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New York, NY - June, 2002
The night marked the first event of the Yale Swimming Association's New York chapter,
a committee launched to improve the social and professional relationships of Yale swimmers
and friends everywhere.
So who came? Well, everyone. For our first event, it was quite a coup: 90 people made it,
including 50 Yale swimmers (split about 50/50 men/women).
Some came attached. Greg and Kristin Clague Reihman '92 arrived fresh from Reunions and a
tour of the East Coast. Steve Gold '99 showed off his new wife, Ashley, while Leigh
Metcalf Ances '93 introduced us to her husband and fellow schoolteacher, Mike. Suzanne
Heizer '96 and Kasey Gill '00 replaced their Ivy rings with more "appropriate" precious
stones, and weren't afraid to bring their new fiances, Tim and Ben, along for the ride.
Some came with war stories: Sukbin Song '96 trapped Frank for the twenty minutes before
anyone else arrived, prompting Frank to wonder if this was the first thing for which Suk
was ever on time. Doug McKay '96 flew in the day of the event and out the following,
landing back in Toronto an hour and a half before his medical school graduation. Adam
Vann '95 and Carrie Ivers '96 snuck out of work early in D.C. to race each other by train
and plane. Other teammates in Boston and Philadelphia and Connecticut made their way to
Chelsea, as did the dozen or so out-of-staters who happened to be in New York for
Reunions or Brian Hall '97's wedding.
Tim Blake '96 even came sporting a new pair of khakis from Banana Republic bought minutes
before the event.
Whether we came by plane or train or subway or foot, we each left with a memory or ten:
Stephen Fahy '00 incomprehensibly chanting English football songs; Keith Truelove '94
and Mike Faro '93 parading around with the well-stocked Mory's Cup brought especially
for the occasion; Casey Whalen '96 and Tricia Meyer '96 forceably demanding biographical
information at the door for our new alumni database; 6'3, 160-pound ex-diver Geoff Emerson
'95 introducing himself and his equally thin brother Vaughn as "Rosie and Vann" to all of the
'00 swimmers.
While it was great to see so many old friends, the biggest smiles were reserved for the
attendance of our esteemed coaches and friends, Frank Keefe and Steve Potsklan (Nick
Nichols, by the way, was ready to cancel his vacation to France for the event). Everyone
who waved goodbye to Frank, with his blue Yale blazer tied around his waist, scurrying to
catch the last train to New Haven with AD Larry Matthews won't forget it soon.
As our night to came to a close, two things became obvious: 1) Mory's cups are a lot
stronger than we remember and 2) We need to do these events more often. That, simply,
is the goal of our Chapter. No matter your age or geography or swimming prowress, there
is always reason to celebrate a group with so much friendship, memories, and outlandish
characters.
Want to get involved in planning events like this one? Please contact John Mendell.
And don't forget to fill out an Alumni Info Form so we know how
to invite you to the next one!
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