VOLUME 23, ISSUE 2 ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND e SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO WINTER 1997

ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE LIBRARY 11111111111111111~nm11imr11m1111111111111111 31696 01138 2197 St. John's College ANNAPOLIS EDITION

the changes wrought by the eiecrr·orntc revolution impact funda­ way studen ts read, and discuss? Alumni and tutors examine the issue ...... 10 IN

Graduates who enter medicine say their background in the classics has made them better doctors ...... 9 HOMECOMING NAPOLIS At a special 300th anniversary homecoming, ground was broken for the Barr-Buchanan Center and rain fell on afternoon picnics ...... 14

DEPARTMENTS Bell Towers: A new alumni director in Annapolis, the mystery of the missing Aphrodite, Santa Fe's Library & Fine Arts Guild, Annapolis stages a Lafayette Ball...... 2

...,...,,, ...... A.a. ... .,,Jl ... Jlll-"· Tutor David Levine to lead conference, "Does the Past Have a , review of Scott Buchanan, A Centennial Appreciation ...... 8

UiS4JCtarnon: The Santa Fe

h., ...... r,,.,... a new home for the Johnny ...... 16

Lee David Zlotoff on Mortimer on the combination of child and prison psychiatry...... 13, 24 Forget the Internet, e-mail, faxes, interadive computer software, television. At St. John's, students still learn the old-fashioned The Program: The St. john's Review way-by reading books. But will technology change the way they understand what they read? Alumni and faculty look at the -not a typical academic journal; question, beginning on page 10. The student here is Rebecca Christie, a freshman in Annapolis. For her work-study iob, she's the most popular senior essay topics .... 23 college webmaster. Photo by Michelle Baker, SF90. From the Bell Towers ...

NEW ALUMNI DIRECTOR FORANNAPOLIS The definitive woman-about-campus, Roberta Rusch Gable, brings legendary wit to her new appointment. •••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••

:uuica.v\.1H.'.). Temple Iglehart, Leo Pickens, the current college athletic Pinkney Hall, the Randall dining director, "Book Chat is one of the most room, Carroll Barrister House, the wonderful publications we've ever had bookstore. In Santa Fe: the Graduate here." Institute office. All these St. John's Now, upon finding out about places have the good fortune to have Gable's new responsibilities, tutors have been transformed in some way, for been heard to grumble that she can't be some brief time, by the presence of spared from the bookstore, where she is Roberta Rusch Gable, A78. Gable has the fount of all wisdom regarding been named the new director of alumni translations and editions of the great activities for the Annapolis campus, books. But the quintessential Johnny following the resignation of Betsy counters that she is looking forward to Blume, A76. Gable most recently served her new role in college life: "The as bookstore manager, but she's also left alumni office is more intrinsic to the Roberta Gable and Dennis Quinn, new denizens of the her mark on the college as a student existence of the institution because it desired a PhD," admits Gable. "I Alumni Office, get to know some of their constituents. (where she worked in the alumni office supports one of the most important concentrated in social psychology and Photo by Michelle Baker. with director Tom Parran, A42), an active relationships-people's lifetime group behavior. I felt that field was alumna, co-director of athletics (from relationship with their alma mater. For unaddressed by my background here, 1986 to 1987), and assistant to the a lot of alumni, St. John's is one of the and I wanted something worldly." Even manager. ''I'd like to write a column for registrar ofthe GI in Santa Fe (the summer defining experiences of our lives. I hope in grad school, Gable used her St. John's the Gadfly (the student newspaper) to between her junior and senior years). to be the link to the college for alumni." experience as background. One term increase student awareness and knowl­ Gable's wit and verve are legendary. The alumni office also serves the paper was a comparison of the Annapolis edge about alumni. I want to keep up Alumni and current students alike Alumni Association. It provides tech and Santa Fe campuses, a study of how my contact with the students. I don't remember her song parodies at collegia support for chapter activities, like lining physical structures affect social structures. want anyone to graduate from this and pranks-for example, the "Look for up tutors for chapter seminars, printing "It was purely a speculative paper," says school without my knowing who they the St. John's Label" parody of the "Look and mailing newsletters, and contribut­ Gable. "Even though the campuses are are," she says. That way, theywill feel for the Union Label" jingle during the ing ideas and contacts. "We'll be doing the same academically, they are quite right away that as alumni they belong to 1978 Senior Prank. Sometimes her fun is homecoming and other events through­ different socially. It's good and it's a larger group. In her goal of being the more extended, like the time shear­ out the year. There's a lot of work with healthy." great communicator, Gable plans to ranged a "New Jersey" dinner in Randall, the placement office in helping current Strengthening the relationship become an active e-mailer and letter inviting students and tutors from the students meet or talk with alumni who between the campuses and their alumni writer. She also hopes that visiting Garden State and giving out maps of the might be able to offer them some is one of Gable's goals as alumni director. alumni will stop by her office to chat New Jersey turnpike as party favors. In direction. And I'll be serving on the She's also got a number ofideas kicking when they are in town. the bookstore, Gable made the yearly sale board of advisors for The Reporter," says around in her mind for activities. For Changing relationships with the into a liberal arts shopping event, with Gable. Helping Gable in the alumni example, she'd like to invite former college is something Gable has experi­ blue light specials, homebaked cookies, office is Dennis Quinn, AGI96, who Febbies andJFs to the campus at the end enced herself, and she's seen it in some of and helium balloons. Rivaling the sales in took the assistant position formerly held of Febbie summer, so that this special her friends, as well. "Some alumni from the degree of anticipation it elicited on by Kim Kern, A89, when she moved to sub-group of the Johnny family can the 1960s and '70s left the college with campus was the monthly publication of Chicago. meet the newest crop. "They can pass a lot of anger. But I'd like to be a kind of "Book Chat," Gable's newsletter with Gable graduated in 1978. She along handshakes, secret decoder rings, liaison for them as well as for other info about new books, explanations of returned to work in the bookstore from whatever it is that Febbies do," she says. alumni who have good feelings for St. why books cost what they do, suggested 1984 to 1988, then went to the Uni­ Gable plans to work closely with John's. Your attitude and experience with summer reading for great-book-weary versity of Michigan to study communi­ current students, something she already the college can evolve over the years." e students, and contests. Says fellow '78er cations. "I was under the delusion that I has done a lot in her role as bookstore -by Barbara Goyette

The Reporter {USPS 018-750} is published in Bradley Foundation, which also is a January and July by the Public Relations Office, AMEETING OF THE AGES generous supporter of the Graduate St. John's College, Annapolis, MD, and in April Institute and Eastern Classics programs. and October by the Alumni/Public Relations Learning for the future The keynote speaker will be David Office, St. John's College, Santa Fe, NM. from the lessons of the past Broder of the Washington Post. Known office of publication: Public Relations The conference will consider the title Office, St. John's College, Box 2800, Annapolis, question from four different perspec­ MD21404-2800 tives-education, politics, culture, and t. John's alumni and students know the question why we (especially as good Annapolis: Barbara Goyette, editori Sus3an science and technology. Among the Sthe value of the legacy left to us by Americans) value the traditional," Borden, writeri Roberta Gable, Eva Brann, John speakers will be Richard Bernstein, the past.Those not familiar with the St. Agresto says. "We mean to take this as Christensen, Pamela Kraus, Benjamin Milner, former education editor at the New York John's program, however, often ask a serious question because the deepest Brother Robert Smith, advisory board. whether and how the accomplishments criticism of traditional liberal education Times; Gary McDowell, director of the of the past are still relevant. is that it is really antiquarianism. Institute for United States Studies in Santa Fe: Elizabeth Skewes, editori John An idea for a conference on the Knowledge, we're told, doubles every London; Hugh Hewitt of the PBS series Schroeder, assistant editori Lisa Donenfeld, art Santa Fe campus, as part of the 300th five or seven years. Why, then, spend "Finding God in America''; and Ellen director. anniversary, arose out of a conversation time with what has been superseded?" Goldberg, president of the Santa Fe Second class postage paid at Annapolis, MD, and between President John Agresto and a On April 4 and 5,_ noted scholars, Institute. at additional mailing offices. board member who wondered why journalists, and public figures will "This is a question that touches all anyone should care that St. John's is come to Santa Fe to consider this our lives and, as alumni, perhaps more POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 300 years old. question as part of a conference titled deeply," says project director and Santa Reporter, St. John's College, Box 2800, "Since we're so old-and study "Does the Past Have a Future?" Fe tutor David Levine. "Everybody is Annapolis, MD 21404-2800 books a lot older-we wanted to raise The conference is funded by the welcome." e St. John's Myths and Legends STEAD1\t\AN WINS THE MYSTERY OF THE NEW MEXICO MISSING APHRODITE ACLU n the classroom, St. John's tutors may o one is really quite sure when she alumnus, remembers the statue as avoid making references to modern arrived at St. John's, or when she "Bountiful Harvest" and says that she I N politics, but that doesn't mean that they disappeared. When she was here, she was standing on the deck of the Fine aren't interested in political issues outside was at all the best parties, the dean's Arts Building when he arrived as a of the classroom. Santa Fe tutor Jack lecture for the start of the school year, freshman in 1974. Steadman is one such activist, and his and most of the commencements. And "I can envision Bountiful in several work with the American Civil Liberties she decorated, quite literally, the lives of places besides the Fine Arts Building," Union in New Mexico recently earned the students in Santa Fe who knew her. he says. "I seem to recall that for Senior him that organization's highest honor. Some called her "Bountiful Har­ Prank in my freshman year, she stood Steadman was given the Civil vest," while others knew her as in the bell tower ofWeigle Hall...By Aphrodite decorates the fish pond in front Libertarian award from the New "Aphrodite." She was short, standing late spring of the same year, I recall that of Peterson Student Center in this 1975 Mexico ACLU in recognition of his only about 5 feet, 4 inches, including she migrated one Sunday down to the photo by Bob DiSilverio. long-standing commitment to the her pedestal. She was heavy, weighing pond where she stood upon her head cause of civil liberties and for his work enough that it took several students among the cattails and goldfish. I dark of night. as the group's treasurer. heiping out just to move her from one began to understand that not everyone "I don't think anyone from Annapo­ ACLU Executive Director Jennie spot to the next. Oh, and she was revered the bronze goddess." lis stole her, although it would be great Lusk says Steadman "is the ideal bronze. In fact, the statue once donned a if they had her," O'Neill says. spokesperson for us ... he's not bombas­ "She really wasn't anything to look bikini for some campus event and was If she is still in one piece, O'Neill tic or aggressive, just very eloquent and at," says Brendan O'Neill, a 1993 a regular during Reality. But she and the current contingent of Santa Fe committed to justice." alumnus and the assistant student disappeared, O'Neill says, sometime students would like to find her and As treasurer for the past two years, activities director in Santa Fe. "Rumor around the spring of 1990. Again, bring her back to campus. If anyone Steadman has put the group's financial has it that she was donated to the col­ rumors abound. Some say she was among the alumni has any dues about records on a computer system, and, in lege by someone local, but the college melted down; others say that she's her disappearance, please write to The Lusk's words "is bringing them into the didn't know what to do with her, so she buried somewhere on campus; still others Reporter at 1160 Camino Cruz Blanca, current century." Steadman often has was passed down from class to class.,, say that someone-perhaps an Annapolis Santa Fe, NM 87501. e made the hour-long drive to the Bob DeSilverio, a 1979 Santa Fe student-absconded with her in the -by Elizabeth Skewes ACLU-NM headquarters in Albuquer­ que several times a week to attend meetings and work with. the director. Although he only recently became an officer in the ACLU-NM, Steadman has been a member and staunch supporter of the ACLU since he was a teenager in Wisconsin. He has been motivated, he says, by the belief that "although the Constitution is supposed to be the supreme law of the land ... laws don't protect rights, only people can protect rights." e -by Caroline Knapp, SFOO

LAPLUSCA CHANGE ...

urrent chant sung by companies of CROss:cuITURll DINlNGEXPlRlENCE C the brigade of midshipmen as they march down College Avenue on their This post November over 70 students, tutors, staff, and friends of the college gathered at way to the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium the president's house in Annapolis for an international feast that included dishes from for fall football games: Mongolia, Korea, China, Russia, England, Spain, and the United States. The occasion was the F-1 dinner, an event started by the F-1 Club in 1992 and rapidly becoming a I want to study Aristotle; highlight of the college's social calendar. I'm a le.ft-wing kind ofguy. There is only one membership requirement for the F-1 Club: foreign citizenship. The I wear socks with my sandals; name comes from the f-1 Visa, the most common visa for a foreign student in the United States. This year there are 18 foreign students in Annapolis, representing 15 All my shirts are tie-dye. countries. Co-sponsored by Registrar Nancy lewis and Reenie Craven, Assistant to the Registrar, I don't bring my books to class; the dub was originally formed to provide assistance with issues pertinent to regulations I don't take no written tests. for foreign students. While this is still the club's raison d'etre, the group occasionally I don't want a real degree gathers for social or cultural events, such as the annual dinner. Guests at the potluck That's why I go to S]C. dinner bring tradition~I food from their native countries. Among this year's thirty-some dishes were a Korean beef dish made by senior Rema Choi (in the photo with senior Alumni who remember chants from Mary lynch); pirog, a Russian rice pie made by Graduate Institute student Tasha days of old are invited to send them in to Kharitonova; Nancy lewis' Spanish dish, Chicken Marbella; meat and vegetable The Reporter. We'll print "dean" ones in dumplings made by Baigalma Damdinsuren, from Mongolia; and spicy tofu with pork the summer issue as part of the coverage made by Hai Sun, from China. of the croquet match. e From the Bell Towers ...

I BRIDGES TO ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• by Elizabeth Skewes

