Honors

Newsletter of the Thomas E. Bellavance Honors Program

Salisbury University

Editor:  Becki Lee    

"Lobsters!" he exclaimed. Naturally, the first thing I thought was, "How awesome would it be to have a lobster for a pet? I could keep it in the bathtub! It would scare my roommates!" We didn't buy a lobster that day, but that's okay.

While I'm on the subject of lobsters, I might as well bring up the Honors lobster. This has been a year for changes and brand new exciting things in the Bellavance Honors Program, not the least of which is the Honors lobster.

Granted, we have a great new freshman orientation, where old and new students alike bonded over the campfire and in the classroom.

And there’s that nifty mentors program, where every incoming freshman was assigned an upperclassman mentor to help them get used to life at SU.

Oh, and there is that new foosball table in the basement…

Not to mention all the new faces of the freshman class…

Or the exciting new course load for the spring semester —including a Hamlet class taught by the eminent Charles Duff of the Globe Theatre...

But all of these things pale in comparison with the Honors lobster, which lives in the upstairs cupboard and was christened the Official Lobster of the Honors Program in the orientation debate.

...Okay, so maybe some people won't agree with me on that last assertion. But you have to admit, this semester has brought some fantastic new events. With the start we've got, hopefully the rest of the year will only bring more new and exciting things - even if you don't like seafood!

As the students and professors departed Salisbury early Thursday morning, not as early as some would have liked, thanks to a faulty alarm clock, all were looking forward to an exciting weekend at the Sagamore resort in upstate New York. With them were all the necessities for a great weekend: digital camera/recorder, hiking boots, eveningwear, bathing costumes, Cranium and most importantly, high spirits.

Thursday, after checking into their luxurious cabin suites on the beautiful Lake George, SU’s entourage ventured into the town of Bolton Landing in search of dinner. Lady Luck led them to the only restaurant open for service in the bustling little town, but nevertheless, it was with satisfied bellies that the crew returned to the Sagamore, where they played a game of Cranium. John and Sondra proved victorious over Andy, Rochelle and Tim, and Sondra was declared the clay sculpture-making champion.

Friday morning, the Salisburians embarked on what they all believed was going to be a short, scenic jaunt through the woods. Little did they know that their mission would lead them through a series of harrowing experiences as this “short” excursion turned into an 11-mile trek through waterfalls, across streams and over rocky slopes. Needless to say, Salisbury’s terrain did little to prepare them for their journey, and a certain someone (ahem, Dr. Whall) sprained his ankle when he tripped over a rock, and Sondra managed to fall headfirst over a log even after John told her time and time again that hiking involves picking up your feet, not dragging them. They all eventually made it out alive despite their several setbacks and lack of preparation, and it appears that Dr. Whall discovered some sort of miracle cure for his hurt ankle, which had him jumping around on both feet later that evening.

That night after a fancy dinner provided by the Sagamore, the students discovered the pool, while the profs had a party of their own. Rochelle bought a blue rubber ball earlier in the day, which Andy, John and Tim turned into a game they called “Blue Ball.” The rules of the game were simple: hold the ball under water until someone said, “pass the stone,” then release the ball for someone to catch. The game persisted for quite a while until the students were coerced out of the pool by several angry lifeguards who were supposed to have gotten off duty 10 minutes before. The students’ energy could not be suppressed, however, so they decided to go back to their cabins and play another round of Cranium, this time with Dr. England joining in on the fun. But, even the brainy Dr. England was no match for John and Sondra, who once again proved victorious.

