Art and Design Class of 1973 The Essence of Magic

The 2008 Reunion Newsletter is here!

2008-12-18T10:44:00.005-05:00

59 pictures! The list of all who joined us! The Lost Yearbook update! Well-written prose describing our memorable experience! New-found 1973 classmates! What more could you ask for in a newsletter? Many thanks to Laurie Moss Fried for putting this together so beautifully. Now all you have to do is click here to download the PDF. Or you can wait for the printed version, coming soon to your mailbox.

A short message from Susan Samuels

2008-11-10T14:03:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends,

I can't believe that it is almost five months from our reunion - one I'll never forget. I also can't forget all the people I've seen once again, and those I promised I'd stay in touch with.

Sadly, prior to the reunion, my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer. The past months have been difficult. I want to apologize for not staying in touch sooner with those who I promised I would. I'm not sure when, but I will, in the near future, keep that promise.

PS: To those who signed my lab coat, in honor of Mr. Golden, thank you.

Some changes to our blog - commenting and posting

2008-07-09T19:26:00.005-04:00

Greetings to all of you,

I hope this post finds all of you well and enjoying the fruits of your summer! With vacations and other summer obligations (along with family and work, of course) I know that all of you are busy and may not have time to catch up with our blog or your emails. Either way, know that I am thinking of all of you and that I am still basking in the glow of our great reunion.

After reading Steve Rosen's latest post inquiring as to everyone's whereabouts, along with receiving a brilliant suggestion (and lovely note) from our classmate Lisa Persky, I felt it necessary to change our blog settings to allow for more of a dialogue amongst our classmates. Up until today, the blog's administrators had to invite individuals to become authors in order to post and make comments to the blog. As you know, those who did not accept the invitation were able to read the blog but could not post a topic or comment to it, while others that did could post and comment. This was done to avoid spam and any unwanted commentary from those that were not a part of A&D.

In her email to me today, Lisa suggested that the blog settings be changed to allow for "anyone" - outsiders included - to comment to the blog. This means that those of you that do not wish to actually post to it can comment to the various posts that are made there, or if you have a post but don't want to be an author, can send your notes to administrators so that they can post it on your behalf. To avoid spam and other nonsense, all comments will have to be approved. Since I am not certain if the other administrators can be added to the approval list simultaneously with me, I have listed my email address for this purpose in the settings. I will receive a notice from this site indicating that comments have to be approved. Those from A&D classmates will be approved, but those from outsiders won't be (especially if inappropriate), and unless they are from other graduates that happen upon us or other interested parties. (I am still thinking about that, but I digress). As an avid internet user, I check all my blogs and emails regularly so all comment requests will be approved immediately, unless I am out of town or temporarily unavailable.

If any of you do wish to write to the blog as "authors", please click on my profile to send me a request to post. Once I get it I will invite you. Typically, the invitation will come from "no-reply@google.com You have been invited to contribute to________ ." To post, you will have to create a google account, unless you already have one.

I truly hope that all of you will be interested in commenting to the blog or posting to it. Our class is a unique and magical one, as has been apparent at our last two reunions, and that magic has generated many wonderful and vibrant reconnections for all of us. When I think that most of us were out of touch for 35 years but instantly reconnected at the reunion "as if we never left", I find myself touched by the bond we all so obviously share. Our blog serves as a means to continue to foster that bond, as well as to keep our classmates up to date on all news. I, for one, feel it important that each one of us posts and comments to keep that energy alive and vibrant.

Please don't be shy!

I wish all of you a wonderful summer and I send love,

Pina

Where Are You?

2008-07-07T14:41:00.001-04:00

I'm surprised there's not more activity on our A&D blog. I had a great time at the reunion, and I'm sure anyone who's reading this did as well (or will at our next reunion -- hint, hint!!). So let's talk! It was so wonderful to see all those old (not elderly) friends -- people whose faces I hadn't seen in sooo many years. It was a special thrill to see Greenie and Ginsburg. Man, they haven't changed a bit. Okay, maybe a bit. Willie send in that cool picture of them to post on the blog, okay?

I understand that everyone is busy. I myself have just published a new book -- a book that speaks to two subjects I'm quite passionate about: spirituality and music. The book is called "The Yoga of Kirtan: Conversations on the Sacred Art of Chanting." It's a 504-page labor of love, with an attached 70-minute CD of wild spiritual music. Check it out: www.yogaofkirtan.com.

Go to the "events" page and you'll see that I've been spending my time promoting my new baby. So I've been busy too. But it doesn't take me too far adrift to type a few words to express how I felt about the reunion, and to let you all know what I've been doing. I hope you'll all write in and do the same. All the best. Saprem! --Steve Rosen

Some more thoughts about our 2008 reunion

2008-07-07T13:40:00.003-04:00

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who was able to join us on 6/22 at the 230 Club. It was a great pleasure to see so many people emotionally welcoming friends not seen in many years. 129 classmates enjoyed buffet gourmet selections, including vegetarian, non-wheat gluten and non-dairy versions, while walking from person to person - meeting, hugging, saying hi and exchanging contact information. Many people remained on our party floor, and many others enjoyed the rooftop tropical garden while appreciating the nice weather and skyline (despite negative weather reports). We had a continuous slide show that included images provided by classmates that were collected over the years and at the reunion. Many of these pictures brought back memories that were seemingly buried forever.

It was nice to see Irwin Greenberg, Max Ginsburg and Marcia Arnold - three of our favorite teachers. Their presence helped validate how important our class of 1973 has been. A lot of the activity was around the "yearbook" and scanning tables - where attendees could reserve their lost yearbook copy and submit pictures for us all to share, and even add to the yearbook. We have loads of thanks to give Laurie Moss Fried and her husband Alan for this. In addition, Lori Halpern Miroddi single-handedly found many of our classmates, thus playing an crucial role in bringing us together on 6/22.

