Blog

Posted Mon, Sep 20, 2010

Jane's Reunion Summary from YAM

By Dan Pullman

Our 30th Reunion was a huge success, as anyone from a class that has a long tradition of wonderful reunions, might imagine. Whoever among you prayed to those weather gods, and we know our talented reunion co-chairs, David Good and Sean Reilly, were leading those prayers, the gods must have they must have been listening, so thanks! We had spectacular weather – sunny, low humidity, no rain. Perfect for enjoying Branford’s main courtyard, smaller courtyards and the rest of a campus that just keeps looking better and better.

We drew 461 people, 22 short of the record set by the Class of ’77 in 2007. We had 272 classmates, 105 adult guests (spouses, partners and friends) and 84 children. If you didn’t see them all, that’s because we had an enormous number of last-minute attendees, many of whom dropped in for the day Saturday and our big dinner that night.

Saturday evening, we gathered in the courtyard for a buffet of ethnic specialties, including Indian and Mexican, which was some of the best food ever served at a Yale event. Our Class of 1980 Whiffenpoofs, who had performed earlier at a huge “Celebration of Yale Singing” in Woolsey Hall, serenaded the class one more. I dare anyone to say they’re not in as fine voice as 30 years ago. And Richard Slade: your voice is the best it’s ever been!

At the dinner, Susan Crown, co-chair of our 30th Reunion Gift Committee, gave a short historic overview of all we’ve lived through since landing in New Haven in the fall of 1976, then went on to dazzle us with the magnitude of the 30th Reunion Gift. It’s grown even larger since that night – up to $30,326,355 as of June 11th, a good 20 percent north of the previous record of $24.95 million. Once again, Susan and all of those co-chairing the committee: James Chanos, Josh Bekenstein, Andrew Wallach and the indefatigable Jack Thomas, deserve enormous thanks for encouraging classmates to give so generously at all levels.

We announced Class Awards to Susan Crown, Scott Williamson and Andrew Wallach. Susan and Andrew were acknowledged for their labors co-chairing our 30th Reunion Gift Committee as well as ongoing work on behalf of Yale, while Scott has been ceaselessly active in alumni affairs, especially for the AYA and Yale Club of Chicago.

As your secretary of longstanding (since 1985!), I got up to announce that I am delighted to serve another term (yes, you’ve heard me say it before: I really love this job!). I can’t really remember what else I said (except that lots of you laughed), but I think it was something along the lines of a request that you keep e-mailing what’s going on in your lives. I believe I said that I would share your good news, your OK news, but be utterly discreet about anything else. Dan Pullman, our remarkably creative and energetic treasurer, who is always thinking outside the box, will be serving another term as treasurer. As he announced to everyone: “The state of our treasury is sound.” If only that were true nationally! Hearty thanks to you, Dan!

We all owe a huge thank-you to Rich Bershtein and his family, who once again shared their wonderful home in Madison, on Long Island Sound, hosting a barbecue, with great music, so we could spend a mellow afternoon at the water’s edge and ease our transitions back to our non-Yale lives.

And finally, thanks to the two musical Joes, Joe Teig and Joe Finder, of the Whiffs, for brilliantly revised lyrics to our alma mater, “Bright College Years 2.0,” which I felt compelled to include here because they capture a certain je ne sais quoi:

It’s 30 years, which kinda sucks
Except for those who’ve made big bucks..
Careers may come and they may go
But Yale will always seek your dough.
Your waist expands, your hair contracts
You start forgetting basic facts.
But the Alumni Fund will still prevail
To make you send donations back to Yale.

A show called “Glee!” has made it cool
To join a singing group at school
And though we’re 30 years too late
Our kids can still matriculate.
They could be Whiffs, we understand
If we fork over 50 grand.
But now we learn, to our chagrin
Even as legacies they can’t get in.