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Alums' Self-Proclaimed BroFest

Readers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution were already acquainted with the writing of Washington and Lee alum Jeremiah McWilliams, a staff reporter for the newspaper. But they were more accustomed to seeing his byline under stories about such Atlanta-based companies as Coca-Cola, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (based in Atlanta — really), or Great American Cookies.

Then, one day recently, Jeremiah’s by-line showed up in the travel section, where he introduced readers to his three W&L roommates and described a West Coast journey the quartet made. The headline, One car + two weeks + four friends = ‘BroFest’, pretty much said it all.

In addition to Jeremiah, an ’05 graduate, the fellow travelers were Ian Dickinson ’06,  Andrés Amerikaner ’05 and Chris Alderman ’05. As Jeremiah and Ian (who got a credit on the story) explain, they started the tradition of summer mini-reunions in 2008. This one started in Seattle and ended in Napa, Calif., and included a night on Mount Hood that you’ll definitely want to read about.

And here’s a coincidence: One stop noted in the travelogue and through photos was at the Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa. If that name is familiar, it’s because Dr. Robert M. Sinskey is a 1945 Washington and Lee alumnus and a pioneering ophthalmologist who began planting grapes in Napa in 1982 and built his own winery in 1987. The winery has developed a reputation for producing quality pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon and heavier Bordeaux-style award-winning red wines. W&L awarded Bob an honorary doctor of science degree this past May.

Small world made smaller by such a “BroFest.”

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