Photo Mrs Abrams 4th grade class!

Ellen Morrison is coming!!

The list keeps growing and we're glad to have Ellen back in the fold!

Ari Roth--Playwright and Artistic Director Extraordinaire!

Ann Vikstrom forwarded me this picture of Ari who is Artistic Director of Theater J in Washingston DC. Ari appears to receiving one of many awards! Here's his bio and a synopsys about Theater J which sounds pretty cool!

Ari Roth (Artistic Director) is entering his 11th season as artistic director where he has produced over 65 productions, including 24 world premieres. Also a playwright, Mr. Roth has staged seven of his plays at Theater J including Still Waiting (companion to Waiting for Lefty); Goodnight Irene (first produced at The Performance Network); Life In Refusal; Love & Yearning in the Not-for-Profits; a repertory production of Born Guilty, based on the book by Peter Sichrovsky (first produced at Arena Stage, directed by Zelda Fichandler), together with its sequel, Peter and the Wolf (which ran in rep last season at Jewish Theater of the South); as well as his play with music, Oh, The Innocents (first produced at Geva Theatre, directed by Joe Mantello). His plays have been nominated for five Helen Hayes Awards, including Best Resident Production and two Charles A. MacArthur Awards. He is a 1998 and 2003 recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts playwriting grant; three-time winner of the Helen Eisner Award, two-time winner of the Avery Hopwood, four-time recipient of commissions from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture, and recipient of the Mertyl Wreath Award from Hadassah.

About Theater J
Hailed by The New York Times as “The Premier Theater for Premieres,” Theater J has emerged as one of the most distinctive, progressive and respected Jewish theaters on the national and international scene. A program of the Washington DC Jewish Community Center, Theater J works in collaboration with the four other components of the Washington DCJCC’s Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts, which include the Washington Jewish Film Festival and Screening Room, the Ann Loeb Bronfman Gallery, the Program in Literature, Music and Dance, and Nextbook.
Theater J produces thought-provoking, publicly engaged, personal, passionate and entertaining plays and musicals that celebrate the distinctive urban voice and social vision that are part of the Jewish cultural legacy. Acclaimed as one of the nation’s premiere playwrights theaters, Theater J is a nurturing home for the development and production of new work by major writers and emerging artists exploring many of the pressing moral and political issues of our time. Dedicated above all to a pursuit of artistic excellence, Theater J takes its dialogues beyond the stage, offering an array of innovative public discussion forums and outreach programs which explore the theatrical, psychological and social elements of our art. We frequently partner with those of other faiths and communities, stressing the importance of interchange among a great variety of people wishing to take part in frank, humane conversations about conflict and culture.

Latest List of Attendees

This is my latest list, but let's keep those "yes" votes coming! We are close to 40, let's go for 55!!

Anne Williams Lightfoot
Stephen Burrington
Michael Claffey
Michelle Collins
Kevann Cooke
David Cowan
Emily Cronin Grothe
Miguel De La Cerna
Jessica Daskal
Sonjia Dickerson
Janina Edwards
Joan Mullan Goldwater
David Guttman
Marcus Helman
Ed Henry
Mark Hornung
Jennifer Homans
Tony Kellam
Eric Kuby
Chris Long
Gwen Macsai
Judy Solomon Maley (Hi sis!)
Danielle Lindheimer McCartan
Jim McPherson
David Naunton
Andy Neal
Jackie Pardo
Janice Cook Roberts
Amity Shlaes (spelling now correct!)
Bob Solomon
Peter Sprudzs
Leah Taylor
Bernita Thigpen
Michael Trosman
Dirk Vandervoort
Ann Vikstrom
Chuck Webb

Lucy Kaplansky

FYI, all. I just saw Lucy Kaplansky in concert at a local venue here in Virginia just outside DC last weekend. She's still living in NY, married and has a 5-year old girl. She's put out maybe a half-dozen CDs or so, and recently collaborated with a bunch of other artists on a children's book / audio project of lullabies - you can check it all out on her website (just Google her name).

Greetings, all!

Bob,

You can add my name to the list of attendees - I just bought my ticket this week. And the whole Sprudzs clan (4 of us having graduated between 1971 and 1978) are contemplating a group appearance at the Friday dinner...

Peter/

More Attendees

Ed Henry
Danielle Lindheimer McCartan

Hey Bob: Can you publish a complete current list?

New Genre (for me at least): U-High-Ku

I’m sure you folks can do much better than this. Remember, 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables.


McNeill’s tome the key
Unlocking great mystery
Where is Zinch Valley?


Birthing puerile thoughts
Hand on forehead yes Yes YES
Darlene McCampbell


Half here and half there
The rest of you come with me
Math in Sunny Gym


With apologies!

