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'59 is Nifty at
Fifty March, 2008. The snowbanks have melted. We've done the "Spring Forward" thing with the clocks. Can Spring be far behind? For me it can't come too soon. Getting up in the dark and turn on lights by four PM is really getting old. But, as "they" say, April is the cruelest month, so who knows what's next. Your Class Reunion Committee (CRC) will meet in March and April to tie up some loose ends, but there is still time for your input thanks to E-Mail. Is there anything else you would like to see on the Reunion Menu? Would you like to join the Committee?
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Class of 1959 50th Reunion
Mark your calendars!
May 14-17, 2009
| Seated: Maurene Golden; Carolyn Coburn Sieven; Julie Costanza Aldrich
Standing: Dick Kulpinski; Leah Harris Romanow; Sondra Szymczak; Patt Mottla Harlan;
Marie Petridis Etchells; Gerry Finkelstein
The Line-Up: Members of your Committee taking a break from planning your Reunion Alumni Weekend 2007 will be May 15-18. You'll note it is called Alumni Weekend rather than Reunion Weekend to indicate that ALL alumni are welcome. This tradition goes back to Tufts second commencement when alumni were asked to participate in the pagentry. A day of "field games" was included, and this event was later moved to the fall and re-named Homecoming. Why have one party when you can have two? Anyway, Tufts Nigt at Pops will be May 15. Floor seats are reserved for reunion alumni and graduating seniors, but the seats in the balcony are much more comfortable anyway. Super Seminars featuring speakers from the Tufts community will be held Friday and Saturday. Cirque d'Elephant Friday evening is a wonderful chance to meet and greet while enjoying fabulous food stations with a jazz quartet providing background music (or close-up fun for the true jazz fan) during dinner. After a "Death by Chocolate" dessert buffet, a DJ will take the floor for those who want to rock out the night. Saturday's Alumni Day Family Picnic is a chance to see your friends from 1958 and enjoy tasty food and to create an elaborate ice cream sundae from a table full of choices! So, if you expect to be in the area, come back to the hill for a preview of our reunion. Reservation information can be found at: http://www.tufts.edu/alumni/c-reunion.html
OVER THE HILL--
by Judy Libby Back in June, just a few weeks after hip #2 was replaced, I decided to drive into Hartford to hear Leonard Pitts, a syndicated columnist whose commentaries i have found to be thoughtful and direct. He was to speak during the weekend of the UCC Synod/50th anniversary celebration of that denomination being held in town. The weather was beautiful, the city was busy and under control, and I was terrified that just maybe I could not do all that I wanted to do so soon. May 14 to June 20--not enough recovery time yet? There I was, violating my own rule of "Don't do anything stupid, Judy!" A packed Wadsworth Atheneum auditorium and friendly offers of occasional help were reassuring, and I found that I was really glad to be there. One amazing experience followed another, but chief among them was realizing that the discouragement and oppressive atmosphere among all of us was so distinct that it was palpable. Hearts and minds were hurting--no one specifically mentioned it, as I recall, but it had to haveen the war and the monthly death toll, steadily mounting at that time, as the major cause. Whatever had settled over everyone was such a dark cloud that iwas clearly REAL. Quietly and carefully, Leonard Pitts recounted his own journey of faith and how he was responding to the death threats which one of his columns had elicited from among some segment of the population (the 21st centruy way of dealing with things). What happened next? He reminded us of the legend of the old man who planted the seed for a tree, knowing full well that he would not live long enough to sit in its shade. He plated the seed anyway. That then became the mantra for the day, our rallying cry: "plant the seed anyway. Do the good deed because it is good, because it is the right thing to do." Like a chorus, we echoed his closing words, almost as a reminder to ourselves: "Plant the seed anyway. Plant the seed anyway. Plant the seed anyway." We were back on track, transformed and uplifted by this good man. Resounding applause broke through the quiet moment. There was work to be done in the world "outhere" and a gorgeous day in June was waiting to welcome us back into the light. Okay, 1959, Judy took the challenge and gave you a break from Sondra's personal musings. What have you been doing, thinking, or writing. We need your participation.
This space is available for your comments, essays,
poems, etc. Please send your submissions to: margot.lenhart@tufts.edu and save yourself from more of my
ramblings. Please!! --Sondra Szymczak
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