t started as a mere notion a few years Lewis' counterpart on the Guild's art mcreasmg ago, but it didn't take long for the gallery committee, Susan Kelly, says that numbers of I St. John's College Library & Fine the volunteers on the Guild are "veter­ themare Arts Guild to take shape. The group, ans" who bring a lot of experience and a anxious to which held its first meeting with the 12 lot oflocal connections to the college. display their members ofits new board in August Kelly herselfis a local artist who has work on 1.994, now numbers more than 180. exhibited at several shows in the gallery. campus. Kelly More impressive than the growth in She and the others on her committee says that fits in the membership, however, is the growth have worked hard to blend shows by with one ofher main goals, "to make this "The Orchard" by Margaret lefranc, on in the number and variety of exhibits respected local artists with those by more of a gallery that's on the map for art display al the gallery in Santa Fe through and special events that the Guild has nationally known painters and sculptors. collectors." February 20. brought to St. John's. Within the past They are also doing more to jury the She's also trying to find ways to raise two years, the Guild has brought exhibits. The committee members, each money for the gallery and the Guild, so renowned artists such as William ofwhom is involved in the Santa Fe art that the gallery becomes self-supporting, college and faculty, though," Shickich Lumpkins and Margaret Lefranc to the community, sit down once every a goal she shares with Shickich and says. "We have a high degree of openness gallery and has brought well-known semester or so to review work by artists Lewis. in being involved with projects that will authors, including Harriett Doerr and who want to exhibit in the college's Lewis says the library committee make St. John's accessible to the local George Johnson, to the Great Hall as gallery. The task, Kelly says, is to pick one wants to continue to help with the community." part of a revamped "Speaking Volumes" to two artists out of the 10 or more who annual Meem Library book sale, but the Shickich is hoping that the Library & lecture series. have submitted samples. The group also group also wants to bring in additional Fine Arts Guild, now that it has taken The response from the community juries the annual student art exhibit, revenue to support its activities. root, will be able to gain enough has been tremendous. The lecturers are held each spring. Whatever the group does, however, has momentum to become an important being greeted by standing-room-only "That's one ofmy favorite things," to be done with an eye towards "integra­ addition to Santa Fe's cultural commu­ crowds, and the gallery exhibit$ are Kelly says. ''A lot of the students submit tion with the traditions and history of nity. He says that the group is working drawing record numbers for the openi:11gs. work for it. I love it because I know how the college," Lewis says. on a long-range strategy to survive in a Michael Shickich, a Santa Fe attorney much time these students put into their Shickich says that the Guild also is city that's brimmingwith art, opera, and and president of the Library & Fine Arts academic work, and I know that art takes trying to find other projects, similar to other creative pursuits. Guild, says that the response is what he a lot of time-but they are doing some the Spanish Colonial Arts Market and a "Santa Fe has a lot of competing was hoping for. "The idea, essentially, is really good work." special art auction and dinner held earlier interests," he says, "and even in light of to expand the Guild and to provide a By more carefully selecting the this year, that can become annual events that, the Guild has done well. There has stronger connection between St. John's exhibits for the gallery, it has become a associated with the Guild. been a high degree of acceptance in the College and the Santa Fe community," strong showcase for regional artists and "The Guild will take its lead from the community of the Guild and its work." e he says. The number of community residents who come to campus for Guild events, including the Spanish Colonial Arts Market that has been held for two years now each fall, is steadily growing. And, as community members become ANNAPOLIS FACULTY NOTE s more aware of St. John's and what it has to offer, Shickich says the bonds between Annapolis has one nature of the body and leaving the old country we had our the two will only strengthen. new faculty the necessity of minds on getting away from a bad But the Guild also is helping member this year, embodiment to the place and when we arrived here we strengthen those bonds by broadening Michael human experience-for thought mostly of getting along in its membership and by getting more O'Donovan­ our self-awareness, our a strange place. But to some of us people directly involved with the college. Anderson. His sense ofidentity, and something happened that perhaps Guild volunteers help staff the gallery so background is in the workings of the has already happened to you, or that it can be open more often, and they philosophy; he has mind .. .The essays offer might happen before too long. It's have helped catalogue some of the a BS from Notre a sustained attack on a little like entering into a marriage archival material in the library. Dame, an MA and Cartesian dualism and just for safety, security and Willard Lewis, who works at Los MPhil from Yale; methodological convenience, and then one day Alamos and heads the library committee and he received his positivism." waking up to find that you have of the Guild, says that this "gives people PhD from Yale this grown to love your partner. So you a chance to be a part of the college year (dissertation Mr. O'Donovan-Anderson may have come for utterly practical community, rather than just spectators. tide: Content and Dean Eva Brann reasons, but one day you wake up The community seminars are a great way Comportment: On addressed brand new to know that this is home and that to reach out to the Santa Fe community Embodiment and the Epistemic U.S. citizens at a naturalization you are in this country not only to for some people, but they can be in­ Avaikibility ofthe World). Mr. ceremony at the District Court in make use ofits advantages and timidating. Our activity is more benign." O'Donovan-Anderson also has Washington, D.C., in October. opportunities but because you love Lewis says that lectures, such as the edited a book, The Incorporated Self Calling to mind her own arrival in the place-the huge and beautiful one given by Harriet Doerr, author of Interdisciplinary Perspectives on this country, Miss Brann said, "Few land extending from coast to coast, Stones for Ibarra, are a way to welcome Embodiment, published in October of us would have come here if we the laws that by and large protect people to campus for an educational by Rowman & Littlefield. hadn't been fleeing from deadly us rather than harm us, and the experience that doesn't require them to Quoting from the publisher: "This persecution, as I was when I left millions of hard-working people participate with the same level of anthology collects the works of Nazi Germany in 1941, or from who tend to try to be decent and intensity that a seminar would. This kind scholars from abroad range of poverty, or from something else that friendly in that particularly of outreach, he says, will help with ,disciplines, each examining the makes life hard. When we were American way." community relations. WINl"fER 1997 5

n a whirl of elegance, St. John's staged a tercentenary social event to I rival a great moment in its history-the ball held in the Great Hall in honor of General Lafayette. In 1824, Lafayette returned to America after his fortunes in France had fallen. Here he was greeted as the hero ofliberty; he visited cities and towns along the east coast, and received so many gifts it took three ships to get them all back to Europe. The ball in his honor was the social highlight of the college's second hundred years, just as the reprise-held on December 13- proved an alluring event for localAnnapolitans and alumni, 250 ofwhom attended. The ball was organized by the Friends of St. John's College; committee chairs were Barbara Bohl and Peggy Sue Atterbury. Peter Duchin and his orchestra provided music. •

Clockwise from top: Recent grads Matt Radbill and Rebecca Dzamov dance the night away; Tim McGuire, A91, presides over the punch under the watchful eye of President Hector Humphreys, who disapproved of wine and dancing; President Chris Nelson, in period garb, with Mary Lou Symonds; the Great Hail transformed. Photos by Keith Harvey.

TWO "GREAT" BOOKS FOR THE 3001tt

St. John's College 300thAnniversary A Complete and Generous Educa­ Cookbook. $8.00. Compiled by the tion: 300 Years of Liberal Arts at St. staff of the Annapolis campus, this John's College, Annapolis. $50. By cookbook contains the gamut of recipes Emily Murphy, A95. A spectacularly from soups to nuts, contributed by staff, beautiful 200- page hardcover book, faculty, and students. Many have a St. with more than 250 illustrations, this John's theme, such as ''Adam Smith's volume offers a basic history of King Wealth of Nachos" contributed by the William's School and St. John's College Marxist Writers Collective (a group of enriched with high-quality reproduc­ Gis), "Francis Scott Quiche," "Biscuites tions oflithographs and prints, photos than which none greater can be dating from the 1880s, and images by conceived," and ''Aristotle's Parts of documentary photographers Alfred Animals" (it's chicken with limes and Eisenstaedt and Marion Warren. The herbs). There's even Mrs. Klein's recipe photos and art were gathered and the for Datte! Bussed (meringues with text was written by Emily Murphy, who, dates). Order by calling Carole Clark in after graduating in 1995, got a job as the the Treasurer's office at 410/626-2518. photo archivist for the state of Maryland. See McDowell burning (1909), co­ eds in their dorm room in the recently completed Campbell Hall (1954), a view of campus drawn by a French soldier on his way to Yorktown (1781), and the national championship lacrosse team ( 19 31). There are also evocative portraits of tutors and students. Order by calling the Annapolis Bookstore at 410/626-2540.

The class of 1889, from A Complete and Generous Education. Advancing in the Fourth Century...

ST. JOHN'S FOREVER HODSON

"\VJhat's the biggest challenge for the not change the program ofinstruction or TRUST OFFERS W future at St. John's College? Not a add extraneous facilities. Rather, it would political or cultural swing away from the enable the college to raise and keep tutor liberal arts; not encroachment by the salaries at the median of those at com­ $250,000 Naval Academy or strained relations with parable colleges. It would provide more the campuses' local communities-these financial aid to more students. It would CHALLENGE are fine, will be fine. The greatest enable the college to maintain the build­ challenge is to secure the financial status ings on its two campuses. And it would he Hodson Trust, a generous supporter of private education, announced in of the college. With sound financial secure the future of St. John's College. T November that it will provide a challenge grant to the St. John's College Annual management, the college is getting by Who will put St. John's College on Fund for 1996-1997. To help stimulate unrestricted giving, the Hodson Trust will and will be able to make modest this list?• match all new and increased unrestricted gifts to the Annual Fund on a dollar-for­ advances. But one transforming gift dollar basis up to a total of$250,000. Anyone who watches public television is could secure St. John's forever. acquainted with the concept of the challenge grant. At St. John's, though, givers won't Following is a list of some of the 35 receive an umbrella, just the satisfaction of knowing they are investing in an institution Emory U.: from the Lettie Pate largest private gifts to higher education Evans, Joseph B. Whitehead, and so that it can serve today's students. in the past 20 years (courtesy of the Robert W Woodruff Foundations, Here is what counts in the challenge: new unrestricted gifts of cash or securities (for Chronicle ofHigher Education, Sept. 6, $295 million; stock; 1996 anyone who did not make an unrestricted gift to St. John's during the 1995-96 fiscal 1996). The list is interesting for a few New York U.: from Sir Harold year) made between July 1, 1996 and June 30, 1997; increased gifts over an unre­ reasons. First, these gifts were made by Acton, art, real estate, and cash stricted gift in 1995-95; and unrestricted gifts in honor or in memory of someone. alumni, friends of colleges, and founda­ with a total value of more than Matching gifts from a company or firm, planned or deferred gifts, and pledges do not tions. As many gifts were made by $125 million; 1994 count as part of the challenge. friends as alumni of their colleges. Princeton U.: from Gordon Y.S. The Beneficial-Hodson Trust was started by the founder of the Beneficial Loan Second, the gifts were made in cash, Wu, $100 million; cash and stock; Society, which today is the Beneficial Corporation, headquartered in Delaware. To securities, land, natural gas royalties, 1995 begin the Trust, Colonel Hodson provided stock in the Beneficial Corporation in artwork, and deferred gifts. Third, and Rowan College ofN.J.: from honor of his father and for the purpose of furthering higher education. Over the past most important, these gifts in some Henry M. And Betty L. Rowan, 50 years, the Trust has contributed more than $50 million to private colleges in important way transformed the recipient $100 million; stock and cash; 1992 Maryland. institution. Universities were able to Harvard U.: from Edward "This is a wonderful opportunity to make a gift count twice-and an investment create or invigorate academic programs, Mallinckrodt, $7 5. 5 million; stock; that goes to work right away for the college," says Joan Ruch, Director of Annual invest in medical research, provide the 1982 Giving in Annapolis. In 1996-1997 both campuses will incur more than $1.7 million means to offer more financial aid to Asbury Theological Seminary: in expenses that will not be covered by tuition income or by interest income from the students, or build new buildings. from Ralph Walda Beeson, $58 endowment. Unrestricted gifts to the Annual Fund provide funds to run the day-to­ A gift like one of these to St. John's million; stock and bonds; 1990 day operations of the college; they keep tuition in line and help maintain the financial College would transform the college, but Brown U.: from Walter H. aid budget-all direct benefits to students. For more information on the Hodson Trust not in any of these drastic ways. It would Annenberg, $50 million; 1993 challenge, contact Joan Ruch at 410/626-2534. •

Letters ... WOMEN ON THE PROGRAM, REDUX

t. John's is faced with a dilemma: is shallow; all of these books and their suggestion to reduce the readings of prove to belong to a separate realm SShould it perpetuate the canon of authors have clearly proven their merit some of the authors by one or two: Plato, altogether, like Eastern literature? Western literature with all its oversights, over the years. It is equally as shallow to Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, Shakespeare, Again, to quote Mr. O'Gara, "Is it or should it attempt to truly educate its assume that books by women are Descartes, Spinoza, Locke and Hume. even a little bit surprising that at a place students in the humanities? His- inadequate for the same reason; But the readings must go in their proper like St. John's, where we try to absorb the tory is written by the victors, it many of the meritorious places. Imagine if the program originally best that every age has to offer, our is said, and this is borne out by works on her list that have included the texts she proposes. Where curriculum predominates with books by the fortress oflanguage that is stood the test of time would Barr and Buchanan have placed men?" No, Mr. O'Gara, it's no surprise at called Western Thought. simply need to be given a them? all. And that's what worries me. Unfortunately, an education chance to prove them- Or is it simply too ridiculous to -Kristen Baumgardner Caven, SF86 that only tells half the story will selves on the program. assume that our founding fathers would not make you free. As far as "greatness," a have considered the 15 texts on Ms. Many women feel outraged few of the books are McMurran's list seriously? Would they hould women's works and at the injustice, for example, of among the greatest I've even have bothered to give a single one Sparticularly feminist literature be the witch trials (the year Jane Austen ever read, but once again, of them a thorough read? If not, then included in the St. John's reading list? Newton wrote Optics, 700 witches were in order for people to agree with me, something is wrong with this picture. St. The answer, of course, is the same as for burned in a single Spanish town), of the these books would have to be given a John's is broken. The center does not the question whether to include works deliberate suppression of female thinkers chance. Mr. O'Gara also tweaks Ms. hold. Half the students who attend the by Athenians or Ethiopians or left­ and mystics by the Roman Catholic McMurran for not being able to school must live with the Western handed poets. It depends on the merits Church (such as the amazing Hildegaard appreciate "the writings of people assumption that their minds are inferior of the work. ofBingen), and simply by the fact that separated from us in space, time, and their ideas do not deserve the high­ Why is any book in the program? women were categorically denied the culture ... and sex." I would simply like to est respect. There are many contradic­ Surely not because it was written by a right to vote and own property until ask him to try. tions within the story ofWestern Greek or a soldier or an anti-Semite. It's very recently in this country (thank you Ms. McMurran has made a fine start thought, and this is one of the most dif­ there because it articulates an idea or a Elizabeth Cady Stanton). in narrowing down some of the greatest ficult.This is the beginning of a con­ perspective that illuminates an important But outrage is not a good enough books by women. The tougher question, versation that will rake many years to problem in human thought: Justice, reason to grant the ladies a spot on the however, as rightly pointed out by Miss unfold. And, although the program is loyalty, love, patriotism, government, Program. Mr. O'Gara's interpretation of Brann in her original discussion on the the embodiment, the debate is universal. knowledge, evil, God, liberty, mathemat­ Ms. McMurran's position as "books on proposal, is where to put these proposed Will the voice of women throughout the ics, science, language .... the program are fundamentally inad- readings? My suggestion is to start by ages eventually intertwine with the At St. John's we were expected to equate because of the sex of the author" making room for one. I've also heard a voices of men in the opera? Or will it continued on next page Letters...

