Alum book club Zooms the globe

Unofficially they’re the Hilltoppers, a book club made up mostly of Cornell College alums from the 1960-70s. Maybe a more appropriate name would be Globe Trotters. 

Meeting monthly, exclusively through Zoom, no less than three different time zones have had to be coordinated each session starting with the first meeting in February 2021. Organized by Mike Conklin ’69, with Tom Durham ’77 as Zoom Master, the reading has been eclectic, informative, and entertaining. 

Each of the 16 members makes a selection, which have included mostly nonfiction titles such as “Red Notice,” “The Splendid and The Vile,” ”In Cold Blood,” and “Cattle Kingdom.” Andy Applebee ’71 has been recorder of the books. Membership also includes Joe Campanelli ’69, Tim DeLong ’69, Nels Lindquist ’71, Tom Melloy ’71, Steve Miller ’65, Tom Ray ’71, John Schilling ’69, and Preston Sitterly ’69.

The Hilltoppers span the globe. Literally. The first 2023 meeting in January had five different time zones represented. For Jack Carbee ’68, a regular who lives in France, this meant his usual 3 a.m. start. So what time was it halfway around the world in New Zealand, where participant Jeff Hicken ’69 was visiting? It was 3 p.m.