Class Survey Released
The 45th Anniversary Yale College Class of 1971 Survey chronicles our experiences on the Yale campus and beyond. We received more than 300 responses -- more than one-quarter of our living classmates, and more than 40% of the people for whom we have current email addresses -- a HUGE response to a survey of this nature. Thanks to all of you who responded -- who included many more of us than just those able to attend the reunion -- and to those many Class callers who contacted others to drive participation.
Here are some highlights of the survey: Yale 1971 Survey SHORT 160617
To see the entire 161-page version, click the menu entry under Private Areas on the right. If you get a "Page Not Found" message, it probably means you are not logged in, or not yet registered to use the site. If you are a member of the Class of 1971, please register by clicking in the upper right of this page. When your application is approved (which takes a day or two), you will get a password enabling you to use the site.
Yale '71 45th Reunion a Resounding Success
I am just back from New Haven where I attended our 45th Class Reunion. I was delighted to see so many old friends, to meet so many new ones -- and to welcome some for whom this was their first-ever Yale reunion attended.
All of us thank co-chairs Ken Freeman and Jean Brenner for the obviously huge amount of thought and work that went into planning and executing this memorable event. Class Secretary-for-Life Andy Kaufman proved a yeoman "head of ceremonies" (no more masters, please!) on Saturday night.
One of the highlights -- and there were so many -- was the survey conducted by Rick Cech and Barbara Blaine. As those of you who attended their lively and absorbing presentation know, there was simply too much to absorb in one sitting. We will have the full deck posted here soon.
With warm regards,
Tim Powell
Off-Campus Reunion Accommodations Available
Doug Davie (Silliman ’76 and the son of the late TD Dean, James Davie) and his wife, Liisa (MFA ’87), have a house in Hamden that they’re willing to rent out for reunion weekend. Below is the listing on AirBnB:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12026785?s=sbvyXJqT
They prefer to rent to a family or group as there are two bedrooms to book. One can sleep two couples with full bath and the other sleeps two singles with half bath. Those rooms are located on the extreme left and right wings of the house photo. For any who wish to rough it, there is also a queen mattress upstairs in the master bedroom (with full bath), but it’s on the floor; otherwise, as Doug and Liisa are transitioning, it's unfurnished.
The landscape is an extension of the 1600 acre state park, Sleeping Giant, just 15 minutes down Whitney Avenue to the Yale campus.
If you wish to book this space, you may do so through AirBnB or by contacting Doug directly at (203) 809-2875 or douglasdavie@comcast.net.
Jim Meehan and Yale Symphony in Carnegie Debut - Thursday April 21
Classmate Jim Meehan writes:
I don't know whether you've been following the events surrounding the 50th Anniversary of the Yale Symphony Orchestra, but I wanted to point out the final event, coming up soon. There will be a concert on April 16th in Woolsey Hall, with a second performance on April 21st at Carnegie Hall in New York. John Mauceri, who conducted the YSO during our time at Yale (1968-1974) will be returning to lead the orchestra in Celebrations from Leonard Bernstein's Mass, which we performed in 1972 in New Haven and the following summer in Vienna. The finale of the program is the Festival Prelude for Organ and Orchestra by Richard Strauss, which we performed in 1973. I was the organist back then, and I'm going to be the organist again this time! I don't know how many members of our class have played in Carnegie Hall, but I'd bet that I'm the only member of the class to be making his debut in Carnegie Hall at 66! (I'm calling it my farewell debut.)
It would be great to see friends from our class at either concert, particularly in New York. This will the Yale Symphony's first appearance in Carnegie Hall.
Catherine Ross to Speak at Barnes & Noble UWS NYC - Monday April 11, 7pm ET
Come hear our classmate Catherine Ross discuss her highly-praised new book.
Class Survey - Please Respond by Sunday March 20th
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Reunion Co-Chairs Jean Brenner and Ken Freeman write: One highlight of our upcoming reunion weekend will be the presentation of results from our Class Survey—"Our Class: 45 Years Later"—to let us better understand our backgrounds in coming to Yale, our years in New Haven, our lives and experiences since graduation, and even to cast a glance ahead as we head for the next chapter in our lives. We think you’ll find the survey fascinating and fun. Its creators, classmates Rick Cech and Barbara Blaine, have invested a tremendous amount of time on its development, and the analysis will be an even greater initiative. To ease any concerns, Rick and Barbara understand the importance of total confidentiality. The survey does not ask for names or any other personally identifying information, and the on-line tool we’re using is trusted for anonymity. There will be no way for anyone to know who sent which responses. The most important ingredient in making this survey succeed is YOUR participation. The more participants, the more insights we will have -- and the more fun. In the first two days alone, we've received responses from more than 20% of those getting the email. So PLEASE click the link below to take the survey. There are some open-ended questions, so try to allow at least 30 minutes to complete. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/1971ClassSurvey Please don’t just put this aside and forget about it. Rick and Barbara need your responses by Sunday March 20 in order to have appropriate time for analysis and creation of a presentation that will keep you on the edge of your seats. Even if you can’t join us in New Haven, please complete the survey. We will publish the results online (with password protection) after the reunion. Thanks in advance for providing the grist for this fascinating analytical mill. Jean Ken celloladynyc@gmail.com kenneth.m.freeman@gmail.com P.S.: The survey is just one of the many highlights of the reunion. Others include:
UPDATE 3/21 Rick Cech writes that we received responses from about 40% of those who received our email. "I'd like to thank the class for a terrific response, submissions were thoughtful and fun. Barbara and I are looking forward to preparing our overview for June." |
Denbaum Play Seeks Support
Drew Denbaum '71 has launched an Indiegogo campaign for a new play, The Last of Wilhelm Reich. You can check it out at http://igg.me/at/Reich/x/12861449.