At approximately 6 a.m. Saturday morning, the students and professors were rudely awakened by an earthquake; Dr. Whall had been even more rudely awakened, since Rochelle had called him at 2 o’clock in the morning (word to the wise, don’t interrupt his eight hours!)! On the other hand, some of the students were already awake and showering because they had to get up early to show their posters. They were very frightened and were wondering what on earth was wrong with the Sagamore’s plumbing. Fortunately, it was only a brief upset, and the students and faculty all made it safely to their presentations, which included poster displays, speeches and discussions with other schools about their honors programs. Sondra presented a poster called “War on the Hudson: Battling for Freedom in the Wilderness,” while Andy, John and Tim gave talks entitled “The Suppression of Wilderness Values along the Wicomico River in favor of Economic Advancement,” “Locked up in the Wilderness: Prisons in the Adirondacks” and “Native American Poetry” respectively. Rochelle was given the task of photographing the ecstatic students.

Saturday night, the Salisburians went to a jazz concert put on by the hotel and a talent night hosted by students. Andy told a very funny story about a tick he discovered on a “private” part of his body and Dr. England read a poem he wrote about how boring committee meetings can be. Next, the SU students began a round of the game telephone up on stage, which wound up being pretty humorous. Then, since no one could get enough of Cranium, everyone, including Salisbury’s new LIU and FIT friends, participated in the ultimate Cranium challenge.

Sunday was a very sad day as the Salisbury students said goodbye to their newfound friends and boarded the van for the long trip back. They all agreed that it was a terrific weekend and they would never forget the experiences they had and the new friends they made. So, as they waved a final adieu to the Sagamore… the tape stopped rolling… Look for the Sequel, “The Sagamore Project 2: Gettysburg” coming this spring to a Saunterer near you.

HSA students bond with their new FIT and LIU friends.

On Saturday, the Sea Gulls participated in the Student Caucus, a session put on for and by the students in order to discuss student issues within Honors programs throughout the region. The Caucus proved to be a very emotional time, as the students from Salisbury learned about the insufficient provisions for deaf students provided by such conferences as the one they were attending. After more than an hour of genuine, from-the-heart discussion, the students decided to attend the Faculty Caucus, in what could have been dubbed a "sit-in." The spirit was not one of confrontation, but of awareness, as the student representatives offered their concerns to the faculty. In the end, the problems had not exactly been solved, but they had been addressed, which proved to be a good start for students and faculty alike.

In addition, the ride home from Sagamore proved to be the forum for the spawning of the idea for an Honors freshman orientation. The group's ideas, along with Dr. England's follow through and hard work, made it a reality. This September, the freshman Honors class got to experience the thought in action as they read the book Making the Most of College by Richard Light and spent a weekend of adventure at Assateague Island.

Jim attended the Citadel for his college education, and when he was a senior, Pat Conroy was a freshman assigned to the dormitory right next to Jim’s room. So naturally, since the class system dominated the school, and since freshmen, (a.k.a. plebes, dumbheads, knobs, smackheads, etc.) were lower than mud on the social scale, Pat and his roommate Bob Patterson became the personal slaves of Jim and his other three senior private roommates.

While reading various novels that Mr. Conroy has written, most of which include some sort of military school and different personas from that setting, I would hear stories from time to time from Jim about the gags that he and his roommates would pull (many still live on as outrageous Citadel legend). In the harsh military school daily life, Jim tried as hard as he could to have as much fun as possible in those oppressive school grounds. Because of this attitude, and although a great majority of the Corps of Cadets respected Jim for his brassiness, a couple of high-ranking individuals tried their best to run my stepfather out of school, even though he was weeks away from graduating.

The Citadel attitude toward the freshmen was one of pure hatred. For nine months, all of the first-year boys were tortured day and night by every upperclassman. In reaction to this constant abuse, Mr. Conroy published this poem in the Citadel literary magazine voicing his disdain for the cadre.

After the printing of this poem, the friendship between Jim and Pat truly molded when a group of cadets felt it was their prerogative to severely haze Mr. Conroy. One night they were doing a hellish job on Pat in the barracks bathroom, until Jim and his three roommates burst in on the scene:

There was nothing left to save when I heard a disturbance at the door. My senior privates had come for me, my four wonderful senior privates, the boys without rank that I’d come to revere came running into that shower room when my roommate told them where I was. Plunkett swung at one of my tormentors and Hough and LaBianco and Keyser pulled me to my feet...My senior privates had stormed in for the rescue and I’d love them the rest of my life for it.