I have received so many e-mails saying thank you for the hard work in creating such a reunion. In reality, the thanks go to all of you - who traveled from afar, to keep our friendships from fading. I feel that my efforts were an honor and privilege rather than work, dwarfed by the powerful sense of solidarity and closeness I felt. Seeing all of you together made my efforts an absolute pleasure.

Thoughts on 6.22

2008-06-25T20:11:00.003-04:00

It was mind boggling as I sat at the scanning table with my husband Alan and the loose photos, albums, envelopes, boxes, illustrations, news clippings, programs & buttons started coming our way. At the end of the day Alan scanned over 200 items. The scanning was continuous and did not stop until 4 o'clock. Thank you Jay Pearlman, Valerie Williams, April Rogers, Tony Biggs, Deborah Lary, Despina, Gina Minori McNally, Jan Cohn, Lori Halpern Miroddi, Nancy Frankel, Omar Cassayo, Peter Kruse, Renee Yurkiw Apostolos, Bobby Pesson, Robin Zane, Berna Donlon, Rhonda Goldman Sussman, Fran Edelson-Rybek, Scott Remackle, Terry Fuchs, Tom Masaryk & Tom Sito for your contributions. We'll post the photos soon and make them available for all to access.

It was also wonderful meeting and talking to alum that I had never met before. Your input on the impending yearbook was very helpful. There is so much more to do!

People were asking if there would be another reunion next year. My immediate response was, "See you in 5 years." Who knows- maybe a party/celebration may be in order once this yearbook is completed. After all we are the magical class of '73 that can make the impossible possible.

Best regards,

Laurie

Late Night Reflections - A Post-Reunion Reverie

2008-06-22T23:12:00.002-04:00

It's is 11:12 p.m. and though I should be in bed now, I am wired from the excitement of our grand day at The 230 Club and can't sleep. I am compelled to write and share some of the thoughts I had throughout the day and now. But before I continue, I absolutely MUST tip my hat in gratitude and with thanks to our 35th reunion team for the fantastic job they all did in making our 35th reunion a fabulous success! As an events logistics director at a NY Community College, I know how much time, effort and detailed work goes into planning events, just as I know how early the process must start to ensure its success. Today was an example of the stellar work our team made on our behalf for the past year! Joe, Lauri, Lori, Jackie, Ed and the many others that were involved in the process dedicated their time, energy and talents to make it a special day. I had a wonderful time and I can't thank them enough for all they did for our class. Kudos to all of you, along with big hugs. I am proud to call you my classmates and my friends. THANK YOU!

And finally, I don't know about all of you, but being with everyone has brought me "home" again in a way I can't adequately articulate at the moment. It was a kind of restorative elixir for me that I know I will savor throughout the year, just as I did last year after our first reunion. Reuniting and reconnecting with my classmates has further restored my memories of such a special time in my life, which has touched me enormously. There, standing with my camera in hand, I watched all of you and realized that our years at A&D forged an unbreakable bond that has withstood the test of time. In speaking with many of you I felt as if we picked up where we left off, which was amazing! (Trust that I do not say this about most of my former college classmates as there was no bond, save for the friendships I made there.) Despite the lack of a yearbook, the fact that many of us did not attend the prom or that we had our first reunion 34 years after the fact, the Class of 1973 is a special one. I am honored to be a part of it and of knowing all of you.

Thank you for being a part of my life, then and now.

Pina

Conversation with Sam Santiago

2008-05-22T22:32:00.003-04:00

This week I had the pleasure of a terrific email exchange with our fellow classmate Sam Santiago. Regrettably, Sam will be unable to join us on June 22 as he will be embarking on his own personal journey in relocating in Europe. As Sam put it, "to get my Bohemian on...to allow my personal growth as an artist...". Sam plans to start off in Cork, Ireland connecting with The Backwater Art Group. Other travels will include Amsterdam and of course Spain. "My ancestors came to America (Spain, Mexico, and Puerto Rico) to find opportunity...here I am turning back for the same reasons".

I am in awe of the huge plunge Sam is taking and want to wish him all the luck in the world. You can leave your best wishes for Sam as well on our blog. Bon Voyage Sam!!

Accommodations for 6/21

2008-05-01T11:45:00.003-04:00

I'm working on getting hotel accommodations at a discount for anyone coming in from out of town. The Gershwin Hotel is literally a few steps from the 230 Club, and is quite nice and reasonable. Regular rates are $109 per nite for a small but adequate room with a double bed and private bathroom. I'll post more information here as I get it after Tuesday when the "owner" is back from vacation. You can visit the hotel here: http://www.gershwinhotel.com.

The invitations are out!

2008-04-29T19:25:00.002-04:00

As of today, there is no turning back. I've sent 142 evites and 16 snail-mail versions, and already there is an intense buzz! Please let me know if you did not get an email invitation, or, if you do not have email - your printed version should arrive Thursday or Friday, and I ask that you RSVP by June 16. The reunion will start at 11:30 and will end around 4:00 pm. I look forward to seeing you, sharing more memories, and ordering yearbooks and most of all, renewing friendships. I'll post more updates as the date gets closer.

Our Reunion is Approaching!

2008-04-17T20:57:00.007-04:00

It's hard to believe that in just over two months, we'll all be together again, under one garden roof. In just a couple of weeks, 171 of us will receive invitations to the most spectacular 35-year reunion ever! Held at the 230 Club, a prestigious penthouse space with garden rooftop, we'll savor a buffet that includes herb-rubbed roasted chicken, vegetable pasta primavera (non-gluten versions if requested), home-baked cookies, coffee and tea. But the food is not important when compared to the awesome number of classmates from a time we'll never forget. The close connections we all shared at A&D will fill the air - friendships will be renewed, memories strengthened and stories remembered. We'll even have a continuously-playing slide show of photos, and XM Radio 1970s music to refresh our memories.

