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We may well be the first Hamilton alumni couple to wed, as we took the step in July 1956, about a month after I graduated. I consider my wife Marilyn a Hamilton graduate, even though it was still a "men's school" back in '56. I say that because Marilyn Briggs, from nearby Waterville, N.Y., was the school nurse from 1954 to 1957 (thus the "*" after 1957 for her class above). I first met Marilyn in the fall of '54 when the football team reported before school officially started to wrap our minds around the new offense created by coach Don Jones and the daunted defense devised by Ken Patrick. During an early practice, our offensive tackle Fritz Houtenbrink was afflicted with cellulitis of the leg and was taken over to the infirmary for X-rays, etc. I went over to visit our future best man after practice and found him being tended to by a cute, new blonde nurse, recently graduated from Faxton Hopital in Utica. Wow! After a day or so, Fritz was released, but for some inexplicable reason that infirmary had a unique fascination for me, and I continued to visit about every day. One thing led to another and two years later, on July 14, 1956, we tied the knot. Marilyn continued on until 1957 to treat the broken legs from students catapulting off the DEKE roof, the never-ending hangovers from virtually all corners of the campus and, at one time, even X-raying and setting the busted leg of an Alpha Delt's injured dog while I served my stint in the Navy. The bottom line is that today, almost 54 years later, we're still very happily married with three "kids" (one of each...a boy, a girl and a neutered dog!), two wonderful grandchildren and even two great-grandchildren, all living relatively close to us down here in the land of goobers 'n grits near Atlanta. I think I shook Marilyn up one day after our great-granddaughter's birth when I mentioned to her that we were now the parents of a GRANDmother! Life is good, and we get back to the Hill about every year and certainly in our Reunion years. Hope to see many of you '56'ers for our 55th in 2011! — Bill Fivaz '56
Sally and I were among the very first, perhaps THE first, Hamilton-Kirkland alumna/us to be married. Our wedding took place in the Hamilton College Chapel on the gorgeous day of June 4, 1970, with a reception that followed at the Root Art Center. We had met before there even WAS a Kirkland, at the Spring Houseparties of 1968. I was about to graduate, and Sally was a high-school senior coming up to the hill to have a look at the college at which she was, I believe, the second person accepted for admission. Her brother was a friend of my Gryphon buddy, Phil Montegut, and so Sally and I ended up being blind-dates. It took us little time to discover that we not only had much in common, including a love of Maine, but that the maturity gap, in spite of our three-and-a-half year difference, was negligible. Early on, I attended her high school graduation, shortly before her 18th birthday. During her two years of living on the Kirkland campus, We maintained our relationship though long-distance hitch-hiking between the hill and central New Jersey. But it finally made sense simply to take out the "hiking" and emphasize the "hitch" part! And so we gathered with our friends and family at the end of her sophomore year and began what, so far, has been nearly forty years of a loving and mutually inspiring marriage. — Rand Peabody '68
When I returned to Pittsburgh after graduating from Kirkland in 1973, my good friend Steve Paskoff '72 and I spent lots of time reminiscing about happy times at Kirkland/Hamilton and bemoaning our lack of social life back home. After a full year of suffering -- Steve in law school and I in a low-end television job -- Steve decided to duplicate house parties in his apartment, inviting friends from his class at Pitt, including John Spangler '68. I had a bad cold and tried to beg off, but Steve insisted that I had to be there to meet John and to provide general authenticity for the full house party experience. Obviously, I did go, I did meet John and in spite of his ambivalence about the entire notion of women on the Hill, we were married less than a year later. We have always wondered if we are unique in that not only did we not meet in college, but Kirkland did not even exist until after he had graduated. We are also proud that our oldest son, Jack, graduated from Hamilton in 2000.— John Holley Spangler '68
We first met early in my freshman year, (Michael's junior year) at Gryphon, and had a lot of mutual friends, but both had others we were dating. In the spring, Jeff Goldberg and I held a Passover seder at school, and for no reason at all, Michael didn't hear about it/wasn't invited. After the fact, we crossed paths at the library, and he asked me about it. We both happened to be free at that time. We talked and went back to my dorm to have tea, and realized there was more interest than just friends! Not much later, we went to the Fangitos party together, and have been together ever since. June 6th will be our 39th wedding anniversary. Memories of our time on College Hill will always be part of our past together. — Susan (Shyan) Delahanty K'72
No one who knew us at Hamilton-Kirkland would have ever put us together. I was a scruffy, underachieving English major more likely to be found in the pub or hanging around the juke box in the ELS basement than the library. Beth was a preppy, whose Hamilton friends tended to belong to AD or Sig. She also had the distinction of being the first female editor of the /Spectator/. Like many in our small community we knew each other in passing. As alumni this trend continued. I would attend alumni events and write my annual check, Beth remained active with the College as a Kirkland trustee who became a Hamilton trustee. We continued our acquaintance at alumni events and reunions. At my 10th reunion, Beth and I and another alumna found ourself at the Rok. I left with the other woman. I later realized I would have preferred to stay talking with Beth. After an alumni event at the Princeton Club in NYC, a number of us ended up at the Algonquin Hotel. I sat next to Beth and enjoyed her company very much, but wound up leaving with someone else. In those days we both lived and worked in NYC. I used to host parties in my loft and Beth always attended. We would plan to meet for lunch and never managed to pull it off. This became a standing joke between us. Finally, her invitation to me in a Christmas card and my telephone call to her for a Monday night date to the Boat Show made it seem like we were finally going to get together. I nearly cancelled when I realized that "Nicholas Nickleby," which had been a hit the previous Broadway season, was being televised over the next three nights. Instead, I invited her over for Dickens and Chinese food. The next night she brought the take-out food. By the third night our relationship had changed irrevocably. This past fall we celebrated our 25th anniversary. We have two daughters, Sarah and Katie. When we go back to the Hill for reunions, mine at Hamilton, hers at Kirkland, I think back to our days on campus and marvel that we ever found each other. I also realize how lucky I am that we did. —Edward T. Krumeich '72
We met in McEwen Dining Hall in October of my freshman year in 1969. The Hamilton men frequented the new dining hall. I was 17, and Bill was about to turn 19. Our first date was a chemistry lecture and a walk across the athletic fields. I learned how to make an apple pie from a dormmate in Minor who had inherited all of her grandmother's cooking utensils. I delivered the pie to Bill in McEwen on his 19th birthday. It is still the best pie I bake. We were just kids (although we thought otherwise), and being on the same campus at that time in our lives left us with a solid foundation for the future. — Judith Barnett Nauseef K'73