Later on that year, during mid-year exams, Jim had started taking amphetamines in order to help him stay up all night to study (on one of these nights my stepfather absorbed a whole semester’s worth of differential equations and passed the exam the next day). After five days of staying up all night studying, he napped during study hours and was completely delirious and got caught off-guard by a surprise room inspection. While his roommates tried to make him rise from his bed, he blindly swung his fists and got written up for “assaulting another cadet.” This violation put Jim over the allowed amount of demerits, sending him home the next day. As Mr. Conroy wrote, "Jim Plunkett walked out the gate and all of our lives. I had lost my first antihero to something as small-time as demerits."

From what I have seen growing up with this noble man, his Citadel saga has been apart from regretful background noise for most of his life and I think that reading his story in this book has brought a certain amount of closure to him. I believe it has shown him just how much his classmates liked him, and perhaps more importantly, how much he influenced one of the greatest American storytellers of modern era. Most of all, reading about my stepfather’s late teen years, the same age that I am right now, presents to me the greatest respect for the man who has raised me as his son. There it is, his life on the pages of a best-selling book, and there I am reading with water-welled eyes and my chest tight with pride.

The new student seminar continued later that week with a wonderful Honors barbecue, complete with a pool tournament and lots of food. The culmination of the experience, however, was an overnight camping trip to Assateaque Island. As crazy as it sounds, we took 30 freshmen out into the wild to sleep on the beach and to actually spend time with one another. The trip was a lot of fun. Meals were cleverly cooked in aluminum foil on the fire, thanks to the efforts of Philip Ferralli, and the wild ponies that came and terrorized the camp especially enjoyed them. The tents that were borrowed from the school had a distinctly unpleasant odor to them, but that didn’t bother most people as we ended up sleeping right out on the beach. This was like a mini-vacation from school, despite the fact that classes hadn’t started to get hard yet.

In addition to all of this, the students had been divided into groups of four based upon major and had a peer guide assigned to them. We met with our peer groups outside of class for dinner one evening just to get to know one another and help them out with any problems. Not surprisingly, my group members already knew their way around perfectly.

The new student orientation was officially called “Defining Excellence,” which is definitely a hard task to do. After participating in it I would say excellence is a group of students who are willing to devote the extra time to take these Honors courses, further their education and make lasting friendships with one another through running from wild ponies. My one regret is that this did not exist when I was a freshman in Honors, and hopefully it will be continued and improved upon throughout the years, resulting in a more comprehensive and enlightening Honors program here at Salisbury University.

Mr. Ed comes to dine with Ellie Adelman.

Brian Basner, Lord of the Underworld, guards the campfire.

“The Honors orientation was an excellent way to meet new friends, learn how to check campus email and talk about what college means to us. It helped me to feel immediately welcome as a part of the Honors program and the SU campus itself.”  -Abigail Treut "Not only was I able to spend time with other focused students during the Bellavance Honors New Student Experience Program, but in meeting these friends, I believe I adapted to the college life much easier." -Ashley Brunner “I was afraid that it would be incredibly boring when I read about it in the pamphlet, yet it was actually quite enjoyable. I was able to meet a lot of nice people, and camping was a lot of fun too! My favorite thing was walking on the beach.”  -Stacy Elcik

A couple of the first HSA social events this semester were the Open Mic Nights, hosted by Mickey Burke. While the turnout to these events was not quite as large as we had hoped for, the company was great and the performances were even better. Everything from music to dramatic monologues to even a recitation of “Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Bear” was presented, confirming our suspicions that some HSA students are not quite right in the head.