But there's more! We'll have a chance to place orders for our lost 1973 yearbook - brought back to life from hard work and preserved original mechanicals. All the poetry, artwork, photos and narrative - restored to a bound treasure.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on June 22!

Conversations with our graduates

2008-02-17T10:39:00.002-05:00

I began searching for fellow grads for our June '07 mini reunion.It has become addictive.Since I've started a new job,my free time has shrunk!,but I'm still dedicated to finding as many grads for the upcoming reunion as possible.
I ask everyone I find the same basic questions:
What was your major at A&D?Did you go to college and where?major?
What jobs have you had?What are you doing now?
I also ask personal questions,like are you married?how long?kids?
I'm nosy.I'd say most were happy to spill the beans.

To date,I've spoken on the phone to 78 people!
Here are some interesting stats:
43 are married,almost 50% for over 20 years!I find that heartening in this day and age.
16 haven't found the right person yet,5 are divorced,and 4 have deceased spouses.
Only 18 are working in the art field.Most of the 78 people started out in the art business and ended up in totally different fields.There's a couple of lawyers,a pediatrician,quite a few teachers,2 restauranteurs, a handful of psychiatric social workers,a postal worker and a FEDEX guy!
Some are searching for a new direction after ending long careers.

What they all have in common are wonderful memories of A&D,and excited anticipation for our 35th reunion in June!
The hunt for grads continues.........If anyone has any leads,email me at miroddi@aol.com
There are still many who are proving difficult to find!

Lori Halpern Miroddi

A Small World

2008-01-21T15:20:00.000-05:00

Richard Gordon met Helaine Seidman at Camp Wel-Met in Narrowsburg, New York in the late 60's when they were about 12.

They even appeared in the big year end musical "The Sound of Music" as kids together. Both from Queens, they met years later at The High School of Art & Design, dated and remain friendly. They lost contact until Richard transferred from Hunter College in Manhattan to Queens College, where he reconnected with Helaine. Richard became an entertainment publicist handling numerous Broadway, movie and TV celebrities and Helaine pursued an acting career.

After a few years of no communication, they met on a bus on the Upper East side, where they both lived. Richard on 70th and Second Avenue and Helaine on 72 and Third. Richard set up Helaine, now Hunter, with her first manager & over the years lost touch. A few years later they ended up moving to Los Angeles to pursue their careers and without knowing, moved across the street from each other and reconnected once again. Richard introduced Helaine to her next manager, the woman who also handled his client Delta Burke from "Designing Women".

While performing on a cruise ship, Helaine met her husband Paul Smith and eventually moved to Florida, where Richard's family lived. They lost touch for another few years to later find out that Helaine and her husband moved to Las Vegas Nevada, where Richard booked his celebrity clients like Lainie Kazan, Connie Stevens, Carol Lawrence into a Casino near to where Helaine lived. Last year Richard's entire family moved to Las Vegas about ten blocks from where Helaine's parents moved in Sun City months later.

Helaine is a family therapist now & has offices within walking distance to Richard's mothers house. Small World. Helaine and Paul moved into a gorgeous estate in Vegas and Richard is in West Hollywood, California and visits quite often. Small World after 40 years, ugh?

Richard was sad to hear about the passing of friends like Peter Sariego and Ben Friedman. He was happy to see his dream come true (of about over 30 years) of starting the fire for our 2007 Reunion, and is so appreciative to Joe, Laurie, Pina and all the others who helped coordinate our first reunion this past summer. Richard keeps in touch with Karen Weiner Turkel, Rhonda Goldman Sussman (who visited him a few months ago) Laurie Beck, Fran Edelman & now Joe Notovitz & Laurie Moss. He'd love to reconnect with Rhonda Greenblatt Smith, Adele Sheiff, Vicki & Valerie Aarons and a few others from the Class of '73. He did find out that brilliant artist, A+D alumni Michael Yurchak, is still living on East 86th Street with his family and has had serious problems over the years.

Send him an email at: RichardGordonPR@aol.com if you remember him and HelaineHunter@aol.com if you would like to contact her.

Who remembers the 50's Sock Hop?

2007-10-13T21:55:00.000-04:00

Gary Brumberg sent me these "Golden Oldies" from the 50's Sock Hop. That's Adele Scheff and Helaine Seidman doing the Lindy. In the group shot top row- I cannot identify the 3 people on the left. But Ben Freeman is in the tank top, Adele Scheff, Valerie Aarons, Peter Sarego, tiny back head (?), Steven Cohen, Vicki Aarons
& Loni Cohen. Front row:
Laurie Moss and Richard Gordon.

Sharing-Sherwood Martinelli In Heyoka Magazine

2007-10-04T20:52:00.000-04:00

ENVIRONMENT



Sherwood Martinelli is on the Board of directors of FUSE USA and is in a legal battle with the Indian Point nuclear power plant to stop its relicensing. He has almost 20 years of experience in taking on large polluters, and the utility industry. As founder of Save Wills Creek Water Resources Committee, played instrumental roll in seeing a $70 Million clean up of the Shieldalloy site in Ohio, including remediation of over 200 radioactively contaminated homes. As founder of the Guernsey County American Free Tree, he distributed over 400,000 trees to local schools and civic groups. Sherwood has a blog at the link below. [ www.greennuclearbutterfly.com ].
Sherwood Martinelli, Vice President of FUSE USA is featured in the latest edition of Heyoka Magazine.

Read the article: http://heyokamagazine.com/HEYOKA.9SherwoodMartinelli.2.htm

In Memoriam

2007-10-01T15:14:00.001-04:00

Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant - Our Honorary Classmate Fights Relicensure

2007-09-25T23:19:00.000-04:00

As a general rule, I am a quiet environmental activist that prefers to work behind the scenes in facilitating changes in our lives that ultimately will benefit our children and our children's children. It's not something I talk about all that much and may surprise a number of my friends from A&D when they read this information. As a member of our class I like to keep our blog updated on things each one of us is doing that correlates to our lives in the past, present and the future, be it with regard to our work, our children and our families. In that vein, and without getting into the pros and cons of the following news, I share some important news with you where it affects Sherwood and the work he does behind the scenes for the environmental and antinuclear community.

