ALUMNI CLASS OF 2000 10-YEAR REUNION By Matthew Durrant THE SALTUS graduating Class of 2000 relived its School memories at a 10-year reunion weekend. The event kicked off with a cocktail party on the Gosling Centre terrace, where former students enjoyed getting together with former classmates and teachers, while seeing a decade of dramatic changes at the School. The reunion committee (Matthew Durrant, Sharmini Samuels and Kara Gibbons) welcomed the class to the Fairmont Hamilton Princess for dinner in Harley’s private dining room. Thank you to Saltus and Berta Barreto-Hogan for hosting the Gosling Centre soiree, to the Fairmont Hamilton Princess for the dinner, and, most importantly, to those who attended one, or both events and making them such a success. Special thank-yous go to students who flew back to Bermuda just for the weekend— Eli Lipschultz, Barry Houghton, Dan Duperreault and Laura Schoenberger. Reunion members paid tribute to former classmates Lori Mello, who died in 2007 at age 24 after a yearlong battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and Michelle Outerbridge, 18, who was fatally struck by a car at the University of Western Ontario during her first week as a student in September 2000. Kara Medeiros Gibbons said: “They say high-school years are some S A LT U S M A G A Z I N E of the best years of our lives. For Lori, I believe this was true. This school gave her the friends and memories that would keep her laughing through even the toughest times. Among many things, our high-school reunion was one of those that would have bothered her the most to miss. I’m sure everyone will have their own memories of who Lori was to them. She certainly knew how to make an impression. It was her stubborn nature that helped her fight. And her soft, loving heart that allowed her to have Jesus take her home in the end. For me, she was my ‘twin,’ my ‘best friend-soulmate,’ sometimes the most difficult—and easy—person to love at the same time. If you struggle to find a memory, I pray you will all remember her as you see her through my eyes. She is missed hourly and her death changed me forever. Thankfully, she left me with enough memories and moments to last me a lifetime.” Jessica Mello said: “Even now, I still have dreams about Michelle. When she pops up in a dream, it’s always as if Michelle never left us, but instead had gone on an extended vacation. In my dream, she looks great, happy, full of enthusiasm and a zeal for life: exactly like she was when she was alive. Michelle was an unforgettable person. I think I can say that everyone who came into contact with her was touched in some way; she was a special girl. I remember one night we decided on a whim to go to the Bermuda Folk Club. I had recently lent Michelle one of my Sarah McLachlan albums and she thought we knew one particular song well enough to perform it live at the club. She put both our names down to sing—I almost killed her! But we sang the song as best we could between fits of laughter, which I don’t think impressed any audience member. “There were also many of Michelle’s infamous sleepovers. We would decide to blast the music from her living-room speakers so we could hear it on her parents’ dock across the street. We blew the speakers in the process, of course. The movie marathons, the home-made fashion shows. We always had a blast. I know for certain that Michelle left a lasting impression on those of us who had the honour of knowing her. May she continue to live in the hearts of the Class of 2000.” Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the Michelle Outerbridge memorial fund, which gives financial awards to help students cover private music tuition. To give, contact bbarreto-hogan@ saltus.bm, 292-6177, ext. 6248. The Fight for Life Foundation was established in Lori’s memory. For more details or to give, contact fightforlifefoundation@yahoo.com. 37