The “F.I.T. and Fun” weekend was also an event not to be missed. Honors students from the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) came down and hung out with SU Honors students in a weekend consisting of a trip to Ocean City, a pizza and ice cream party and the only chance you’ll ever have to spend the night in the Honors house.

Another highlight of HSA social life was the first annual foosball tournament, which is explained more in depth in a separate article. Suffice it to say that Jacob Holloway is the Foosball Grand Master, and he is the proud owner of not one but two HSA Cups. (Plastic cups, they are. Impressive and practical!)

Also notable was Quoth the Raven, the Halloween-party-not-quite-on-Halloween-night. The event was a success, as people crawled out of the woodwork to hear terrifying tales (and then wanted to crawl back into the woodwork, after some of the more creepy ones!). The scary (or not-so-scary) stories ranged from an “autobiographical” yarn related by Dr. Whall (including props!) to a more traditional reading of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven”, frighteningly read by Sheryl Kiernan. (This was followed by a not-so-traditional reading of “The Raven” as narrated by the main character’s cat, also read by Sheryl.) Hot chocolate, Halloween and horrifying histories made for a delightfully eerie evening.

In addition, Nick Kolesar and Andrew Dix have been putting on several unofficial and impromptu movie nights, which certainly makes my job easier! These movie nights are typically on Thursdays and Saturdays, and Nick will hook up his Playstation 2 to the monstrous TV in order to view movies like “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Emperor’s New Groove” on DVD.

Speaking of impromptu and unofficial gatherings, Nick and Andrew also managed to put on a Halloween party out of Nick’s own wallet on Halloween night. Many people came in memorable costumes, some of which I’d rather not remember. The night culminated in a viewing of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!”

For those of you who missed out on the fun, fear not, for there are many exciting (and tentative!) events yet to go to. For example, you may look forward to Board Game Night, where we’ll drag out games like “Twister” and “Environmental Concerns”, and eat munchies and play games far into the night. (“Environmental Concerns” is a game similar to “Monopoly”, but it has street names like “Air Pollution” and “Recycle Cardboard” instead of “Park Place” and “Boardwalk.” Goodness knows what else one may drag up from the depths of the TV room closet in the Honors house!)

Lastly, plans are in place for a Christmas party towards the end of the semester. Perhaps John Heath’s test of our pop culture and movie knowledge will make a comeback. Either way, it’s bound to be a night of fun and fellowship (and food!).

So if you haven’t been able to come to an HSA social event yet, there are still plenty of occasions to attend one. We’d love to have your company. And bring some petite quiche!

The Grim Reaper makes a cameo at Quoth the Raven, courtesy of Tom Hamill.

Ellie Adelman as Vanilla Ice at the unofficial Halloween party.

Answer: an HSA foosball tournament!

Thanks to the persistence of Jacob Holloway and the toil of the Committee Overseeing Foosball Table Acquisition (COFTA), the HSA welcomed this newest addition to the Honors House early on in the semester.

In a moment of euphoria, upon completion of the foosball table’s assembly (thanks to Brian Basner and Becki Lee), it was decided that the HSA would christen the table with a foosball tournament. So on October 24, members and non-members alike congregated to determine who was the best foosballer of all at the first annual HSA foosball tournament.

In the Solo Conference, Dr. England made a valiant attempt to clinch the HSA Cup, but he was destroyed by the invincible Jacob. With sleight of hand and steady concentration, along with general encouragement and commentary from Wrinkles), Jacob demolished his competition at every stage. In no Solo Conference game did anyone score more than two goals against him!

(Honorable Mention goes out to Mark Mackenzie, who had played foosball only once before in his life, yet held his own ‘til the last.)

In the Duo Conference, the team comprised of Tom Hamill and Jacob Holloway proceeded to triumph over all of the other pairs. Again, Jacob’s impeccable offense, combined with Tom’s entertaining defense, led the way to a 10-3 victory against Sheryl Kiernan and Becki Lee, winning Jacob yet another HSA Cup.

