Set aside any preconceived notions you may have about octogenarians. Cornell alumni of the Class of 1944 will dispel them all. This is a group that began their university studies as the United States was emerging from The Great Depression and about to enter World War II. The typical, consecutive, four-year undergraduate experience was disrupted for them by the war—especially, but not solely, for those who served overseas. Graduation years vary from 1944 to 1949. Through it all—and maybe actually because of it all—this class resolved to stay together. The passing of time and the advent of new technologies haven't frustrated that intent.
Classmate Art Kesten took the leap from magazine publishing to webmaster to help keep his classmates connected. The war years pushed his own graduation year to 1949. But, he says, "I'd rather have the '44 after my name and be regarded as an old man than take five years off my life."
When visitors enter the Class of '44 website, one of the first statements they read is: "The Cornell Class of '44 website is dedicated to our progeny." The Class of '44 views their website as a "time capsule" for their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on, to learn what life was like on-campus during the 1940s and what life after Cornell is like for '44ers as they return to campus every five years for Reunion, organize trips around the world together, gather informally (Backyard Olympics and such), and record audio memoirs of all these experiences. They are deeply motivated to keep history alive, and do they ever have a lot to tell! Art Kesten is always brimming with ideas and memorabilia, but he decided he needed technical and creative assistance to transmit them to the web, and he wanted to explore new communications possibilities.
Art Kesten realized the potential the web offers to keep his classmates in touch when they are scattered geographically. After two attempts to hire web developers, he arrived at a site design and structure that worked for him. But when he wanted to go further than that, he found the service unresponsive and unreliable. So, in 2002, Art hired One Bad Ant not only to maintain the site, but to add new interactive features that would enable '44ers to communicate—in effect, to create an effective online community where they could share experiences and exchange information and ideas.
Can a website capture the vitality of such a close group and help sustain friendships that have weathered war, time, and distances? No…and Yes. Nothing beats face-to-face encounters. But the web offers amazing possibilities, and this was OBA's challenge: to create a living, growing, online community that is the next best thing to being there in person.
Because Art knows many of his classmates personally and is so intimately involved with the content, OBA has adopted a collaborative working relationship with him. After consulting with Art about what he wants to accomplish, OBA presents him with possible methods and features that meet his needs as well as suggestions regarding new technologies or ways of interacting that Art may not have considered. Art is quick to realize the potential of web technology. So the relationship and the website keep evolving. The project has become not only a reciprocally insightful exchange of ideas, but a lot of fun, too! So much so that you'll find OBA president Keith Kubarek on the '44 website, too. ("He didn't shave that day. He has a little goatee there," Art chides good-humorously.)
Working within the previously developed site design Art wants to retain, OBA takes care to preserve the unique history, personality, and sense-of-humor of the Class of '44. The website currently contains 1,746 pages, 3,000 photos, and 12 slide shows. It is a work in progress. Highlights include:
Despite different philosophies on facial hair, Art Kesten says, "OBA does the job. I'm totally satisfied with Keith's work and his approach to work. He responds so quickly. Any question I ask I get an e-mail either that day or the next morning. He's a big help, and I've learned so much from him. I feel as though he looks at this project personally and jumps in."