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.
  • Casual Conversation August 3rd with Justin Shubow admin

    Justin Shubow will be our guest for a Casual Conversation on Monday, August 3 at 5 pm.  Mr. Shubow is an architecture critic who has had a significant impact on public architecture in Washington, D.C.

  • Casual Conversation July 26th with Leanne ten Brinke admin

    On Sunday, July 26 at 3 pm Eastern Time, Professor Leanne ten Brinke, author of Poisonous People: How to Resist Them and Improve Your Life (Simon & Schuster 2026), will be our guest for a Casual

  • Casual Conversation June 21st with Professor Berger admin

    On Sunday, June 21 at 3 pm Eastern Time, Professor Eric Berger will our guest for a Casual Conversation on Zoom.  He comes to us courtesy of the efforts of classmate Steve Horwitz who also was our agent in o

  • Casual Conversation: June 7 reading of Ibsen's Lady from the Sea admin

    On Sunday, June 7 at 1:30 pm Eastern Time, please join us for a reading of Henrik Ibsen’s The Lady from the Sea.  The play was chosen by classmate Eric Forsythe and

  • Casual Conversation June 4 with Professor Danielle Allen admin

    Thanks to the good work of classmate Steven Horwitz, we are pleased that Professor Danielle Allen will join us for a Casual Conversation on Thursday, June 4 from 1:00 to 2:15 pm Eastern Time

  • Casual Conversation May 17 Professor Kurlander admin

    On Sunday, May 17 at 3 pm Eastern Time, Professor Eric Kurlander, History Department Chair at Stetson University in Florida will join us for a Casual Conversation.  Professor Kurlander is the au

  • Casual Conversation; Gwyneth Forsythe Play Reading May 10th admin
    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 admin

    On Sunday, May 3 at 3 pm Eastern Time, Elizabeth E.

  • Casual Conversation April 19th with Charles Murray admin

    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

    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.’  

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