NEWS FROM THE
FUND FOR REUNION/PRINCETON GALA
P.O. Box 1481, Princeton, New Jersey 08542
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| Volume X, No. 4 |
May 1997 |
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Contents:
Reunions 1997
Once again the FFR is proud to announce our reunions activities at Old
Nassau! On Friday evening from 9pm to midnight, socialize with your fellow
LGB Princetonians in the Cafe at Murray Dodge.
Saturday morning at 10am, come to our panel in Betts Auditorium:
"The LGB Experience at Princeton: 25 Years of Pride." We are still looking for participants in the panel. Contact us if you'd like
to share your experience.
After the P-Rade, come to Marx Hall for a reception (yes, due to popular
demand, this year there will be beer) followed by our annual meeting.
Saturday night, join us at Terrace Club for another great Princeton dance!
What? |
Where? |
When? |
Friday May 30th |
| Coffee House | Murray Dodge Cafe | 9pm - 12 am |
Saturday May 31st |
| Panel | Betts Auditorium | 10am |
| Reception | 101 Marx Hall | 5pm |
| Annual Meeting | 101 Marx Hall | Post Reception |
| DANCE! | Terrace Club | 10pm - 2am |
See you there!
A Gathering in the Bay Area! - May 17th
We're on! Suggested donation to FFR is $10, but attendance is more
important.... Come and be a part of the establishing of a Northern
California chapter of Fund for Reunion/Princeton GALA.
| When: |
Saturday May 17
4pm - 6pm
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| Where: |
Residence of Dave Wharton '61
5031 Diamond Heights Blvd.
San Francisco, CA
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| What: |
Drop by for food, refreshments and a chance to meet and mingle!
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| RSVP: |
Richard Johnson '75: (415) 824-2204 |
Coming this summer is an event in Boston and/or on the Cape! Lex and Michael
have been working hard on the details. For more information, or to volunteer
your assistance, contact:
Lex Kelso '71 (617) 876-7606, lexkelso@aol.com
Michael Malamut (617) 266-1826, mmalamut@world.std.com
"I am currently in Denmark doing an internship with the World Health
Organization. My work involves researching the diphtheria epidemic in the
Former Soviet Union - which gave me the chance to travel to the Ukraine for
two weeks. This internship completes the requirement for my Masters in
Public Health at the University of Illinois - Chicago.
As you can imagine, it is very interesting to be in a country where gay
and lesbian marriages are legal (the Partnership Law). Last week I went to a
wedding reception, and all families and friends were present and had a good
time. (If any one is interested in learning more about the Partnership Law,
let me know; I have an American friend here who has a Fulbright to produce a
book about it.)
Copenhagen is a very charming city, but is also a small city, so the gay
life here is a bit repetitive (compared to NYC or Chicago). The Danes
certainly like to have fun, so it is a very social place. One's weeks are
filled with getting together with friends for dinner, coffee, or pandemonium.
I will be back in Chicago in July,but hope to return to Copenhagen in August
to do pre-doctoral work at a Danish research center. Anyone who expects to
pass this way is invited to look me up.
Feel free to print this letter and make my address/email available to
people."
Philip Ricks '85, PHR@WHO.dk
Sandbjerggade 46, 4.th
2200-N Copenhagen, DENMARK
Former LGB coordinator Davida Wood has an apartment in Princeton to
sublet for the summer.it's a small but cute one bedroom, a 5-10 min. walk
from the university. It is available from June 1- August 30. For more
information, call Davida at (609) 921-1577 or e-mail her at dxwood@aol.com.
Those of you who attended the conference at Princeton celebrating the
LGBA and 25 years of LGB activism at Princeton already know what a great day
it was! Due to time constraints, we will save the details of the event for
the next newsletter, but here are the highlights:
The afternoon began with panels on queer Princeton, then and now - one panel
featured alumni from the past 25 years, the other current undergraduates,
both illustrating the dramatic evolution of the Princeton LGB experience.
As fascinating as the panels were, the banquet was clearly the
highlight. We were treated to an oral history of the LGBA and FFR.
Following that were very emotional presentations to Sue Anne Steffey Morrow,
Robin Moscato, and Susan Packer. FFR President Shawn Cowls '87 put in a plug
for our group and then honored seniors Suman Chakraborty '97 and Caitlin Shaw
'97 for their contributions to the LGBA. He also recognized Gia Biden '97
for her perserverance, finishing her Princeton career without the support of
her family and making a great contribution to the LGB community as well. He
then gave Gia a scholarship grant for her thesis work (see 1996/97
Scholarship article below).