For those of you who were unfortunate enough to have missed the tourney this time around, take heart. There is a chance that another tournament will be held in the spring of 2003, when Jacob may be called upon to defend his title of “foosball champion.” So start practicing now!

The winners of the HSA Foosball Tournament. What a bunch of goofs.

Sheryl Kiernan and Becki Lee battle Dr. and Mrs. England, with Brian Basner refereeing.

Dr. and Mrs. England practice for the foosball tournament.

Amidst suitcases and pillows, in walked a motley crew of fashion students. And they came bearing gifts! A little sphere bearing the F.I.T. logo and wind-up legs that hopped about (or didn’t, depending if yours was unwilling) were handed to each of us. They told us the story of the astute Arby’s cashier who, when they walked in, inquired, “where y’all from?” in that distinct Eastern Shore twang. Just the first impression they needed! But they laughed it off as we all filed out of the Honors House and into the dorms to get everyone settled in.

Being that they had such a long bus ride, I figured that everyone would want to go right to bed. WRONG! Oh right, I forgot, they’re from New York. Well, being a night owl, I took it upon myself to show everyone the highlights around the campus area. We strolled about, trying to find decent parties or something interesting to do. The party idea failed, as did the trip down the railroad tracks to Superfresh, but we did have fun riding shopping carts down the tunnel to the intramural fields. It was a good time for everyone to get to know each other better as well. We talked of Aristotle, the meaning of life and of whether or not stiletto boots would be in style next year. Then it was off to bed.

The next morning we all met to have breakfast in the Commons. After filling our bellies, courtesy of campus dining, we meandered over to the Honors House to get ready for the highlight of the weekend: a trip to Ocean City for the day, woo-hoo!! Piling into two vans and a couple of cars, we were on our way.

The drive was made more interesting in my van, with Dr. England cursing idiot motorists, a biker-dude spotting and, of course, the name game. We had Ambidextrous Angela, Titillating Tara, Nasty Nick, and who can forget Fabulous Fred. Upon arrival, we laid out our towels in a central location and were off. Some read, some slept in the sun, some went swimming, but everyone stared at Fred’s Gucci Speedo. Then a stroll on the boardwalk, a bite to eat (or not, if your name was Megan and you wanted a hot dog), and one last dip in the ocean made the day complete. We piled back into our respective vehicles and drowsily made our way back to campus, while visions of Papa John’s danced in our heads.

Back at the Honors house, there was an odd feeling of having forgotten something. Oh wait! The F.I.T. chaperones are still wandering the Ocean City Streets! Enter Mrs. England to save the day, driving all the way back to pick them up. I think that maybe the chaperones needed some chaperones. After the pizza, a showing of “Zoolander” was presented upstairs on the bigscreen TV. Then a late-night outing to Cool Beans resulted in free donuts, sticky buns and cookies for all. And if that wasn’t enough, card games and card tricks went on in the Honors house kitchen until the wee hours of the morning. Then, FINALLY, everyone crashed.

Then it was Sunday morning, time for the F.I.T. departure. Watching the bus drive off, there was time to reflect. I was happy to have met such an interesting and creative group of people so eager to share their talents, thoughts and friendship. New friends were made. New ideas were shared. We laughed. We cried. We got sand everywhere. And a good time was had by all.