I came to Kirkland as a transfer student in my junior year. The first time I saw Jim was at the beginning of that year during an event at Bristol Campus Center where clubs were assembled to attract new members. Jim looked very different since he had a crew cut and this was 1971! He certainly stood out in a room and something about him attracted me to him. He was an officer in Outing Club which I joined. Jim first dated my roommate who also was a transfer student and had joined Outing Club, and I started dating another Outing Club officer. The guy I was dating went away for the January term and my roommate broke up with Jim in December, so we started spending time together over the January term and by the end of January were seriously dating. We married in Root Glen one week after our graduation from Kirkland/Hamilton! We will have been married 37 years June 2, 2010. Our relationship was greatly enhanced by our years spent together at Kirkland/Hamilton. We both had similar interests then and do so today, although boating has replaced winter camping, snow shoeing, cross country skiing and skating. We also have a strong sense of the importance of receiving an excellent college education and instilled this in our daughter who received her MD/Ph.D. last June and is now a neurosurgery resident at N.Y. Presbyterian Hospital. Kirkland/Hamilton provided us with a superb educational foundation for everything we have done in our lives. — Mim Holmgren McCrea K'73
In this era of digitized personalized media, I hope the tradition of gathering for on-campus movies has not been swept away. For that is where we met. Each of us came separately to the old Science Building auditorium with other friends. As testimony to the popularity of on-campus movie nights, there were no seats available and we found ourselves sitting on the floor next to each other staring up at the actors in Andy Warhol's Trash, a film about the low life that critics have often called "squalid" and "bizarre." Inspired by the strangeness on the screen, we began to whisper our own commentary back and forth to each other. From those few moments of verbal intimacy grew wonderful times at Hamilton and Kirkland, a rich and textured 35 year marriage, two daughters whom we cherish, and a lifelong obsession with College Hill that led one of our children to her own terrific experience at Hamilton and the other to flee to college as far away from our Hamilton stories as possible. —Gordon Kaye '74
Rocco and I met in 1970, during Freshman Orientation. We did not become an "item" until senior year. Throughout College we shared a group of friends, were active in the same groups and hung at ELS. ELS was the closest "frat" to Kirkland and considered the most Kirkland friendly. I had a lot of ELS buddies, went to ELS parties and evening study breaks. Senior year I needed an escort to a Hamilton function and asked Rocco. By Christmas of 1973 we had decided to get married (I even got a traditional diamond ring — small diamond.) After graduation we both went on to graduate school (medical school and divinity school in Connecticut). During Christmas break, oblivious to thoughts of snow, Joel Tibbetts who had been our Hamilton chaplain, drove down to marry us. On December 21, with the weather in the unexpected 60s we got married at the Yale Divinity School Chapel. Thirty-five years later we are still in Connecticut and have two children Rocco IV( aka Rocky) and Alexander (aka Alex). Thanks to H&K for getting us together. — Joanne Papanek Orlando K'74
Your request for Hamilton / Kirkland marriage stories is quite timely. Kate and I just realized that we are approaching the 40th anniversary of our meeting at Hamilton / Kirkland in the early fall of 1970. I was a freshman and she was a sophomore transfer. I was immediately convinced that Kate was "the one"--no bells, fireworks or celestial choirs--just a strong conviction. She did not share my insight at first (not that I told her then), but, was open-minded. While I lack many virtues, if persistence is a virtue, I have it in spades. I just generally wore her down. In a comedy of errors surrounding an attempt to spend my junior year together in Japan, we decided to get married in order to get a visa. The visa did not come in time, so we called off the trip but got married anyway. The marriage took place in August 1972 at Kate's family farm outside of Canandaigua, N.Y., with my father (a Presbyterian minister) presiding. Classmates Vincent Pomerantz, Jim Waters and Susan Cohen joined our families as the wedding party. Another friend asked when hearing the news, "Married, for real, like with a ring and everything?" Hamilton College had to figure out how to provide married student housing for the first time since GI Bill students returned to college after WW II. We thought our Griffin Road apartment was a great deal. Sharing studies, work and friends in Clinton was a wonderful way to start a marriage. We managed (sometimes with considerable effort and consternation) to construct a life together that still brings us a great deal of comfort and joy. We have two children, Anne and James, who now know by heart many a story that begins with "when we were in college..." Since we actually married BEFORE we were alumnus/a, I believe Kate and I are in the running for the title of "Longest Marriage" in the Hamilton/Kirkland couples group. — Harry Phillips '74
Barbara and I met in McEwen, the Kirkland dining hall. I was in hot pursuit of another girl. She was intriguing, mysterious, complex and totally out of my league. Barbara stayed with me after every turn-down, consoling, cajoling ... waiting. Finally I said "Hey, wanna visit the Cider Mill?" She said, "I thought you'd never ask." A few chapters later we were living together and got married in 1978. — Jim Peskin '74
I met Cathy on graduation day for the Hamilton Class of 1977. I was on the Hill to see a friend graduate; Cathy had just finished her junior year at Kirkland. After the ceremony, mutual friends Eric Brooks '75 and Michele Queffelec '78 introduced us. Cathy was looking for a ride to Albany; I happened to be living there. The rest is as they say is history. We talked during to the ride to Albany and I thought she was someone I would like to date. Only a couple of problems -- I was nearly broke and studying for the bar exam. Five weeks later, in my studying misery, I decided to ask her out. After a few dates I knew she the the one. Many of my fraternity were astounded by this development. They reminded me that I had barely spoken to any Kirkland women during my four years on the Hill. I conceded the point but told them the past didn't matter. Cathy was my future. I visited her whenever I could during her senior year at Kirkland. There were many games of Boggle in her suite in Babbitt and walks in Root Glen. By the time she graduated, I was admitted to the NYS Bar and had started a job in Albany. She returned home after graduation and the romance continued. Despite the premature announcement (by a year) in the Rok of our engagement (thank you Kurt Marfurt wherever you are) and Cathy receiving a someone overstated description of my life on the Hill by several of my TKE fraternity brothers, Cathy came to realize that I was her one as well. We were married in the Chapel on May 3, 1980, on a sunny and warm day in front of guests that included many recent alums and a few students. We had a wonderful reception at Bristol. The evening before we had our rehearsal dinner at Ailteri's where my best man Marty Kane '74 tried very hard to convince Cathy's mom that I really would be a good-son-in-law. Later that night at Don's Rok, Cathy and I received a pre-wedding toast from weddings guests who had arrived early for the festivities. Three children and nearly 30 years later we are going stronger than ever. We have returned to Hamilton many times over the years for Reunions, Fallcomings, Alumni Council meetings, lectures, etc. Each trip to the Hill reminds us not only of how we started out but also how all our friends from H/K that have been part of our lives for the past 30 plus years. Over the years, I have been able to offer a fair amount of my time to alumni activities. I do not think this would have been possible without a spouse who had attended Kirkland. While Cathy remains disappointed that Kirkland was forced to become part of Hamilton, she has always supported and understood my enthusiasm for Hamilton. While going to Hamilton for an Alumni Council meeting might not be every spouse's idea of a get away weekend, Cathy has made it work so both of us have a great weekend. We have found new places in the great Clinton area we were unaware of as students and have made many new friends in the alumni community. We found each other on the Hill and we have continued to use our shared experiences there every day in our lives. — Ed Watkins '74