WOMEN ON THE PROGRAM: MORE DIALOGUE ignore the biography of the author.We benefits of such additions. Secondly, we those that are less than great, and cannot Vindication ofthe Rights ofWomen. There were asked to approach each author's should not assume that anything will be be re-read with profit indefinitely, are also a number of collections of body ofwork as complete unto itself. I eliminated by the addition of a great should come later or before these four important works. One of the best, The recall the contempt expressed for those book by a woman. The already common years. Most of the books mentioned in Feminist Papers (Alice S. Rossi, editor), among our freshman class who read the practice of excerpting a work could make the earlier letters are worth reading, of has been a staple in women's studies translator's preface or the author's room for a new one, and additions to those I have read. More of the ones I courses for a number ofyears now. The biography as part of the preparation for language tutorial are easily made as there have not read may be great. But even Feminist Papers ranges from the letters of semmar. are fewer required books. though I am an ardent admirer of Abigail Adams to de Beauvior and IfI am supposed to read the Meno for Mr. O'Gara also says that Emily Dickinson I simply includes important works linking the its ideas, and not from the vantage point gender is addressed in the works cannot imagine putting her woman's suffrage movement to abolition. of Meno's or Socrates' life, why should I already on the program and that I on the same level as John Reading from a collection like The agree to judge any work not by what it am suggesting that we add books Donne. The Second Sex is Feminist Papers would provide a sound brings to the enterprise oflearning but by women merely to present certainly basic to under­ introduction to feminist thought, which, bywho is bringing it (a woman)? another viewpoint. Although standing the feminist whether some of us like it or not, exists And ifI relax this rule to correct the writers on the program present movement. But the St. and will endure. under-representation ofwomen authors concepts of gender identity John's program was never In 1989 I taught a graduate seminar on the list, do I not have to consider and gender roles, never once intended as a study of on diversity for a criminal justice correcting the representation of black was it addressed around a Virginia Woolf successive waves ofwestern program. Most of the students were Americans, or of black Frenchmen, or of seminar or tutorial table while I culture but ofideas that employed by local law enforcement happily married men who loved their was at St. John's. Adding one or two transcend cultures. agencies. One of the course requirements fathers?· great books by women on my list It is only a small step from gender was to read a book from a list I had Among the works with ideas worth (especially Wollstonecraft, de Beauvoir, or literature to ethnic literature and an even compiled, to write a review ofit, and to bringing to the feast there are many good Woolf) is a means of making the dialogue smaller one from ethnic literature to present it to the class. I included The books by women. And I am sure that on gender a fruitful one because these multiculturalism. And multiculturalism Second Sex because it is a classic, never among them "Great Books" will be great works formulate new, original, and is the enemy ofliberal education. Taken seriously thinking that anyone would found in roughly the same proportion as insightful ways of conceiving gender. to its logical extreme it means that all read it. One student, a sergeant with a they occur in literature as a whole-that I am very happy to have the chance cultures are equal and also that all small, rural sheriff's department, did is, rarely. But let the worth of those ideas to respond to those who are hesitant thought is culture-bound. The former decide to read it. He found it to be one be the only test of what is studied at this about the aims of my proposal. As long claim is prima facie ludicrous and the of the most interesting and enlightening last bastion ofliberated intellectual as this issue is fostering dialogue, we latter worthless since the assertion itself books he had read in his graduate discourse. think more seriously and more rigorously would, therefore, be culture bound. It is program. So let's add some feminist -Charles S. Lerner, A53 about it. the duty of the citizens of the Republic works to the St. John's program. Maybe -Mary Helen McMurran, SF87 of Letters to fight the creeping parochial­ through discussing them we will all,like ism and relativism such seamless the sergeant, learn something. n the Summer 1996Reporter boundaries breed. -Maya Hasegawa, A69 I James O'Gara wrote a letter about read with great interest the spate -Robert Hazo, A53 my proposal to add great works by I ofletters about feminist literature women to the program. First I must at St. John's. The enthusiasm of the TRANSLATING clarify the project .. .! have not proposed feminist boosters, however, is not have been following with great that 15 works by women be added to matched by the quality of their thought. I interest the series ofletters THE MOTTO the curriculum. I have proposed to the Lost somewhere in the argument is the regarding the inclusion ofworks by 'm amazed that people are still alumni that they encourage the faculty ability to distinguish GREAT books women in the program. I think that B. I debating whether "men" is an to consider adding more great works by from good or interesting books. Over all Meredith Burke (A67) and Susan Mattis acceptable term for the whole human women. As alumni, we cannot propose the years ofwhich we have recorded (A75) have it right: feminism and the race, including the female half. How changes to the program, we can only ask history a relatively small number of women's movement is one of the great would people feel if we used ~'women" in that the faculty begin the process that authors have produced books that are international social movements of this the motto and added, "Oh yes, by that will lead to a change. The works undisputably GREAT. This obviously century and has led to profound changes we mean men as well"? appended to the proposal are suggestions leaves women in an extremely small in the way men and women relate to When it comes to the translation of for the faculty. I have chosen works minority. How could it be each other legally, within social institu­ the motto, the latest set ofletters to the that are widely regarded as otherwise since few of them tions, and within private relationships. editor implies that the only choices are original, historically influential, had the opportunity? While I certainly would support "men" and "human beings." I'd like to and well-written. The issue of Many women now, of course, inclusion of either John Stuart Mill's On point out that we have a perfectly fine "greatness" is complex and have the opportunity and the Subjection ofWomen or Simone de English word for what children (not cannot be reduced to simple many more will put forth Beauvior's The Second Sex, one objection "boys," notice) become: ADULTS. criteria, but it requires more their best effort. But one to these works (particularly The Second - Marlene F. Strong, A77 than mere opinion; those should not expect a plethora Sex) is length. I want to point out that unconvinced about the of GREAT works from there are alternatives. A good one, in my works on my list should read women in such a relatively opinion, is Mary Wollstonecraft's A them and do some research on Mary Shelley short time, given all the time it ISLAMIC WRITINGS their impact. It is also important took to produce all the previous am writing to urge the inclusion to realize that the list of books on the ones. Should one then lower the I oflslam and Islamic writing in the program is not static. Horace, the Song of standards? Certainly not. The Reporter welcomes letters on curriculum at St. John's. Mohammed Roland, and Malthus appeared on the The standard is neither patriarchal issues of interest to readers. Letters wrote, in the dark ages, that one hour in original 1937 list, and not on later ones, nor arbitrary. The GREAT books are part may be edited for clarity and/or pursuit of knowledge was better than 70 length. Those under 500 words and Nietzsche and The People ShallJudge ofworld literature; they are trans­ years in prayer. Islam invented the did not appear on that original list. cultural. They raise the most basic have a better chance of being printed in their entirety. Please university in 900 AD, Al-Azhar James O'Gara claims that I avoid the questions to which human thought has address to either campus: University in Cairo. The first curriculum issue ofpotential deletions from the been devoted in a very special way. At St. in the world included about 50 years current program. Again, adding and John's these books are not to be read as The Reporter, Public Relations Office, St. John's College, Box 2800, study. Algebra was discovered by Islamic taking works off the program is a matter elements in a sweep of a history of ideas. Annapolis MD 21404; e-mail: writers. Muslims preserved and studied for the faculty. Each work has to be The study of ideas and the study of the [email protected] the writings of the ancient Greeks. considered alone; arguments must be history of ideas are quite distinct. The St. John's College, Alumni Maimonides was a student ofAverroes, a made for its inclusion and suggestions for latter is cultural; the former, philosophi­ Relations, 1160 Camino Cruz Muslim philosopher. Averroes' intellec­ a place to put it. That is why I say in the cal. Blanca, Santa Fe, NM 87501 e­ tual challenge to the Catholic faith is proposal that I am not making argu­ One has the opportunity at St. John's mail: [email protected]­ partly responsible for St. Thomas ments for the inclusion of more great to devote four precious years to studying nm.edu. Aquinas writing the Summa. works by women. Instead, I point to the the best books ever written. Good books, -Mike Weaver, A66 Scholarship ...

SCOTT BUCHANAN A Centennial Appreciation AN ACCIDENTAL JOHNNY ofHis Life & Work 1895-1968 Santa Fe tutor David Levine came to St. john's Recollections & Essays (twice) by indirect routes Selected & Edited by ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Charles A. Nelson St. John's College Press 1995 by Maria Giordano, SFOO

Reviewed by Sam Kutler, A54 avid Levine was enjoying a sabbatical after ten years of teaching at Oklahoma State University, where he was tenured in both the philosophy D and humanities departments, when he got a phone call out of the blue. On the other end of the line was the secretary for the dean at St. John's in Santa Fe. She GREAT SCOTT! asked if he would come to interview for a teaching position, even though he hadn't applied for one. In fact, it had been nearly a decade since Levine, a 1967 graduate of Annapolis, had even been in touch with the college. (BUCHANAN) But he decided to come for the interview and then decided to take a teaching position at St. John's. It's a decision he hasn't regretted. He took a pay cut and gave up oward the end of Plato's Phaedo, Virginia, J. Winfree Smith was in a his tenured positions to join the Santa Fe faculty in 1986. Crito asks Socrates, "But how course of his entitled Metaphysics: "The "St. John's is a school where one can actually make demands on one's students, that shall we bury you?" Socrates discussion was guided or filled by the T is, set higher standards for them," he says. ''At such times one has to ask oneselfwhat is replies, ''As you wish, if you can catch power of Mr. Buchanan's mind to really important. Position, fame, fortune? At many places one can go through four years me." Plato knew how to catch a living illuminate doctrines and questions that and be wholly untouched by the experience. St. John's, by contrast, is a place where portrait of Socrates by placing him in strike the imagination. Even imagina­ students change. It's hard to be indifferent to the books we read." dialogues as the main character in a tive suggestions which approached the When his daughter, Nicole, a graduate of Boston College, was looking for colleges, sequence of conversations. fantastic, none the less, provoked his only advice was "to find a place where you'll grow." St. John's, he adds, is such a Charles Nelson finds the right way to thought. What this did for me was to place. catch Scott Buchanan. Twenty-three wake me up and to make me aware of Levine grew up in the East and as he looked around for colleges, his older brother contemporaries, students, and friends what a big thing that small part of us suggested St. John's. He chose the Ivy League and became a pre-med major at the supply the material for a living portrait called the intellect is." University of Pennsylvania. But during his first year, he realized he wasn't growing. He of Scott Buchanan, which is supple­ One of the qualities about Scott rethought his brother's advice, and despite having to give up a year of college work, he mented by eight photographs and a Buchanan that impressed William joined the useful bibliography. Buchanan himself is Goldsmith and his classmates when Annapolis class of represented at the beginning by an essay they met for their fiftieth reunion 1967-the same entitled "Awakening the Seven Sleepers;" involved listening: "His ability to look class as Santa Fe At St. johns his interest in the and at the end by remarks made at a at and listen to others as if they were Dean James Carey party to honor Stringfellow Barr. Editor his equals. He never talked down to you, classics became both a passion and and Annapolis Charles Nelson has titled this "The Last but he frequently confounded you." tutor Howard Don Rag." The editor, Charles Nelson, and his life's work... Plato and Goethe Zeiderman. It seems outrageous to compare a Jacob Klein both commented on Scott's At St. John's are the two most formative influ­ modest man like Scott Buchanan to search for hidden connections, his his interest in the Socrates this way, but the writers ability to see "in diverse things their classics became ences on his thinking. couldn't resist the comparison: "I hidden unity" (Klein). Curtis Wilson, in both a passion realized that Scott was the most his forward to Buchanan's Truth in the and his life's Socratic man I had ever known" Sciences, draws similar attention to Scott's work In fact, last year he took a sabbatical from his teaching duties to continue his (Stringfellow Barr), and "The influence search for a "dialectic that did justice to study of Plato. "Plato and Goethe are the two most formative influences on my Scott exerted issued ... from Socratic all the parts [of modern civilization] that thinking," he says. From Goethe, he says, he first realized the complexityofliving in charm" (Clifton Fadiman). had become separated, by showing their the modern world. Of course there are many repetitions relation to the whole from which they After graduating from St. John's, Levine went on to study philosophy at Penn State, in this book, and the repetitions make are derived." receiving a master's in 1969 and a doctorate in 1975. He interrupted his graduate for a wonderful musical understanding This appreciation of the life and studies to live and study in Europe for 18 months. He did independent research at the of Scott Buchanan. We return in work of Scott Buchanan covers his life Centre Universitaire International in Paris in 1970 and language study at the Goethe several essays to the double meaning of both before he began his adventure at Institut in West Germany in 1971. the Socratic dictum that was so dear to St. John's College and after he left, but Now, however, he is back "home" at St. John's and is planning to stay. "It's hard Scott Buchanan: "I know that (hott) I do let me cite two more quotations from work and long hours, but it's some of the most gratifying teaching I've ever done," he not know," in which we also hear: "I the parts that refer to his importance at says. And beginning this year, Levine is assuming even more responsibilities at the know that which (ho ti) I do not know." St. John's College. Winfree Smith writes: college. This spring he'll be serving as assistant dean, filling in for Don Cook who is This was Scott Buchanan's call for us to "there is a sense in which this college taking a leave of absence. Levine is also heading up a two-day conference, "Does the get to work on what we know that we owes its soul to Scott Buchanan." And Past Have a Future?," which is part of the college's 300th anniversary celebration. still do not know. John Kieffer said: Many of you now at When he's not working on the conference or on administrative issues, teaching, or There are references to Scott the college never knew him. Yet not one doing his own research, Levine often can be found playing racquetball. "The two Buchanan's wonderful sense of humor of us would be at St. John's today if he things that keep me grounded are my daughter and racquetball," he says. and laughter. For Jacob Klein it is the had not come to St. John's. In the classroom Levine is animated and at home. "Is life good or what?" he'll ask as laughter "of an extra-ordinary man, in This sample from a very rich volume he walks into class. His signature sound "Ou!" is often heard when a sentence works the strict sense of the word ... It was is insufficjent. Take it up and read. e out nicely or a student comes up with a particularly intriguing question. In Greek class impossible to be indifferent to him; he he is fond of quoting "the great philosopher" Sancho Panza: ''A lot oflittles make a inspired violent love and violent dislike, much." but never lukewarm feelings. He To order a copy of Scott What does he learn from his students? "Many things," he says. "One doesn't realize charmed and consoled, he provoked Buchanan: A Centennial Apprecia­ that other students always require that we begin at the beginning, never take for and teased." Mark van Doren explains tion of his Life and Work, call the granted what we think we know. We underestimate how much we can learn from other how Buchanan interwove the humorous people ... We ask why we think we know what we think we know," he says. "That's why with the serious and says that the chief Bookstore in Annapolis at (410 )626- St. John's is such a good school, that and a lot of very dedicated people." proof of Scott Buchanan's seriousness was 2540, or send a check for $23. 00 to: e his humor, which had understatement as S]C Bookstore, Box 2800, Annapo­ its form of delivery. lis, MD 21404. All proceeds from the What kind of teacher was Scott sale of the book benefit the Barr­ Levine will be leading the conference "Does the Past Have a Future?" on the Buchanan? At the University of Buchanan Scholarship fond. Santa Fe campus on April 4-5. See related article on page 2 of this issue. E HIS

johnnies who enter medicine say their training in the classics has made them better doctors.

Elizabeth Skewes

elania Yeats, SF88, thought the University of New Mexico, finds she wanted to be a veterinar­ that many medical students fit the diche ian. Todd Peterson, A87, "that when you' re six years old, you envisioned himselfin a biological decide you want to be in medicine and research program. And Bill Gattis, SF88, you plan for that." Those students often had dropped out of high school swith end up looking for undergraduate plans to make his mark as a musician. All colleges or universities with top-ranked Bill three ended up in medicine-and all pre-med programs and have under­ Yeats (above), both credit St.John's with giving them the graduate majors in biology or chemistry. philosophical and scientific background But the better path, she thinks, is to go they needed not only for medical school, to a college that can provide a broader but to make the right decisions about world view. "Doctors are not scientists, their lives. "What they learned at St. and we do need to have a background in John's that is most useful, they say, is human issues," she says. "Most of my how to ask questions and how to listen to classmates are kind of envious that I went a m11m-vec:u the answers. to St. John's. I think it definitely helps Todd Peterson Peterson says that although he wasn't you to have had something in your life planning a career in medicine when he other than a scientific bent." enrolled at St. John's, it was something Gattis, who graduated with Yeats in that interested him. "Many people in my the Santa Fe Class of 1988, said St. Services University for family are in medicine and have been for John's was one of the few colleges that medical school. a long time," he says. "l was thinking would have considered accepting him, Elizabeth Skewes and Don more about going into biological research since he dropped out of high school ("I Bell when I was considering careers, but I thought I wanted to be a musician") and picked St. John's because I was interested never took the high school equivalency in philosophy." exam. But he also knew that the kind of Melania Yeats didn't realize until her broad education that he could get at St. senior year that medical school was her John's would serve him well as a doctor. goal. Even then, she was considering He's now a resident physician at the Uni­ veterinary medicine. After graduating she versity of New Mexico's Family Practice spent two years working with large Center. St. John's gave him a chance to stringent policies, but St. John's students tuition, Peterson received a Navy ensign's animals and two years with small pursue some of the philosophical quest­ succeed in gaining admission every year, rank and pay for going to medical school. animals. "I found that I wasn't bad at ions that a pre-med program wouldn't says Holland. He has a seven-year obligation to the talking to people. I knew that I was smart have. "It also helped in terms of the Gattis took three years between St. Navy, but his work as a flight surgeon enough to do medicine, but I thought I science because it gave me a background John's and medical school to get some means that he learned to fly. He also has wasn't competitive enough to do human to look at a problem and think about it," work experience, volunteer with the a specialization in aerospace medicine, medicine. Fortunately, the prerequisites he says. "Every patient is a problem and college's Search and Rescue team, and do which deals with conditions like hypoxia are the same for both, so when I decided you've got to use your scientific knowl­ some pre-med work, including studying (having low oxygen) and spatial to apply to medical school, I didn't have edge to address it and come up with an for the Medical College Admissions Test disorientation. to do more course work" answer. And it's not nice and neat, like -the MCAT, as it is best known. Yeats Peterson says that although it takes a Yeats, a third-year medical student at you're taught in Chem 101." did the same thing, taking six years to lot of technical knowledge to be a doctor, Peterson says that the other advantage work, get a better feel for the medical medical schools are looking for students of St. John's is that it's not fiercely com­ profession, and study for the MCAT. with a broad educational background. petitive, as many pre-med programs are. "We both did well for our classes, and "It does you no good to be really strong At some major universities, desperate and other people I've known from St. John's at math and science ifyou're not able to competitive pre-med students have been have done very well on these standard­ talk to the patient," he says. known to steal readings on reserve just to ized tests," Gattis says. Gattis says that his St. John's educa­ keep other students from having access Gattis enrolled in a special medical tion also will help him with the social to the material. "At St. John's, I led an school program at UNM called the issues involved with medicine as he and incredibly leisure-filled life compared to Primary Care Curriculum, which he calls other doctors look at the future of health life as a pre-med student at a major "med school for Johnnies." Instead of care and consider policies in medicine. university," he says. lectures, students learned in small And Yeats says she found her St. Although St. John's graduates have a tutorials and the tests were in the form of John's background to be a saving grace, lot of math and science in their back­ oral examinations. By the time Yeats especially in that first year at UNM. "I grounds, medical schools today are enrolled, the PCC program had been really hated the first year of medical requiring more intensive preparation. folded into the regular medical school school. I think I would have slit my "Certainly the quality of the St. John's curriculum, so that her course work is a wrists ifl hadn't had Plato to read. In one liberal arts experience is something hybrid of the two. of the dialogues, Socrates talks about medical schools consjder an advantage," Peterson's experience was more like how important it is to make yourself says Karen Holland, placement director the medical school of the movies and good and then to help others to be in Annapolis. But students who have television. "There was no talking about good ... That and The Leviathan got me medical school as a goal need to take the answers. It was either A, B, C or D." through. I'm really into social contracts extra course work, and some find a post­ He ended up at the Uniformed Services and the notion that people with brains baccalaureate necessary. The more University because it was a good school have a social duty to use them to help prestigious medical schools have the most and a good deal. Rather than paying others." e THE FUTURE OF READING IN THE AGE OF TECHNOLOGY ·············································································~···

