Pandamaniacs

a group of alums who decided to connect in lieu of social distancing

The Pandemaniacs were formed by a group of creativeminded, 1970s LEC alums who made the most of social distancing over the past two years. Most of them majored in theatre, dance, music or visual arts and have formed strong friendships with each other even long after their years at LEC. In fact, many of them worked together professionally following graduation. Although invited guests join the scheduled Saturday zoom calls from time to time, the core group consists of 22 individuals from 11 states and two countries.

Liz McMahon ’74 explains that the meetings started in April 2020 beginning with her birthday. “We tell stories, talk about a million different topics, look at collections of photos and have even done some readers’ theatre – every Saturday is fresh, unscripted and unexpected.” McMahon continued, “Our zooms are not about the past, though our hearts are linked by our Lake Erie shared experiences.”

Candice Cain Dunnigan ’77 says that the group can be best summed up in the Steven Sondheim song, In Old Friends from Merrily We Roll because it is truly a “unique blending of people with talent and heart,” as the song’s lyrics state. “Of all the arts, theatre allows for the longest, closest and most productive interaction of faculty, staff and students. After 50 years, I think we prove that every Saturday afternoon,” said Niles Wheeler, who attended LEC in the early 1970s, was a member of the Theatre Department for six years and whose mother and aunt graduated from LEC.

Elise-Anne Dealy ’77 is one of the group’s international members. She lives in Toronto, Canada. She worked as an intern in the theatre department for two years after graduating and then moved to Toronto. “I look forward to our Saturday evening zoom gatherings. Although I had kept in touch infrequently with some of my fellow Pandemaniacs since I had left LEC, it has been truly wonderful, especially during these pandemic years, to get together virtually with my friends. While many decades have passed since we were at LEC, I feel closer to them than ever,” said Dealy.

According to John Jacobs ’77, if it were not for the onset of COVID-19, the group of surprisingly deft Zoomers would not exist. “This digital gathering of friends grew out

of actual physical gatherings of a mishmash of Lake Erie alums in the Greater Cleveland area, mostly in the arts, getting together for lunch at various times throughout the year; usually just to enjoy one another’s company, and sometimes to celebrate some event or another. As it happened in April 2020, a reason for getting together for good food and refreshments presented itself: Liz McMahon’s birthday!”

Jacobs remembers receiving a call from Diana Weber Gardner to suggest a virtual get-together to celebrate Liz’s birthday, and thus, the weekly LEC Pandemaniac Cocktail Hour was born. He recalls that first meeting having an attendance of about nine people. Each week since then, he sends out a reminder email with his humorous PDFs, which the group has become accustomed to receiving.

“It seems everyone has a vivid memory from that shutdown moment in March of 2020 due to the ominous presence of COVID-19. For my LEC friends in Ohio, the upcoming plan of a surprise birthday party at one of our favorite restaurants was thwarted due to the state shutdown,” says Pandemaniacs member Diana Gartner. It was her idea to use Zoom to make the virtual meetings a possibility. “Though not novel now, hardly anyone used Zoom then. As a digital marketer at Cleveland Clinic, I’m entrenched in technology and soon saw this as our silver bullet if people would be willing to try. So I signed up for a Zoom paid subscription and called our beloved comedian John Jacobs to get his buy-in on holding a party via computer. If John liked it, we are a go. So he and I gave it a test run and the rest is history.”

According to Gartner, this app meant that now her identical twin sister Deb could finally join in from her home office in Philadelphia; and also Mary in Arizona; and then Missy in Seattle. She explains that the one stipulation to receive the invitation link to the group’s happy hours was to have been active in the Lake Erie Rickle Theatre in some way. She compares the Zoom meetings to having a magical element similar to a Broadway show. “Each show is different, and each touches the heart in a way that is difficult to describe. Each meeting alleviates anxiety during this pandemic when we are in need of that bond with amazing friends located on many continents. And when someone is unable to attend, the door is left open for them no questions asked except, ‘How are you?’”

Debra Kaden ’77 is grateful for the weekly zoom meetings as they have allowed her to maintain cherished friendships and describes it as a unique and endearing time. She has enjoyed sharing a few of those past stories with the group including how she found herself in Liz McMahon’s ‘tower’ dorm room. “I saw her saddle shoes in the closet and slipped my feet into them. I walked (and danced) up and down the halls.” Kaden looks forward to the day soon when she and her former classmates can be together again in person.

Ellen Ealy Shipley ’80 says, “Attending the Pandemaniac Zoom meetings has been an amazing benefit from COVID. It’s great to be in touch with a group that totally changed my life - introduced me to the camaraderie of creating theatre together. My LEC education has given me so many skills and opportunities that have helped me become successful. I don’t make every meeting - the Saturday afternoon gatherings US time mean getting up in Australia’s winter for a 7am Sunday call during the US summer...but it’s always worth it.”

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Memories from the 1900s

Bill Wickham of Naples, Florida vividly remembers his grandmother playing the parlor organ and singing a talent that no doubt was honed while attending Lake Erie College from 1916-1920.

Corinne F. Prentiss documented most of her college days in a memory book that Bill recently donated to his grandmother’s alma mater.

The memory book is now part of the College archive and will be on display during future Homecoming Alumni Weekends for all to enjoy. The scrapbook was filled with newspaper articles, photos, holiday cards from classmates and ticket stubs from musical recitals and concerts performances.

Corrine Prentiss saved plenty from her college days, including dance cards from campus mixers during the 1900s.