Mike and I met the January of my senior year and his junior year. We struck up a conversation at the skating rink. I was rather a beginner at skating and he being much more accomplished began to give me a few lessons. Our first official date occurred on campus, attending a screening of the "Hunchback Of Notre Dame". Our romance continued to grow throughout that Spring. I went home to Rochester, New York to visit his family twice in the late Spring. Unfortunately, on the second visit to Rochester, I developed appendicitis and was hospitalized for a week completely missing my graduation ceremony at Kirkland. I returned to Clinton, New York the following Fall to work as a teacher for B.O.C.E.S., while Mike finished his senior year. We were engaged in December of his senior year and married the following June. We now live in Rochester, New York. We have three wonderful children, two girls and a boy. And continuing our association with Hamilton, our youngest, also a Michael, is attending as a freshman this year. Having a common alma mater adds to the special bond in our relationship. Also as the fourth in-coming class at Kirkland, I personally feel that we successfully bridged the divide that sometimes existed between Hamilton and Kirkland in the earlier years. — Christina Houston Howard K'75
When people hear that we went to Hamilton and Kirkland, they often ask us if we knew each other back then. Well, yes and no. We never were formally introduced to each other, but we knew each others' names, and we knew EVERYONE in common. The one thing we did together was to participate in the production of Leonce and Lena in the fall of 1975, Isabel as house manager, and Lars as percussionist. In May of 1979, we were both at Kirkland for an alumni event, and we sat next to each other on "The Swing." We discovered that we were living relatively close to each other, Isabel in Nyack, N.Y., and Lars in Brooklyn. We started a friendship, and occasionally got together in Nyack or New York City. Before too long, Lars began to visit more frequently. However, it became clear that Lars was interested in a romance, while Isabel wanted to be "just friends." Lars found this situation difficult to accept and decided to give Isabel some "space" in the fall of 1980. However, when Isabel injured her back during Lars' absence, her feelings toward him began to change, and she began calling him every night. In the spring of 1981, we spent our first Valentine's Day together, attending a Jean-Pierre Rampal concert at West Point, an event we now recall with fondness. Lars' visits picked up in both frequency and intensity at this point, and we decided during the summer of 1981 that we would get married the following spring. No proposal occurred; the decision was made while we gazed on the Hudson River on a warm summer evening. We moved in together in the fall of 1981, having set a wedding date of May 30, 1982. One of the foundations of the relationship is our shared undergraduate experience; we delight in our memories of instructors, classmates, and events. We have gone back to a number of reunions, and such experiences are all the more special because we each bring an equal amount of excitement when we return to "The Hill." Since the bulk of Lars' friendships were with Kirkland women and the most important parts of his intellectual mentoring occurred at Kirkland, he is particular pleased that he married such a fine representative of the Kirkland spirit. We have lived in Northfield, Vermont, since 1989, and have both worked for Norwich University since 2004. We also have an LLC called "Late Night Lit." Lars' business, "Ideas That Speak," provides writing services for non-profits and theater companies, while "Isabel's Imagery" is a way for Isabel to promote her photography and editing work. We are glad to share this story with others since our two wonderful sons, Ari (Brown '06) and Noah (University of VT '10) tired of this saga long ago! — Isabel Weinger-Nielsen K'76
I was a sophomore and volunteered to go to Marcy State Hospital with a community service outreach to patients at the hospital. The first night we went there in a college van. I was late, as usual, and ran up to the van just as it was getting ready to leave. I jumped in, meeting my friend Don Peters there. In the van was a Kirkland girl who immediately caught my eye. We struck up a conversation by the second trip, and were sitting with each other by the third one. The rest, as they say, is history. We found out later that Libby's childhood pediatrician was my grandfather, Harry Bikoff, MD. This only increased the certainty in both of our minds that we were meant to find one another. Sharing a common bond of time on the Hill, knowing the same professors and Houseparty weekend times, debating the issues of the day with each other and having our rhetorical skills sharpened by both the College and our time with one another has created a common language and world view that has stood us in good stead through 28 years of marriage and 2 kids, Aliya (H '08) and Zakai (H'10). — Peter Robbins '78
It may seem strange to have to go across the Atlantic to study in London for a fall abroad program in 1978 for us to meet. However, at the time Bob was in AD, played varsity soccer and lacrosse, and Wendy was happily baking bread in the Coop, which were two different social groups. Nonetheless, we were on the Ithaca College program sharing a flat with Brian McNally, Mike O'Connor, and Alison Whipple, also from Hamilton and Kirkland. We were engaged by November of 1979, and married on August 23, 1980. We look forward to celebrating our 30th anniversary this August. Having a common alma mater is wonderful; we truly enjoy the reunions, and if one of us reminisces about the Glen or the Pub we both understand. We have been especially fortunate to have maintained friendships with other Hamiiton/Kirkland couples from our class including Brian and Cathy McNally, Gerald and Janet Lee, Jim and Mary (K'77) Brown, Mort Korn and Kim Coons (K'78), and Tim and Jane (H'81) Brown over the past 30 years. An extra gift has been having our daughter, Laura, class of 2012 be at Hamilton. — Wendy Pollock '80
We met during the production of The Pajama Game during winter term at Hamilton in January 1978. Robin performed "Steam Heat" as Gladys and that was pretty much all it took for John. We were officially a couple by Valentine's Day following a weekend of dancing at Hamilton's house parties. We've been together ever since and married for 25 years. We have three wonderful children and are still madly in love. — John S. Abbott '81
I met Tom in the fall of my senior year when we, along with Kevin McGuire and Chris Goekjain, formed a band. When my dad first met my mother, his first thought was "THAT's the girl I'm going to marry!" The same happened to my sister. I asked Tom what he first thought when he met me -- it was "My God, she's short!" The best part of being a Hamilton couple is that I have more fun going to Tom's reunions and he has more fun going to mine. We started going out after the band broke up, but after a really long hiatus, we are once again playing in a band, Danny Dark and the Black Souls. It's wonderful to be doing music together and we argue much less that we used to! We'll be spending this 2/14 playing sappy, tear-jerking, love songs for our third annual Valentine's Day show. — Kathleen (Facos) Markees '80