ERE'S HOWQUICKLYNEWIDEAS MOVED IN 1696, WHEN KING WILLIAM'S SCHOOL WAS FOUNDED. NEWTON'S PRINCIPIA-A GROUNDBREAKING WORK, FORSURE- had been published ten years before, but it wasn't translated into English until 1729. Almost 100 years later, what we would call "news" still moved at a glacial pace: On Wednesday, November 11, 1789, the King William's School students and their teachers, plus a score of dignitaries, marched from the Maryland State House to the new college of St. John's to officially begin the college's career. Reports of the event were published three weeks later in the Mary/,and Ga­ zette-on December 3. Todaywe have instant access to "news"; we can find out what the stock market is doing on the Internet, we can see an up-to-the-second weather report on the weather channel, we are glued to CNN watching the eerie green light ofAmerican missiles as they fly toward their targets in Baghdad. The vast world comes right into our living rooms and unfolds before us. But information is not knowledge or wisdom. Learning is still an activity that takes place in the interior realm, fed by stimulation from the outside (books, teachers, conversation), and is nurtured slowly and carefully by meditation. The coin of the realm of education has always been books-and for us in the New Program, the books determine more than anything else what we think about. Books tie us to our culture's past; it is through them that we engage in the sive when addressed by a fellow human scholarly-let alone urban, or suburban, dialectic of the ages. Reading is our way of being. being? Do I want the chance, and soon for that matter-existence. To me, As the college faces its next 300 years, will the landscape of understanding the obligation, to access vastnesses of though, it was a remarkable event. le remain the same? Some contemporary thinkers, for example Sven Birkerts in The information, when m:y experience has exposed the hollowness inside the Gutenberg Elegies, now claim that the substrate of our culture might be chang­ taught me that next to passion, informa­ predictions of"neo-Luddites" and ing. Young people-St. Johnnies now and in the decades to come-live in a tion most darkens counsel? Do I want to technophiles alike, yet still showed this world different from the world of the King William's School boys, different chat about Plato with a cyberpal in new metaphysical highway-the one from the world of the 19th-century students who read Tacitus and Uganda while I content myself with one made up of information-to be Ambercrombie's Intellectual Powers, different from the world of the early New yearly visit to my dearest friends, an revolutionary, indeed. You know the debate. While today's Program students who grew up without TV, FedEx, video games, walkmans, hour's plane ride away? Do I want to fixate my eyes for hours and hours on Nostradamuses agree that the Internet and computers. Are these differences deep enough to change fundamentally the tiny arid icons that print over the large "changes everything," they disagree on way students read, study, and discuss? spontaneous images of the soul? the worthiness of the result. Those who We asked tutors with a variety ofinterests and alumni in a variety of careers No, not really. I want to know just so vaunt the new communications to think about ways of discussing these questions. Their responses follow. much of this realm as I need to reflect on technologies hail their ability to forge -Barbara Goyette, A73 it as a human experience, and no more. 8 "virtual communities" oflike-minded Eva Brann is dean ofthe Annapolis souls, wherever they live, whatever their campus. She writes in longhand on a station. Those who fear the Internet yellow legal pad forecast the withering away of physical communities, particularly cities, as VIRTUAL SPACE accessing huge amounts and varieties of ...... ,.,,...... telecommuting and telecommuning information, for novel amusements and replace the desire for cafes and human REAL TIME recreations, for shopping, chatting, commerce. by Eva T.H Brann surfing, discussing. In that set of uses is Uh, no. What I've seen-in locales as enfolded a great human issue, that of the TRAVELS ON THE diverse as Blacksburg, Virginia, and New he number of our days is finite, time-economy of our lives. For it is a METAPHYSICAL York City-is a third way. The Internet is T and will, before too long, documented fact that the diversionary HIGHWAY actually serving as a force to bring people uses of cyberspace, described as "a together ... physically. In Blacksburg, become determinate. "So teach us," says by Randall Rothenberg the psalmist, "to number our days, that consensual hallucination" by the home ofVirginia Polytechnic Institute we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." inventor of the word, William Gibson and, on a per capita basis, the most wired went to a cocktail party the other I distinguish three uses of computers (in The Neuromanic, 1984), are time­ city in the nation, various social organiza­ night. I mixed a Negroni for in this college. The first is a foit accompli voracious. It is easy to enter and hard to I tions have formed, first on the Internet Daisann, a music critic, and marveled at for us and concerns their use by emerge. The space is virtual but the time and then at meeting places around town. the building plans that James, an competent professionals in the offices spent there is real. The same in New York, where regular architect and our host, had tacked to a whose work ministers to the Program. When I try to apply my heart unto gatherings-each is called an "F2F," for wall. Pavia balanced a martini and The second is in the future; we may wisdom, I see that the question, at least "face-to-face" -convene, around the discussed her ambivalence about her persuade ourselves that computers when the days become all too numer­ virtual communities forged on Echo, a move from New York to Washington. embody a genuinely new liberal art and able, is always and only this: Which of local on-line service. Sipping on another of my Negronis, find elegant examples of knowledge the world's multifarious offerings do I Thus it was with my cocktail party. Spravka displayed little sympathy, noting essentially dependent on speed of com­ need and want in my heart of hearts? The imbibers were all members of Echo's that he'd survived a journalistic year in putation and complexity ofstructure, Can I detect there a spontaneous longing professional writers' conference, few of Moscow. And so it went. examples similar to those we now have for this new electronic world, a desire whom had ever set eyes on each other. For St. Johnnies, who assume the for the arts oflanguage and nature. coherent with the whole of my life? Members of Echo's literature conference existence of a metaphysical highway that And then there is the third use, that Do I want to be accessible to the routinely hold book swaps and advertise leads from libation to interlocution to of the personal computer for personal cyberdenizen's every midnight expectora­ readings and discussion groups. The contemplation, this gin-soaked gathering use-for instant communication, for tion and daylight ratiocination, so that I food conference has had at least one am forced into being selectively respon- would seem an organic part of the Indian-restaurant F2F, and the media students-shape our talk about is almost certain authors' words, were pushed irregularly conference had a bowling night last year. "souls." To the extent that to be something I'm into the margins. Readers of printed texts Which is why I don't despair about recent writers explicitly resolutely against. And it got used to seeing regularly spaced letters technology's impact on the future of address that issue, both seems to me the best way in straight lines and consequently began intellectual life. The human need to factions repeatedly point of opposing it is to looking for regular intervals and straight touch skin, hear voices, and, yes, clink back to a single classic understand it. And then lines everywhere in the world. "The glasses will always override the drive to source: Marshall you know where to turn passion for exact measurement began to isolate ourselves in electronic gated McLuhan. off the buttons." dominate the Renaissance," says communities. From this, the St. John's Following the time-honored St. McLuhan's way of viewing the McLuhan. After Gutenberg, Galileo was idea of community- "of the mind," John's method of going to the original present grew out of his study of the past. inevitable. Moveable type created Isaac abetted by "of the flesh" -can only go sources, the obvious reading for the As its title implies, The Gutenberg Galaxy Newton. forward and prosper. • alumni, then, seemed to be Marshall concerns itself principally with the A bout a dozen alumni joined me Randall Rothenberg, A78, is a senior McLuhan's principal book, The introduction of moveable type printing J"\Jor three days to read large writer at Esquire Magazine and the Gutenberg Galaxy. It felt a bit strange to in Europe in the 15th century. That excerpts of The Gutenberg Galaxy and to author, most recently, ofWhere the bring McLuhan's work to a St. John's change, McLuhan believes, did much spend two hours exploring a CD-ROM Suckers Moon: An Advertising Story classroom. In the 1960s and early 1970s, more than make books cheaper. It altered entitled "Understanding McLuhan," (Knopf 1994). McLuhan was generally perceived as a the character of books, of reading, of which includes two of his books together trendy guru of the television generation. readers and the world they inhabited. with video clips, pictures, criticism, a ...... T···· The popular press had welded his name McLuhan's assertions are routinely taped lecture, and an extensive bibliogra­ to his well-worn catch-phrases "Global sweeping to the point of being outland­ phy. Judging from our experience, Village" and "The medium is the ish. "The Gutenberg Galaxy is concerned McLuhan's writings will not win over CLASSIC OF THE message." References to McLuhan were to show why alphabetic man was anyone predisposed to be skeptical or common on Rowan and Martin's disposed to desacralize his mode of hostile. McLuhan himself anticipated ELECTRONIC "Laugh- In." But now, only 30 years being," declares one chapter title. this critical reaction. The Gutenberg MEDIA DEBATE after its publication, The Gutenberg Another title states what seems to be the Galaxy, he admits, does not represent a Galaxy seems to be playing the role of book's fundamental theme: "The print­ by Grant Franks compelling, linear argument, but the "timeless classic" of the electronic made split between head and heart is the "develops a mosaic or field approach to media debate. trauma which affects Europe from its problems." Such a mosaic, he alleges, he future of reading? The future In fact, trendy popularity was an Machiavelli till the present." The is "the only practical means of revealing of anything is difficult. Accord­ T uncomfortable role for McLuhan in the introduction of typesetting, claims causal operations in history." There is no ing to Marshall McLuhan, whose works I first place. Fundamentally he was, and McLuhan, was not just a clever new way sustained argument in support of this read and discussed for three days with never ceased to be, a conservative Roman. to do something--copying books-that methodology, or rather this lack of alumni in Santa Fe last summer, "most Catholic Canadian professor of English was being done already slowly and methodology. Scoffers are free to scoff, people live in the previous age, no matter literature whose celebrity never derailed clumsily. It was a wholly new phenom­ but after a while I begin to feel my own what the period or what the culture." In him from his academic life. He never enon masquerading as a mere technical demands for tightly reasoned syllogisms McLuhan's view, our best artistiC and advocated change, certainly not the improvement. By the mid-16th century, and tidy historical sequences to be almost creative minds strive to live in the chaotic changes that swirled around him. books were no longer manually pro­ embarrassingly linear and ... well... present. As for the future, as McLuhan He wanted to understand in order to put duced "performances" by individual typographic. I begin to wonder whether says, "This is the future. It's now." an end to it, or at least to control it. scribes but commercial commodities. McLuhan might not be sliding between When I recklessly agreed to lead a "Most people think that if you talk Authors acquired authority: only their summer alumni seminar on the subject the lines of my way of thinking. about something recent you are for it," words were in type while the reader's In 1965 Tom Wolfe wrote a piece for of"Reading in the Electronic Age," I he told one audience. "The exact own notes, which had formerly been of New York magazine on Marshall only knew McLuhan from his cameo opposite is true in my case. Anything I equal handwritten dignity with the McLuhan entitled "What If He's Right?" appearance in Woody Allen's "Annie Hall." But as I began to search for a in which he described the phenomenal reading that would support sustained continued on page 12 conversation, McLuhan's name kept subtly reappearing. Lurking around the margins wherever I looked. Lots of books and articles have appeared recently about the "Future ofReading," most ofwhich seem to fall into one or the other of two factions. There are the upbeat prophets (the "cheerleaders") who enthusiastically herald glad tidings of the new Elec­ tronic-Internet-CD-ROM-Information­ Superhighway Age. On the other hand there are the gloomy prophets (the "doomsayers") who point to the same events and foretell the destruction of literacy, culture, civilization, and Judeo­ Christian values generally. The cheerlead­ ers tend to be geeky technophiles; the doomsayers are more often curmudg­ eonly technophobes. Their shouting matches seemed unpromising material for a St. John's seminar. However, behind their mere differences in taste lay an important question: whether the form of reading material, as distinct from its content, fundamentally alters our experience as readers and whether it even might-to use a word that is popular mostly with the doomsayer faction but which is familiar also to St. John's Photographs by Michelle Baker continued from page 11 Once our how to behave. playing field because now anyone can information and Has our behavior publish. Writers can find an audience excitement that this rather staid-looking facts came from as nations or as and are not impeded by limits of age, English professor injected into the self­ books. Now it is individuals class, gender or race. High school consciously modern world: hawked from the throughout students can publish newspapers. There are many studs in the business Internet. Stored on recorded history Grandmothers can run newsgroups. world, breakfast-food-package designers, floppies. Sold on improved? Eyewitnesses can report directly to others television-network creative department CD-ROMs. *** on what they've seen. vice-presidents, advertising "media reps, " *** I remember as a To answer the question of how lighting-fixture heirs, patent attorneys, One virtue of a student during lab computers, the Internet, TY, and other industrial spies, we-need-vision board book is its portabil­ discussions we instant communications and information chairmen-all sorts ofbusiness studs, as I ity and size. Not to would affirm some systems affect the most basic activities say, wondering ifMcLuhan was ... right? mention the physical principle that constitute education, we need to ask The tide ofWolfe's piece captures a aesthetic feel of the which we thought what those basic activities are. Reading, lot about the present speculation on the paper, the beauty of true.A few writing, reasoning, learning to think. Not future of reading and the effects­ the type and the minutes later, memorizing facts, which has become a whether dire, benign, or beatific-of illustrations. What when we pursued losing battle, but learning how to learn. electronic media on our souls. The would Treasure the matter more Today we hear about the growing class of advent of electronic media may mean Island be like deeply, we realized information workers. My work is nothing at all for the state of our souls. without the images ofN.C. Wyeth? we had been mistaken and that the law characterized by constant learning: the Then again, perhaps the form of media *** of physical reality which we had held as tools and technology change so quickly that we use does affect how we exist as In the unlikely event that paper will true a moment ago was, upon further (every two to three months I have to readers and even, maybe, as individuals. become obsolete or scarce, perhaps we examination, actually false. I have upgrade my knowledge) that I must Maybe the transition from pulp to CD­ will be using "readers" instead, comput­ amused myself by pretending that know how to learn. ROM to Internet does change the ers no larger than a legal pad which during the time we affirmed the false As to the differences between character not only of how we read but could display text or image. Like Stanley principle it was indeed true and that, for information and wisdom-information who we are as readers. Judged strictly as a Kubric imagined in 2001. Or, we could a few moments, the laws of the universe or data, by itself, is nothing. Making technical matter, the move to electronic have books individually printed on responded to our beliefs in them. meaning out ofinformation can be a media is comparable in scope to the 16th demand. You want Naked Came the This thought is neither wisdom nor movement toward wisdom. Making century's adoption of moveable type. Stranger or the Ion? They will run it off information nor knowledge but simply meaning is a process of making connec­ Whether we believe that electronic media for you at the mall. delight. And delight, for my money, is tions. That's the way it's always been­ will change us can be gauged by whether *** such a private and eternal part of our nothing new here. The big difference is we believe the transition to printed texts Will books become collectible souls that no search engine or noisy pace and quantity. In my great­ affected them, the inhabitants of the first curiosities, high-minded antiques like fusillade of cyberdata can come dose to grandmother's day, information came Gutenberg generation. The first-person derringers or codpieces? it. Thank you. • into people's lives in a slow trickle. Today, present tense question "Are our souls at *** Bruce Preston, A65, is an architect in there's a firehose of information, bur the risk?" rums to its third-person past tense You can get the complete works of Washington, D. C. His writing has been proportion ofvaluable information to counterpart, "Were their souls at risk?" Shakespeare on-line, but dollars to published in the Washington Times and white-noise-type-data is very small. Still, McLuhan may have failed to make an doughnuts you can't show me anyone theWashington Post. the process of making meaning from irrefutable, iron-dad argument that who has sat in front of a PC long enough information is the same as ever. Gutenberg was responsible for every­ to read "King Lear." And I'll bet that in With the democratization of thing from linear perspective to the some subtle way they won't be the same publishing through electronic means, Protestant Reformation. His evidence works as, say, found in the Penguin people's attitude towards content has may be scattered and his ideas overbroad. editions. 0orge Luis Borges, check your changed. It used to be that the village Bur then again, what if he's right?• e-mail.) A NEW LITERACY priest was the only one who could read, by Shannon May Grant Franks is a tutor in Santa Fe. *** so the information he delivered was He's spending the 1996-97year in Neither books nor computers contain accepted as wisdom. Annapolis. wisdom. Knowledge is pleasure. y great-grandmother used to When there were fewer sources of *** M hang out the window as a information, they were vested with an A 1950s episode of"The Twilight little girl and shout down to people in authority that I don't think people invest ·······································T····· Zone" is set in a post-nuclear wasteland new automobiles "Hey! Get a horse!!!" publications with today. amidst the ruins of a vast library. An alien Technology transformed her life at a rate There probablywill be ways that the visitor gestures toward the books that are never seen before. She got her informa­ new technologies can enhance the kind RANDOM ACCESS left and asks the aging earthling librarian tion through newspapers, radio, and of thinking and learning that go on at St. THOUGHTS how the humans who wrote them could books. Today's young people are John's. But innovations will not change experiencing perhaps an even more by Bruce Preston destroy their own civilization. The old the process of education fundamentally. man shouts in reply, "Because the books phenomenal rate of change than my The activity oflearning how to be a great-grandmother and her peers did. We he ability to process multiple lied! They lied and we believed them!" critical thinker, I doubt that will change watched the GulfWar on CNN from stimuli does not push us farther *** much. The question is how the Internet T the comfort of our living rooms. along the evolutionary superhighway. The Internet is a sort oflibrarywhich will change the way we communicate Television brought images from around Your walkman, your PC, your prime accepts any offering of knowledge or with each other. The Internet is a the world into our lives and now the time playwrights simply increase the information or data which is posted. communication medium, that's where its Internet is taking it one step further. traffic flow. More data, more informa­ Everyone is his own Gutenberg. The value is. You could go and read great Today's media call for a different kind tion, more noise. Gridlock becomes surfer/reader must discriminate between books by yourself in the library. What ofliteracy. It's more important than ever mindlock. the truth and the lies. makes St. John's such a great education is *** *** to be able to distinguish between fact that you have to talk to people. It's the and opinion. If Forrest Gump proved The difference between information The Internet is more in the service of bringing to light ofideas through one thing (aside from the fact that "Life and wisdom is the difference between the sciences than the arts or the humani­ discussion, and you need the human is like a box of chocolates ... ") it was that facts and meaning, data and understand­ ties. Because scientific knowledge is factor to do that. e you can't believe your own eyes anymore. ing, perceptions and cognition, observa­ cumulative (and verifiable), one Shannon May, ABB, is a producer of Photographic images can be manipulated tion and analysis. Wisdom is the result of generation can build on the work of the websites, AOL sites, CDs, and CDs with to achieve any effect and may bear no analysis and understanding of informa­ previous generation. Moral philosophy, Internet links for America Online resemblance to reality. tion. however, must be re-learned anew by Productions. Her recent work has focussed *** each generation through experience. And you certainly can't believe what on producing interactive comics. Otherwise the books would show us you read! The Internet is levelling the . . unng seminar, Zlotoff used to iot down thoughts for movie screenplays in a n . r the sleeper hit The Spitfire Grill says still loo k r ins on.