Vote for your favorite songs of 1978

Send us your comments/votes for your favorite songs and we will try to get them on a commemorative reunion CD. Did we really like these songs?

I'll vote for Roberta Flack and Donnie Hathaway, the closer I get to you and Baby Hold on to me. But there are some classics here including If I can't have you!

01. Shadow Dancing » Andy Gibb02. Night Fever » Bee Gees03. You Light Up My Life » Debby Boone04. Stayin' Alive » Bee Gees05. Kiss You All Over » Exile06. How Deep Is Your Love » Bee Gees07. Baby Come Back » Player08. (Love Is) Thicker Than Water » Andy Gibb09. Boogie Oogie Oogie » A Taste Of Honey10. Three Times A Lady » Commodores11. Grease » Frankie Valli12. I Go Crazy » Paul Davis13. You're The One That I Want » John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John14. Emotion » Samantha Sang15. Lay Down Sally » Eric Clapton16. Miss You » Rolling Stones17. Just The Way You Are » Billy Joel18. With A Little Luck » Wings19. If I Can't Have You » Yvonne Elliman20. Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) » Chic21. Feels So Good » Chuck Mangione22. Hot Child In The City » Nick Gilder23. Love Is Like Oxygen » Sweet24. It's A Heartache » Bonnie Tyler25. We Are The Champions / We Will Rock You » Queen26. Baker Street » Gerry Rafferty27. Can't Smile Without You » Barry Manilow28. Too Much, Too Little, Too Late » Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams29. Dance With Me » Peter Brown30. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad » Meat Loaf31. Jack And Jill » Raydio32. Take A Chance On Me » Abba33. Sometimes When We Touch » Dan Hill34. Last Dance » Donna Summer35. Hopelessly Devoted To You » Olivia Newton-John36. Hot Blooded » Foreigner37. You're In My Heart » Rod Stewart38. The Closer I Get To You » Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway39. Dust In The Wind » Kansas40. Magnet And Steel » Walter Egan41. Short People » Randy Newman42. Use Ta Be My Girl » O'Jays43. Our Love » Natalie Cole44. Love Will Find A Way » Pablo Cruise45. An Everlasting Love » Andy Gibb46. Love Is In The Air » John Paul Young47. Goodbye Girl » David Gates48. Slip Slidin' Away » Paul Simon49. The Groove Line » Heatwave50. Thunder Island » Jay Ferguson51. Imaginary Lover » Atlanta Rhythm Section52. Still The Same » Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band53. My Angel Baby » Toby Beau54. Disco Inferno » Trammps55. On Broadway » George Benson56. Come Sail Away » Styx57. Back In Love Again » L.T.D.58. This Time I'm In It For Love » Player59. You Belong To Me » Carly Simon60. Here You Come Again » Dolly Parton61. Blue Bayou » Linda Ronstadt62. Peg » Steely Dan63. You Needed Me » Anne Murray64. Shame » Evelyn "Champagne" King65. Reminiscing » Little River Band66. Count On Me » Jefferson Starship67. Baby Hold On » Eddie Money68. Hey Deanie » Shaun Cassidy69. Summer Nights » John Travolta & Olivia Newton-john70. What's Your Name » Lynyrd Skynyrd71. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue » Crystal Gayle72. Because The Night » Patti Smith73. Every Kinda People » Robert Palmer74. Copacabana » Barry Manilow75. Always And Forever » Heatwave76. You And I » Rick James77. Serpentine Fire » Earth, Wind & Fire78. Sentimental Lady » Bob Welch79. Falling » LeBlanc & Carr80. Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood » Santa Esmeralda81. Bluer Than Blue » Michael Johnson82. Running On Empty » Jackson Browne83. Whenever I Call You "Friend" » Kenny Loggins84. Fool (If You Think It's Over) » Chris Rea85. Get Off » Foxy86. Sweet Talking Woman » Electric Light Orchestra87. Life's Been Good » Joe Walsh88. I Love The Night Life » Alicia Bridges89. You Can't Turn Me Off (In The Middle Of Turning Me On) » High Inergy90. It's So Easy » Linda Ronstadt91. Native New Yorker » Odyssey92. Flashlight » Parliament93. Don't Look Back » Boston94. Turn To Stone » Electric Light Orchestra95. I Can't Stand The Rain » Eruption96. Ebony Eyes » Bob Welch97. The Name Of The Game » Abba98. We're All Alone » Rita Coolidge99. Hollywood Nights » Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band100. Deacon Blues » Steely Dan

Paula's Mom and long hair is setting in

Yet another one

Too many cuties to mention! Jennifer, Buzzy, Andy, Pierre, Moyra, the list goes on and on!

Trace Jess thru the ages...

A great first grade class...