Randi and I met in my senior year (her freshman year). She took an instant dislike to me, owing to my goatee that I sported in the fall of 1980 (I looked like Charles Manson she tells me). We were reintroduced by a mutual friend at the Burke Library where I foolishly offered to help her with her philosophy studies as she was also interested in the law. It was a harmless pickup line which I came to regret as she showed up at my door nightly in her lime green raincoat. Our first "date" was the night of the fashion show, where I insisted on driving us all over Utica looking for a late night omelette. On another early date, we went to "Who's on First" for drinks (remember the drinking age was 18!). And so our romance began. Notwithstanding some fits and starts, and some other dating in the middle, we have been together for the last 30 years. We married (finally she says after 10 years of waiting), in 1990 at the Rainbow Room in NYC, with many Hamilton friends in attendance. We have three wonderful sons, Raymond (13), and twins Seth and Eli (9), who all share a birthday (October 2), because Hamilton taught us to be efficient and economical (thank you Jim Bradfield and John O'Neill). While our actual wedding anniversary is October 28, we cherish February 19 as our REAL anniversary, the day we officially met on the Library stairs. The picture we attach is of the two of us in much younger days, on a Hamilton Alumni trip to China in 1986; we are standing on the Great Wall. While we did not use our "right and privilege" of being married in the Hamilton Chapel, it is our intention to use our other "right and privilege" one day in the distant future, and be buried in the Hamilton cemetery, so we may be forever together where we first met. Not sure it gets more romantic than that. I love you Randi. Ross — Ross Gnesin '81
It was the Fall of '80. I was a freshman; he was a junior...my Mom always said she hoped I would meet a man from California or some other far away place when I attended Hamilton just 20 minutes from where I grew up in Rome, N.Y. It was not to be! The first, and I mean the first, person I met during orientation (besides my roommates) was Joel Amidon from, you guessed it, Rome, N.Y.! He signed up for the orientation committee "to meet girls" and meet us he did. My roommates Randi and Michele and I were walking across campus from North Dorm over to the Kirkland campus for a welcome barbeque when all of a sudden a "vicious" dog bounded toward us and we screamed as silly freshman girls can do. "I'll save you" said Joel as he followed behind us and whistled for the dog who immediately ran to him tail wagging. As the introductions were being made I remember saying "no way!" when he told us he was from Rome. The rest, as they say, is history. After a five year courtship we were married in the Chapel with many Hamiltonians in attendance. Almost 25 years later we are healthy, happy and still in Rome and are the proud parents of Joel Rhein who is nearly 22 and Paige who will be 20 in May. — Holly Kehoe Amidon '84
Patty and I met near the very end of my freshman year on the hill. She was having a morning gin and juice party with some of her friends on the women's basketball team. Taking pity on myself and a friend, Bill Katz, two less than popular freshman football players, she invited us to this limited invite party. I was an obnoxious guest and was saved by the fact that my buddy, Bill, was pleasant and well-mannered. I must have been tired from all the studying I was doing over the house-party weekend. We ran into each other later at a dance at the Sage Rink (can you believe we had dances in there?) and was able to apologize. Thankfully, she accepted and we have been happily together ever since. We were married before my senior year at Hamilton and were one of only three married couples on campus at the time. We lived in one of the Griffin Road apartments for our first year of marriage. It was great! We lived on a golf course, and Patty worked for the college while I finished my senior year and played a lot of golf. I am a little less obnoxious, but we are still blessed with Bill and his wife as good friends, and we have also been lucky enough to have 4 kids who are wonderful people and friends. More importantly, they are almost all out of the house now. — Daniel Clair '82
Jason and I met in 1982 at Hamilton when he was a senior and I was a sophomore. We hung out in Babbitt Hall where his roommates were also all dating other Hamiltonians at the time (some of them married after college and are still married!). While we broke up after college, 15 years later we reconnected and still felt that spark. Lucky for me, Jason moved his life from Washington, DC to Chicago where I had been living since the early 90s. We married in 1999 and just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this past Fall. I am grateful to have been so lucky to have found a second chance with such a wonderful man and that we met on College Hill so many years ago! — Sarah E. Ullman '85
In January of 1981, I decided to audition for a Hamilton production of Alice in Wonderland. By walking across the stage on my hands, I won the part of the sleepy-yet-hyperactive Doormouse. I was happy the audition went well. But moments later that emotion was replaced by sheer shock and awe. The finalists for the "Alice" role were called to the stage. Each of the prospective "Alice's" looked attractive and interesting, but one of them, a stunning woman with a huge mane of curly auburn hair and deep blue eyes, made my jaw drop. "That's the one." I remember saying to myself. "That's the woman I'm going to marry." Jacqueline Margaret Mary Maloy was not cast as Alice, but luckily for me, she was cast as the March Hare, and I got to spend the next several weeks being stuffed into a tea kettle by her during rehearsals for the "mad tea party" scene. This only increased my smitten-ness. On the play's opening night, I couldn't suppress whispering "I love you" as the curtain went up and she gave me a bewildered stare. Shortly thereafter, we began a whirlwind romance, which consisted mainly of spending hours arguing about politics, science, theater, and whether Glenn Miller was better than the Jackson 5. After a few weeks, neither of us could take it anymore, and we split up. Sixteen years later I showed up in New York City, on a sabbatical from my college teaching job in Las Vegas. Jackie had been there since graduating from Hamilton, working in publishing and occasionally acting. Seeing her again, I had the same heart-pounding reaction that I had the first time I saw her. (This was not surprising. After our breakup, I continued to have pretty much that reaction every time I would run into her on campus.) The rest is history. We've been married for more than 11 years now. And I really still have similar reaction every time I see her. And we still argue about Glenn Miller. — Todd Jones '84
It was move-in day at Dunham in the fall of 1981 and my family and I drove up apprehensively to the back of the dorm to start unloading the car. As I was balancing a load of belongings, a cute boy came along and offered to help carry my things up. It turned out our rooms were across the hall from each other. Three days later it was my 18th birthday and we had a hall party to celebrate. Among the presents I received that night was a kiss from that cute boy who four years later become my husband. We credit our Hamilton College experience as one of the many reasons that we have been happily married for almost 25 years! — Anne Clark Christman '85
