Pre-Reunions Book Club and Academic Programming!
Apr 16, 2025 at 11:00 AM
In this email:
- Class of 2000 Book Club!
- Alumni Faculty Forums
- Millennial Lecture Series
- Class Offer - Blenders Discount
2000! We’re getting really close to Reunions…36 Days! As we all know, Reunions is more than tents and parades. We’ve got some really stimulating panels and lectures on tap and I wanted to highlight them for you!
Book Club
Join us for two pre-reunions book club sessions highlighting some of the work prepared by our very own classmates!
Jane Fleming, a freelance editor at JFF Books LLC, will lead us in a conversation with Jeremy Blachman, a ghostwriter, novelist, and screenwriter who has developed projects with major publishers and television studios, and has also been called “a very funny writer” by the Wall Street Journal. Jane and Jeremy will talk about their experiences ghostwriting, as well as Jeremy’s books, Anonymous Lawyer and The Curve (co-written with Cameron Stracher).
Alessandra Lusardi and her co-authors will talk about their book, The Lemon, a satirical novel that follows the aftermath of a celebrity chef’s death and the media frenzy that ensues. It’s a darkly humorous exploration of foodie culture, fame, and the media. The Lemon was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. It was also named one of the most anticipated books of fall 2022 by Entertainment Weekly.
Links to their books, as well as information relating to many other books and music from our classmates, can be found here: https://reunions.princeton2000.org/library/
So bid every care withdraw this upcoming month and curl up with a good book!
Alumni Faculty Forums
A Reunions tradition for over 65 years, the Alumni-Faculty Forums (AFFs) bring together alumni panelists from the major reunion classes and the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni for discussions of a broad range of timely or timeless topic. We’ve got several classmates participating as panelists and moderators, be sure to come out!
- High Stakes: The Legal, Medical and Social Implications of Drugs in America – Featuring Nab Dasgupta
Friday, May 23 8:45 - 10:00am, McCosh 50 - You’re Doing What Now?: Stories of Career Transformation and Growth – Featuring Kristen Leone
Friday, May 23 2:00 - 3:15pm, Thomas Auditorium 003 - Beyond the Verdict: What Supreme Court Rulings on Affirmative Action Mean for College Access – Featuring Jen Jennings
Friday, May 23 3:45 - 5:00pm, McCosh 50 - Money in the Game: The New Business of College Sports – Moderated by John Mack
Saturday, May 24 10:30 - 11:45am, Robertson Hall, Arthur Lewis Auditorium - Campus as a Catalyst: Student Activism and Social Change – Moderated by Regan Crotty
Saturday, May 24 10:30 - 11:45am, Thomas Auditorium 003 - The Future of War and Peace: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities for Global Stability – Featuring Susan Farbstein
Saturday, May 24 10:30 - 11:45am, McCosh 50
Millennial Lecture Series
The Princeton Millennium Project was launched in 1998 by Mike Bosworth with Jen Jennings. In its initial version, we hosted three lectures reflecting on “the state of society as we approach the next millennium.” In 2006, our class built on this with the Millennial Lecture Series (MLS), intending to bring discussion of important current issues to the Reunions calendar. The MLS received the Award for Innovation from the Princeton Alumni Council Committee on Reunions in 2011. This year, rather than one lecture, we’re bringing back three of our most celebrated lecturers (who also happen to be honorary classmates): Sean Wilentz, Robert Socolow, and Alan Blinder!
- Princeton Class of 2000 Millennial Lecture Series - Democracy in America 2025
Lecture by Prof. Sean Wilentz h00
Friday, May 23 10:30 - 11:30am Frist 301 - Princeton Class of 2000 Millennial Lecture Series - New developments in climate science and mitigation
Prof. Robert Socolow h00 in conversation with Julia Boorstin ’00.
Friday, May 23 2:30 - 3:30pm McCosh 64 - Princeton Class of 2000 Millennial Lecture Series – ECO 101: An update since 2000 (tentative title)
Lecture by Prof. Alan Blinder h00
Saturday, May 24 9:30 - 10:30am Frist 302 - Patriotism Versus Profit: Doing Business Amid Rising US-China Tensions.
Moderated by Jill Goldenziel ’00, Professor, National Defense University
Featuring:
- Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley (ret.) ’80 h00
- Raj Shah ’00, Principal, Shield Capital
- Chris Johnson ’00, Vice President, F135 Program, Pratt & Whitney
- Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi ’95, Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition with the Chinese Communist Party
- Former Congressman Mike Gallagher ’06, former Chairman of the same committee and current head of Defense at Palantir
Saturday, May 24, 10:30 - 11:45am, Frist 302
Blenders
Your classmate, Jack Gray answered the call from our last email for donations, and I wanted to pass along his message here…get em…they’re hot!
This May, I’m heading back to campus to celebrate our 25th — Class of 2000! It’s wild to think it’s been that long, but I’m ready to bid every care withdraw… and try not to completely embarrass my daughter in the process.
I’m also the CEO of Blenders Eyewear, and to mark the occasion, we put together a collection of Tiger-worthy shades just for Reunions. Whether you’re hitting the tents, strolling through Prospect, or reliving the glory days, you should do it in style.
As a fellow alum, enjoy 25% off some of our favorite Blenders picks in Tiger Orange: Use code: TIGERS25. Shop the collection now!
Hope to see you back at Old Nassau — I’ll be the guy in orange shades, trying to look cool enough to get a photo with my kid.
Go Tigers,
Jack Gray ’00
CEO, Blenders Eyewear
🐯
Upcoming Emails
Reunions can be a blur, so we’re trying to give you as much information as we can so that you can plan ahead and feel like you’ve made the most of what always feels like too little time. We’ve got some fun emails to come over the next few weeks, including a what-to-wear guide from our Costumes chairs, a Food & Beverage update (Did we say 4 signature cocktails, anyone?), and a preview of our entertainment (we’re blowing it out, btw)