Borden, A88

ee David Zlotoff (A7 4) wrote and place in the community while she tries to directed The Spitfire Grill, which discover the identity of a mysterious won the Audience Award at the figure who lives in the woods nearby. Sundance Film Festival and was bought With a solid script and strong by Castle Rock for ten million dollars. performances by Ellen Burstyn, Marcia Recently in Annapolis attending an Gay Harden, and Alison Elliott, Zlotoff information warfare conference as knew he had made a good movie, but he research on a new project, Zlotoff stop­ wasn't prepared for the response at ped at St. John's to talk with a group of Sundance. "I wasn't anticipating that it 25 students interested in careers in film. would be embraced so enthusiastically, As a student at St.John's, Zlotoff told given what I had imagined audiences at the group, he started a film club, made a Sundance were looking for: more urban short movie, and wrote his senior thesis and edgy and hip films," he said. about film. He also spent a lot of time The Spitfire Grills unpredictably thinking about film. "Ideas would come positive reception mirrors the unpredict­ to me when I was sitting in seminar and I able path of Zlotoff's career, which began would jot them into a notebook," he in earnest shortly after he finished St. said. "I still have that notebook and still John's. come back to it for ideas." After Zlotoff's graduation, his wife, Although Zlotoff knew that he Becky (A75), still had one more year of wanted to work in film, he didn't know school, so he spent six months earning how he would get there. After more than money (he ran a small contracting and 20 years in the entertainment industry, painting company) and then took six Zlotoff acknowledges that there is no months to write a script. After Becky certain path to success. "After all," he graduated, the couple moved to New asked the group, "what are the odds that York where Zlotoffknocked on doors a Catholic charity would come up to a trying to get his script read. Sitting in on Jewish guy and ask 'Why don't you a class at the New School about the create a deep, sweet movie for us?' " entertainment industry, he met a woman Hollywood meetings ore performance "Murphy's Law" and "MacGyver" -the art, Lee David Zlotoff told a group of adventure hero who never carried a gun students interested in tinsel-town and managed to get out of scrapes by careers. No one asked him whether his "In my writing, I am always look­ fashioning explosive devices out of"paper senior oral exam prepared him for dips and a shirt button." Zlotoff said, negotiating a film or television deal. ing for mythic underpinnings or 'Tm proud of the fact that 'MacGyver' is literary references." so popular they make fun ofit on 'The Simpsons.'" Eventually, Zlotofffound himself in need of creative nourishment and decided to pull back from television work. Not Although he enjoys his success, While the smart money might turn who worked on a soap opera and needed long after, the Sacred Heart League made Zlotoff advised students to cultivate a its back on this proposition, this is how a secretary. A small lie about his typing its pitch, and today Zlotoff finds himself certain wariness of the Hollywood The Spitfire Grill was born. ability got him the job. in the feature film business, involved in lifestyle. "While the entertainment In 1994, the Sacred Heart League, a One evening, while working late, two projects with major studios. One of business is very wonderful and exciting, Catholic charity, decided to make a film Zlotoff found himself chatting with the them, a political thriller for Tristar it is not the place to look for your source to raise money and present Judeo­ show's producer. When the producer Pictures, Zlotoff will write and direct and of strength and substance. Christian values. Although over 150 learned that Zlotoffhad gone to St. Robert Redford will produce and star in. "I have four kids and just celebrated scripts were read, none was deemed John's, he was impressed. "I want you to Even this far into his career, Zlotoff my 25th wedding anniversary. I see my appropriate. Finally, through a friend of know that going to St. John's got me my still draws on his St. John's experience. "I success as due to the fact that my family a friend, the group approached Zlotoff. first job as a writer," Zlotoff told the find that St. John's was an invaluable is the most meaningful part of my life. "They asked ifl had any scripts in the group of students. "The producer was experience; the further away I get from My self-worth is not invested in the drawer. I said I didn't but could write a one of those people who had always graduation, the more valuable it becomes. business. That is what I do, not who I script for them ifl could also direct. We wanted to go to St. John's." Zlotoff asked In mywriting, I am always looking for am. Ifyou want to see who I am, look at had a couple of meetings, decided to go him to read his script, he saw potential, mythic underpinnings or literary my family, my community, my congrega­ ahead with the project, I came up with and Zlotoff became a soap opera writer. references." tion." the story, and we made the movie." After a year on the show, Zlotoff Zlotoff pointed out the Odyssey theme Still, he encouraged the students to The movie tells the story of a young moved to Los Angeles where, he says, he in The Spitfire Grill: "You have this young pursue work in film and television, and woman who finds her way to a small "wrote a script here and there" before woman trying to find a way home, and a left them with a generous offer: "Ifyou town in Maine after being released from finding work as a writer for "Hill Street guy in the woods who clearly was a make your way to L.A., my door is open prison. She finds work in a local diner, Blues." From there he went on to warrior who is still unable to find his way to you. You're good for a hot meal and all the Spitfire Grill, and searches for her produce "Remington Steele" and create home." the advice I can give you." e JJCC~ St. John's College HOMECOMING ANNAPOLIS 1696 1996 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Barr-Buchanan Center groundbreaking, time capsule dedication mark special 300th anniversary Homecoming in September. by Barbara Goyette, A73

ore than 400 alumni, spouses, children, and friends came home to Annapolis this year to M celebrate a special 300th anniversary edition of Homecoming. While the local papers marveled at the "football-free" nature of the event and commented on the unusual program of seminars, rock parties, and waltzes, alumni met old friends, revisited campus haunts, checked out the bookstore, and sat on the quad to read John Donne and Shakespeare. Friday evening began with lecture. President Chris Nelson (SF70) spoke about Virgil: "Foundation, Generation and Immortality: Images of Fatherhood in the Aeneid." After the lecture and the question period, there was a wine and cheese reception in Chase Stone, a class of '81 rock party in the coffee shop, and a class of'86 waltz in the Great Hall. Saturday brought the special 300th anniversary events­ and gray skies. The rain held off during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Barr-Buchanan Center. With the opening of the new Greenfield Library in the former Hall of Records building, the stage is set for the renovation ofWoodward Hall. Alumni from the decade of the 1940s worked during the Campaign for Our Fourth Century to raise money for this renovation-and to name the revamped building in honor ofNew Program founders Stringfellow Barr and Scott Buchanan. The Barr-Buchanan Center will serve as the headquarters for the Graduate Institute, with administrative offices where the circulation desks used to be. The campus' favorite spot for reading the newspapers or snoozing over seminar readings-the old Reading Room-will become a common room for GI students. Upstairs, the King William Room will remain the same, senior orals will still be held there, and an informal paperback lending library will be housed on the shelves. Downstairs there will be rooms for student activities like the Delegate Council and the newspaper as well as several tutor's offices and seminar rooms. Tutor Tom May, director of the Graduate Institute, spoke at the groundbreaking about how the institute

Clockwise from top: Caroline Christensen, AGl82, the college financial aid diredor, presides over a picnic in the driule; alumni from the 1950s still conferring about Ptolemy on the at the President's Brunch .. who says St. John's women aren't Charles John Scott Des;Jar·din.s, and John Van Doren-all from the decade of the a future the right idea about which book to Tom May, Chris Nelson, and Sharon use a real shovel for the syrr11>0111c groundbreaking in front of the Barr­ Buchanan (enter. Opposite page: Jon Hustis, A76, at the reunion luncheon in the boathouse. Homecoming photos by Keith Harvey. is a "very natural extension of the mission ofthe college." He also recalled Barr and Buchanan as proponents of adult education. Briefly describing the renovations slated for the building, Mr. May noted, "The King William Room approaches the status of a chapel." Next, Sharon Bishop (A65). president of the Alumni Association, dedicated a time capsule to be opened at the college's 400th anniversary. Included in the capsule were letters from the chairman of the Board ofVisitors and Governors, the two presidents, the two deans, and the Alumni Association Board. ''Artifacts" included were a Jefferson cup, a glass mug with the SJC seal, and words to the song "St. John's Forever." An identical time capsule is

being prepared for the Santa Fe campus. Allan Hoffman (A49) came up with the idea for the time capsules. Don't ask where the capsules will be buried­ evidently they will be held for safekeep­ ing in the libraries of the respective campuses. Just as the reunion and general luncheons were due to begin, the rain began to fall, so there was a mass exodus to the Coffee Shop, where the behind­ the-gym, under-the-sycamores picnic had been set up by the counter. The class of' 81 took advantage of the cozy Coffee Shop atmosphere for their picnic; kids ran around and had fun trying to figure out the combinations that would open the mailboxes. The class of 1956 had a very Johnny luncheon in the Private Dining Room-they spent the first 15 minutes rearranging the tables and discussing the best arrangement so everyone would be able to talk to everyone else. Following seminars (winner of the most ambitious reading award to the class of'86, chaired by Ralph Stengren and Dan Schoos, for their pick of selections from The Structure ofScientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn; the seminar was led by Mr. Beall), there was a special edition of Freshman Chorus in the Great Hall. Tutor Elliott Zuckerman-attired in a black-and­ white striped referee's shirt-led a motley crew of alumni from all eras through some perennial favorites like ''Ave Verum" and "The Heavens are Telling." Fun was had by all. Secret revealed: Dean Eva Brann is a soprano. e 1 9 9 6 11 s ti s

Middlebrook, editor • Thomas Geyer, A68, communications committee chair

The Alumni Association Newsletter is published in each issue of The Reporter. We welcome letters, capsule book reviews, and article ideas from alumni. Send submissions and suggestions to Mork Middlebrook at 73030. [email protected] (e-mail) or coll 510/547-0602. p I

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• by John Pollok, SGl80

Editor's note: This article is port of study and read Greek, from Homer on ongoing series profiling local to Xenophon. alumni chapters. By my account­ When in the early 1980s the ing, we've covered almost all of the college began to sponsor periodic officially chartered chapters. If you alumni seminars, this informal participate in on informal alumni group turned some of its energy to group (of whatever sort), please the more formal meetings and Members of the Fe Chapter of the Alumni Association gathered at President contact me. In a future issue, I attended en masse. To this group, Agresto's house this foll. hope to report on the kinds of whose members had been reading alumni activities that arise sponta­ together and arguing with one neously, outside of the formal another intensely for several years, chapter structure. the other alumni seemed like possibly true we chastised or vocal than the innovators, still, hesitant neophytes; but to those rewarded her, as the case may be, readings of Plato and Aristotle are f there is a word to describe an others, this informal group must by electing her our first president. kept from being perennial by activity which is a celebration of have seemed like a cabal of free­ The format which has been most occasional short stories and such Ian institution, an institution whose thinkers bent upon mischief. Not consistently successful for the things as a Japanese Noh play, a very presence competes with that surprisingly, there was a whiff of chapter's meetings features a novel of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, activity, then that word captures the discord and doubt about the future seminar with a tutor on an acces­ and periodic chats on paintings; and Santa Fe chapter's relationship with sible, medium to short work, no one seems to mind a Montaigne St. John's College in Santa Fe. followed by a reception with potluck essay or Moliere play every so Consider this. The college offers the •••••••••••••••• hors d'oeuvres in one of the often. community free of charge two member's homes on a Sunday Thus we muddle on, guided by seminars annually, numerous The founding of the afternoon. Unlike other chapters the most persistent and present lectures, musical events, art gallery chapter was a tri­ whose members understandably souls, only sure of the variety of the receptions and, twice yearly for a invite established tutors with whom readings. The next one could be a nominal fee, groups of five or six umph of friendship they wish to renew acquaintances, deconstructionist assault, furious but seminars on such themes as over suspicion and we in Santa Fe stumble upon them ultimately self-vitiating, on the Shakespeare's comedies and in the grocery store or stay in theoretical foundations of Western French novels. What is the chapter doubt, for it grew contact in more social settings, and intellectual tradition and, by implica­ to do? Fortunately, in the face of all out of an uneasy so, periodically, we invite new, tion, St. John's College; but there is this, there are just enough alumni in frequently untenured, and relatively an equally good chance that the the area who believe that enough of hybrid formed by unknown tutors to join us as a reading will be, say, the Meno, and a good thing is not enough, and so two distinct groups gesture of welcome and to establish a tutor, young or old, will cast us they come to more seminars a relationship. back to our student days with the offered by the local chapter. of alumni. Throughout the chapter's history, familiar, yet ever new question, "So, The founding of the chapter was •••••••••••••••• the animating antagonism hos been can virtue be taught?" • a triumph of friendship over the old, "What shall we read?" On suspicion and doubt, for it grew out the one side are the orthodox whose of an uneasy hybrid formed by two of these seminars. Nevertheless, in argument is, "Life is short and distinct groups of alumni. From the time both camps made accommo­ uncertain, energy is limited, so let's Coming in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s dations or became inured to the stick with the great stuff," and on the Alumni Association there was an extremely active, other; but only when casual ac­ other are the heterodox whose News in the spring informal reading group constituted quaintance turned into friendship guiding principle could be the /issue of The Reporter­ primarily of past and then current and respect becam_e mutual did this expression, "Been there, done that, a special thank you to Graduate Institute students who inchoate chapter begin to manifest so let's try something new." In the were joined by several aggressive an identity of its own. futile attempt to appease both, we Betsy Blume for her undergraduates during their Paula Maynes, SF77, attributed have followed a reading of Exodus many yea rs of service summer vacations. Seminars on the the early antipathy in part to G.I. with Freud's Moses and Monothe­ to the college and the New Program's books were held graduates who frequently exhibit the ism, and Job with Jung's Answer to association. almost weekly, and within this group zeal of the converted, and for this Job. Although the traditionalists another sub-group met regularly to audacious attempt to say something seem to outnumber or are more 0%10¥4:%.'!