Amazingly, the housing lottery is actually the reason my husband and I met at Hamilton! For our senior year, three friends and I blocked the singles in a Babbitt suite, leaving the double open for grabs. My husband Peter and his friend Chris were looking for a double as they came through the lottery. They'd placed their sticker on a different suite and started to leave when Chris realized the suite had a "red dot," marking it as a smoking suite. Having asthma, he quickly removed their sticker and noticed our suite. Chris knew a few of us from history classes, and they opted to join us in Babbitt 19. It didn't take long for Peter and me to start dating, and we were married in the Chapel three years later. Chris, Peter's roommate, and my friend who pulled the suite, Sarah, tied the knot a few years later. We two couples now live 60 miles from each other in Virginia. The "Love Suite" is still one of my favorite "special housing" options. Our shared experiences at Hamilton have deepened our bond to each other and to the place which has really defined the second half of our lives. I am where I am now, and who I am, because I married Peter. And we found each other in the Love Suite on the Hill. You have our gratitude! — Stephanie Krauss Cross '87
We didn't attend Hamilton at the same time. We had one mutual friend at the time we met Allison Scott Korner '92. Our first encounter consisted of Tom catching me as I was climbing through a basement window to get into a party at AD during Alumni Weekend. (I didn't want to walk all the way back to my room to get my invitation.) We spent the next three years pretending we didn't know each other because I was a student, and he was coaching the Clinton Swim Club and helping out with the Hamilton team. We are both pretty sure lots of people knew our big secret, but it made our courtship a little bit more fun. We were married in the Chapel in October of 1993 with lots of Hamilton friends in attendance. We return to campus each summer and give a little wave to AD. From my perspective, Hamilton represents the place where, and marks the moment in time when, mine and his became ours. Our life, our love, our happiness. — Lisa Eaton Burton '93
Our first real encounter occurred when we had to walk our mutual friend Kent Haines back to Chi Psi from Psi U's 2005's Halloween party. I was dressed as Charlie Brown dressed as a ghost (multiple holes and a bag of rocks for those who don't remember) and she was dressed as a cat, specifically one of Josie and the Pussycats. We didn't start dating, though, until the early winter after I invited her down to the House for late night fried chicken patties (aka chicken pucks). Who ever said Psi U's don't have a romantic streak? — Jon Seed '88
My favorite story of our first meeting---from Guy's perspective: I was at a friend's party in Kirkland dorm our freshman year. When my friends and I left, Guy was on the landing with his friends and said hello to me. I was so shy that I said nothing and continued down the stairs. His friends laughed at him because I gave him no attention. Guy told them, "I'll never date that girl, not even if she begs me." We have been together for 24 years--married for 15 of them. — Sarah Szalach '89
I am not a shy person, but when it came to approaching a woman to express my interest, I would get extremely awkward. I also have to know people a while before I trust them. (Some would say that is because I'm a Taurus.) I also have a very clear idea of what I want in a relationship, and am not interested in fooling around until I find the right one. These facts, combined with going out of state to high school and college, really constrained my love life. After graduating from Hamilton, I returned home to Kentucky to live and work. After several years of flailing and failing at dating around, I decided to run over old ground to see if the right woman was an old(er now) friend. After several forays, including a West Coast swing to visit fellow Hamilton classmates, I looked up Heidi while visiting my sister Janet (Class of '85). Over the course of about a year, we stayed in touch via e-mail as friends. During that time, we compared notes about what we wanted in a relationship. Finally, one day Heidi was grousing about the difficulty she was having finding a guy in Philly who was serious about a relationship. I responded, "Come to Kentucky. You never know what you might find." She demurred at first, but we decided to ring in 2001 in NYC to see what happened. We couldn't get near Times Square, but kissed on the little hill at the southwest corner of Central Park. As we kissed, they set off fireworks in Sheep Meadow. After several months of dating long-distance, Heidi joined me in Kentucky. We are blessed that things are going really well, with a nice home, good jobs and a beautiful son. It was at times a frustrating road to get to this place, but that makes the journey worth it. I am blessed to have found someone who such a perfect match for me. I reckon that we were not as compatible when we were neighbors in Keehn Coop; we probably needed those years of individual growth and change to get to this point. Here we are, though, and we wish the same for all who want it. I can say it doesn't always happen on one's desired timetable, and there will likely be some unexpected or undesired turns along the way, but it can happen! — Geoff Pinkerton '89
Tim and I met in the Fall of 1987. As fate would have it, we were both living in Dunham and enrolled in the same 8 a.m. calculus class. I was a nervous freshman and went to every class and took faithful notes. Tim, who was a sophomore, enjoyed sleeping in over going to calculus class. To keep himself up to speed, he would often stop by my room to visit and borrow my math notes. I couldn't resist his dimpled smile. While I struggled through with a B in the class, that adorable mooch breezed through with an A+. In the end, we discovered that we had lots in common and a year later our friendship bloomed into romance. Sharing those years at Hamilton has definitely made a special mark on our relationship. We often reminisce about our time on the Hill. Although we used to joke about naming our children Alexander, Hamilton, or Clinton, we never actually did. Instead, our Hamilton romance resulted in the births of Nicholas and Cooper. We'd be so proud to see them grow up to become Hamiltonians and share in that special Hamilton connection. — Kathy Wright '91
Marcie and I first met in the fall of 1988. I was living in Minor dorm as a first-year next door to Marice's close friend. I remember peeking out of my room every time Marcie, a Junior, came to visit my neighbor during the fall of '88 but we never officially met. Several months passed, as Marcie spent a semester abroad in England for Spring '89. We were officially introduced during the fall of 1989 and the rest is history. Having a common alma mater has provided us with many shared experiences and memories of our time on the Hill. We also have remained in touch with a common set of close friends we met while at Hamilton. — Mark Berger '92
It is a little known fact that Cupid was hard at work in the Hamilton Admission Office during the 1992-93 year. Of the eight students who were selected to be senior interns that year, six of us married someone that we met at Hamilton. Charlie and I were the only ones, however, to meet in the Admissions Office that year.* Actually, Charlie and I had met before. When we were freshmen at Hamilton, I lived down the hall from Charlie's sister, Virginia Boyer Losito (who also married a Hamilton grad, Daniel Losito). During one of his visits to his sister he happened by my room and picked up one of my roommates to walk her to Choir practice. This first meeting wasn't terribly auspicious. Over the next three years, I admired Charlie's performances with the Buffers. He also played rugby, squash and ran track, and in his spare time (!) was a resident advisor and a WHCL DJ. I was busy with HAVOC and acting, took a semester abroad and served as a tour guide.
