Early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Arthur Fergenson (our mini-Reunion Chair) initiated a series of Casual Conversations among classmates. These 2-hour conversations occur roughly monthly using Zoom and are on Sunday afternoons at 3:00 pm ET unless otherwise specified. About 3 weeks before each event, an announcement is posted here on the web site and sent to all classmates for whom we have valid email addresses. If you wish to suggest a topic, suggest a classmate, or lead a discussion yourself - you should contact Arthur Fergenson.
Here is a list of classmates who have participated in our Casual Conversations, and here is a (quick and dirty) list of the 100 Casual Conversation events since we started in June of 2020, as of October 2024.
Here is the Save the Date list of coming attractions.
- On Sunday, May 10 at 1:30 pm Eastern Time on Zoom, the Class of 1969 play reading group will present The Posthumous Trial of Giulia Tofana, a new one-woman play by Gwyneth Forsythe, daughter of classmate Eric Forsythe. The reading will be shared by Carol Dudley ‘69a, Nanalee Raphael ‘69a, Cindy Bittner, and
Casual Conversation May 3rd Professor Shackelford
On Sunday, May 3 at 3 pm Eastern Time, Elizabeth E.
Casual Conversation April 19th with Charles Murray
Independent scholar Charles Murray will return to be our guest for a Casual Conversation on Sunday, April 19 at 3 pm. Last time Mr. Murray spoke to us about the possible causes for exceptional accomplishment by Jews. This time will be more directly about religion: his own investigation of faith and more particularly the Christian faith. You will find his journey about and into faith chronicled in his new book Taking Religion Seriously (Encounter Books 2025).
Barton Swain reviewed the book for the Wall Street Journal:- Casual Conversation March 15 with Sandy Alderson
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Classmate Sandy Alderson will join us for his second (!) Casual Conversation on Zoom on Sunday, March 15 at 3 pm Eastern Time. The first time he spoke with us about baseball, 48 people were on the video call. This time the subject is baseball again, but with one caveat: “Everything baseball but NOT the Yankees.” For this session, that team is a seven letter word which should be treated as the FCC once upon a time viewed “b-----d.’
- Casual Conversation March 1 with Bracha Horovitz
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On Sunday, March 1 at 2 pm Eastern Time Bracha Horovitz will be our guest for a Casual Conversation on Zoom. Ms.
- Casual Conversation February 15th with Tobias Becker
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Please join us for a Casual Conversation with Professor Tobias Becker of the University of Heidelberg on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at Noon Eastern Time. Please note the earlier time occasioned by Professor
- Casual Conversation December 18th with Professor Christakis
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On Thursday, December 18 at 5 pm Eastern Time, Nicholas A.
- Casual Conversation December 8 with Provost Schnell
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This is a Casual Conversation that all of you must attend: Dartmouth’s new Provost Santiago Schnellwill be our guest on December 8 at 5 pm Eastern on Zoom. He was recommended to us for a Ca
- Casual Conversation November 23 with Prof. Hirsch
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On Sunday, November 23 at 3 pm we will be having a return appearance for a Casual Conversation of Foster Hirsch, Professor of Film at Brooklyn College and board member of th
Casual Conversation November 2 with Patrick McGilligan about Woody Allen
On Sunday, November 2 at 3 pm Eastern we will have a Casual Conversation with independent scholar Patrick McGilligan about Woody Allen. Mr.