Alumni Internet Discussion Group on the Move by Mark Middlebrook

A s predicted in the previous A list participant sometimes will subscribe johnny-digest /-\Alumni Newsletter, the alumni suggest a book for discussion, and if to the Internet address Internet mailing list discussion group enough assents are voiced, the [email protected]. This text has moved. Thanks to Rich Green, suggester will schedule a date on must be in the body of the message. SF87, who hosted the list on his which to post an opening question. From that time forward, you'll server at Stanford for almost three The ensuing electronic seminar receive all the public messages years. Mr. Green is soon to receive unfolds unpredictably, sometimes from other alumni. You use the his PhD from Stanford, at which falling flat and sometimes inspiring majordomo address only for time he will exchange the perquisite wide-ranging and fruitful conversa- instructing the mail server in how to of an Internet server for the title of tion. As in the real coffee shops in treat you. To send a public message "Doctor." Annapolis and Santa Fe, the alumni to other alumni who are subscribed Fortunately for us, Bill Fant, A79, mailing list is an _,.. ____;, to the list, send it to agreed to host the alumni list, and unholy mix of high ::.. 1 [email protected]. has been doing so since December. and low, inspired ~ The new address for sending musing and juvenile If you later decide to messages is [email protected]. ranting, warm humor :ii, end your participation in The new address for subscribing and occasional heated ~ the mailing list, send a and unsubscribing is exchanges. message that says: [email protected]. List subscribers '> unsubscribe In Internet parlance, a "mailing receive perhaps 10 johnny-digest to list" is an automated mechanism for messages per day on [email protected]. conducting a discussion among a average. By default, these messages group of people via ordinary e-mail are bundled into one or more If you want more detailed instruc­ messages. Software on the mailing "digests" for the sake of conve­ tions, send the message: list server (a computer connected to nience. The Page Down and Delete help the Internet) automatically "reflects" keys on your computer keyboard to [email protected]. a\\ messages sent to the list to each are effective filters when the of the l•st's subscribers. There is no conversation drifts below your Mr. Fant also continues to host charge for subscribing to a mailing threshold of interest. Page Down is the Unofficial Alumni Home Page on list, beyond any normal charges you analogous to walking to a different the World-Wide Web. Its address is pay for sending and receiving e­ corner of the copy shop. Delete http://www.charm.net/-bfant/ mail. allows you to shut off the chatter johnny/johnny.html, and it currently The mailing list for St. John's completely and return to your dorm includes a small but growing alumni has evolved into an elec­ room for some peace and quiet. directory of alumni who've asked to tronic coffee shop in which alumni To subscribe to the alumni be listed, links to The Gadfly, discuss all manner of subjects, mailing list, compose an e-mail Alumni Newsletters, and essays by whether related to St. John's or not. message that says only: current and past deans. •

CHAPTER CONTACTS Please call those listed below for information about alumni adivities in each area.

ALBUQUERQUE: Harold M. Morgan, Jr. NEW YORK: Steven Sedlis (212)289-1662 (505)256-0294 PHILADELPHIA: Jim Schweidel (610)941-0555 ANNAPOLIS: Thomas Wilson (410)263-2121 PORTLAND: Elizabeth Skewes (505)984-6103 AUSTIN: Homayoon Sepasi (512)416-1 7 64 SACRAMENTO: Arianne Laidlaw BOSTON: Alvin Aronson (617)566-6657 (916)362-5131 or Helen Hobart (916)452-1082 BUFFALO/ROCHESTER/TORONTO: Hank Constantine (716)586-5393 SAN FRANCISCO/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: Cynthia Kay Catherine Hobgood CHICAGO: Amanda Fuller (312)347-7099 (415)552-9349 or Rick Lightburn (847)475-7762 SANTA FE: John Pollak (505)983-2144 or DALLAS/FORT WORTH: Suzanne Doremus (817)496- Elizabeth Skewes (505)984-6103 8571 or Jonathan Hustis (214)340-8442 SEATTLE: Jim Doherty (206)937-8886 LOS ANGELES: Margaret Sheehan (310)208-2013 WASHINGTON, D.C.: Sam Stiles (301 )424-0884 or MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL: Glenda Eoyang (612)783- Bill Ross (301 )320-4594 7206 or (612)379-3924 (W) \ 0 rnr 0 l { " t t r :; ~

1 8 '101ml lllttH~i'1211 IB !~ Alumni Notes ...

the World Bank and Sida (Swedish remain wonderful, despite various County Bar Foundation as a founder, 1933 foreign aid), and wrote a report for Sida vicissitudes, and life (if one ignores grant-writer and Initial Director of a Henry Shryock, Henry Clay entitled "Used Clothes as a Development galloping facism) remains good. Come Juvenile Court Custody Mediation Smith ('34), John O'Donnell ('35) Aid: The Political Economy of Rags," down and see us sometime; my girls Program, serving indigent unmarried and Roland Bailey ('35) attended which focuses on whether Sida should (Kaitlin, almost 11, andAngela, 8) are parents fighting over their children. Now together the 1996 reunion in Annapolis subsidize used clothing exports by worth the trip, whether we are or not." she is the Initial Director of the Legal in September. non-governmental organizations. His Richard Cohen (SF) is a journalist in Assisting Technology (paralegal) Program first published work in economics Decatur, Ga., specializing in "the at Kent State University in East appeared in the December issue of healthcare and pizza industries." He is Liverpool, Ohio. She writes: "I still 1944 Development Policy Review. the editor of Healthcare Marketing Report remerrtber the Annapolis Friday night and Physician Referral and Health lecture/symposium in the spring of 1972 Carl S. Hammen is now teaching Information Update. He also writes for about student protests and college General Biology at Manatee Community Pizza Today magazine. He says he credits responses to the bombing of Cambodia." College in Bradenton, Florida. He started 1969 "much ofmy success in journalism to the teaching freshman biology at Mitchell Jonathan Sackson (A) says hello to questioning and analytical skills learned College in Statesville, North Carolina, in all his St. John's friends and classmates. at St. John's." 1949. "What progress! Will keep doing 1977 it until I get it right," he says. Bob McMahan (SGI) is teaching at 1970 The College of New Jersey, with "lots of 1974 projects in the works." His wife, Anne Edward Macierowski (A) is an Jon Hunner (SF) completed his (SGI78), is teachingatThe Pennington 1949 associate professor in the Department of Ph.D. in history at the University of School "and enjoys it very much." They The Rev. Fred P. Davis has recently Philosophy at Benedictine College in New Mexico and is now working at New would love to hear from other Graduate self-published a 200-page book about_ Atchison, Kansas. His new book, Thomas Mexico State University in Las Cruces, Institute students. his 27 years of full-time ministry in town Aquinas's Earliest Treatment ofthe where he is a history professor and and country churches, including nearly "Divine Essence" will be published in director of the public history program. ten years among Indians on two May, 1997. He reports that his wife, Mary Ellen, and reservations. Copies cost $10. Fred's 1978 his son, Harley, are enjoying life in Las home address is 39-360 Peterson Road., Randall Rothenberg (A) and his Cruces. Sp. 99/Rancho Mirage, CA 92270, 1971 wife, Sue Roy, after a year-and-a-halfin Roger Burk (A) retired from the Air Europe have moved back to New York telephone: (619)324-7172. Vicky Manchester (SF) is a Force last summer and went to work for City. He writes: 'Tm back at Esquire, and second-grade teacher at Helen Hunt Science Applications International Sue's back at Conde Nast, and all is well Elementary School in Colorado Springs, Corporation, doing operational analysis (if familiar)." 1951 Colo. for defense and intelligence community Mark Fabi (A) has sold his book William T. Roberts II writes: customers. "In short, I'm a 'Beltway WYRA1 to Bantam. It should appear in ''After retiring from the U.S. Marine Bandit,' " he says. bookstores as a trade paperback around Corps, the U.S. Department ofJustice, Theodore Wolff (A) writes: "I have a 1972 mid- to late-1997. and the Metro Dade County Police, I Rev. Dr. Twyla Susan (Fort) new partner and a new company name: Roberta Rusch (A) was married on was happy traveling, writing, and Werstein (SF) has immigrated to Wolff Clements and Associates. Our firm Christmas Eve to Le Gable, so she's now lecturing. Now, I discover I own three Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand, where of seven landscape architects and one Roberta Gable, a name, she notes, with sloops, and am president of Far Horizons she serves as a Presbyterian minister and architect (my wife, Peggy) was the fewer consonants in a row. Offshore Sailing School and Charter teaches bioethics and religion part-time landscape architect for the just com­ Service. I offer big discounts to St. at the university and medical schools pleted State Street renovation in Johnnies. (305)944-8606." there. Her husband, Paul, teaches Chicago." John Horne and wife Anne 1979 computer science at the university. Their Ed Myers (A) called to say thank you Carol Colatrella (A) writes: I'm celebrated 53 years of marriage in younger daughter, Claire, 13, is enrolled to all who have e-mailed him recently giving a paper on Moby Dick at the November. He writes: "Whatever in a British-style, all-girl secondary and sent support during his illness. He Israeli Association ofAmerican Studies in judgement, patience and love sustained school; and their older daughter, says, however, that his computer was this marriage had its foundation in the Jerusalem, and anticipating the second Amethyst, 26, is finishing her medical stolen at Christmastime and so he has no program 1947-1951." birthday of my son Charlie. I teach at degree this year and beginning her e-mail capability and cannot respond Georgia Tech and my husband, Rich residency in pediatrics. They welcome until he gets a new machine. Denton, teaches music at Kennesaw any Johnnies visiting "Kiwi-land" to State University and Agnes Scott 1961 e-mail them for information at College, and we encourage Charlie's Harrison J. Sheppard writes to say [email protected]. 1975 interests: drumming and building that he has been named a Fellow of the Wendy I. Wills (SF) recently sandcastles." American Bar Foundation: "an unex­ completed a job with the Cuyahoga Ronald Dorris (SGI) has been pected honor that may materially assist 1973 named director of the African-American my efforts to help affect positive changes Bob Hampton (SF) and his wife, studies program at Xavier University of in American legal practice and legal Lisa Attleson, have joined a private law Louisiana in New Orleans. Dorris joined education." practice in Wichita Falls, Texas. He says the faculty at Xavier last year as an that Lisa was working with legal services associate professor in the English 1968 for the poor for the past l 0 years and he department, and he is one of five Mellon was doing the same for the past 15 years, w~.~'w nea/J, authors on campus. He has taught at the Rick Wicks (SF) and his wife, "but the combination of'New Demo­ UniversityofNotre Dame, the Univer­ Ellinor, have been living in Sweden for crats' and old Republicans has at last ll~ (X9.#W, ~ sity of Nebraska, Tulane University, and the past four years. Their second child, driven us out. We'd welcome any td:Jd, fflR, ·~ #Uf' Talladega College. He was a 1992-93 Hendrik, was born two years ago, and referrals or just friendly contacts. As for lad,~ in Ute cka,nd, Lilly Teaching Fellow at Notre Dame. their daughter, Linnea, is six and is in what sorts of cases we'll take: We'll eat His poetry and prose have appeared in preschool. Ellinor, who is Swedish, is at what we kill." He repor~s that in the past ~.V~~ the Louisiana English journal, The Griot home with the children. Rick says that year and a half they've seen Steve alum+u U rme o(r Ute and American Poetry Anthology. His both children are bilingual and that he is Goldman, Bill Blount, Kit Callender, scholarly works have appeared in the "slowly'' learning Swedish, "besides Larry Dutton and Gary Wolfe, all ~ ofr Ute jnlt. Western Journal ofBlack Studies and studying economics and working in the classmates from Santa Fe's Class of 1973. Perspectives ofBlack Popular Culture. In economics department at Goteborg They've also stayed in contact with Rick addition to his master's degree from St. University, planning eventually to write Griffin (SF70), Maria Kwong (SF73) John's, he has a bachelor's degree from a Ph.D. thesis." He also edits reports for and Eric Springsted (SF73). "They all Xavier, a master's degree from Boston University, and a doctorate from Emory tion." He and Katherine live in Kansas. She will investigate substance Jeffrey Wilson (A) is assistant University. Dahlgren, Va. abuse treatment and prevention in professor of philosophy at Loyola Nathan Rosen (A) and Leslie Australia at the National Centre for Marymount University in Los Angeles. Smith Rosen (A) are amicably divorced Epidemiology and Population Health at He teaches Kant (all three Critiques!) 1982 and have been sharing custody of the Australian National University in ethics, the philosophy of art, and ancient Marielle (12),Alyssa (9), and Samuel (5). Canberra. Greek philosophy. He also serves, in a Pattie P. Swift (SF) and her The children alternate weeks at each Roxanne Seagraves (SF) is a doctoral volunteer capacity, as public affairs husband, Dean, announce the birth of home. Leslie has custody of the cat. Leslie student at the Graduate Theological director for radio station KXLU-FM, their second child, Dean Edwin Swift, is the Middle School Head of the Krieger Union at the University of California, hosting a broadcast called Off-Center. on July 4, 1996. Their daughter, Schechter Jewish Day School, and lives at Berkeley. She is studying the history of The highlight of the 30-odd segments Lindsay Ann, is four years old. Pattie is a 205 Sudbrook Lane, Baltimore, MD, religions and cultural studies. "My he has produced to date of this public Costilla County judge and Dean is 21208, phone (410)653-1087. Nathan current projects are highly esoteric and I interest interview show has been a 40- growing wildflowers for seed production. teaches English at Wilde Lake High compensate with stilt walking and minute interview with Franklin Sonn, "We would enjoy visiting with any School in Columbia, Maryland. This storytelling. The more things change, the Ambassador of South Africa to the U.S. Johnnies who find themselves in our past summer he directed "As You Like It" more they remain the same,'' she writes. Other guests on Off-Center have southern Colorado neighborhood," at the Ellicott Theatre in Ellicott City. included former gang members from Pattie says. Nathan's address is 7906 Stevenson South Central, residents of the World Gail Donahue Storey (SGI) has had Road, Baltimore, MD 21208, phone War II Japanese-American internment her second novel, God's Country Club, 1984 (410) 6 5 3-6421, which he shares with camps, and counterculture guru Terence selected as one of the top 20 books in the Sue Price (A) is engaged to be Dr. Roberta Babbitt, a behavioral McKenna. Jeffrey invites Johnnies to nation by Barnes & Noble for their married to Bob Gavrich on March 22, psychologist at the Kennedy Krieger contact him at (310)338-1856 or at his e­ "Discover Great New Writers" program. 1997 in San Francisco. She's working as Institute. They also have a puppy named mail address: [email protected]. Her first novel, The Lord's Motel, is now a Technology Resource Teacher at Coco. Anna Davis (A) writes: "In addition available in paperback. Benjamin Franklin Middle School, a to maintaining my private practice, I am William C. Hecht (SF) married public school in San Francisco. Bob is a now an adjunct professor at the Katherine Page Spivey on Oct. 8, 1995, self-employed investment adviser. University of Maryland School of Law, at an Alexandria Friends Meeting. He 1983 teaching family law in the Clinical Law received a master's degree in humanities Kimber K. Richter (A) received a Program. My son, Aaron (featured in the from California State University at Fulbright fellowship to study abroad for 1985 Alumni Association Mailer) is now two Dominguez Hills in December 1995. the 1996-1997 academic year. She is a Tiffany Jan (SF) and her husband, and a half-and my greatest joy! I'd love doctoral candidate in human develop­ His thesis is entitled, "Gilgamesh and Utzi, announce the birth of their Hippolytus: An Archetypal Explora- ment and family life at the University of daughter, Winnifred Claire, on Sept. 3. continued on page 20