Those of you who know Sherwood - or most certainly have come to know him during the weeks we were preparing the reunion - know that at one point in his life he was a considerably well-known and successful potter on the craftshow circuit and owned his own pottery company, which he sold in 1997 in favor of other pursuits in life. You know him as an individual who is an expert event planner on the retail level, especially when it came to setting up craft shows and multiple tents, that givingly devoted much of his time and energy to our reunion. But what few know about him is this: he is a committed environmental activist. During his years in Ohio (and long before he met me) Sherwood was the founder of the Save Wills Creek Water Resources Committee, and played a significant role in ensuring a $70 Million clean up of the Shieldalloy site in Ohio, including remediation of over 200 radioactively contaminated homes.

Since December 2006, Sherwood has been working diligently on preventing the relicensing of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant located in Buchanan, NY, which is a scant three miles from our home. When I moved here 12 years ago few people mentioned that there was a nuclear power plant here, and if they did, I didn't think about it. I had other issues on my mind. Sherwood, who is vastly familiar with the NRC and other related energies, has been focusing his attentions on preventing this relicensure because there are significant problems with the plant that will prove to be significantly dangerous to all of us who live within a 50 mile radius from Buchanan.

On Friday, September 21, Sherwood and his group FUSE USA were able to file their contentions with the NRC and secured an extension for other documents that had to be filed. A press release was distributed to the news media and on Saturday 9/22 and Sunday 9/23 Sherwood and his group were interviewed by Matthew Wald for an article about this subject. This was published in the Monday, 9/24/07 B Section of the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/24/nyregion/24nuke.html?_r=1&ref=nyregi...&oref=slogin

Since then a publicist has been hired and additional papers have picked up the article. Please see the links that follow:

http://www.newstimeslive.com/news/updates.php?id=1186571702&source=news_updates

http://www.mmdnewswire.com/nucler-wtchdog-alleges-more-violtis-t-indin-point-2264.html

We hope that you will read about this important news, and I thank you for allowing me to share it with you. I am very proud.

Greetings and Photos from Jeff Buckland

2007-09-19T21:18:00.000-04:00

Greetings classmates! I trust that all of you thoroughly enjoyed your summer and that you and your families are doing well now that the fall has arrived (or at least appears to have done so given the slight chill in the air each morning up here in the "wilds" of Peekskill, NY.) Though summer vacations have passed, school has started, and the hectic nature of our lives has resumed with its usual intensity, I wish all of you a wonderful fall and winter. I think of our reunion often and want to thank all of you who helped us put it together! We could not have done it without your input, help, research and so forth! Thanks so much to all of you who made the time to attend the event! It was great seeing you! Don't be strangers!

As for Sherwood and I, all is well in our humble neck of the woods even though we are both hugely busy in our lives. Our summer was the absolute BEST! We spent most of our summer traveling and spending time with friends (including a fantastic and memorable 4 day visit over the July 4th holiday with Vickie Aarons Bligh and Valerie Aarons Farrell at their home in L.I., courtesy of the reunion - more on that later, after I upload our photos from that great visit!), family members, and other personal friends from the various periods of our lives. Spending time with our friends and family was very life affirming for us both and we are still relishing in the memories we shared with every one.

The most relaxing, chill-inducing part? In early July, just after we spent a weekend camping with my older brother, Sherwood and I stumbled upon a fantastic (and well maintained) campground in Greenfield Park, NY, which is a scant 5 miles from Ellenville, NY. The day after we found the place we purchased a gorgeous camp trailer (my tent camping days are over!), signed up to become "seasonal" campers, and off we went! We spent virtually every weekend there (and during my vacations) free of home telephones, cell phones and emails. It was, simply put, the best place for us to be....together. I haven't been this relaxed in eons!

If you are in Ellenville or are simply passing through you absolutely MUST make reservations for dinner at the Aroma Time Bistro. The menu offers a wide variety of freshly prepared (additive-free, gluten-free, antibiotic-free, sugar-free, etc.) meat, fish, chicken, pasta, etc. and is perfect for vegans, meat and fish lovers. The owners are terrific, the food is amazing and the atmosphere is lively and friendly. Local musicians play on specific nights, too. Check it out!

Aroma Thyme Bistro, Marcus and Jamie Guiliano

Onto other, great things....Last weekend, just after we returned home from camp, I was pleasantly surprised to have received an email from Jeff Buckland. Jeff sent me a few photos from high school that I thought I would share with you on his behalf. I have one of Jeff and I on the Terrace when we hung out a lot together (we were 15) that I will also scan and upload soon. Everytime I look at these photos I realize just how young we were. I recognize some of the people in the photos but if you can identify all of them that would be great! Enjoy!

Bronx Girls Brunch

2007-09-13T23:22:00.000-04:00

On Sunday September 9, Susan Chunovitz Assaban, Lori Halpern Mirrodi & Laurie Moss Fried met at the Fried house to reconnect and reminisce about not just our Art and Design days but our days in the Bronx going back to Pleasantville Day Camp and a few years we spent at PS 95! Our classmate Denise Nahmias Balcanoff could not make it due to illness. We hope for another mini reunion this year and invite fellow Bronx girls to join us.

2007-07-22T18:18:00.000-04:00

Hi All.

What a trip! I've been enjoying all this. I was blown away by the faculty pix. Those old familiar faces: some rekindling fond memories, some stirring a creepy feeling. It's all been like getting back a piece of me that was lost out there somewhere. Wish I could've have seen some of you at the reunion. There's always next year. Kudos to all who have put this together.
— Josie

Do you remember the A & D faculty?