A great shot of Jess, Nancy, Lucy, Doug, Ken, Mike, Rafe, Katie, and Gabi--among others!

Some more great pics

Thanks to Jess Daskal!!!

A scary picture, this one is!

Reunion Preview

I thought I might whet some appetites with a few pictures from the 2006 Reunion Weekend Jazz Picnic. Here is Dom Piane with the U-High Jazz Band. (The hippy-looking kid playing the guitar is my son Harry, Class of 2009.)



















Here they are joined by some Lab alums, including our own Miguel de la Cerna and Chuck Webb. Miguel and Chuck will be playing with the Jazz Band in June, and we hope they will be joined by other musicians from our class. Sonjia, get that voice ready!

Nice to see all the pictures

Andy Neal called me about the reunion today and while I can't make it this year it has been fun to see the pictures (I have that kindergarten one somewhere).  I promised a picture too here.  I've been working at UCLA for about 14 years after some time in Boston (which I still miss) and basically I am trying to find money for basic medical research.  I visit Chicago a lot as my brother lives there and now I have to visit it more as the University of Chicago has put me on their board of governors for some strange reason (ran an alumni club out here for awhile). I live in Los Angeles and am married to a rare book dealer.  I hope everyone is well, Katie Fultz

This picture speaks for itself...long hair was in!!

I'm not making any comments on this one except to say that I hope no one ever finds my 8th grade picture!

Thanks to Jessica Daskal for sending this one in. Yes, Jessica is coming and we are subjecting Kathy to tremendous peer pressure.

Another RSVP

Elizabeth (Lisa) Farkas Ortmayer is a "yes" as well!

Leo Greenstone M.D.

After I spoke with Leo Lindo Greenstone, I did a little googling and found, not surprisingly cool papers and other interesting stuff about yet another great '78 doc:

Get To Know Dr. Leo Greenstone
Leo Greenstone, M.D. Senior ScientistDr. Greenstone received his medical degree from Yale University and his Internal Medicine training at the University of California San Francisco where he also served as Chief Medical Resident. In 1990 his interest in education then led him back to his hometown of Chicago where he joined the faculty of the University Of Chicago Pritzker School Of Medicine. There he practiced and taught Internal Medicine, Medical Ethics and evidence-based medicine and received numerous teaching awards for his efforts. He and his family then moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan and while still practicing and teaching Internal Medicine for the University of Michigan and its affiliate Oakwood Hospital, he began incorporating lifestyle interventions and stress management techniques into his clinical and educational activities. As an advocate of humanistic medicine, he focused on the fact that health means a balanced life; body, mind and spirit.The blending of conventional medical practices and unconventional lifestyle measures that help patients achieve optimal health has been coined "Integrative Medicine". Over the past seven years, Dr. Greenstone has been a leading teacher and practitioner in this new, exciting and important field. His strong conventional background in Internal Medicine, clinical medical ethics, evidence-based medicine combined with his humanistic patient-centered approaches make him a unique clinician-educator. He truly is a doctor for the future, dedicated to bringing "health" and "care" back into the Healthcare system.

Yet More RSVPs from the tireless Ann Vikstrom

Three more yes RSVPs from: David Guttman, Gwen Macsai (yes, of NPR fame), and Amity Shlaes (maybe she will sign her books).

More RSVPs

Add Michael Trosman and David Cowan to the list of attendees for the reunion. Thanks to our colleague Ann Vikstrom for tracking them down. She seems especially dogged with the "dreamy" boys crowd! ;-)

Another Kindergarten Class

There are too many cute kids here to mention, but at the risk of offending people thru omission: how about my sis? Andy Neal? Keith Getz? Ellen Morrison? Rohan DaSilva? And that top row that I never made it to--I still look up to all of them: Lisa Farkas, Katie Fultz, Debbie Lutterbeck, Kathy Stell, David Goldberg, Max Shapey among many others!!

Michael Claffey: Hunk since 1967

These pictures from a Tammy Kohn birthday party around that time prove the point. Top left picture is my favorite: Leah Taylor, Susan Hack, Lucy Kaplansky, Kathy Daskal, Yasmin Kahn, Tammy, and Debbie Lutterbeck (I had help from Susan who added, unbelievably "Oh my God, Tammy Kohn's bday party! Her mom served the coolest sandwiches with cut off crusts and obscure norwegian fish spread, and she made grilled cheese sandwiches wth rye bread inside the oven instead of on top of the stove and with wonder bread like a normal person. I remember everyone except the boy with the blue eyes and checked shirt. "

Johanna Freedman is sporting a nice dress too, but Mike Claffey's shorts and tie take the cake.

Thanks to Tammy for sending the pictures from down under!