After the meal, we were treated to a rousing talk by Urvashi Vaid, who
regaled us not only with her fresh incite to the challenges facing the LGB
community, but also with her lively, charming, and utterly disarming persona.
It was exciting to hear such a gifted and spirited leader.
In conjunction with this year's Pride Week (April 13 - 19), the LGBA is preparing a history of Princeton LGB activities. Want to contribute? Contact Nicolas Janberg '96: 609-279-9402, hjanberg@phoenix.Princ
eton.edu.
Dear members of the FFR:
As I get ready to end my tenure as the LGB coordinator at Princeton, I want to thank all of you for the tremendous support and friendship you have offered me. Every one of you who has touched my life has enriched it greatly
and I feel honored to have worked with the FFR to better the experiences of LGB students at Princeton. If you're ever passing through Ann Arbor, Michigan, look me up! I'll probably be there for most of the coming decade
(PhD program...). Take Care - Michelle Seldin, LGB Coordinator, 96-97
David Masse '99 is pleased to report that he found a summer job! Now
he's looking for inexpensive housing in New York City for the last week or so
of May, June through August, and, if possible, the first week of September.
He only needs a bedroom and use of a bathroom. He's a non-smoker, quiet,
neat, willing-to-live-with-almost-anyone, and responsible!
Preference is Manhattan, but he'll consider anything. He hopes to pay
less than $600 a month or so. Contact us or e-mail him at:
djmasse@phoenix.Princeton.edu.
First we want to acknowledge you all. Almost 150 of you are current on
dues - thanks for making this our most successful membership drive ever!
While we're on the topic, though, here's some real dry information on our
membership policies. FFR is for all LGB alumni, students, faculty and staff
of Princeton University. The newsletter is for all of these folks, whether
or not they pay dues. Those not connected with Princeton can receive
newsletters and invites if they pay dues. We don't require dues or
membership, but we exist and function primarily off of your dues! Your
envelope shows your current dues-paying status. If it says M96/97, you are
paid up to date. Please be patient if you have paid dues and your envelope
is not yet up to date; there is sometimes a bit of a lag between receipt of
envelope by the treasurer, transfer to the keeper of the mailing list, and
mailing list update. Dues year runs from Reunions to Reunions. Dues paid
after this year's Reunions will apply to the 97/98 year. Thank you for your
support!
On Sunday at the end of Pride week at Princeton, the Princeton
University chapel took up an offering to benefit the Fund for Reunion. Over
$400 was given! Our sincerest thanks to those wonderful people at the
Chapel!
We are pleased to announce our award of a grant to Gia Biden '97 for her
thesis on the ACLU and the LGB civil rights movement. In her thesis she
examines the shift in position from 1957, when the ACLU announced that it
would not support the rights of gays and lesbians, to 1965 when they endorsed
the gay and lesbian movement. Stay tuned at our website - we hope soon to
have a synopsis of her thesis if not the entire content linked to the site.
We are particularly proud of Gia for finishing her degree after being
disowned by and cut off from her family. We hope to have her tell her story
in an upcoming newsletter.
We wish to thank our current board and introduce the new board to be elected
at that our annual meeting.
Current Board and New Slate
David Beaty '50
David repairs and tunes pipe organs and has been an activist for over 20
years. He has worked hard to make us more visible, including making our
newest button. He secured Cliff Townsend for last year's reunions
celebrations. He is best known for masterminding our night at the opera "The
Ghosts of Versailles" and his regular appearances at our Reunions cafe.
Mark Blasius *78 *90
Mark is a professor of Political Science at the graduate school of CUNY. He
authored We Are Everywhere, an historical source book of gay and lesbian
politics and is now writing a book on queer political theory. He was FFR's
first president and has served on the board since its inception. Mark has
run our scholarship program for many years, and has worked tirelessly to
build an Princeton University archive for LGB public policy organizations.
Shawn Cowls '87
Shawn is an actuary for New York Life. A co-incorporator of the Fund for
Reunion, he has chaired a development committee, served as secretary, and is
currently the President. Shawn currently represents FFR on the Executive
Committee of the Alumni Council. A tireless advocate of FFR, Shawn is proud
of his efforts to earn the respect of Princeton University for the work that
FFR does. He is also very excited about the current drive to have regional
activities.
