1. You’ll be glad to take our survey
Our online 50th reunion survey, titled “70 Questions for Yale’62 70-Somethings,” launched January 18 with our January web issue. You’ll find it interesting. The goals are very simply are to have as many classmates participate as possible; learn from the survey about ourselves as 70-Somethings; make comparisons and contrasts with the information from previous surveys, and then have a spirited discussion in New Haven on June 2.
By any chance, do you care just a bit about family, finances, health, lifestyle and politics? How about sex? Or is that a thing of the past? Are you more or less religious?
This is fourth time that we have done a class survey on such areas in partnership with Smith ’62. The 2007 findings showed quite different attitudes between men and women about marriage and grandparenting. Will it be the same or different in 2012?
Participation is easy. Have your password at the ready (it is in your email announcing this web issue, and if you have lost the email or you need a reminder, email webmaster@yale62.org and she will send the password to you). Just click on: Yale62.org/50thSurvey/ and after a welcome and a few directions, you are ready to go. If you want to stop and return later or to complete the full survey and then look back at your answers a few hours or days later, your answers are automatically saved. Just exit the survey when you want to leave it, and return when you want to finish up. You can edit your answers, too, if you need to adjust them.
Because of the anonymity, these surveys are a safe chance to be frank. Over the years, presentation of these survey results, including plenty of audience participation, has come to be a fascinating part of our reunions. As in 2007, the presenters will be Al Chambers and from Smith, Celine Sullivan. They both have professional experience with this kind of data and nice senses of humor and sensitivity about the findings. Once again, we are using the popular Survey Monkey instrument for our “barely scientific” research.
Al advised, “There are no right or wrong answers. Don’t spend too much time thinking or fretting. Just consider your life and your attitude towards being a 70-something and have some fun while you are clicking through our 70 questions. They include a mix of multiple-choice and short open-ended opportunities, which encourage you to share more about what you really care about.”
Celine e-mailed, “I’m getting a bit melancholy as I pull this 50th Reunion research together. I’m recalling my conversation with Chris Cory, one morning back in 1982 at the Psychology Today Xerox machine, where this Smith-Yale caper began. I genuinely look forward to seeing how we’ve changed — or haven’t — over the 30 years.”
Al and Celine plan to start their analysis and comparisons of the two surveys in April. The full Yale results will be part of your Reunion packet for those coming to the reunion. They also will be posted on this website for those who cannot attend.
Let’s see if we can get more than 100 responses by the end of January and 250 by the end of February. It would be terrific if even more classmates took the survey than were able to attend the reunion, where we think attendance is going to be high. You can do your part by answering the survey right away.
2. Key Dates
Now: make hotel reservations. Suggestions are on the University reunion site, www.aya.yale.edu/reunions
February: respond to mailing from Yale with registration materials. Even if you didn’t send an indication you’d be likely to go, you still are fully welcome.
May 31 – June 3: Fiftieth Reunion
3. From Class Secretary Jim White, “300 essays, goal is in range.”
Jim’s full report is at this link: Note from the Secretary.
4. From Bob Oliver, 50th Reunion Chair, “David Swenson coup, powerful panels.”
Bob’s full report is at this link: 50th Reunion Planning Update
5. Reunion Requests for Books, Art, Music and Gays from Rowan, Carroll, Sipple and Nye.
Enriching our reunion will be two exhibits of our productivity in “letters” and art, two chances to sing, and a recently-added panel on being gay in our time. Follow the links below to requests for participation by those interested.
- Our Library of Our Times: Request from Ed Rowan
- Our Gallery of Our Times: Request from Dixie Carroll
- Our Voices for Our Times: Request from Peter Sipple
- Our Gays: Request from Bill Nye
6. Why I Go to Reunions, by Bill Nye
Bill’s title sums it up rather well. Follow the link ahead, for Bill’s view of the continuing value of getting together as a group. Click to read: Bill’s short essay.
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