SANTA FE' s SuMMERALUMNI PROGRAM & HOMECOMING 1997 MIXING SEMINARS WITH SIMPLY CATCHING UP

.rom the enduring novels of Edith from July 13 to 18 and July 20 to 25, Age ofInnocence.Tutors for the first week, which is being coordinated by several FWharton and Henry James to some and for Homecoming Weekend, which which runs from July 13 through July Santa Fe tutors, will feature seminars on of the great books of the 20th century to will be held on July 18, 19 and 20. 18, include Dean Eva Brann, Nancy short essays or selections by authors a celebration of the 30th anniversary of Homecoming Weekend will feature Buchenauer, and Janet Dougherty. including Borges, DuBois, Weber, the Graduate Institute, this year's special activities for the 1997 reunion The second Summer Alumni Edmund Husserl and Leo Strauss. Summer Alumni Program and Home­ classes-the classes of 1972, 1977, Program week, which begins July 20 and A brochure about Homecoming and coming Weekend will have something 1982, 1987 and 1992-including runs through July 25, will focus on some the Summer Alumni Program will be for everyone. reunion class seminars and dinners. This of the great works of the 20th century, mailed to all members of the reunion Whether you come back to Santa Fe year will also feature a few events to mark working from a list of books that was classes in March. Those of you who are to attend a seminar on The Age of the 30th anniversary of the opening of suggested by some of the finest scholars not in a reunion class, but would like to Innocence or just to see former classmates the Graduate Institute in Santa Fe. The and political figures of our time. The list receive the brochure, should fill out the and good friends, you can start making college would like to welcome back all was honed by the St. John's College form below and mail it to: your plans to be in Santa Fe for the Graduate Institute alumni to help mark faculty, and includes works by Jorge Luis St. John's College, Alumni Office, Summer Alumni Program, which runs this momentous occasion. The Summer Borges, WE. B. DuBois, Albert Einstein 1160 Camino Cruz Blanca, Santa Fe, Alumni Program also and Max Weber. The program week, NM 87501. • promises some interesting events, including field r------1 trips in northern New I Mexico and a chance to I __Yes, I would like to receive a brochure and registration materials for the attend the Santa Fe 1997 Homecoming and Summer Alumni Program in Santa Fe. Opera. I More importantly, I Name: however, the Summer I Alumni Program is a I chance to spend a week I Class Year: with some favorite tutors I and favorite books in a I Home Address: focused series of seminars. I ------~------The first week of the Summer Alumni Program, ! Pablo Collins, SF16, gets a hug from a classmate at "Life in an Innocent Age," will examine I Santa Fe's 1996 Homecoming. Looking on are Chris the writings and film adaptations of I Phone: E-mail Address: ------Graver and Khalil Ayoub, both from the class of 1976. works by Edith Wharton and Henry I James, including Wharton's novel The L------~ 2 0 THE REPORTER. Alumni Notes ...

year for a festival to celebrate this have a new addition to their family-Mr. awe-full tragicomedyoflife as a token of Bond, a 100 lb. Alaskan Malamute. THE FARMER my appreciation for you, and to facilitate "He's gorgeous!", they report. the reawakening of the Old Gold, who is Brian Good (A89 and 93) will host IN THE forever a newcomer. Well, I don't have another black-tie soiree in the Great Hall the funds now, but who knows what the on Saturday, April 19th as a benefit for VIDEO BIZ future holds." William can be reached at the SJC gymnasium. For more informa­ 9 East3rdAve.,Apt. B, Columbus, OH tion, email [email protected] or call 43201. His phone number is (410)268-9173. Lyn Cronin DesMarais (A84) has, with four other women in her (614)298-0703. family, made a children's video on dairy farming. Set in her home in 1994 central Massachusetts, it blends education with humor as Geraldine, a cow, 1991 Sarah Liversidge (A) is enrolled in tells you all about her life on a farm. She also shows you how hard "her Bert Kiessling, Jr (AGI) was the Masters ofArchitecture program at Farmer" works to provide food for her. appointed director of alumni services for University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's an "My grandmother (80), mother (60), sister, and I wanted to make a Archbishop Spalding High School in exciting program that's consuming ALL good, funny video with entertaining music that kids will watch repeatedly. Severn, Md. my time. And, for the little time left, So far it has succeeded. Kids have been delighted with the contrast between Alexandra Edelglass Stockwell (A) there are plentyofJohnnies at University the farmers who use tractors and huge equipment and other farmers who writes that her daughter, Josephine of Chicago," she says. still use draft horses for farm work." Elizabeth, "was born at home on Sunday, Yvonne Belanger (A) has joined the Lyn says that she will donate to St. John's a portion of profits from the September 29, 1996. Present were my faculty of the Middle School at Dana sales to Johnnies of"Hey, That's My Hay." To order call (800)273-6648 or husband Rodd, a midwife, and a labor Hall School in Wellesley, Mass. She will send a check to Farmer Small Productions, 1200 Hardwick Road, New assistant. She weighed 9 and a half teach math to sixth, seventh, and eight Braintree MA 01531. The cost is $19.95 plus $1.00 Massachusetts sales pounds. When born, both her eyes were graders. She will also serve as faculty tax and $3.50 s/h. open and she arched her neck to look moderator of the Math Art Club and a around. Her expression was totally member of the Dana Hall Technology peaceful, despite an extremely long and Committee. intense labor. She is a joy to be around." to hear from Johnny friends. My e-mail 1989 Kelly Koepke (SF) received her MBA with a concentration in non-profit address is [email protected]. Margaret Lamb is at the London 1995 management from the University of St. The Habit ofThought: From Socratic School of Economics working on a Micah Pharris (A) has begun first­ Thomas in Minneapolis, Minn. Seminars to Socratic Practice, by Michael master's in Philosophy of the Social year studies at The Dickinson School of Strong (SF), has just been published by Sciences. ljter email address is Law. New View Publications of Chapel Hill, [email protected]. uk. Tracey L. Werner (SF) is teaching NC, 1-800-441-3604. Grant funding Brian Good (A) will host another 1992 full time at Atheneum Middle School in from the Still Water Foundation and the black-tie soiree in the Great Hall on Catherine Bauer (SGI) returned Alaska with Lydia Ossorgin (SF77) Lazarus Foundation established a Center Saturday, April 19th as a benefit for the from Japan in February 1996 after three and Kevin Holthaus (SF83). She says for Socratic Practice at the Judson SJC gymnasium. For more information, years of teaching English there. She she is "loving bringing to life the Great Montessori School in San Antonio with e-mail [email protected] or call recently moved from the San Francisco Books with students from the seventh to Mike as full-time director. The Center (410)268-9173. Bay area to Seattle to take care of her new ninth grades." provides training and program develop­ Michael P. Cassady (SGI) married granddaughter, who was born to her son, ment in Socratic Practice for public and Kathleen Sabo in September 1996. The Karel Bauer (A88) and his wife, Nancy private school clients. Socratic Practice couple spent their honeymoon in Italy Harriss-Bauer (A85). Catherine says 1996 cultivates intellectual and social virtues in and now live in Albuquerque, N.M. she would be glad to talk to any Johnnies Susan Mittler (SF) is living in order to develop sophisticated reading who are interested in teaching in Japan. Portland, Ore., and is taking classes in skills in a group context. A two-hour Mary Beth Brady (SGI) is not quilting and surface design. She says she program on Socratic Practice produced 1990 working on an MBA at the University of is "adjusting fairly well and enjoying by TI-IN Network, the nation's largest Chicago, as reported in the fall issue of Danilo Marrone (SF) is working on life." distance-learning network, was broadcast The Reporter. She is on maternity leave a Ph.D. thesis at Lund University in Steven L. Wolford (SGI) completed to 100,000 educators in December. with her son, Ambrose, who was born in Sweden on the history of books and the Eastern Classics program in August Mike can be reached at 210I 344-31176 June 1996. She and her husband, Blase libraries. He is researching a collection and says he "thoroughly enjoyed it. I or [email protected]. Homer (8) and Bickett, are both teachers in the Santa Fe called the Bibliotheca Walleriana, a highly recommend leaving your job to Jemima (4) Strong enjoy learning at the public school system. Editor's note: We famous collection of books and manu­ read for a year." Judson Montessori School, which is led apologize for the error in the fall issue. scripts dealing with the history of med­ by Jim Judson (SFGI95) and staffed Simon Bone (SF) received a master's icine and science that was donated to by Nevitt Reesor (SFGI95). Mike's wife degree in journalism from Northwestern Uppsala University by Dr. Erik Waller in Molly Mechau Strong (SF84) is work­ University in Chicago in 199 3 and is 1950. The collection includes first ed­ ing as a freelance journalist and editor, currently a Ph.D. candidate in history at itions ofVesalius, Harvey, Copernicus, substitute teacher, mother, and poet. Viadrina University in Frankfurt, The Reporter wants to hear your news! Galileo, Kepler and Newton. He has a Germany. Contad us any way, by phone, mail, e­ master's degree in the history of science mail, carrier pigeon-here are our from Uppsala University and teaches addresses: 1988 business English at EF Corporate in Jeff Smith (A) has taken the position Stockholm. His mailing address is: 1993 In Annapolis- of Library Director at the Walnut Hill Solbergsv. 51, 2 floors, 168 66 Bromma, Dan W. Burin (SGI) is a Ph.D. The Reporter, Public Relations Office, St. School for the Arts in Natick, Mass. It's Sweden, and his phone number is student in the education school at the John's College, Box 2800, Annapolis, MD an arts high school for grades 9-12; stu­ ( +46)8-28 42 68. University ofVirginia. Prior to 1996, he 21404 dents study dance, theater, music, and William G. Culley (SF) is now in spent a year studying at the Hebrew phone: (410)626-2539 art. The library has 10,000 volumes and the last quarter of a psychology intern­ University in Jerusalem and two years e-mail: [email protected] is a unique collection of arts resources. He ship at Ohio State University. He writes: working in Denmark. He and his wife, and his wife, Natasha, want to announce "The hours are long, hut I'm learning a who is Danish, would welcome calls In Santa Fe-- the birth of their second son, Gabriel lot. I often think of St. John's and tell from any Johnnies who are interested in The Reporter, Alumni Office, 1160 Camino Zackary, on November 10. They also have friends and strangers that while it's not finding out more about Israel, Denmark Cruz Blanca, Santa Fe, NM 87501 a two-year-old son, Theodore Roman. for everyone, it is the best education in _or-the University ofVirginia. They can phone: (505)984-6103 America. You, my tutors and friends that he reached at 6 Copeley Hill, Apt. 1, e-mail: [email protected] I have not spoken to, I carry you with me Charlottesville, VA 22903. Their phone and would like to be wealthier so that I number is 804-977-1959. could donate cases of vintage wine each Alex and Vanessa Ellerman (A) Obituaries and memoria...

Richard M. Ryan Hall New York City. Survivors include his She graduated from Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, Md. Survivors Noah Rodriguez R.M.R. Hall, Associate Professor at wife, three sons, three daughters, and include her mother, father, and a sister. Noah Rodriguez, the Santa Fe the Department of Linguistics, Queens five grandchildren. school teacher and 1985 Graduate College of CUNY, died in Mineola, New Institute alumnus who was York, on November 11, 1996. He Marion Borsodi Robert Nichols profiled in the fall issue of The received his BA in German and classics Marion Borsodi, a long-time member Robert Nichols (A48) died of cancer Reporter, was murdered on October from Johns Hopkins in 19 5 3 and a PhD of the Caritas Society and friend of the in San Francisco on September 30. 13, 1996. He was originally in Linguistics from New York University college, died in September 1996. A Although he attended St. John's for only reported to be missing, but police in 1967. In addition to teaching at librarian for more than 50 years, she was one year (1944-45), he was always an later learned from an informant Queens College, he had also taught at the first librarian at Annapolis High enthusiastic supporter of the college. that Mr. Rodriguez had been City University of New York, was a School, worked for General Motors After leaving St. John's, he joined the killed. His body was found on Fulbright scholar at the University of Corporation in New York and in Detroit Washington bureau of the New York November l in a culvert south of Bayreuth, Germany, and had taught in establishing their specialized libraries, Herald-Tribune, which sent him to the Santa Fe. Police have made an Sudan and Venezuela. By training, Mr. and also became a librarian at the Naval South Pole with Admiral Byrd. Later he arrest in the murder. Hall was a historical linguist and an Academy Library after returning to edited the house organ for Time-Life in A lifelong resident of Santa Fe, Indo-Europeanist. Later in his academic Annapolis in 1966. New York. In 1953 he returned to his he was a teacher and educator for career, he developed expertise in the In addition to the Caritas Society; she native California, where he was a 20 years. He is survived by his structure of the Nilotic group of volunteered for the YWCA bookstore freelance writer. He completed a volume parents, three brothers, and four languages ofAfrica. and the Auxiliary ofAnne Arundel of poems shortly before his death. He is sisters. A memorial service for Mr. According to his classmate Philip Medical Center, sangwith the Annapolis survived by his wife Diana and three Rodriguez was held in Santa Fe on Lyman (A53), Mike Hall attended St. Choral Society, and participated in the children from a previous marriage. November6. John's for one year but always thought of Colonial Players and the King William -submitted by Bill Buchanan, A48 himself as a St. Johnny and returned for Players. Surviving are her daughter, several reunions. Lorna Borsodi Cahall, who attended St. Paul Ollswang Mr. Hall is survived by two daugh­ John's (A59), three grandchildren Paul Ollswang (A66), a cartoonist for ters, a son, and two grandchildren. (including Sean, A83), and one great­ several alternative newspapers in the and creative, with a big heart." grandchild. A memorial service was held Eugene, Oregon, area, died ofheart Richard Cunningham at the college in September. failure in December. According to the James G. Boss Richard Cunningham (AGl89), a Eugene Register-Guard, Mr. Ollswang James Boss, class of1933, died on professor ofjournalism at New York Vikki Lianne Moritsugu never com-promised the ideals of the November 2, 1996. Mr. Boss was a University, died in November 1996 in Vikki Moritsugu, who attended St. hippie era. His cartoons-which often lawyer who lived in Laurel, Md. He is Philadelphia. Mr. Cunningham was the John's (class ofl996 in Annapolis) and depicted dogs- reflected his views. Mr. survived by his wife, Lucy Boss, and first ombudsman for the Minneapolis the U niveristy of Maryland at Baltimore, Ollswang was born in New York City, daughter Ellen McKisson. Star-Tribune. He had also been a reporter died September 6, 1996 in Fairfax, and after graduating from St. John's he for the paper. Since 1986 he taught at Virginia, ofinjuries suffered when she moved to Oregon. He did graduate New York University, specializing in was struck by a car while crossing a street work in biology at the University of Noted... press ethics. He also served as associate in Manassas. Ms. Moritsugu was born in Oregon. Steve Hills, SF78, remembers Hugh Mappin, A83, died on director of the National News Council in San Francisco and had lived in Hawaii. him as "a terrific person, very original October 2, 1996.