Registration Site is Up

Our registration site for the class reunion is finally live. Have at it!!!

http://ucls.uchicago.edu/alumni/reunion081978.shtml

Aloha from Frank

I really miss you all and think of everyone often. What a cool class we had. What talented and interesting people we are and have become. How life changes!
I still live in Honolulu and have 4 children now: Makana 12, Micah 7, Noah 9 and Matthew 5. Oh, I can't forget, I have a beautiful wife (Sorry Honey!). Her name is Felicia. I met her when I was an intern at LA-County- USC medical center. I lived in the dormitory next to the hospital which overlooked a swimming pool where all the nurses used to gather. I saw her from my bedroom window and bing-bang- boom we were married (at a nice place called the Manoa Valley Inn in 1992.) The wedding was pretty cool. Some of my friends from LA came, my ex- girlfriend attended (sorry honey!!-- again), and David, the lead singer from the reggae group Steel Pulse, attended. I think the more conservative people who attended the wedding were a little taken aback by his massively flowing dreadlocks-- but we all took a group shot together which I will see if I can dig up.
I live near Diamond head. In the mornings, before I work, I try to keep in shape by running the beach (San Souci or Kaimana Beach if case you are ever in town around 8:00am) and doing calisthenics. I try to float in the ocean to restore peace and keep" looking young". I think it is working--except when I don't shave for a few days and then I wonder while gazing in the mirror: is that really me? Does Grecian formula work for razor stubble?
Here is a link to another news story where I was interviewed in response to massive layoffs at Aloha Airlines (1,900 jobs lost):

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=aloha+airline+physician&hl=en&sitesearch=

I wish everyone much aloha,
May God Bless you always.


Frank A. Williams, M.D.
(808)499-9258

Leslie Williams checks in...

Leslie will try to make the reunion, but until then these pics will do! How about that Callie (age 7)--very cute! And, by the way, is it just me or has Lesley completely defied aging?

Chris Long is coming too!

Thanks for including me in the reunion. For those of you who may not remember, 34 years ago I left Lab after 8th grade when we moved to NC. Over the years I have seen a few of you and I remember most of you very well.

I'm back in Chicago now and looking forward to catching up with what you have been up to since 1974!

This is what I look like now (you can compare me to Mrs. Wheeler's 5th grade class picture)

From One Laboratory to Another

If you though Lab School was an Emotions Laboratory, you were so wrong. One of our classmates has her own emotions laboratory. check this out:

Niedenthal Emotions Laboratory
Principal Investigator, Paula M. Niedenthal
Research
Publications
About Paula
Contact Us
Welcome to The Niedenthal Emotions Laboratory
Located at the Blaise Pascal University in Clermont-Ferrand, France
Please enjoy a copy of our most recent article:Niedenthal, P.M. (May 18, 2007). Embodying emotion. Science, 316, 1002-1005. [PDF] We conduct research on the representation and the function of emotion. Work on representation attempts to apply recent theories of embodied cognition to the modeling of the processing of emotional information. Research in this area explores two major hypotheses. One is that the use of emotion concepts involves partial reexperience of the state. This work explores the possibility that the core grounding of emotion knowledge is the representations of the sensory-motor states that occurred during actual emotional experiences. A second major hypothesis is that imitation is a basic mechanism in the implicit and explicit processing of facial expression of emotion, and of other social information. Research on the function of emotion addresses in particular the so-called moral emotions (of shame and guilt) and their role, in contrast to the emotion of anger, in assuring adherence to social norms. In this vein, other work explores the relationship between social power and emotion, and the ways in which the expression of certain emotions and the elicitation of certain emotions in others function to maintain social structures. In all of our research, we adopt a cross-cultural perspective.
Lapsco Universite Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrrand II CNRS

Here are pictures from the site as well. Paula writes:
"that pic of me is from 2005 and I grew my hair long and curly last year in Madison (when everyone asked why I had the short severe French hair! ha!) And all my kids are two years older too!"

Add Yet Another to the list

Ed Henry is coming too.

Add three more to the list of attendees

Mark Hornung
Jackie Pardo
Joan Mullan Goldwater

Latest List of Attendees

Here's the latest list of classmates who have said they will be at reunions. If you are not on this list and would like to be (or I forgot to add you), just e-mail me or add to the comments.

Anne Williams Lightfoot
Stephen Burrington
Michael Claffey
Michelle Collins
Kevann Cooke
Emily Cronin GrotheMiguel De La Cerna
Jessica Daskal
Sonjia Dickerson
Janina Edwards
Marcus Helman
Jennifer Homans
Tony Kellam
Eric Kuby
Judy Solomon Maley (Hi sis!)
Jim McPherson
David Naunton
Andy Neal
Janice Cook Roberts
Bob Solomon
Leah Taylor
Bernita Thigpen
Ann Vikstrom
Chuck Webb