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44 FALL 2011 . S T. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
Cl as s Notes
access to the hallowed halls of the tri-Delta house
… especially at three o’clock in the morning. But
I was happy to give up one of my late-night snacks
to Mary Bowman Popovich, though I may
have complained a little at the time.
Jeff Constable was omni-present and, like
this author, was there without travel partners.
We enjoyed the freedom to wander, to flit from
one small social group to another, and we covered
more territory than might otherwise have been
possible if part of a larger entourage.We reintro-
duced ourselves to classmates who were part of a
rival fraternity or different social group, or were a
recognized but nameless face in the hallways. And
this time, I was better equipped to get to know
them because I was without agenda, bias or social
anxiety. I also had a name tag. It was liberating and
we wondered why it took us so long to be so free
with our interest.
Aggie Kirby Perkins and husband Tom Per-
kins ’79 flew up from Rhode Island because Aggie
has been known to take a dashboard to task when
the traffic gets a little thick. I have gone online to
find a camp that teaches old men how to surf,
cuz if I can look as good as Aggie does by dancing
on a surfboard, then call me “Surfer Steve” from
now on. Aggie wanted to wear Loocie Brown’s
leather bike outfit (yes, Loocie drove her motor-
cycle to Reunion) in the parade but it was too hot
and sunny!
The most comforting vision was that of Mor-
gan and Sarah Showalter Murray, who
were inseparable on the dance floor, amid walks
around campus, and at all events. Is it too much to
admire a relationship that established itself during
our campus years and still flourishes today?
We all have changed some, but there are those
who have changed very little, either in appearance
or attitude. Could Bea Shea be any stronger?
Could Mary Baumunk Blondy please bring
a wrinkle to the next Reunion? Could Carolyn
Gilson dance any harder?
I have great respect for everybody who partici-
pated to make the Reunion a success and will men-
tion a few at the risk of missing others, to whom
I sincerely and humbly apologize. Amy Faulkner
kept Dave Miller and me on schedule. Though
the libraries are full of business books by authors
with big egos and big ideas, I have come to learn
the value of the humble taskmaster who knows
how to get from one place to another with fluid
efficiency.
Some quick thoughts fromAmy…
● Susanne Daye did a great job reaching out
to science majors in advance and encouraging
classmates to come back and see SLU’s new sci-
ence facilities. It was great fun bumping into her,
Mary Popovich, Laurie Dunn Baumbach and
Renee Montreuil throughout the weekend.
● Sarah and Morgan Murray were two of the few
classmates dressed like superheroes for the pa-
rade, with matching capes. We won second place
with our parade theme, led by Mr. America and
Darth Vader and supplemented with some politi-
cal figure cutout faces pinned to the backs of our
shirts.
● Kevin Brown and his wife, Betsy Meinhardt
’80, join the large list of classmates who have a
child at SLU. Their daughter is a member of the
Class of 2015.
● Jim Christie and Beth Hanggeli reported
that the Laurentian Singers sounded great during
their 65th Anniversary Reunion Concert. Jim ad-
still love to dance and do it well. I do wish I could
embed the video of Judy Preston McNee and
Jennifer Torrey Catanzaro bouncing on the
dance floor well after midnight. It was the first
time back for Judy in 30 years and her smiles told
me that we won’t have to wait another 30 to see
her again.
Our dinner was punctuated by select extempo-
raneous remarks that did nothing to hamper toes
tapping to the tunes of Journey, Pure Prairie League
and the Rolling Stones. We recognized that though
our careers often seem like battlefields, three of
our classmates (Joe Sullivan, Ray Celeste Jr.
and Richard Greene Jr.) deserved our standing
applause for indeed being in harm’s way for their
post-SLU military careers.They retired as colonels
and they make us proud.
Amy Pollard Faulkner and Lisa Stege-
mann Jolley were at the entrance to the hos-
pitality suite greeting all returning classmates, but
they were adamant that none of us was to gain
could not attend for reasons of personal illness
and for those they love.
Charlie Merrell and Susie Neiley ’83 were
there for Friday night and Saturday morning. You
may have heard that Charlie is a candidate for the
district Supreme Court and therefore pictures and
anecdotes shall not belie the candidacy of a man
who truly deserves to sit on a bench.
I’ve already friended more people in three days
on Facebook than I have in the preceding three
years. My ego soars with this new-found popular-
ity.
I took a walk through Sykes, Dean-Eaton, Carn-
egie andWhitman in an attempt to transport my-
self back in time. I discovered that progress has
required sanitation; my freshman room is now a
bathroom, my sophomore room is an office, and
my fraternity is now a center for women’s studies.
As a possible future provider of tuition, I consider
these all to be necessary steps for a better SLU.
I have learned that women in the class of 1981
May 31 - June 3
Campus tours, day trips, seminars, parade, awards ceremony,
picnic, class receptions and dinners, entertainment,
the Service of Remembrance and much more!
Visit www.alumni.stlawu.edu/reunion for details, and watch
your mail (snail and e!) for weekend plans and your class gif.
S AV E T H E DAT E !
Classes celebrating milestones are:
40th – 1972
45th – 1968
45th – 1967
45th – 1966
50th - 1962
Reunion ’12
55th – 1957
60th – 1952
65th – 1947
70th – 1942
75th – 1937
10th – 2002
20th – 1993
20th – 1992
20th – 1991
25th – 1987