Assembly LXXV - Yale and Public Health in the 21st Century
Dear Classmates,
It was my pleasure and honor to serve you, Yale College’s Class of 1971, as your representative at the 75th Assembly from November 19-21 in New Haven. This annual event hosted by the Association of Yale Alumni (AYA) brings together alumni representatives from each College class, each professional school, Yale clubs around the world, Shared Interest Groups, and others with a deep interest in volunteer activities on behalf of Yale.
Aside from a networking opportunity among interesting, friendly people, the Assembly provides programming of two basic kinds — (1) what is happening these days at Yale, and (2) what would help me do my volunteer job better?
Day One - Yale Today
The focus of the first day (Thursday) rotates each year to a different set of activities at the University — this year, the School of Public Health. Among other things, this gave us a chance to explore the parts of the campus across the Oak Street Connector, an area new to many of us.
Fascinating keynote addresses were delivered to a plenary session by Dr. Peter Singer ’90 MPH, CEO of Grand Challenges Canada and Paul Cleary, Dean of the School. Five public health graduate students presented brief overviews of their current research.
In the afternoon there were smaller breakout sections, each featuring a panel discussion and Q&A from participants. The greatest challenge was deciding which session to attend.
Topics included epidemiology, Obamacare, the effects of climate change on health, social influences on health, the global refugee crisis, aging, racism, nutrition, vaccinations, and the delivery of mental health services in retail environments. Ten topics — all in a single hour!
Later that afternoon there was another parallel selection of events. I chose to go the the medical school library, where I had long ago conducted research on a project I worked on after Yale. On display were historical public health documents, including a collection of mid-20th century print advertisements for cigarettes.
The day’s activities were capped off by a visit to the “500 Brains” assembled over decades of practice by pioneering neurosurgeon Dr. Harvey Cushing (YC 1895), now curated in a beautiful exhibition gallery below the med school library.
Dinner at Commons (now part of the Schwarzman Center) featured great conversation and the presentation of the Yale Medal, the University’s highest distinction, to five highly deserving recipients.
Day Two - Volunteers for Yale
The second day (Friday) featured workshops appropriate for the interests and activities of each attending group. I attended a session for Yale College Class Leadership, where various classes discussed innovative ways of serving their constituents. Dick Moser ’63, for example, described their “Classmates on Call” service to help people connect with each other to help sort out life problems (medical, legal, financial, social, etc.)
Our own Secretary Andy Kaufman was joined by Secretaries Rob Bildner ’72 and Andrea DaRif ’73 in describing the planning and logistics behind our well-attended, highly-rated cluster mini-reunion in October.
The President and the Dean
Following that was a Campus Community Update in Battell Chapel led by University President Peter Salovey and Yale College Dean Jonathan Holloway. Salovey and Holloway tagged-teamed throughout the hour and responded thoughtfully to questions from attendees.
Their discussion of recent events at Yale gave perspective and meaning to these events that I (and I’d guess many in the audience) had been unable to find previously. In short, they described the University’s unwavering commitments to (1) free speech and expression of opinions, while (2) offering an educational experience to all students that is equal and unbiased.
The apparent tension between these two inviolate principles was positioned as an opportunity for creative, thoughtful leadership by Yale and its constituents — an aspiration admittedly made more difficult by our environment of viral videos and hair-trigger media.
The hour was punctuated by personal stories from each — Salovey describing heated personal meetings with students, Holloway describing his trepidation as a black man at driving even a little over the speed limit in certain states. The full house thanked the two with a warm standing ovation upon conclusion of their remarks.
Till Next Time
Friday lunch at Commons was followed by programs discussing various AYA activities. Later in the day, the AYA Board of Governors presented their Excellence Awards for outstanding service by alumni groups.
For a more complete account of all events, including the Salovey-Holloway address, click here. (Be sure not to miss the "lead" photo of Secretary Andy Kaufman and your faithful correspondent perusing the 500 brains.)
It was a fascinating, challenging couple of days. I caught up with old friends and made several new ones, as I always do at these things. If you ever have the opportunity to participate in Yale alumni events in New Haven or in your city, take it -- it’s a highly rewarding experience.
Respectfully submitted,
Tim Powell
AYA Opens Y71 45th Reunion Pre-registration
The AYA writes:
This morning we went live with pre-registration on the AYA reunions website, www.aya.yale.edu/reunions. Please click on “Pre-Register Now!” to indicate that you will attend!
45th Class Reunion - June 2-5, 2016
SAVE THE DATES! That’s when we’ll be having our class’ 45th reunion in New Haven.
You’ll be receiving the official reunion kick-off letter soon. In the meantime, you may have received a postcard like the one at left about reunion hotel blocks, which are now open on a first-come, first-served basis. Information about the reunion hotels, their respective rates, and links to their respective online reservations pages can be found at aya.yale.edu/reunions. When making reservations by phone, use the code YCR216.
Reserve early! There are many Yale class reunions that weekend, and we understand that several area hotels are already fully booked. For more hotels in the greater New Haven areas, check with the Yale Visitor Center.
Registration for the reunion itself will go live in March 2016. We'll post details here at that time.