Reunion 2016 Reunion

Friday, May 27, 2016

Recollections of Frost at Amherst (1957–61) and a look into his contributions to the wayside genre with Hugh Andrews '61. Presented by the Class of 1961.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Michael Kelly, Head of Archives and Special Collections, tells the story of the first nationally broadcast production of Julius Caesar, staged at the Folger Shakespeare Library, sharing some of the College’s archival materials from the production and discussing Amherst’s connection to Shakespeare. His talk will be followed by a short break and a 3 p.m. screening of the 1949 production of Julius Caesar for those interested in seeing it.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

What is the proper relationship between law and politics? Obviously, the two domains are intimately related, but where to draw the boundary between the two? From Bush v. Gore to Citizens United, the ObamaCare cases and beyond, accusations have flown that the Supreme Court is becoming increasingly politicized. Meanwhile, state judicial elections have become heavily financed pitched battles between plaintiff tort lawyers and their corporate targets. Has American law become nothing more than, adapting Clausewitz, “politics by other means”? And have courts begun to lose the respect and perceived legitimacy that allows the legal system to work? A panel consisting of Terry Fisher ’76, Professor at Harvard Law School; William Kayatta ’76, Federal Appellate Judge; Paul Smith ’76, Supreme Court Litigator; and David Tykulsker ’76, environmental and labor lawyer, address these issues. The panel will be moderated by Austin D. Sarat, the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science. Presented by the Class of 1976.

Friday, May 27, 2016

An interactive discussion with Dave Morine ’66, who is living his passion as a keeper for the nation’s rivers; Dick Klein ’66, who is putting his professional skills to work volunteering to bring diabetic retinopathy screening and laser treatment to the rural population in Myanmar; Steve Murray ’66, who is delving deep into his Peace Corps experience; Tom Parson ’66,  who runs the nonprofit Letterpress Depot publishing project; and moderator Doug Dunlap ’66, who is tackling rural poverty and building community in northern Maine. Presented by the Class of 1966.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Made in Amherst is the title of the soon-to-be-published second memoir of Don Brown ’86. His path to Amherst was unique and seemingly impossible—but he succeeded in getting here. The book captures stories of the students, faculty and staff of Amherst from the perspective of the oldest student ever to graduate from the College. The memoir is about “the most special place on the face of the earth,” and promises to be an exceptional read, especially for all familiar with Amherst. Don’s first memoir, The Morphine Dream, which chronicles his journey in life as he literally walks across America, will soon be produced as a major motion picture. The screenplay has been accepted as an entrant in the upcoming Beverly Hills Film Festival, and Don has been traveling throughout the United States, Europe, the Caribbean and Asia in conjunction with its release. Don will be available immediately following the presentation to personalize copies of The Morphine Dream. Presented by the Class of 1986.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Join Anston Bosman, Associate Professor of English, and actor Teresa Spencer ’06 to explore Shakespeare through reading and performance. Do drama and theater require different forms of literacy? Or is Shakespeare an early case of “media convergence”?

Friday, May 27, 2016

A discussion with the Rev. Ken Sawyer ’66; one of our most determined classmates, John Vine ’66; and psychologist Elliott Isenberg ’66. RC Lyster ’66 will serve as moderator to help catalyze active exploration with all class members who want to share their thoughts or concerns. Presented by the Class of 1966.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Three members of the Class of 1971 who each found teaching as a second career share highlights of their best classes. Doug Abbey ’71 gives a highlight of his best class (given at Stanford Business School) on “What Makes a City Great”; Mason Daring ’71 gives a snippet of his best lecture on “How to Write Musical Scores for the Movies”; and George Freeman ’71 gives a highlight of his best class (at Columbia Journalism School) on “How New York Times v. Sullivan Changed Libel and First Amendment Law.” Presented by the Class of 1971.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Learn how you can make a difference in the rapidly growing fields of social entrepreneurship and impact investing. Presenters will discuss, based on their experiences, what’s different about these companies and investments (private and public) and how they are changing the investment landscape. Topics include the challenges and opportunities surrounding startups, securing investors, defining social metrics and other current issues. Presenters include Georgette Wong ’91, CEO, Correlation Consulting; John Levy ’76, Chairman, BioLite Energy, goTenna and Hypres; and Al Greene ’76, D-Lab MIT, and Treasurer, St. Boniface Haiti Foundation. Presented by the Classes of 1976 and 1991.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Panelists John Kroll ’66 (also serving as moderator), Fred Mayo ’66, Sam Bartos ’66 and Phil Steele ’66 discuss passages from various sources, ranging from literature to cartoon captions, that have helped guide their lives for the past half century and may serve as guides in years ahead. Then audience members will be invited to do the same. Presented by the Class of 1966.