2007-07-19T15:03:00.006-04:00

Hello all.
Here are a few pages from the 1972 yearbook. Spark any memories?
(Click on images for an enlarged view.)

Simply Bedazzled

2007-07-16T09:59:00.000-04:00

Yes, as Rosen stated---I was BEDAZZLED (ahem--I might have used the word "interested"-instead--but whatever Rosen says shall remain) with the news that he has forged a longterm friendship with Chryssie. I've loved the Pretenders for years--since their heyday in the late '70's. But, that is not what makes me the happiest. What really makes me kvell ( Please translate for Chryssie, Steve) is all of Steve's lofty accomplishments as an author and an authority on Eastern religions and comparative religion. And he's still FUN!
In other words, Steve's a pretty cool guy. I knew it back then and I know it now.

About that photo with Chrissie . . .

2007-07-12T14:52:00.000-04:00

I just got off the phone with Ellen Greenstein Campeas, and she was bedazzled by the photo with Chrissie Hynde (below). A Pretenders fan from way back (well, given our 34-year-parameter, it's not that far back . . .), she wanted to know the extent of my friendship with the Pretender's icon.

In fact, it goes pretty deep. Here's the short version: It was fall, 1992, and we met backstage at the Garden -- it was Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary concert. (This is a long story in itself.) She told me how much she liked my first book, which was on vegetarianism and the world religions, and we became fast friends. Some years later, she wrote the foreword for my book, Holy Cow (which she's promoting in the picture on our blog). We kept in touch by phone. A couple years back, she wanted me to write her autobiography -- as her ghost writer. So she flew me out to London (where she's lived for the last 20 years) several times and we worked together for weeks at a clip -- the book is now on the back-burner, but we had a great time. We went to every vegetarian restaurant in town and hung out with some of my childhood heroes -- her close friends -- including Jeff Beck, who stayed up with us for an entire evening watching Curb Your Enthusiasm reruns and talking Eastern philosophy. Life is grand!

Featured Alumni – Steve Rosen – Author, Lecturer, Specialist, Advocate

2007-07-11T15:05:00.000-04:00

There’s no better example of the vastly different career paths our fellow graduates have taken than what Steve Rosen has accomplished. Steve has become one of the most respected and leading authorities on Hinduism and Eastern philosophy, with over twenty books published worldwide.

Steve is a veritable celebrity in the field. From signing books for his many eager fans at a major New York City bookstore, to actively lecturing and contributing to academic journals and popular periodicals – he has more knowledge and expertise on these subjects than most natives and practitioners of the East.

Since 1977, after emerging from a decade of study and meditation in Krishna ashrams (an ashram is an authentic Hindu and Eastern Philosophy training center), he has worked to free yogic practices from the constraints of academic agendas. Steve has had such a profound affect on his audience, that best-selling author Joshua Greene wrote an article about his challenges and achievements for prominent New Age magazine, Namarupa.

His best-selling books include Krishna’s Song (offering Westerners an easy-to-read introduction to Krishna’s sacred text), Essential Hinduism (unraveling the complexities of the Hindu Religion), Black Lotus (the biography of H.H. Bhakti Tirtha Swami), and twenty other titles are on sale throughout the world.

Oh, by the way, this is how you remember Steve:

Coming Soon to a Mailbox Near You!

2007-07-11T13:58:00.000-04:00

Please be sure you are on our Alumni Contact List to receive your Keepsake Newsletter from the June 24 Alumni Reunion. If you are not sure you are on the list, send your info to Joseph Notovitz - joseph@notovitz.com. You can also download the PDF here.

2007-07-09T19:15:00.000-04:00

What a great day our reunion was! I love that it was pulled together so quickly...because that tells me what we can do with much more time--like a year, for example.
The whole afternoon had a rather surreal feel to it...seeing faces that looked familiar and were still recognizable after all these years. Touching base with people with whom I once had close relationships...so nice to know that these people are doing well.
The day stirred up lots of memories and feelings within me as I'm sure it did for many of us. It was interesting to learn who was still in the art field and who was not (I'm not); who had children and who didn't; who lived far from NYC and who was local. Returning to the scene of the crime (The A & D Building) was almost too strange. I had never been back in this building since the day I graduated. It was odd that I didn't remember how to get to the terrace- that there was a little corridor next to the library which I had totally forgotten about......As I walked it--it all came rushing back to me!
It made me remember the ghost of Dr. Starr and his microphone, the spookiness of Ms. Rosenkrantz' English class, the flat nasal tones of Ms. D. Hoffman as she clicked to the next geometry slide saying : Going, going, gone..!
I remembered the lucky feeling of looking forward to school each and every day...and how special I felt that all my classmates shared one great thing:ART!

Memories, Dreams and Reflections (not after Carl Jung)

2007-06-28T20:05:00.000-04:00

I have spent the better part of this last week in a kind of glorious, contented fog, adrift in a sea of memories and experiences we all shared so long ago; adrift in the delight of recalling the beauty of our Sunday and time well spent with old friends. Inside, I am glowing and grinning like a kind of Cheshire cat, contented as she watches life unfold around her. The only thing that is missing is my purr, but I can learn how to do that in time. It shouldn't be hard; I have 7 cats at home to teach me their magical gift.

In many ways, the memories I have feel as if they happened just yesterday, even though I know, as we all do, just how long it truly has been. I smile at those old memories, as much as I smile about the new ones we created on Sunday when each of our lives converged once more, finally and at long last. A shining moment. A steady bond, unbroken.

