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1974

Beth Chiquoine
chiqmore@nycap.rr.com

More first-time Reunion-goers came back to Skidmore for our 30th than for any other. Throughout the weekend we heard over and over, “How come we didn’t know each other then?”

Valerie Burns Winningham observes,
“I never knew going to a reunion could make you feel young…but as we danced nonstop, rocking to ’70s tunes, hitting beach balls around the dance floor, laughing at our ’70s fashion statements, stopping only to run out and see the fireworks display, there didn’t seem to be anyone over 21 in the room.”

For Donna Williams Dowd, it was the first time back to campus since graduation. “I was very moved by how friendly people were to someone they had not seen or heard from in 30 years.”

Jan Greenberg McCoart was also impressed with her classmates, “not because of their lifetime achievements, but because they are all so very nice! How did we all get so lucky?”

Lesslie Crowell thought Reunion was “fantastic.” She met up with two close friends and connected with several others she remembered from classes. What surprised her, though, was “how much fun it was to meet people I had not known.”

Kathy Corsale D’Appolonia observes, “We all seem to be a bit mellower and less self-conscious, making for a very enjoyable social event.”

For Reggie Carbon Tihan, the 30th topped all three previous reunions she attended. “It’s tremendous learning about each friend’s life after all these years: the accomplishments, tragedies, adventures, families, entrepreneurialism, and challenges were awe-inspiring!”

Valerie Winningham wrote to thank everyone on the committee, including outgoing co-president Denise Marcil, for her attention to detail and gentle touch; reunion chair and outgoing co-president Erin McHugh, for the fantastic job she did “electrifying” our event with all the ’70s touches; and fund chair Wendy Bailey Hamilton, for raising both money and class participation to new heights.

Kerry Cavanagh is a yoga instructor in Boca Raton, FL. She welcomes hearing from classmates at thaikerryannec@aol.com.

Ellen Miller-Wolfe, economic development manager for the City of Bellevue, WA, was featured in a recent edition of the Tacoma News Tribune as one of three candidates vying to become the new director of Tacoma’s Economic Development Department. Ellen earned a master’s in city and regional planning from Cornell University and has worked for 24 years in public-sector economic development.

Susan McLaren is director of business development at Catalina Marketing. Sam has two sons: Ricky, 20, and Peter, 10.

Patricia Fleming bought her first home last April. She is studying Russian at a language learning center in NYC and attended her niece’s wedding in June.

Michele Roekaert Zelaya’s daughter Sarah graduated with honors from American University on Mother’s Day, and Michele “couldn’t stop beaming with pride!” Younger daughter Pami is a sophomore honor student at Florida’s Palm Harbor University High School.