Notes from the Cornell Class of 1991 - 2016 September/October

Class Notes, 2016 September/October

September/October 2016

From June 9-12, members of the Class of 1991 took a break from their normal routines to return to Cornell for our 25th Reunion. As in years past, Reunion provided classmates with a wonderful opportunity to remember the good times we shared as students and to reflect on our lives over the years since we left the Hill. We were able to completely immerse ourselves in the world we knew 25 year ago. We marveled at how much has changed on campus since our graduation and how much has remained blissfully the same.

Special thanks to our Reunion chair, Jeff Weintraub, MD '95 (who also contributed to this column) and all the volunteers for organizing a spectacular Reunion weekend. Besides breaking all attendance records, Jeff and registration chair Bob Baca (also our then-class president) each put forth a tremendous effort to make Reunion a smashing success. Their tireless dedication, attention to detail, and non-stop good cheer were instrumental in making the weekend so memorable. Not only did Jeff and Bob work hard planning the Reunion throughout the prior 13 months, they were busy all weekend attending to last-minute details and ensuring that everything ran smoothly.

For the fifth time in five Reunions, the Class of '91 broke the all-time university record for number of classmates in attendance. This time, though, was by far our most impressive accomplishment-544 members of our class returned, including 77 first-time Reunion attendees. Not only did we absolutely smash the previous record of 428 classmates, but the record we broke was one that no other Cornell class has been able to break for the past 31 years! In addition, taking into account family members and friends, the Class of '91 boasted 945 registered attendees, which was the largest number of returning attendees ever for any Reunion class at all previous Cornell Reunions! Classmates and their families were spotted all over campus and across Ithaca. Other classes appeared envious of our numbers and energy-and with good reason. A shout-out to Kathy Kraus Bolks for her superb efforts as affinity networking chair in helping to reach out to so many different groups to encourage them to return. And if that were not enough, the Class of '91 also broke the all-time giving record, and we expect to also break the all-time number of Tower Club donors for a 25th Reunion campaign. We raised over $18 million! Thank you to our campaign chairs Shar Carter Heslam and Avi Mehrotra and the rest of their committee for their outstanding work.

During the weekend, classmates enjoyed breakfasts at our class headquarters, a delicious barbeque dinner Friday, zip-lining over the gorge behind Beebe Lake, rappelling off the crescent, tent parties, receptions at fraternities and sororities, Finger Lakes winery tastings, Cornelliana Night in Bailey Hall, bird walks at Sapsucker Woods, strolls through the Plantations, the Ithaca Farmers' Market, cocktails in Collegetown, the Hot Truck, stimulating and informative talks and lectures, and countless other activities. Most significantly, classmates lingered in dorm rooms, lounges, stairways, and quads, catching up and sharing memories with old friends, making new friends, and creating new memories.

Our class headquarters was in the newer Court-Kay-Bauer Hall complex on North Campus. Dorine Colabella DiConti utilized her outstanding skills in decorating and transformed the headquarters into a wonderfully welcoming and festive atmosphere. Dorine's attention to detail in coordinating colors, balloons, centerpieces, and more was also on display when she brilliantly converted the featureless and expansive Barton Hall into two unique festive environments for our Friday and Saturday dinners. Saturday afternoon, Ruby Wang Pizzini and her committee transformed part of the Arts Quad into a festive carnival for kids of all ages. It was a gorgeous day (despite earlier predictions of rain) for those in attendance who enjoyed laser tag, airbrush tattoos, sand art, Cornell Dairy ice cream, live music by a DJ, giant lawn games, the Big Red Band, Touchdown the Bear, and more. "Fun in the Sun" was a screaming success and entertained future Cornellians from many different Reunion classes.

The weekend climaxed on Saturday evening due to the tremendous efforts of Kim Brown Bixler, who spent many months planning a never-been-done-before blockbuster Reunion event. This new approach to the class dinner marked the 25th Reunion milestone in a unique way. With help of local classmate Eric Rosario, the "Taste and Toast to the 25th" brought together 12 regional wineries, two hard cider producers, one brew pub, one coffee shop, and 15 local restaurants. '91ers and their guests wined and dined for hours in Barton Hall, grabbing bite-sized tastes and sips during the roving dinner party. President Emeritus Frank H.T. Rhodes and his wife, Rosa, attended the event, which included a class photo shoot midway through the evening. It was a great night for the Class of '91 and a fun and innovative way to cap off a milestone Reunion weekend.

Finally, we would like to thank Bob Baca, whose term ended in July, for his outstanding service to our class as class president. We look forward to Jana Pompadur Kierstead leading our class through our 30th Reunion! As a reminder, you can always submit class notes updates by visiting: http://www.alumni.cornell.edu/participate/class-notes.cfm. We look forward to hearing from you. *Tom Greenberg, twg22@cornell.edu; Lori Attanasio Woodring, lori.woodring@btintemet.com; Tim Vanini, lavanooche@icloud.com; Wendy Milks Coburn, wmilkscoburn@me.com