For the first time in my life since we graduated, the memories I once thought were obliterated (by my mother's untimely death from cancer in 1975 when she was 52) are finally coming back to me and I feel whole within my spirit and heart. Until this past weekend three friends from Art and Design unknowingly (but thankfully and gratefully, on my part) served as my memory banks, each one reminding me of the memories we shared, the names and faces we once knew or ran into from time to time, of the young girl I once was, of the woman I hoped to be, of the woman I had become, of their dreams and visions. Until this past weekend, my friends would remind me of a person we once knew or an event we attended, but I couldn't see anything in my mind's eye, let alone recall the sound of that person's voice, their face and build. My memories were a blank canvas even after clearly defined visual points were given to trigger a memory. I'd search my mind and come up empty each time, more often than not stating that my memories were vague. I felt frustrated and isolated within this blank space, and wondered if I ever actually lived the years at Art and Design. I knew I did, but it was lost to me; gone because of the shock, the loss and the tragedy of what I faced a mere two years after we graduated. Now, all of that has changed. Now, I remember...

Field Day in Central Park... and spending most of our time at the Fountain there...Bethesda Fountain, in all of her rich, sculptural beauty, was my personal pool in those days, dare I admit it. As I look outside my home office window, I remember the countless numbers of times I was thrown into it - screaming my bloody head off - by some male member of our class, just as remember, if truths are to be revealed, the countless numbers of times I leapt into it on my own accord, wanting to cool off in the summer heat, not caring if my clothing was sopping wet. I remember walking home like that, my pants and shoes squishing and releasing water as I moved...I was free and these things didn't matter.

I remember watching the boys (and a rare brave girl or 2) play "Johnny on the Pony" there in the plaza adjacent to the Fountain, just by the grand stone staircase that led one to the Band Shell upstairs. I was one of the cheerleaders then. Standing on the sidelines and away from the ever increasing line of interconnected bodies piling on top of one another, I shouted with the best of them each time my team would win, as much as I screamed when the line would break and they'd fall in a tangle of arms and legs. In my mind's eye, I can still see the area as a somewhat seedy place; the lake filthy and dirty, the air reeking of garbage, pot and hash, when it was a time of "anything goes..." and it did...then. Now, when I walk through the area I don't know where I am, but I know where I have been.

I remember our Senior Class Trip to Hershey Park, in Hershey, Pa. , the absolute worst trip I've ever been on in my life. There were three buses I recall, each one categorized by some of us as "The Drunk Bus", "The Stoned Bus" and "The Non-drug/drinking Bus". For some reason, Arlene Schindler and I got stuck on the Drunk bus, which was not our idea of fun. From the moment we boarded the bus outside A&D early that morning until we returned that night, most - though not all - of the passengers got increasingly more plastered or sick. As you can imagine, neither one of us was a happy camper, and by the time we got home we were in need of a seriously long vacation.

There are more memories to recall, more things to reveal. In time, as we each get to know one another again, these things will be revealed. In the meantime, I welcome you all home. It's great to be back.

WOW! Our blog traffic is amazing!

2007-06-27T14:11:00.000-04:00

In just two days of this blog's creation, the site has been viewed 518 times! This is unusual when blogs are first created, so I wanted to share the news!

Hope all are well,

Pina

Going back 34 years...

2007-06-27T07:19:00.000-04:00

A few words from our reunion...

Does anyone actually remember 1973?
I thought I'd take you back a little with some highlights.

Our president - Richard Nixon
Our vice president - Gerald Ford

Gas was around .40/gallon
A new car was $3200
A postage stamp was .08
Eggs were $1.22/doz.
The DOW average was 851.

Here were some top songs:

Carly Simon - You're So Vain
Elton John - Crocodile Rock
Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly

Jim Croce - Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

Dawn - Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree

Academy Award for Best Picture went to The Sting

We had some great TV shows -
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Hawaii Five-0
MASH
The Odd Couple

The greatest toys -
Pong
Shrinky Dinks
Dungeons & Dragons

The Vietnam War ended

Construction of The World Trade Center and Twin Towers was officially completed and the buildings dedicated.

Since then, we've all made a lot of progress. Many of our children are now graduating high school. And our graduates include very a successful animator, an actress featured in many films and TV shows, a Buddhist Monk, successful designers, architects, fine artists, a famous Old Navy fashion designer, comedy writers, musicians, Web designers, etc., all over the world - including Europe, Vietnam, Japan, Las Vegas, Washington State, Florida, Massachusetts and many I'm missing.

I have very fond memories of high school. It was one of the best times of my life. I had very close friends, experienced many things and now I have learned about a very unique bond. One that lasted 34 years, and will continue for another 34 and beyond.

Some poetic musing...

2007-06-26T23:51:00.000-04:00

Dreamers each and everyone

Scattered with the winds
Living life's adventures
Keeping real

Thirty four years
The flame kept alive
Waiting to spark and ignite
Knowing the time would come

Writers, poets, photographers
Talented, creative souls
Always searching
Hoping

Design
Cosmic Chance
Perhaps Divine Destiny
Whatever the reason, the time had arrived

Some dreams must see their day
Nature's forces uniting with singular purpose
Art and Design's Class of 73, the "Long Lost Yearbook"
Taking shape, finding renewed life in a simple Internet blog

Lost Horizons

2007-06-26T21:48:00.000-04:00

Milton Glaser said, "Design moves things from an existing condition to a preferred one." June 24th we "designed" an event that moved us from just another graduating class to a very special alumni class. In just 3 weeks we: organized and mobilized 50 alumni (and reached out to at least 20 more). Now we are following up with digital photo albums, a blog and the possibility of creating, "The Lost Yearbook of 1973". Please share your memories & photos with us. We'll keep you posted on where it's all heading. You can email me: lfried1@nyc.rr.com

Love to all,
Laurie Moss Fried

It was great seeing everybody!

2007-06-26T19:15:00.001-04:00

Steve with Pina and Jimi

It was great seeing everybody! I especially enjoyed hanging on the terrace again. Man, it brought back incredible memories. Suggestions: (1) Let's do it yearly in NEW YORK. The City is special and it's an integral part of what A&D was all about. What say you? (2) Let's include several years around our own. In other words, part of our A&D experience was the people in grades just below ours and just after it as well. That is to say, when we were in 10th grade, the seniors were a big part of our lives, as were the younger kids in the 9th grade. Let's track some of those people down and have huge reunions. The more people, the better, no? Why keep it to only 1973? Anyone agree? --Steve Rosen

Wow...

