Maura Moynihan AIS class of 1975 Mmoynihan108@aol.com

Class of 1975

What a weekend! As a member of class of 1975 – a member fortunate enough to graduate from AIS, also known as Hindi High, the recent AIS/AES reunion was technically my 30th. But thanks to KC’s tireless efforts, AISers get to see everyone from ’61 to ’04 and that is a special feature of our alumni association. As my classmate Peter Ide said, the bond is so strong and it lasts for life. Every AIS gathering is precious because it validates my entire existence, it confirms why I loved that school so much, it renews my friendships, it revives memories of the SU, Kashmir Camp, Hauz Kauz tombs, Corbett Park, Prom Night, Boarding Unit, etc.

My personal high points of the reunion were; Tim Brown’s AMAZING slide show/video clips, which showcased my own music videos, shot on location in Kathmandu and very much a James R. Pepperling Jr. product: Laura Hanratta’s scrap book with priceless photos of 10th grade; the boat trip; sharing a hotel room with Sue Stull (she dazzled me with her gorgeous Delhi glamour when we met in 1973 and she hasn’t changed); hanging out, SU style, in the lobby with Cools, Thuermers, Riegers, Bairds, Ides, Kincaids, Marquises, Taka and camera; the Bonding of the Bands; and last but not least, that my Friday morning pilgrimage to the bidi wallah on Avenue A in Manhattan proved worthy and meaningful; over 50 bidis were collectively smoked by Sunday morning.

Maura, right, with Katie Gilmore Sheils

I decided it’s time for an active New York State Alumni Chapter, and I will do the needful. We will inaugurate the chapter with a dinner honoring KC in early July at my Manhattan apartment. Everyone is welcome.

At every reunion I make new friends, I see old friends, and I lose that painful sense of isolation that haunts me in America, that sense that no one could ever understand me – because my AIS friends, they understand, they know, and when we meet, I realize that nothing’s been lost, we are all still together, and this bond endures over decades, it never dies.

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