Our active lifestyles somehow never crossed paths until the Admission Office decided that they'd like to have us interviewing prospective Hamilton candidates. If you've ever had the pleasure of talking to folks in the Admission Office, you'll know that they're some of the friendliest folks you'll ever meet. Charlie was no exception. He was funny, handsome (he looked just like Clark Kent) and smart. We sat together in meetings and one day walked back to our dorm together, discovering that we both lived in Kirkland. Our friendship was born. In addition to being friendly, it was convenient and fun to hang out with Charlie, and the more I got to know him, the more I liked his company. We started dating our final semester at Hamilton and married two years later. Just as it was when we first became friends, we're still having lots of fun. Our Hamilton experiences were incredibly different from one another, but both very rich. Our diverse list of activities undoubtedly helped us obtain the prestigious admission internship and ultimately meet each other! [*This may not technically be true. I believe Jay Bonham '93 and his wife Meredith Harper Bonham ALSO met in the Admission Office. I'm not sure when Meredith started working at Hamilton, but I'm suspecting that it was after the '92-'93 academic year!] — Katie Boyer '93
Josh's side of the story: Our paths first crossed in a Structural Geology class our junior year. Unintentionally, we both skipped out of a rather lengthy lab to hang a bit in the student lounge. We got to talking about ourselves and our backgrounds and before I knew it, an hour had passed and lab had long since ended. As we walked away from the Science Building, I thought to myself "I'm going to marry that girl...." Lynn's side of the story: I fondly remember that lab, but not because I had identified Mr. Right. I so thoroughly enjoyed our chat, comparing stories, and to have identified a great new friend. However, after that semester, we both found ourselves on a Field Geology trip in June. As someone who craved the summer sun, long beach days and the lack of a schedule, traipsing through the mountains and desert, at dizzying altitudes and on scorching hot volcanic remnants, didn't seem as idyllic as my normal summer pursuits. However, I loved bonding with my trip mates and especially enjoyed furthering my "friendship" with Josh. My feelings for him changed forever, however, when he asked to take me out for my 21st birthday while we were stopping over in Taos, New Mexico. He called his mom to get her okay to put it on her credit card (so cute), and took me to one of the nicest restaurants in town. I remember it so clearly as we were well under dressed (given our general hiking apparel) and the waiter had to come back four times to take our order as we couldn't stop talking. After that date (and really, who went on traditional dates anymore?), I knew I liked him as more than a friend....and we've been together ever since. He actually took me back to Taos two years later to propose at the same Inn. Yes, he's the real deal--a quintessential romantic. We'll be celebrating our 15th anniversary this summer and we're still as goofy in love as ever. Thanks for letting us share our story! — Lynn Murphy Everdell '93
In September of 1993, I arrived early to Hamilton's IVCF (InterVarsity Christian Fellowship) Friday evening meeting. Andrew was the speaker for that event, and was going over his notes. He was a sophomore, a DU fraternity brother, and a member of Hamilton's track and cross country teams. I was immediately drawn to him, and a few days later I wrote a letter to my sister in Oregon telling her about Andrew. Andrew began a weekly Bible study, and on the evening that we were to sign up, I practically tackled three people to write my name on Andrew's sign-up sheet. I had to be with this guy. It turned out I was the only attendee to his Bible study. It was in the Kirkland basement, in a musty room with old furniture. There we studied the scriptures and became great friends. But no matter how I tried, I couldn't seem to draw his romantic interest. Finally, in early December, Andrew invited me to the DU Christmas dinner, just "as friends." I ran back to my dorm room and woke up my roommate in excitement. Where would it lead? Did this mean that he liked me? A month later, after some heartfelt letters between Seattle and Connecticut over Christmas break, we did begin our relationship. It was the old-fashioned kind. We didn't even hold hands for four months. We didn't kiss until we had dated nine months. We wrote notes to each other every day, dropping them into each other's mailbox. Our habit was to steal quiet moments to catch up after a long day of studies and work in the basement of Burke Library. Or, we'd go for a walk in the frigid cold Clinton winter and talk for hours. I spent a year in South America my junior year. When I returned, Andrew graduated from Hamilton and went to Oklahoma to continue his studies. We went two years with only two one-day visits. However, we stayed in close touch through letters and phone calls. It was a long separation, and for most of it, we were just good friends. In the spring of my senior year at Hamilton, I called Andrew in Oklahoma and confessed that I still loved him and wanted to spend my life with him. The feeling was mutual. We didn't want to be apart any more. In consideration of all of the family and friends who were going to be flying from around the country to attend my graduation from Hamilton, Andrew and I decided to get married - on my graduation day!! This way, we knew everyone could be there. One problem - it was only seven weeks away. I hurried through finals, through the public defense of my senior thesis, and through weeks of throwing details together for the wedding. Andrew, still studying in Oklahoma, would only arrive a week before the wedding. The week of our wedding was the longest I had seen Andrew in two years. However, there was no question that we were meant to be together. Our years of friendship and dating through the Hamilton years were the foundation of a great relationship. At 11 a.m. on May 25, 1997, I walked with my graduating class and received my B.A. from Hamilton, summa cum laude. During the afternoon I emptied my dorm room and loaded up my car. A little after 5 p.m. that same day, I was walking up the aisle at Waterbury Memorial Presbyterian Church in Oriskany, NY, the same church that we attended together through college. Twelve and a half years of marriage later, we are happily living in Seattle with our two sons, who are now 10 and 8. Our favorite activity together is still going for long walks and talking, just as we did at Hamilton. We are so grateful that we both chose to attend Hamilton, though our home towns were more than 3,000 miles apart. Our Hamilton experience has continued to have an amazing and powerful impact in our daily lives - in education, preparation for our careers, and exposure to great minds, disciplines, and ideas. It would also be the place where we would meet, become best friends, and begin a wonderful life together. Thank you, Hamilton! — Rebecca Pierce Bomann '97
We lived across the hall from each other in South. He came to our room of five girls to ask if he and his roommate Rick could borrow a hammer to hang some Psi U picture on the wall. Funny he chose the girls' room to ask for the tools... — Michelle Newman '97
Rick and I met briefly during our sophomore year at a Psi Upsilon fraternity party but he didn't ask me out on a date until our junior year when we were in the same Italian language class. I remember that the class was at 9 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - really early in those days. Rick took the class long enough to ask me out before dropping out after I agreed. Lake Como figured prominently in the class and we still joke about getting to Lake Como on our next trip to Italy - but in all honesty, we would really love to! Sharing an alma mater means that we can talk about the people and places that were such a big part of our college years and development. Our common experience there has turned into two very different practical implementations of a 'Hamilton education' as I am an interior designer and Rick is a sportscaster. But we both feel that the basics of our best skills in our professions were really nurtured at Hamilton. Also, we have four sets of friends who are other Hamiltonians/married to other Hamiltonians......quite a crazy phenomenon. Not sure what was in the water on campus those few years, but it really makes for fun conversations at our get-togethers. — Susie Paul Pizzo '96
