At the end of September, 14 classmates (and several significant others) attended the 2022 Mini-Reunion in Williamstown. This event is not open to all classes, but rather the class that just had its 50th Reunion and those classes preparing for it (in this case, the classes of '72, '73, '74, and '75).
I'm happy to report that the Class of 1975 had the highest attendance out of the four classes. Present were:
Chris Alberti
Jon Appelbaum
Barbara (Allen) Austell
Chuck Chokel (and Chris Tobin)
Martha Coakley (and Tom O'Connor)
Ted Cox (and Jaana Rehnstrom)
Guy Creese (and Ginny Creese)
Robyn (Durrell) Geissler (and Tom Geissler '73)
Jodi Greenspan
Karen (Seidler) Gross (and Bob Gross '73)
Peter Hillman
Steve Kronheim
Harry Sheehy and Connie (Durrell) Sheehy
On Friday and Saturday, the college put on a variety of events: two Faculty Seminars ("Creative Thinking and the Origin of Big Ideas," "Mellon 'Just Futures' Project: Reimagining New England Histories"); a breakfast about the Alumni Travel Study program; a book signing with Coach Dick Farley; a post-football game reception at The Log; and student-led tours of campus.
There was a Tailgate Lunch before the Williams vs. Tufts football game. In the pictures below you can see Jodi Greenspan and Chris Alberti, and Chris Alberti and Karen (Seidler) Gross talking at lunch. Unfortunately, Tufts beat Williams (35-28); Peter Hillman, who lives locally, says, "This is a rebuilding year."
On Saturday morning, there was a Conversation with President Maud Mandel. This was interesting, in that it was something we never would have seen when we were attending Williams: all four panelists were women -- President Maud Mandel; Pamela Franks, Class of 1956 Director of the Williams College Museum of Art; Liz Creighton '01, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid; and Leticia Smith-Evans Haynes '99, Vice President for Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
On Saturday evening, October 1, the Class of '75 had its own dinner at the Trail House Kitchen on Route 2. Below are pictures from the dinner: (1) Chris Tobin, Chuck Chokel, Martha Coakley, Tom O'Connor, Jon Appelbaum, Karen (Seidler) Gross; (2) Tom O'Connor, Jon Appelbaum, Karen (Seidler) Gross, Peter Hillman; and (3) Chris Alberti, Harry Sheehy, a hint of Connie (Durrell) Sheehy.
During dinner, people made comments along the lines of, "'I was painfully shy at college' and 'I didn't know many fellow women in my class' so it's nice to get together now and meet classmates I never really knew in college."
I'm sorry that the majority of you couldn't make it to the dinner. However, perhaps it will serve as inspiration for putting together your own Mini-Reunion dinner with nearby classmates. After all, our dinner at the Mini-Reunion wasn't put on by the college; Martha Coakley arranged it on her own. So feel free to be emboldened to do the same.