The Sun, The Moon and Our 50th Reunion

Cornell is back in session after “Spring” Break (which weather-wise felt like it was in January).  But the campus is beginning to show some spring color and you can feel the students’ sense of purpose to get things finished up in a short five weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looming academic deadlines did not stop everyone on campus from pausing for a couple of hours to witness the eclipse which was 98.8% totality in Tompkins County, albeit with cloud cover.  The last total eclipse in Ithaca, in 1925, was captured in this oil painting by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Class of 1897.  Our Cornell Observatory, where we will be stargazing at Reunion, is named for Fuertes.  You can see this painting on Reunion weekend in Cornell’s Kroc Library.

While we did not have an eclipse during our time on the Hill, there were equally momentous occasions that we will celebrate at Reunion on June 6-9.

Registration for Class of ’74 events and housing is now open—just click here to register.

Plan on coming Thursday for a premier showing of a new movie with deep Cornell roots, The Artist & the Astronaut, (4:00pm Thursday), followed by a festival with food trucks, music, etc. on the Quad next to our headquarters in the new Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall (you are going to like the rooms, coffee shop, etc.). Thursday night also features Cornell historian, Corey Earle ’07, giving a retrospective of Cornell in the early 1970’s (to jog our memories!).

Reunion enthusiasm is running high, so get your registration in (and send me your favorite 70’s song to be included in our Reunion playlist).

We are looking forward to seeing you in June!

Sharing & Creating Memories–Participate in our Class of ’74 Memory Book

To commemorate and celebrate our years at Cornell and the 50 years since, we are creating Cornell Class of ’74 Memory Book.  Whether you are joining our 50th Reunion in Ithaca, June 6-9, or just joining in spirit, we invite you to share your memories and your life experiences with our classmates.

Our Class of ’74 has engaged a platform, BrightCrowd, which has worked with other universities and Cornell classes during reunions to create these books of memories.  BrightCrowd helps classes make wonderful, and secure, memory books.

Each classmate has been invited to make their own page for this memory book.  You can share as much, or as little, as you like about yourself, your life, your family, your Cornell memories.  It’s very easy, flexible and fun and a great way to reconnect and connect with classmates.  You can upload fun old and new photos.  You can continue to work on your page until well after our Reunion in June because you will surely be making new memories and new friends that weekend!

Your invitation to participate in this book will comes via email.  If you haven’t received one that means we don’t have a good email for you.  Please contact one of us with a working email and we will get you your invitation.

Your invitations will comes with detailed instructions.  But feel free to send any one of us your questions and we will do our best to answer questions as quickly as possible.

We look forward to seeing you in the Cornell ’74 Memory Book and at our 50th Reunion in Ithaca, June 6-9, 2024.

Marleen Kay Davis, Memory Book Co-Chair, mkdavis@utk.edu

Diane “Kope” Verschure, Memory Book Co-Chair, diane.verschure@gmail.com

Shelley Cosgrove DeFord, Class President, scdeford@gmail.com 

50th Reunion Update

Dancing in the Moonlight: Our Notable Class at 50

Let’s celebrate!

Look forward to Reunion favorites and our special events:

  • Class headquarters is in Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall—a new residential complex on North Campus. No hills! Enjoy all-day Novick’s Café in RBG for lattes, bubble tea, and snacks.
  • Thursday evening Class of ’74 Food and Fun Festival—food trucks, music, hula hoops, and popcorn.
  • “Small Talks” by ’74 classmates and faculty—authors, a winemaker, a genealogist, an antiques expert—and “Small Tours” of Cornell Botanic Gardens, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the earth source heat borehole, and the Cornell Fashion + Textile Collection.
  • Live music from WVBR, featuring classmates playing old and new faves, and video highlights of our class, classmates, and Cornell in the ’70s.
  • It’s our 50th! Yikes! You don’t want to miss this Reunion.

Ready to make travel arrangements?

Wonderful! Thinking of staying off-campus? Visit the university Reunion lodging page for information on local hotels. On-campus housing reservations can be made as part of your Reunion registration in early April. Residence halls open at noon on Thursday and check-out is noon on Sunday. We’ll offer a variety of Reunion package and pricing options to flexibly accommodate attendee schedules.

Full registration details will arrive to you in late March/early April.

Questions? 