Our story is actually two stories in one... Even though Marcus and I were only a year apart and we were both Government majors, we didn't know each other at Hamilton. We met on St. Patrick's Day in New York City in the spring of 1998. It was my senior year and I was in the city for job interviews, and Marcus was in town on business. A group of Hamilton students and recent alums were going out for St. Patty's Day. I heard about the plans from my friend Yungjin Oh ('98), and Marcus heard about the plans from his friend Darren Shaw ('97). Marcus and I ended up talking that night, he invited me to lunch the next day, and we have been together ever since! The second part of the story took place at our wedding, where my friend and bridesmaid Erica Weissinger ('98) met groomsman Darren Shaw ('97). They also didn't know each other at Hamilton and met for the first time at our wedding. Fast forward 10 years and now they are happily married with two kids, and live right in Clinton, NY! Even though Marcus and I didn't share our Hamilton experience while we were on the hill, we very much have a shared alumni experience. We have so many Hamilton friends in common, and our trips up to campus are so special to both of us. We look forward to bringing our infant daughter Abigail up to campus sometime soon! —Cathy Augusta Johnson '98
It was the fall of 1994, and I had attended a couple basketball games to cheer on the Junior Varsity team (many of my advisees!). I was a Resident Advisor in North Dorm. Kreso thought I was a freshman, but, in fact, I was a senior, pretty frustrated with the Hamilton men. My advisees were friends with Kreso through basketball and, because they knew he wanted to meet me, they invited him to the North Valentine's Day Dance. We officially met at the dance. I visited Kreso's DU residence afterward when he served me burned microwave popcorn with the door WIDE OPEN; I was an RA of course and knew the consequences of the door SHUT! He then drove me home to North dorm from DU in a race car borrowed by his friend. In the bitter cold without a jacket. Needless to say, I dismissed him as the typical Hamilton jock. Over time, however, I realized he was special, a Croatian, with impeccable handwriting and a loyalty that matched none other. I graduated, we broke up, but kept in touch over the summer. Lovely Croatian letters arrived in my mailbox, yet again, that impeccable handwriting. Meanwhile, I landed a job in Manhattan and visited Kreso at Hamilton the next two years. It was nice to be back on campus for a couple years, without the demands of coursework or papers. I had the chance to enjoy the south side of campus. I had a car! Fast forward nine years of dating, his trip around the world, a proposal in Rio de Janerio, and we married on Valentines Day 2003 in City Hall, celebrating with the grand celebration/church wedding in Zagreb, Croatia, in July 2003. It is really special to share the Hamilton experience with my husband. And even though we had different experiences at Hamilton (sports vs. music), we do share a common background. Thank you Hamilton, for seeking out a diverse pool of students. I never dreamed to find a European husband on campus! Our lives are enriched with this diversity, yet we are made similar by the Hamilton experience. — Anne (Rood) Marusic '95
It was a Tuesday afternoon in early September 1994 when my future husband walked into Benedict Hall. Professor Edith Toegel had given me a rundown of the students I'd be working with as her German Teaching Assistant. Kurt, she had mentioned, I would definitely enjoy, given his family's German heritage. I introduced myself when he walked in the door and after hearing his name, responded, "Kurt, I'm supposed to like you!" After a few walks back to Kirkland, a couple stolen glances in the library and a moonlight stroll through the golf course, I was hooked forever. Having a shared Hamilton history has definitely been a wonderful component in our relationship. We love knowing that we both truly understand what it is to walk up the hill from Bundy in a blinding February snowstorm. Bone-chilling cold like that would have been impossible to convey otherwise! Too bad the German lessons didn't take! — Adeline Rudolph '95
My wife and I didn't know each other while on the Hill, which was probably a good thing since we both matured into very different people after graduating... We didn't meet until our friends married each other in 2000. My great friend Marcus Johnson '97 married one of Erica's great friends, Cathy Augusta Johnson '98. Erica and I met at the rehearsal dinner, spent the rest of the weekend getting to know each other, and shared a "first date" at a local Borders bookstore after the rest of the crowd had dispersed. Erica took great pride in beating me repeatedly at Connect 4, and I knew right then that she was special. Less than a year later, she moved up to VT where I was in law school and we've never been apart since then. We now live in Clinton with our son Luke, daughter Clara, and dog Sadie. — Darren Shaw '97
Katrina and I met the first day of our sophomore year through mutual friends, but it wasn't until a shared Econ class that we became close. She was a world politics and philosophy major, and I a biology major, so I confess neither of us paid as much attention in Econ as perhaps we should have (sorry, Professor Lutzger!). Instead we talked, joked, laughed, and more often than not once class was over, we'd wind up at Opus for more of the same. It took months for us to realize our friendship was something more than that; it took just minutes for our friends to see it. By spring of that year, we were inseparable. A year after graduation, we were married. There are many reasons I look back on Hamilton fondly, but none are more potent than the fact that I met the love of my life while I was there. And I'm glad I get to go through life with someone who loves Hamilton just as much as I do. — Chris Holm '99
In the Fall of 1998, my roommate and I went to see a Tumbling After performance in Beinecke Village. We were sitting on the second floor overlooking the performance, when my roommate whispered "I'm going to marry the blonde one day"; I replied "Well, one day I'm going to marry the brunette standing next to her." Little did we know that's what would happen for both of us. It wasn't until the Spring semester before I was due to graduate, that we met. I was a teacher's assistant for Professor Salzillo's Design 105 class, teaching computer-based design. Nicole, the brunette in Tumbling After that had caught my eye, was in the class and struggling with the software program. I received an e-mail from her seeking assistance, completely out of the blue, in which she asked me to meet her at the library computer lab. We worked on her project for a few hours that night, and began a friendship that turned in to a strong and lasting relationship. I returned to the Hill to visit Nicole for the next three years. In June 2005, we married, with our families and closest Hamilton friends as witnesses. Hamilton College was our starting point, and it has become our roots. And now, almost 11 eleven years to the day that we began dating, we will begin our life together as a family. Nicole and I are expecting our first child on April 19, 2010. — David Kutcher '99
We met on the first day of indoor track practice in November of 1997. Nearly 7 years later, we married in the Hamilton College Chapel in October of 2004. We are looking forward to returning to the Hill in June for Jeff's 10 year reunion, along with our two sons Harry (2 yrs. old) and Jack (2 mos old)! Hamilton has given us both many gifts, but by far the most valuable of those is our family. Oh, and we are still running together! — Peggy Garte '01
Tyler and I met in the Hamilton College Choir in the fall of 1999, when he was a senior and I was a freshman. I was immediately smitten with his impish sense of humor and his open sincerity, and we became friends during the choir musical and the Midwest tour that spring. The next two years brought chance encounters when Tyler would come back to visit campus, then intentional ones as we drove back and forth to NYC just about every other Friday and Sunday. Some Sundays I'd drive him all the way to Albany to catch a train, just for the extra hours together (gas was cheaper, then!). Once I left a voice mail for Rob Kolb in which I pretty much said "I'm going to miss Monday's rehearsals because I want to stay an extra day in New York." He called back and said, "The things we do for love, right? You know I'll have to dock your grade." When I got an internship in the city in the summer of 2002, and then landed a job the following summer, my family didn't have to ask where I'd live. We spent two years in a 250-square-foot studio (with cat and piano), then another two years in a 350-square-foot one bedroom — just to make sure — before getting engaged in 2006. We were married in August 2007 in the Hamilton College Chapel in a ceremony co-officiated by Rev. Jeff McArn and Rob Kolb, and witnessed by more than 40 of our closest Hamilton friends. — Courtney Fitch Hirschey '03
