Mar/Apr 1999

Many thanks to those of you who have taken some time to complete the up-date cards you received with the most recent Class of '97 mailing. I've already gathered additional news concerning people who have appeared in the past few columns, so please continue to peruse the column for current goings on in the lives of your friends and classmates. And, by all means, continue to fill in the gaps with your e-mails and letters! We're slowly but surely winnowing down the pile of news! Lindsay Greenberg (lgreenberg@dttus.com), class archivist, recently shared some news. Lindsay is working for Deloitte and Touche as a health-care consultant, while Jeff Rosen has taken a job with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he is doing SAP implementation work. Lindsay would like to send out a plea to encourage classmates to forward any Class of '97 memorabilia, including newspaper articles, photos, and other trinkets, to her so it can be included in the class archives. As Lindsay says, "These items will be great to have at reunions . . . Imagine seeing your pictures in 25 years!" Please send submissions to Lindsay at 101 W. 90th St., Apt. 8D, NYC 10024.

Congratulations to Rob Elliott, who was named assistant men's soccer coach by Head Coach Bryan Scales in April 1998. Rob closed out his Cornell career with a school record of 18 assists and was the team's third-leading scorer in his final season. Peter Michalik deserves accolades for winning a 1998 Jacob K. Javitz Fellowship in humanistic studies. Peter, who declined an Andrew W. Mellow Fellowship in humanistic studies in favor of the Javitz, began studies in English literature in the PhD program at Harvard last fall, after working with Simon and Schuster publishers in New York City.

Sarah Whitney, BS Ag '98, (shwhitne@scj.com), is living in Hoboken, NJ, while working for S.C. Johnson Wax. Sarah serves as a key account manager on the Wakefern Food Corp. team. Since moving to Dallas, TX, in April 1998, Chris Braceland (cbraceland@hotmail.com) has been working for Jeffries and Co. as a trading assistant on their OTC desk. Meanwhile, Rachel Sprague is living in Reno, NV, and selling pharmaceuticals for Forest Therapeutics, while Tracy Ann Albert is working as a pharmaceutical sales representative for Warner Lambert Co. of Morris Plains, NJ. Tracy is the territory manager for the Buffalo, NY, area. Briget Doyle moved to Madison, NJ, to work for McLaren/Hart Inc., an environmental engineering and consulting firm. Living in Allston and working in Westborough, MA, is Nancy Doon (ndoon@btiweb.com), an environmental specialist at Beals and Thomas Inc.

Divya Gupta worked for Americorps in San Diego, CA, until July. Divya planned to conclude her year's break from academia by beginning medical school in NYC in August 1998. Similarly, Shirin Doratotaj (shirin@mci2000.com) planned on applying to medical schools this summer. Her first choice is OHSU in Portland, OR, near where she spent her first year out of college working with seriously emotionally disturbed children at a residential treatment center. In December 1997, Nancy Davenport (DavenportN@aol.com) wrote that she was teaching sixth and seventh grade in Oakland, CA, through Teach for America. She's enjoying it, although, she says, "It certainly has its more challenging moments." Vicki Auerbuch (buka@uclink4.berkeley.edu) was also in California, where she was participating in U. of California, Berkeley's PhD program in molecular and cell biology.

Melissa Toner (mmt3@cornell.edu) worked as a legal assistant in a Boston law firm before enrolling in Boston U.'s school of law in August, where she is hoping to specialize in health law. After completing her first year of law school at the U. of Oregon, Karla Gebel (kg7267a@american.edu) moved to the East Coast and is now a student at American U.'s Washington College of Law, where she is looking forward to a career in criminal prosecution. In Florida, Rebecca Cantor completed her first year as a law student at the U. of Miami. She and Matt Amster are enjoying the area, and Rebecca is keeping busy teaching Hebrew school part-time, serving as an organizer for the Miami AIDSWalk, and participating in the Cornell U. Gay and Lesbian Alumni Assn. (CUGALA). Also in Florida, Orion Corcilius (ocorcilius@loews.com) wrote in December 1997 that he has settled in Orlando, where he is developing resorts at Universal Studios under the mentorship of a distinguished Cornellian.

Further news on David Rueter and Matt Willer, who were both designated naval flight officers and were presented with "Wings of Gold." Classmate Peter Hoegel has been serving on the USS Saipan in the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf. In December 1997, Cornellians at Whiting Field in Milton, FL, included Beth Ferland, John Reardon '96, Phil Spiller '95, ME C '96, and Chris Rakov '96, ME C '97. Jason Matyas, who was commissioned a second lieutenant in May 1997, continues pilot training in Del Rio, TX, where he is slated to graduate in May 1999. Jennifer DeLong (jdelong@usmayors.org) vacationed with Jason on N. Padre Island, TX, and continues in live in the Washington, DC, area, where she has accepted a position as program manager of the US Conference of Mayors' Recycling at Work Campaign and Urban Litter Prevention Project. Jen is also on the board of directors of the Cornell Club of Washington, DC, and caught up with Leah Geoga '98 and Matt Irvine '96 in London last summer while on a mission trip.

Robyn Altman (raltman2@juno.com) was also living in the DC area last year and working as a dietetic intern at the Bethesda, MD-based National Insts. of Health. Donnelly Nariss (Donnelly_Nariss@co.xerox.com) has been working hard as a conference sales manager at the Xerox Training and Conference Center, which is managed by Aramark. Classmate Shana Wiley also works at the Xerox facility. Donnelly was living with Jenn Behar, who worked as a manager at Clyde's in Chevy Chase, MD, and spent New Year's 1998 in New York City, where she saw hotelies Dennis Ortiz, Patricia "Trish" Sexton, and Lisa Koenigsberg.

Our classmates in medical school continue to stick with it, now that their first semesters are behind them. While Dustin James (jamesd@msnotes.wustl.edu) wrapped up his first year at Washington U. in St. Louis, he managed to find time to play lead guitar, flute, and contribute vocals to a rock band, Deepu's Pickle. He's also learning mandolin. Harley Dresner (hdresner@aecom.yu.edu) is attending the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Carl Keske (keske@hq.44sigbn.army.mil) was deployed to Banju Luka, Bosnia, for four months in support of NATO's peace-keeping mission, Operation Joint Force. Please continue to send your news. These are exciting years for all members of the Class of '97. And don't forget to forward memorabilia to Lindsay Greenberg!--Erica Broennle, 1678 N. 21st St., #1, Arlington, VA 22209; e-mail, ejb4@cornell.edu; www.classof97.cornell.edu.