How Zoom Bonded The Class of 1971

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Courtesy of Michael Pepper ’71

Like many, members of the Class of 1971 began to gather remotely for Zoom calls during COVID. It was a safe and enjoyable manner to convene with dear friends from an impressionable period in our life journeys. In time, what began as a convenient way to assemble grew into a wonderful extension of paths first crossed long ago. Six years later, at least 15 (though often more) classmates continue to meet almost weekly. West Coasters call in on Mondays and East Coasters on Wednesdays. 

To put this in perspective for younger Tigers, when we graduated there were no laptops or cell phones. We used manual typewriters to submit our papers. So it is a big deal to be able to connect by Zoom in this way. 

Before this, our main point of connection happened annually at Reunions. It’s the time where we remember and relive what we experienced together at Princeton — we were among the first classes to admit women and in school during major world events including the first man on the moon, and the Vietnam War, to name a few. 

While Reunions continues to be a special occasion for those of us lucky enough to march in the P-rade, our weekly Zoom calls have created new opportunities to strengthen our bonds. For me these calls are heartfelt, with all of us having experienced formative common ground and continuing to talk together about our life journeys.

There is always plenty to share, and with that comes laughter, sorrows, knowledge, wit, humor, and incredible recollections. Did we really have to wear neckties to dine in Madison Hall for Sunday dinner during our freshman year? And how many of us cut our neckties short in protest? Yet we were, of course, still served dinner! Was there actually a campus Nude Olympics? 

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The Class of 1971 at a recent gathering in California. 

Courtesy Michael Pepper ’71.

And yes, some of those memories are getting better with age! 

We talk about our careers, sports, and what’s happening in the world. On a recent call, we discussed the war in Iran. Many of us were strongly opposed, as many in our class were subject to the draft during the Vietnam War and experienced the loss of friends as a result. The classmates who served in Vietnam provided further insights into today’s geopolitical challenges. 

There is gravitas, no doubt. We have a classmate who for years while in attendance on these calls was only steps away from the room where his wife spends the entirety of her days and nights in bed and unable to talk. Everyone is humbled by his loving support. We have another classmate who shared weekly progress as she built a ramp during the winter, to enable her impaired husband a safe journey from the entry steps of their home to their car. Not long ago we listened with open hearts as a classmate described the love of his life dying in his arms. We listened as he shared his broken heart with lifelong friends.

There is always support. If someone has a problem and shares it, they will receive empathy no doubt. The collective experience of classmates can and has provided guidance and thoughtful solutions to life challenges. A large 401(k) theft?  Advanced prostate cancer? Pancreatic cancer? Early signs of memory loss and confusion?  There is plenty of experience, mutual respect, and thoughtfulness on these calls. Sure, we talk about Princeton’s current Olympians, and we cheer them on, but similarly, we can chime in on the serious issues too. There are times when a simple view of our aging classmates bearing empathy on a Zoom call can be heart-filling.

Each year I interview a handful of Princeton applicants. These interviews are also typically on Zoom. It is indeed too early for these incredibly talented hopefuls to grasp that their applications, among other things, could lead to lifelong common ground among Princeton classmates. Our Zoom calls, far from any of the thoughts of members of the Class of 1971 when we applied, provides for that. For me our Zoom calls have been a very special gift.

We are the Baby Boomers, now also Zoomers.