Tom Grant '64
Tom is in the advertising business. Never a yes-man, Tom is invaluable in
his ability and efforts to get the board to look at all sides of an issue.
Tom was the organizer behind our Southern California event, the upcoming
Boston event, and many FFR New York receptions. Tom is most famous for the
fabulous cabaret night he put together for FFR.
Joan Katz '79
This year, Joan started her own business training and developing technology
for Fortune 500 companies. Joan brings much needed energy to the board with
her infectious enthusiasm about the work FFR does, and can usually be found
wherever there are envelopes to stuff.
Gordon Harrison '68 *70
Gordon manages the finances for five of Princeton's eating clubs. He has
served as treasurer of FFR since the group began 11 years ago. Working
quietly behind the scenes, his steadfast support, efforts in managing our
finances, and level head have made him one of the pillars FFR stands on.
Bob Hotes '85
Bob is an architect for Susan Maxman Architects. After hours, he is on the
boards of the Princeton Club of Philadelphia, and the class of '85. He
serves on the Alumni Council Committee on Community Service, is a member of
the Princeton Task Force on LGB Issues, and is the chair of the Philly LGB
architects' organization. He brought in lesbian rocker Shawna J for last
year's reunions. He is the secretary of FFR and he is the mastermind behind
securing space for all of FFR's Princeton events.
Nicolas Janberg '96 *98
Nico is a graduate student in the civil engineering department. He is
currently the publicity chair of the LGBA and designed and implemented the
newest incarnation of FFR's web site (if you haven't seen it yet, check it
out - WOW!). He represents the LGBA on the board.
Dick Limoges '60
Dick is a Philadelphia psychiatrist. He is a co-incorporator of FFR and has
served on its board since its inception. His work with the Princeton
University counseling center made them far more effective in dealing with the
concerns of LGB students. His tireless pressure on the administration has
won advances in their dealings with the student group. He led the push for
the position of LGB coordinator and greater funding of the LGBA, and he made
us a resource of choice for the University when they seek guidance regarding
the LGB students.
Philip Mahin '85
Philip manages health communications projects for professional and lay
audiences, including printed materials, videos, and conferences. He currently
works for Oxford Clinical Communications (in England). Philip has served as
the secretary. When you need something done you call Philip - newsletter
stuffing, lodging at Reunions, decorations. He particularly enjoys
supporting FFR events at Princeton.
Michael Phillips '90
Michael currently brokers apartments. For many years, Michael was the link
between FFR and the student body at Princeton, working closely with the LGB
coordinator and the student group. He also served as the editor of our
newsletter for a number of years.
Current Board only
Alan Flippen '84
Allen is a staff editor at the New York Times. He is a founding member of
the New York Chapter of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association.
He wrote a wonderful article on LGB Princetonians in an issue of the
Princeton Alumni Weekly in the fall of 1993.
FFR wishes to thank Alan for his service!
New Slate only
FFR welcomes the following two new board members:
Brandon Fradd '83
Brandon manages a private investment fund. He stepped in mid year to fill in
for outgoing board member Alan Flippen. He is currently managing FFR's
endowment fund and underwrote and hosted our New York City reception this
year.
Janet Schomer '82
A former lawyer at Skadden Arps, Janet has since returned to her original
vocation: writing fiction. She is now working on two novels and a collection
of stories. Her attendance at the LGBA banquet in April inspired her to join
the board. She looks forward to broadening our outreach to new alums and
being a presence for graduating seniors.
Contacting Us:
Write to us at PO Box 1481, Princeton, NJ 08542. For faster response, send e-mail to
Fund for Reunion
You can sign up for FFR/Princeton BTGALA using our mail form.
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This page was created by and for the Fund For Reunion. Information on this page is intended for individual communication of a personal nature among Princetonians. Use of this information for any other purpose is strictly prohibited.
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Solely the Fund For Reunion is responsible for the content on this page.
Although we make every effort to keep this information accurate and up to
date, we cannot guarantee it. This page is maintained by Shawn Cowls '87
FSA MAAA.
The Fund for Reunion, Inc., is a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation
incorporated in 1986 independent of Princeton University with the goal of
improving Princeton's relationships with its LGBT community, including
alums, students, faculty, and staff. For more information, visit our
website at
http://alumni.princeton.edu/~ffr-gala/
or send us an e-mail by going to the
Fund for Reunion Email page.
You can sign up for FFR/Princeton BTGALA using our Sign up form.
Contributions to FFR are tax deductible to the full extent allowable by law. Click here to pay dues online.
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