed many of our other classmates and sisters and urge them to join us at our 20th Reunion in 2011 and for other upcoming milestone celebrations.

Your class correspondents received interesting news from many classmates this cycle, several of whom mentioned what they remember most from their time at Cornell. Lisa Camacho-Szeto (Orlando, FL) is a real estate and mortgage broker. Recently, Lisa has been working for a Sheraton property to reintroduce herself to the industry. When not at work, Lisa enjoys working out at the YMCA doing Zumba and Latin Cardio classes, free weights, and SWAT workouts, watching movies, and taking online classes. Lisa reports that she has made a point to find Cornell friends over the past couple of years. "Hello everyone again. Hope all is well. Casey Cook, where are you?" When she wrote last May, Lisa was trying to find her way to Indonesia for a 40th birthday bash. We hope she made it! We would love to hear all about an Indonesian 40th birthday party. Lisa fondly remembers Ithaca's gorges and Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC).

Peter Sloane reports that he is a "happy lawyer" working at Leason Ellis LLP in White Plains, NY, as head of the trademark and copyright practice group. Peter practiced trademark and copyright law for 15 years in Manhattan and moved to a firm in Westchester to be closer to his wife, Michele, and daughters Hannah, 10, and Molly, 8. Peter's best memories of his time at Cornell include the time he spent with his fraternity brothers at ZBT.

Many of our classmates are pursuing satisfying careers in academia. Apichai Shipper is an assistant professor of political science and international relations at the U. of Southern California. He published the book Fighting for Foreigners: Immigration and its Impact on Japanese Democracy (Cornell U. Press, November 2008). "I love what I do and can't think of doing something else," he writes. He fondly remembers late nights/early mornings enjoying beer or coffee with good friends in College-town. He would love to hear from Jeff Palachi. Susan Halebsky Dimock teaches in the Washington, DC, programs of the U. of Illinois and UC San Diego. When not teaching undergraduates, Susan keeps busy chasing her 2-year-old. Her memory of Cornell is the view from Uris Library. Shannon Bessette was promoted to associate professor of anthropology at Jamestown Community College in western New York. Shannon also volunteers at the Chautauqua County Humane Society, serving as a foster parent for cats, kittens, and ferrets. Lynn Buchwalder, MS '96, is a research associate at Yale U. School of Medicine, Dept. of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences. While her work keeps her very busy, Lynn also volunteers at a local animal shelter and enjoys running. Her best memories include the beautiful campus and the open-mindedness of the Cornell community.

Other classmates pursuing interesting careers and rich extracurricular activities include Vicki June, DVM '95, a veterinarian at Princeton Animal Hospital. Outside of work Vicki enjoys riding horses and competing in equestrian competitions (jumpers). Vicki would love to hear from Lara Chavin. Michelle Bayuk is a managing director at Albert Whitman & Co., publishers of "good books for children since 1919." Michelle recently moved to the Chicago area and bought her first home. Rebecca Darien Yodzio continues her work both as president of Darien Consulting LLC and as a mother of sons Tyler, 4, and Dylan, 2. Rebecca's "extracurricular" activities include participating in a book club, cooking for friends, exercising, and playing "taxi" for play dates and after school activities. When asked what she would rather be doing now, Rebecca wrote, "Living in a better economy!" Here's to that.

In April, we received news from around the globe. Bob Saunders wrote to us just days before he relocated to Singapore for an 18- to 24-month assignment with Barclays Capital, where he works as the global head of application management for risk and finance. Before he relocated, Bob enjoyed singing in his church choir and walking his two Labradors. Let's hope he has been able to continue both activities in Singapore. When asked what he would rather be doing, Bob answered, "Eating a pint of Cherry Garcia." Can you get that in Singapore? Johnny Tseng lives in Hong Kong, where he is a managing director at J & B Group Ltd., an apparel export company. When not working, Johnny enjoys the performing arts and traveling. Johnny and wife Noelle have welcomed their first child, so most of his free time has been consumed by learning how to take care of a baby.

Dan and Sharon Kaufman Moreland are delighted to announce the birth of son Jackson Benjamin on Aug. 7, 2008. Jackson joins big brother David, 3. Sharyn Talman Matthews and husband Robert welcomed son Tyler in early 2009. Tyler joins older sister Katelyn, 3. Christian, MCE '92, and Jennifer Wolfe Loew '04 welcomed their first, Caroline Heike Loew, on March 11, 2009. Ben Goody, a teacher on Long Island, NY, sent word that he was married in November 2008. Congratulations, Ben. Please send us more details to include in an upcoming column.

For those of you living in the New York area, and those who may come to the area for Thanksgiving weekend, consider joining Cornellians of all ages (including many classmates) at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 28 at 8 p.m. to watch the Big Red men's hockey team take on Boston U. Tickets are available at www.Ticketmaster.com. As I write this column (in early June) there are discussions about a pre-game gathering for classmates and friends of the classes of the early-to-mid '90s. Keep your eyes open for details. Thanks to everyone who sent news. Please keep the updates coming. We would love to hear from all of you. Ariane Schreiber Horn, ams14@cornell.edu; Kathryn Kraus Bolks, klk22@cornell.edu; Sharlyn Carter Heslam, sheslam@berkshirepartners.com.