2007-06-26T14:31:00.001-04:00

Hey, all of you... Wow... I was deeply touched. I very much need to stay in touch with every single one of you, as this is a family from a very unique time long ago that will not come again. As I stated in Laurie’s photo album, ‘it seems as if the 34 year separation actually brought us closer.’ Please send me you contact information and thoughts; and by all means, let's please do it again next year. I actually vote/propose that we try it again in NYC for the slim chance that perhpas those who did not make it this time may join us as we again venture on to the terrace, backstage, cafeteria, etc., if we can catch it before the demolition. All those in favor??

Please take down my contact info:
http://www.CosmicWisdom.com/

310-916-8749

Your brother jimi ordonez

[Thank you Sherwood and Pina for adding my picture to this posting.]

Featured Alumni - Alex Eisenberg - J&R Computers and Music

2007-06-26T11:58:00.000-04:00

In today's technology driven world, it helps to have a electronic gizmo genius there to help you pick out just the right piece(s) of electronic equipment for your home theater or sound system. The graduates of the High School of Art and Design Class of 73 are fortunate to have just that person in Alex Eisenberg, who is a sales executive for J&R Computers and Music.

If you are looking for the latest in cutting edge equipment, coupled with a firm that prides itself on customer satisfaction, J&R Computers and Music is the only choice. Imagine a Megastore Venue, convenient online shopping, all blended together with the warmth and personal service associated with a small family owned local retailer.

You have just described J&R Computers and Music, can understand Joe and Rachelle Friedmans track record of success since opening up their first music store on Park Row in New York City back in 1971. In over 30 years of catering to the needs of their customers, from their early days of selling chart-topper vinyl LPs to a wide selection of the finest electronics available today, they have kept true to their roots, customer service and care always first on the list. Which explains why J&R is the only company to receive two separate "Retailer-of-the-Year" awards.

For those who remember Alex Eisenberg, it's obvious that J&R is a perfect fit for him and his considerable pool of knowledge and talents. So, if you are in the market for a home theater, sound system components, phones, computers, music, software, printers, or almost anything else electronic, give him a ring.

Alex S. Eisenberg
Sales Executive 17 (9 am-6pm est)
J & R Computers and Music
(800) 221-8180, ext. 1-1023

ase@jr.com

J&R Computers and Music where incredible selection, great prices and world class customer service are the foundation stones on which their success as a Megastore has been built.

From J&R's Web Site:

Low, Low Prices:

Through our strategic relationships, authorized dealerships, the expertise of our buyers, and exceptional promotions, J and R can offer excellent prices and outstanding values. If you find lower prices, from another authorized dealer, please let us know. J & R's Price Match Policy

Online Rebate Coupons and Offers:

Many manufacturers offer special promotions and rebate offers that require mail-in coupons. You can easily download these coupons from our website. J & R's Rebate Center

See a photo flip-book of our downtown NYC stores.

Art and Design Blog's Perks and Whistles

2007-06-26T00:37:00.000-04:00

As this labor of love lifts off into the cosmos, "The Fifth Dimension" singing to the stars and preaching about the dawning of Aquarius, thought I'd take a few minutes to explain some of the perks and whistles being added to keep everyone tuned in, turned on, and visiting on a regular basis. Where is someone introducing the members of the band? On bass, hailing from the Upper West Side, somewhere between Amsterdam and Columbus on 85th Street...OK, OK let's hear about the perks

1. We've added a great music service, and I'd encourage everyone to visit their site and get it for your desktop...I'll make a note to put a link on our sidebar. You can click off the sound any time you want, which is nice to know if you want to use another little toy on the blog.

2. Compliments of Google and YouTube, we have an ever changing selection of classic videos from John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and of course the Woodstock Concert. Make sure the stereo is off, click on a video selection, and scroll to the top of the blog to watch some of the great classic rock moments from our time.

3. Events of our time has some fabulous links to give us a bird's eye view into Landing on The Moon, The Vietnam War, and even Tricky Dick Nixon...I am not a Crook!

Pics from Anthony Amico (Bobbi Azumbrado)

2007-06-25T23:56:00.000-04:00

Here are a few photos Anthony took - there are many others. This is great! Love you all

The Magic of The Universe...

2007-06-25T23:31:00.000-04:00

When I was first approached by Joe to help in this great reunion fete that Richard and he initiated, I was thrilled that I could actually participate and contribute to the "good of the whole". Had I been contacted during the month of May, especially in its last two weeks, I would have been forced to decline due to work commitments. Most likely I would not have been able to even attend the grand occasion either, which would have been a major drag as seeing everyone from A&D has been a dream of mine, as much as it has been a dream for everyone else, too! May 28 - June 1st is my busiest week of the year and I am consumed with finalizing all of the logistical plans and details for Bronx Community College's Commencement exercises. This year Commencement fell on Friday, June 1st, and as is customary for me, the subsequent weekend is my time to crash and burn, or better yet, float around the house in my pajamas, with nary a care or responsibility in the world!! But this year there was a God or Goddess who intervened on some marvelous and magical level, and lo and behold...POOF!... everything fell into place. Sometimes the Universe truly astonishes me.

This has been a year of reunions for me and from all parts of my past. Most have been as a result of Classmates.com, a site I all but blew off until I felt the pull in my spirit to rejoin and reconnect again this past February. Classmates has literally opened a new window into my own life and I have been utterly amazed by the gifts of rekindled friendships it has given me.... From a boy I knew in elementary and Junior High School on New York's Upper West Side, to a guy I knew at 20 in Saugerties, New York, where my parents and I moved just after we graduated from A&D, right before I was to start at Sarah Lawrence College. The only person I reconnected with apart from Classmates was a very close male friend of mine from college that I ran into (after peering at him for some 20 minutes with my glasses on, wondering if that was, indeed, my dear friend David) at the Clearwater Environmental Festival in Croton, NY, the weekend of June 16th and 17th. With the A&D reunion plans intermixed between all of my other connections, I was decidedly beside myself. I felt 17 again!