Contact John Foote ’74, jhf25@cornell.edu, 617-833-7252

50th Reunion Affinity Outreach

It’s our big 50 and we have a great team reaching out to classmates to encourage everyone to attend the Reunion and to participate in our Memory Book.  Mary “Mi” O’Connell and Diane “Kope” VerSchure are leading this effort and have engaged these classmates as Affinity Leaders.  See Affinity Leaders below.  Please feel free to reach out to Mary or Diane for contact information for your Affinity Leader.

Scott, Mr. Walter C. Baseball – Manager
Bogden, Dr. Christopher A. Crew Lightweight – Team Member
Levy, Mr. Andrew P. Fencing Men – Team Members
Kowalik, Mr. Joseph Thomas Jr. Football 150 – Team Members
Corrigan, Mr. John J. Football Varsity – Team Member
Russell, Mr. David W. Golf – Team Members
Seabury, Dr. Chuck Ward Gymnastics Men – Captains
Marrett, Mr. Douglas G. Hockey Men – Captains
Smith, Mary Ellen Hockey Women Ice – Team Member
Clifford, Mr. Richard H. Lacrosse Men – Team Members
Will, Mrs. Carolyn Gregg (Gregg) Lacrosse Women – Team Members
Shapiro, Mr. Len J. (Shapiro) Polo Men – Team Members
Swanson, Mr. Robert L. Jr. Sailing Men & Women – Team Mem
Dremluk, Mr. Robert W. Soccer Men Team Members
Pilarz, Mr. Michael Soccer Men Team Members
Freerks, Mr. Stan A. Swimming Men – Team Members
Kaplan, Mr. Peter D. Tennis Men – Team Members
Bob Oelschlager Track
Burmeister, Mr. Paul Andrew Wrestling – Team Members
Mike Delikat Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity
Bernstein, Mr. Andrew N. Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity
Willis, Ms. Donna D. (Degarmo) Alpha Phi Sorority
Stewart, Mr. Bob V. Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity
Malchoff, Mr. Kevin R. Alpha Zeta Fraternity
Currier, Mr. Robert G. Chi Psi Fraternity
Perry Jacobs Chi Psi Fraternity
Denning, Dr. Karen Craft (Craft) Delta Delta Delta Sorority
Johnson, Ms. Barbara P. Delta Gamma Sorority
Groen, Mr. Fred H. III Delta Tau Delta Fraternity
Walter Grote Delta Upsilon
Langley, Mr. Dennis J. Delta Upsilon Fraternity
Moore, Ms. Elizabeth A. Kappa PSI Sorority
Stechschulte, Mrs. Jodi Sielschott (Sielschott) Kappa PSI Sorority
Keith Kennedy Kappa Sigma Fraternity
Selig, Mr. Stanley H. Kappa Sigma Fraternity
Chip Conradi Phi Gamma Delta
Frank Herron Phi Gamma Delta
Eric Darmstaedter Phi Gamma Delta
Seabury, Dr. Chuck Ward Phi Kappa Psi
Quain, Dr. Bill J. Phi Sigma Kappa
Hintsa, Mrs. Moira Hearne (Hearne) Pi Beta Phi
Andrew Alper Pi Lambda Phi
Bell, Mr. Bruce A. Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Dictor, Mr. Robert J. Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Howard, Mr. Walter Q. Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Grimshaw, Mr. John S. Sigma Chi
Robert Rippe Sigma Phi Epsilon
Jim Schoonmaker Sigma Phi Epsilon
Peter Muth Sigma Pi
Moutner, Mr. David N. Tau Epsilon Phi
Wind, Mr. Jack Jay Tau Kappa Epsilon
Stewart, Charles Evan Esq. Theta Delta Chi
Merri Lloyd Cornell Women’s Chorus
Evan Stewart Cayuga’s Waiters
Bill Welker (’73) Glee Club
Betsy Beach Sage Chapel Choir
Dale Lazar Big Red Band
Brundage, Mr. Danny CBAA
Alexander, Renee T. Cornell Black Alumni Associat
John Foote Quill & Dagger
Al Van Ranst Sphinx Head
Jim Schoonmaker WVBR
Bill Howard Cornell Daily Sun
Mi O’Connell Ithaca High
Doug Swenson Architects
Kristen Rupert Straight Desk
Beth Aaronson Risley
Bonni Schulman Duthcer Dickson
Alice Brown Boldt Hall
Claudia Benack U Halls
Stanley Selig U Hall #5
Jim Schoonmaker U Halls #4