HONR 212: Issues in Natural Sciences – Richard England

HONR 311/PHIL 310: The Experience of Animals – Grace Clement

HONR 311/MATH 200: Mathematics and Culture – E. Lee May

HONR 311/THEA 392: Studies in Theatre: HAMLET – Charles Duff and Paul Pfeiffer

HONR 312: Honors Research/Creative Project – Tony Whall

HONR 490: Honors Thesis Preparation – Tony Whall

HONR 495: Senior Honors Thesis – Tony Whall

The camel died quite suddenly on the second day, and Selena fretted sulkily and, buffing her already impeccable nails--not for the first time since the journey began--pondered snidely if this would dissolve into a vignette of minor inconveniences like all the other holidays spent with Basil. --Gail Cain, San Francisco, California (1983 Winner)

 

She wasn't really my type, a hard-looking but untalented reporter from the local cat box liner, but the first second that the third-rate representative of the fourth estate cracked open a new fifth of old Scotch, my sixth sense said seventh heaven was as close as an eighth note from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, so, nervous as a tenth grader drowning in eleventh-hour cramming for a physics exam, I swept her into my longing arms, and, humming "The Twelfth of Never," I got lucky on Friday the thirteenth.
--Wm. W. "Buddy" Ocheltree, Port Townsend, Washington (1993 Winner)

 

"Ace, watch your head!" hissed Wanda urgently, yet somehow provocatively, through red, full, sensuous lips, but he couldn't you know, since nobody can actually watch more than part of his nose or a little cheek or lips if he really tries, but he appreciated her warning.
--Janice Estey, Aspen, Colorado (1996 Winner)

P.S. Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) was the novelist who immortalized the phrase “It was a dark and stormy night.…”

Once a month I organize an Open Mic, producing posters and sending out the word of mouth. The promise of cookies can bring between 10-20 people. Yet coffee and snacks are not the only draw for this motley crew. The need to share everything from songs of rage to the inner desire to be baked goods brings students to the stage.

Everyone is invited to come and present. For those that conveniently “forget their notebooks back in their rooms,” I pass out paper and pen. One game we play is Partial Poetry; the audience is given a few lines of poetry and must finish the work. Some nights we are even privileged to create boot rhymes from Dr. England’s inspiration. The ideal is total participation, but we do not rip every wallflower from its roots.

The stage is open to nearly every type of performance. In the past we have had everything from a belly dancer to a violin/cello duet. Of course, we always welcome poets, musicians, and angry people who need to vent. Just do not hurt the audience. The event usually runs as long as people have work to perform, frequently three hours.

With my impending graduation in May, this will be my last year hosting the event. It has been a wonderful ride, but have no fear. I am confident that someone will step up to the plate after I leave, but do not wait until then to come out. We always welcome new faces and the bodies that accompany them.

Mickey Burke performs some of her unique poetry.

Fred Wills tells the story of Little Red Riding Hood like you’ve never heard it before.

Brian Basner presents a stunning rendition of “Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Bear” while students look on.

I just finished my international MBA which took me traveling through France and Japan with a six month sojourn in Philadelphia in the middle of it. I'm in the process of moving to Boston and am currently hunting the elusive job.

I'm happy to see that the Saunterer is so meaty this year. It is nice to know that the program is active and people are doing well. I hope that all is well with you and you are making time to enjoy your grandchild(ren?) this summer.

I'll give you the briefest of brief updates now, regrettably a month after you requested it -

1997 June through July - I was a field assistant in the Bienville National Forest of Mississippi studying the Red-cockaded woodpecker. It was a home range study to determine the habitat requirements and range of the average nesting group of these endangered birds.

1997-1998 Veterinary Assistant...Harrisburg, PA

1998 I was with the Thoreau Society, organized the 1998 Annual Gathering and at the same time worked with MassRecycle, a recycling non-profit, and Allandale Farm, the last working farm within Boston city limits.

1998-2001 University of North Texas, Teaching Assistant and Teaching Fellow. I taught two sections of Intro. to Philosophy and Moral Issues while working on a Master's Degree in Environmental Philosophy (still pending). I also worked with the Census Bureau and as a job coach for the mentally retarded through the county MHMR agency in Texas.