Vidal and I technically met for the first time my freshman year at a random Thursday night AD party in North Court. It was memorable because I was surprised to hear Merengue music playing. I remember trying to teach those near me how to dance to it when a big guy came from behind, twirled me around and treated me to a fun dance full of wild spins! To my knowledge, we didn't exchange words that night, and in fact, afterward, my girlfriends and I weren't even sure we would recognize him if we saw him again! I noticed Vidal for the first time as an individual, one day in the quad outside the library. I lived in Kirkland my freshman year, and we were frequently "treated to" loud music and a revving engine from an old Toyota Cressida. My fellow Kirklandites and I weren't exactly fond of the upperclassman who drove the Toyota Cressida, sometimes while sitting on the moon-roof! I learned this noisy boy's name at my first La Vanguardia meeting in the suites on the "dark side." As a freshman, eager to start my involvement with Latinos on campus, I was frustrated that the meeting was taking so long to start, so, eventually, I started it myself! A good while later, in walks this boisterous fellow (I recognized him as the Cressida driver) acting like he owns the place and has the right to interrupt me and our meeting that had been going along rather smoothly. Turns out, he was the vice president of the organization (oh, and he lived in the suite where the meeting was held). I was not impressed! I have Daniel Custodio '00 to thank for re-introducing me to Vidal in a whole new way my sophomore year. I knew Danny from my pre-freshman visit to Hamilton, and remembering me, he came up to talk to me at a Newman Council cook-out the week before classes were to start. Danny invited me to his suite for a party he and his suitemates were throwing that evening. This time, I had no memory of Vidal from the year before, and I met a very charming, smart young man who could make the whole room light up and laugh. The chemistry between him and his suitemate Danny was so magical, I remember just wanting to be a part of it every day... Vidal wooed me over an all-night music marathon where he sought to teach me the classics (like Pink Floyd) and prove that fraternity brothers weren't what I'd heard them to be. It wasn't too long before I found myself living in Milbank 38, the only girl with a room in that suite and the suite next-door (surprisingly clean bathrooms!). We shared a magical year together with our suite as the center of a great little Hamiltonian family. A few months into our courtship, both Vidal and I realized that we weren't fond of each other the previous year, and that we had actually first met at one of his fraternity parties- I'm so thankful for our mutual memory lapse! I often say that I grew into who I am today at Hamilton. I also often note that Hamilton has its own culture. When I meet a fellow Hamiltonian, I feel an instant connection and ease of conversation even if we never set foot on campus at the same time. So, naturally, I feel that having a common alma mater has a great impact on my relationship with my husband. Vidal and I come from two very different Latino cultures, but the same Hamiltonian one! Besides my marriage, Hamilton continues to play a large role in my life. Our Hamiltonian friends have become family to us in more ways than one! For example, we travel long distances to visit with each other and make sure to be a part of life events like marriages and babies (Vidal and I now have two). Also, Vidal's younger brother went to Hamilton and met his wife there. They now live in Richmond, V.A., as do we along with Danny Custodio, our former suitemate, and several other Hamiltonians of all different class years who are now also family to us. — Jazmin Gatto de Torres '02
Lydia and I remember very clearly the day we met. It was first semester of freshman year. I was studying with some friends in a suite on the dark side, and we were taking a quick break in the common area. Lydia walked through the suite and our eyes locked briefly, but then she continued on out of the room. We both remember this moment, but we have no idea why we didn't act on it. We didn't get together until spring semester of senior year, but we quickly became inseparable. We were engaged a few short months after graduation, and married the following year. Eight years later we're still having fun! — Colin Evans '01
Nat and I didn't meet until sophomore year, even though we had quite few mutual friends freshman year. Even then, it wasn't until the spring semester that we really got to know each other. We started going to the fitness center together (neither of us really wanted to go on our own and figured the other person would help keep us motivated) and then getting lunch at the Diner afterward (probably a bit counter-productive, in retrospect). We soon became good friends - but just friends, as we were both seeing other people at the time. It wasn't until we got back to campus junior year and saw each other again that we realized we wanted to be more than friends. Ten years later, we're still together, married and with a new baby! Meeting at Hamilton gives us a shared history, a common background. We can talk about friends, places and experiences from college without having to explain their significance. We have seen firsthand the role that Hamilton played in shaping our lives - as individuals and as a couple. — Erin Shoudy Meyer '01
Rich and I met our very first day at Hamilton College as we were in the same freshmen orientation group. We ended up also living down the hall from each other in Dunham. We would see each other a lot first semester of freshmen year because I was friends with one of his roommates but the two of us did not really hang out. It was at a holiday party right before winter break when another mutual friend insisted we talk. We hit it off and chatted over break. When we got back after the holidays, Rich finally asked me out. We have been together ever since, getting married in 2007. It really means a lot that we were able to share the same experiences at Hamilton because it is very important place for both of us for many reasons. Hamilton holds a very special place in our hearts. — Jennifer Mathney (Jolivet) '03
When I was a junior at Hammy, I embarked on a great adventure during my study abroad to London. Why London? Well my French wasn't that great, Ireland was on the trimester system, and Australia was just a bit too far away. It was there that I met my future husband, Clive, in physics class. We didn't start dating until six days before the semester ended. This was the beginning of a seven-year long-distance relationship, which consisted of many, many trips from London to Clinton! Although Clive was a city-slicker at heart, he loved the cold CNY winters. I was on a meal plan, which allowed for enough bonus meals to get by, and soon enough, he was wandering around campus with me, smiling at everyone in passing, knowing more people than I did! So although we met in London, our relationship blossomed over the rest of my junior and senior years. We recently got married in Hartford, Conn., with three other couples who met and fell in love at Hamilton: Sue and Jim Morgan, Andy and Christine Morgan, and Bill Jones and Julia Foresman. — Stephanie Higgins Bealing '04
It all started in Wellin Hall. Hours and days blurred together rehearsing for the College Choir's Spring 2001 production of Glibert and Sullivan's "HMS Pinafore." Gossip began to spread as to the romances that might blossom during the Spring Tour - scheduled for no less a romantic setting than Italy! Until the tour was almost upon us, I never thought I would be part of one of those "Choir couples." And yet there we were - we first held hands on a Venetian gondola...our first kiss was on a rooftop in Bologna...and it just took off from there. We floated through those two weeks, traveling through beautiful cities and towns and singing in spectacular venues such as St. Peter's Basilica and the Duomo, under the always-inspiring direction of Rob Kolb. Over the coming years, we stayed together not only through the joys and challenges of campus life, but through each of our trips abroad! It was only fitting that, during my last semester, I would propose to Christie by transforming my Babbitt suite into an Italian bistro with a LOT of help from our friends - Patrick Danaher '04, Matt Zeller '04, Courtney Johnson '06, Matt Van Hook and Emily (Luidens) Van Hook '06 (another couple to be!), Darcy (Crum) Meadows '04, Sarah Schmidt '05 and others. After, graduation, we ended up staying in Upstate New York, and had a wedding overflowing with Hamilton friends in the fall of 2004. Having just celebrated our fifth anniversary, we still look back to those early years on the Hill with ever-increasing fondness! — Charles Francis '04
While Zoe and I knew each other all four years at Hamilton, it wasn't until senior year when we really became close. For anyone who knows Zoe, you know that she is just a bit competitive. While we were both working at the Office of Communication and Development senior year, participating in the annual student phone-a-thon, Zoe pointed out to me that she was a better student caller. So we made a friendly wager about who could get a bigger bonus by the end of the phone-a-thon. Zoe was a tough competitor, but in the end I edged her out, besting her bonus by a dollar or so. For winning the competition, she was obligated to go on a movie date with me, and the rest is history. We were married at the Hamilton College Chapel in July '07. Zoe has since learned that her competitive spirit can get her into trouble ;-) — Richard Schwam '06
I met Tumelano at a West Indian African Association meeting on the Hill in March of 2005. Both of us being Hamilton graduates has strengthened our bond in our personal and professional lives. We have common friends and experiences because we both went to Hamilton. We even at one point took some classes together and that was a great experience and an honor as well. — Rakeem Andre Chapman '07