Sunday was a beautiful and lovely day for me personally, just as I knew it was for all of you. Seeing everyone again, including those I did not know all that well, has touched a part of my spirit and my past I thought I had all but forgotten over these long 34 years. Walking into A&D yesterday tugged at my heart and the memories flooded back to me....of the time I started dancing in the cafeteria one lunch period and pissed the lunch monitor off, especially after everyone started drumming on the tables; of the black cape I wore with bright red lipstick one Halloween; of the hair I meticulously braided into teeny tiny braids before bed, only to set them free in the morning in one great mass of frizzy hair, the kind that disturbed fellow bus passengers who thought I was a freak; of dancing bare foot in the rain one hot summer day; of our graduation and my insistence on wearing a wreath of flowers in my hair, replete with a Capezio leotard top and dance skirt, and flip flops, the latter of which did not exactly thrill my mother and father. I think of the conversations I shared, as much as I think about the friendships that have been forged for a lifetime, many of which continue to this day. I think of the memories....I think of all of you, with love.

And finally, thank you all for making my husband, Sherwood, feel so welcomed into the fold! He had a fantastic time and is looking forward to creating memories with many of you that he had a chance to spend some time with!

A&D 24 June 2007 34 years too late!

2007-06-25T23:27:00.000-04:00

Reunion Memories Courtesy of Gioia Fumo-Feel The Love

2007-06-25T20:02:00.001-04:00

We look MARVELOUS!

To See the rest of Gioia Fumo's delightful reunion photographs, or to order prints visit here.

The Art and Design Class of 73 Blog

2007-06-25T16:58:00.000-04:00

Greetings:

First, welcome to the High School of Art and Design Class of 73 Blog. This is everyone's blog, and we hope as it moves forward, that it will be a warm space where we all stay in touch, and share important moments from our own lives with other members of the graduating class via photographs and the written word. For now, just a few notes to help everyone find their way around, and get comfortable in our new home here in cyberspace.

If you have a business or personal website, and would like to include it in our side bar, please email it along to any member of the Reunion Committee, or contact us at artanddesign73@aol.com and we will get it up as quickly as possible. We are the generation of networking towards a better tomorrow, so lets build a rich, vibrant set of useful links here on Art and Design 73.

Sidebar features in the works. "Events of Our Time" will provide links to webpages about some of the more important events and people of our time such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, The Vietnam War, and of course the World Trade Centers. We have also started a section for, "Fun Spaces and Places" and hope you will share all your favorite places to go, be it a favorite eatery, vacation spot, or a unique site on the World Wide Web.

We hope everyone enjoys this new blog, and if anyone has any suggestions, please share them on the blog, or via email.

Pure Magic

2007-06-25T14:07:00.001-04:00

I want to start this off by saying that I think the reunion was a great success. Around 50 people - most not seeing each other for 34 years. I was amazed at how little people can change in appearance, personality and voice after so much time. Everyone was very good-looking, distinguished, intelligent and very warm. A lot of emotion. Everyone wore name tags provided by Laurie Moss, with their 1973 yearbook picture. Between everyone there was an amazing bond I cannot explain. I arranged a surprise walk-through of the high school. Around 50 of us walked around the cafeteria, terrace, library, classrooms, gym and auditorium - but the highlights were the cafeteria and terrace - where so many memories returned. Several ladies were emotional and this had to be the most touching thing I have ever seen. Most became 17 years old again. Few remembered the library - I wonder why???

Please feel free to look at this first batch of pictures shot by Gioia Fumo by clicking here.

Art and Design Reunion Tour! Pics from Sunday

2007-06-25T11:50:00.000-04:00

Art and Design Class of 73 Reunion-The Essence of Magic

2007-06-25T10:07:00.000-04:00

Not sure how they managed in three short weeks to pull it off, but the Fantastic Four (Joe, Richard, Laurie and Pina) put together our first reunion of the Class of 73 in a fashion that can only be described as, "The Essense of Magic" at the Zarela which is located at 953 2nd Avenue, just blocks from the High School of Art and Design. From moment one, it was obvious this was the right time, and the right space for the long awaited reunion to occur...the warmth, love and connection between everyone gathered was obvious to even the most casual of observers, and almost 24 hours later I marvel at yesterday's event, it is hard to fathom that most of these warm caring people had not seen each other for over 30 years.

This group of creative and artistic vagabonds, the Class without a year book have spread out across the globe, and their combined life accomplishments are testament to the important part the High School of Art and Design played in shaping the adults they were to become. The group assembled included artists, public relations people, authors, events coordinators, teachers, and a host of other professions. Some of the class members, on very short notice, had flown in from as far as Los Angeles. In three short weeks, as if the cosmos had deemed it to be, everything fell into place, and ten percent of the graduating class managed to find a way to be there in the moment as hugs, warm embraces, and more than a few tears flowed and friendships were rekindled over drinks and delicious Mexican food.

Not sure how Joe pulled it off, but he'd arranged for the group to take a walk uptown to the High School of Art and Design where everyone had a chance to stroll down memory lane. It was a very emotional event as close too 50 of us walked around the cafeteria, terrace, library, classrooms, gym and auditorium - but the highlights were the cafeteria and terrace - where so many memories returned. Several ladies were openly crying out on the terrace, a few men getting misty eyed in what was one of the most emotional and touching things I have ever witnessed.

For one magical Sunday afternoon and evening, the Art and Design Class of 1973 was in session again, and for a magical moment in time we all had been transported back to the days of our youth, all of us together as one feeling 17 again.