On a much more banal note, I have returned to Maryland where I have since sold out to "the Man." I passed the Maryland Bar Exam and accepted an associate attorney position with a corporate law firm in downtown Baltimore. Additionally, I live downtown and enjoy a 15 minute walk to and from work...no beltway traffic for this amigo. I play soccer on a team in the Maryland Majors adult amateur league and am volunteering my time as a mentor in the "Big Brothers Program." I encourage anyone who is considering becoming a Big Brother or Sister to get involved; it is a truly wonderful program.

TODD [1994] AND ALISON (FRAME) [1995] HUMPHRIES
All is well here... We are pleased to announce the birth of our daughter, Eliza Rose Humphrey, born 11/28/01. Our son, Noah (age 4) is a very helpful big brother. Alison (Frame), class of '95, is currently working as Senior Technical Advisor with Alexus International in Gaithersburg, Maryland. I am a Contracts Associate with Westat in Rockville, Maryland.

MICHELLE KEENEY [1993]
I hope this note finds you well! Thank you for sending me the latest edition of the Saunterer. It is always great to hear about the exciting things you and your students are doing. The Honors Program and the Honors House have undergone some amazing changes. You have a lot to be proud of!

I realized when I saw you mailed the newsletter to my Durham address that we have been out of touch for too long. I left Durham and completed my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology [at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill] in August 2000. I immediately began a one year Congressional Fellowship sponsored by the American Psychological Association. I worked with Senator Kennedy’s Judiciary Committee staff and served as legislative counsel on issues related to crime, sentencing, substance abuse and others. It was an amazing year and an incredible learning experience into the federal legislative process – the good and the bad. I finished there last August and had a few months off before accepting my current position as an Assistant Professor at Drexel University’s College of Medicine in Philadelphia. The majority of my time is spent providing individual psychotherapy to HIV/AIDS patients. It has been an incredible experience, but alas, I’m moving on again. This time I hope the move to be more permanent. I have accepted a conditional offer of employment from the federal government, based in D.C. I don’t want to jinx it so I’ll save details for when things are finalized (6-9 mos).

As you can see, I’m been moving around quite a bit and I’m yearning for some stability and a place to call home. That is my goal in the next 1 to 1½ years. Again, I hope you are doing well.

BECKY [McCANN] KOWALCZYK [1999]
If you remember me, it will be as Becky McCann. I got married last August. My younger brother, Kevin, just finished his first year at Salisbury. He recently remembered to tell me that you had inquired about me last fall, and said that I should email you. (Obviously, he's inherited the good old McCann memory.)

So here I am! After graduation ('99) I moved to New Jersey to be with my fiance, John ('98). He designs web pages for a company in north Jersey, and I work in New York City as an assistant to a film studies professor at NYU. I don't really like working in the city; the commute is a real pain and I have no desire to actually move into New York to make it easier. Call me a country girl - but I need a back yard. Or a front yard. Or any tiny bit of grass at all! I like living close enough to the city to take advantage of the cultural aspects (we recently saw “The Graduate” on Broadway, with Kathleen Turner -- if you can call that culture), but riding the train here every day is draining. Happily, I have a new plan. I would like to become a teacher myself. I wouldn't really say that my current job has inspired me... Our students are adults. Rich adults. I would like to teach people at an age where it's possible to actually have a positive impact. It seems to me that I would flourish in a nice high school, where I can really become a good teacher and not have to worry about my tally of publications. You once commented on a paper I wrote about “Candide” that my writing was "lucid and insightful." I have never forgotten that sincere compliment. It made me try harder in your classes and that is the main reason why I want to teach. I want to figure out how to reach kids like me.

BROOKS TRUITT [1994]
Brooks and his wife, Lisa are the proud parents of James Roy Truitt, born in Texas on September 24th. Being that Texas is our most commodious state in the lower Forty-eight, Roy, as he's affectionately called by his worshipful parents, weighed in at 10 lbs, 4 oz. Brooks has sent several photos of his son (a spitting image of the old man, if I do say so myself, even as I wonder what a "spitting image" is), and he is indeed an adorable little guy.

Congratulation, Brooks!