The Arts ... MARGARET LEFRANC BRINGS SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS OF ART TO SANTA FE'S GALLERY

er career in art has spanned three Marriott. The first of these, Maria: The Indians. The exhibit will open with a H quarters of a century and took Potter ofSan !Uefonso, won the 1948 reception on March 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. place in three countries. Now, for the American Institute of Graphic Arts/ and will run through March 23. And second time, the St. John's College Art Library of Congress "Fifty Best Books of late spring, the gallery will feature the Gallery will feature the works of Santa Fe the Year Award" for illustration. The annual student art exhibit, which will artist Margaret Lefranc. Her show, book is still in print. open April 4 and continue through April "Works on Paper," opened January 19, Though she has lived in New Mexico 22. For more information on any of the with a reception attended by Lefranc, for more than 50 years, a self-imposed art gallery exhibits or the Fine Arts and will continue through February 20. seclusion has kept Lefranc from achiev­ Guild, contact Ginger Roherty at Lefranc, who was born in the United ing the notoriety sought by other local (505)984-6099 .• States, began her art studies in Berlin and artists. As she explains it, "My work does -by Caroline Knapp, SFOO Paris as a teenager, where she observed not shout." This show, displaying the beginnings of cubism, expressionism, watercolors, etchings and monotypes, and surrealism while attending the Ecole should serve as an introduction for many du Louvre and the Sorbonne. When the to her highly varied vision. Now in her rise of Nazism made Europe unsafe, she 75th year as an artist, Lefranc resides in returned to live in America and settled in the east-side Santa Fe home she built the artist's mecca of 1930s New York herselfin the 1940s. She continues to There she founaed and directed the work in oils and graphics, experimenting Guild Art Gallery, through which she with the "marriage oflight with form, helped introduce many talented artists. and its transformation into color... [to] Lefranc first saw New Mexico in free the canvas and paper from their 1939 while visiting D.H. Lawrence and limited boundaries." W H. Auden at the Lawrence Ranch in Lefranc's show will be followed in Taos. She lived in Nambe until 1956, March with an exhibit ofWilliam editing and illustrating the books ofAlice Wright's photographs of the Kickapoo Campus Life ...

EANUT BUTTER BLOOD & FFI Santa Fe's innovative ''Dracula'' •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

he St. John's production of form parts of the whole .. .I wanted, in T "Dracula," which played to good some way, to try and remain true to the crowds in December in Santa Fe, human side of this. This means not showcased student creativity-not just portraying any one character as too acting ability. perfect or too good, or even too Scott Geib (second from right) talks to Dancer Jensen-Starr (for right) during rehearsals for The driving forces behind the evil... The story is, among other things, the production of "Dracula." Photo by Maria Giordano. production were Scott Geib, a Graduate the story of the struggle to keep that Institute student, and Josiah Mannion, a which is deep within from surfacing and came to the sets. Reichman took his crew blood-after each performance. senior. Among other things, they coming to life, in spite ofits life ... Truly to the local dumps to find supplies. Rixi Hyde (SFOO), who played Lucy, scrambled to turn the Great Hall into a this is a morality play in a rich, deep way. Three discarded refrigerators became the said Mannion and Geib complemented theater and to find innovative ways to Above all, this is the story of the slowly foundation for the sets and a fourth each other well with their different transform scrap metal and a few yards of crawling terror of a shimmering oflight, became Dracula's coffin. approaches to directing. "Scott is very fabric into sets and costumes. It all of truth, in a shadowy room-of the Costumes were pulled together from organized and concerned with the started when Mannion showed up a few half-known, half-guessed." thrift shops and second-hand stores. In technical side of things. He likes the hours early for their regular Wednesday Dietz, the playwright, says that in one thrift shop Dancer Jensen-Starr blocking to be the same every time," poker night, and Geib was reading a order to make the play work "you need (SF99), the costume director, saw the Hyde said during the rehearsals. "Josiah brand new script for "Dracula'' written lots of blood and a great sound system." perfect dress for Lucy-just as another is helpful, inspirational, comforting, but by Stephen Dietz, a 1992 Santa Fe The students didn't have either. They woman picked it up to buy it. Jensen­ demanding. In one scene I had to writhe graduate. considered buying the 16 gallons of Starr told the woman that she planned to against a window. I thought, 'I can't do Mannion picked up the script and stage blood that they would need for the use it for the play. The woman bought it, that,' but Josiah showed me how." was captured by it. He and Geib talked six shows, but the cost was $1200 from but only to use as a Halloween costume. Because the two directors had such a about the script's possibilities late into a theater supply outlet; their entire After that night, she donated it to the strong and unified vision for the play, the night. Junior Chris Reichman got production budget was just $1500. So production. the actors were enthusiastic about the caught up in the enthusiasm for the play they turned to the recipe books, cooking Other costume pieces, including production, despite being a little tired and volunteered to be the set designer up stage blood out of food coloring, Dracula's sweeping, black cape, were from all the late-night rehearsals. And for the fledgling production. cornstarch, peanut butter, and mint. made by student volunteers. Jensen-Starr despite the odds, the cast and the crew In a brief summary about the Why mint? For the taste, of course, since and her assistant, Penelope Benekos demonstrated through this successful production, Mannion wrote: "We see a many of the characters have to keep the (SF99), had to choose the fabrics care­ production that a lack of money and poignant depiction of the sensual and stage blood in their mouths. fully, keeping in mind that the costumes supplies can be overcome with innova­ the intellectual, how they do and do not Innovation also was necessary when it had to be washed-to get rid of the stage tion, creativity, and determination. •

ST SI LINGS FIND EACH OTHERAT SJC

Clarence Wesley Alwan received his BA degree from St. john's in May 1993. family: Wes' father had remarried and frequent e-mail messages, and shared a That August, Jennifer Coonce crossed the stage at convocation to sign the had a daughter named Jennifer who winter, spring, and summer vacation. college register. At the time, they had never met and were completely unaware attended St. John's. Wes' mother called Aside from having St. John's in ofhow much they had in common: Each had grown up in a blended family; Wes to pass along the information, giving common, they've discovered a number of each learned of St. John's from a parent who was greatly influenced by a him his father's phone number. similarities. Jennifer says that both she college professor, Joseph Killorin (A47); each chose St. john's because ofa love With great trepidation, Wes called his and Wes are characterized by their soft­ of books, a serious disposition, and a cherished idealism. And, though they father. They exchanged some basic stories spoken manners and serious demeanors. Wes says that they have similar levels of didn't know it at the time, Wes and Jennifer are brother and sister. about themselves and their pasts, and Wes learned that he had three half­ sensitivity, stubborness about certain siblings. Wes then spoke with Jennifer, things, and basic idealism. n the year after his graduation from St. who was home on break. As they've gotten to know each other, I John's, Wes Alwan was idly flipping "I was very impressed with what a their relationship has been exposed to through the campus directory when he nice person Jennifer turned out to be," the true test of siblinghood: fighting. came upon the name "Jennifer Coonce." says Wes. Jennifer remembers their "We fight a lot," Jennifer says. "We fight He knew that before being adopted by conversation: "I kept telling him how as ifwe grew up together,'' adds Wes. his stepfather his last name had been excited I was, and how I was so happy The two speak almost sentimentally of Coonce, so seeing the name startled him. that I finally could meet him." their disagreements, which neither see as A few months later, his former classmate Wes arranged to meet his newfound any threat to their long-term relation­ John Castro (A93) mentioned that he family at a wedding in Texas, where he ship. "We'll definitely always be close," had helped Jennifer Coonce with her andJennifer had so much to say to one says Wes. "When we first met there was acting. Wes jokingly said, "You know, she another they went for two nights with an immediate kinship. It was like may be my sister." minimal sleep. "Within days I had meeting someone who you know is That summer, Wes' mother phoned gained a great friend as well as another going to be a good friend right from the her former professor, Joseph Killorin, big brother," says Jennifer. Since their beginning. But when you meet someone who had remained in contact with her initial meeting, the two have spoken like that and it's your own half-sister, Wes Alwan and Jennifer Coonce ex-husband. Killorin updated her on the regularly on the phone, exchanged that's really a great experience." • -by Sus3an Borden The Program ...

THE Sr. foHN's REvIEw.AN A-TYPICAL JOURNAL ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• by Barbara Goyette a way ofthinking and simplification" (as its editorial policy was that they [the administration] states). It is a mix oflectures or wanted it to be a newsletter with Pamela Kraus is John's? Read reworkings oflectures, thoughtful campus news and they also wanted it the current editor of papers, essays, bookreviews, occasional to have substantive articles," he says. the St. John's the college's own version of poetry and fiction, and translations. "I argued that the college should an that's "The Review is supposed to represent the have a serious literary journal, with sort of thinking that St. John's encour­ the kind of articles that might not an academic journal ages," says current editor Pamela Kraus. be published elsewhere but "It's a publication for a reading public." would be ofinterest to a St. Traditional academic scholarship John's audience." In 1979 the consists of a body of knowledge that campus news and alumni notes were op quiz: How are Plato's Meno, the scholars in the field need to know and moved to a new publication, the Reporter. electric eel, and Michael Faraday try to add to. "But that approach looks at Mr. Berns cites as an example of Pconnected? Answer: Tutor only part of the picture," says Ms. Kraus. important material published in The Howard Fisher gave a lecture, later re­ "It's as ifyou were looking closely under College the transcription of a conversation printed in the St. John's Review (Vol. XLI, a microscope. Yes, you can see things you between Jacob Klein and Leo Strauss number 1, 1991-92), in which he can't see with the naked eye, but you lose called "A Giving ofAccounts." examined the question ofwhether Soc­ something. Often the human questions Other editors of The College included rates as the torpedo fish stung himself can get slighted or the wholeness of a tutors Malcolm Wyatt and Beate Ruhm when he stung his interlocutors. The book can recede when you are too von Oppen. The College had a magazine­ question was a sidelight to an examina­ concerned with over-specialized size format with a different cover each tion of Faraday's experiments on the elec­ inquiries." time, either a photograph, a reproduc­ tric and magnetic properties ofliving Essays in the Review, on the other tion of artwork, or an original drawing. beings. hand, require the author to step back The publication became the St. john's You wouldn't typically find this from this kind of examination. "Writers Review in 1980, with tutor Leo Raditsa combination of subjects in any scholarly have to present evidence, to offer reasons as editor, followed by J. Walter Sterling. journal. That's because the St. John's by which they attempt to persuade," she The St. john's Review gained its current Review, published twice a year in says. Like the best, deepest kind of six-by-nine inch size in 1988 when Annapolis, is not a typical academic thinking that goes on for students of the Elliott Zuckerman became editor. He also journal. As immediate past editor Elliott college-and which it is hoped they will introduced crossword puzzles "in the the variety of material carried: a lecture Zuckerman says: "What I looked for were exhibit in their annual essays-essays in classic British style-every due contains a by tutor Eric Salem (A77) entitled "Sun interesting articles that had some the Review draw on the program as a definition and some sort ofword play." and Cave," an essay on the films of connection to the St. John's program, whole in their search for illuminating Although many thought Mr. Zuckerman Robert Bresson, Elliott Zuckerman's toast articles that would not find their way connections. Most contributors are tutors made up the puzzles, he claims to have to the new Greenfield Library, and a into scholarly journals and didn't require at the college or have some other written only one. Most were set by Ann translation by Pamela Kraus of a long­ keeping up with secondary sources." connection to the program, but this is Martin, under the pseudonym of ignored piece by Andre Lalande that The Review doesn't require a specific not a requirement. Cassandra. puts passages from Descartes' Discourse point of view from its contributors. Articles for the Review are read by on Method side by side with passages Most essays do not follow scholarly con­ he Review traces its origins to a Ms. Kraus, who makes the ultimate from Francis Bacon. ventions in footnotes and bibliography. T magazine called The College, decisions about contents, and by two As Elliott Zuckerman says, when But neither is the Review popular begun in 1969. Tutor Laurence Berns other tutors. Book reviews are usually asked whether the Review is unique: "It's journalism with its "easy generalization was the first editor. "The initial problem assigned. The current issue exemplifies more uniquer than most journals." •

subject of three essays, and Beethoven, Debussy, and Wagner each inspired one essay. SENIORS STICKTO Others students chose to brave the difficulties of writing about graphic art, and turned in essays about DaVinci, Titian, and the films of Fellini. TRADITION FOR ESSAYS Some students rejected seminar fare and wrote their essays about texts from the '"\VJhat makes a good senior essay topic? Freshmen, saturated with Socrates, might science and math tutorials. Darwin was the favorite in this category with four essays. W think the key lies in a devotion to truth. Sophomores might be more likely to Tied for second, spanning more than two thousand years of math and science, were the respond that faith is crucial; juniors that man's rational prowess rules all. But as the works of Einstein, Euclid, Goethe, and Liebnitz. seniors in Santa Fe are working feverishly on this spring's essay, a glance at the topics Though the majority of papers stayed within the program, or within the works of chosen by seniors in recent years reveals which texts consistently hold the most program authors, some strayed into the realms of the "very modern," that is, works fascination-the "Top Ten" of the Western classics. produced in the last half century; many were studied in preceptorial. So it was that The undisputed overall winner is Plato, whose dialogues have generated, in the past books by William Faulkner and Gabriel Garcia Marquez were the subjects of as many five years, 26 senior essays. Shakespeare takes a distant second, with 16 essays, edging essays as those by Thomas Aquinas and Chaucer. Lucretius, Plutarch, Epictetus, and out Aristotle, who inspired a total of 14. Other favorites include Kant (12), Marx (11), St. Anselm found no favor with seniors casting their minds back for topic ideas. Also and Tolstoy (1 O). ignored were Berkeley's Principles ofHuman Knowledge, The Federalist Papers, Twain's However, when the focus turns to single works, the picture shifts. Now Kant and Adventures ofHuckleberry Finn, and the poems of Paul Valery. Tolstoy, both also-rans in the author comparison, and Cervantes, Flaubert, and Milton This year the heavy hitters remain the same-Plato and Aristotle still lead the list for come from behind to create a five-way tie for the most popular single work. The titles current seniors, with four proposing to write on the works by each author. Shakespeare that students selected were Critique ofPure Reason, war and Peace, Don Quixote, Un also got the nod from four seniors, as did the Bible. There is a smattering of essays from Coeur Simple, and Paradise Lost. Adam Smith's Wealth ofNations and Marx's Capital tied the sciences, with Darwin and Kepler on the list; a few essays from political philosophy with four essays. The classic conflict between the Iliad and the Odyssey also settled in a (Tocqueville andAbraham Lincoln); and several from literature, featuring works by draw, with three essays written about each. Freud, though a program author, failed to Cervantes, Kafka, and Dostoevski. And, for a change of pace and a little comic relief, a generate a single senior essay, but Jung, who is not on the program, produced one. half-dozen seniors say they will also be reading a few books by children's author Judy Many students chose to eschew the literary scene completely, writing instead about Blume for her insights on "crime and punishment." • music. Bach's "St. Matthew's Passion," and Mozart's "Don Giovanni" were each the -by Caroline Knapp, SFOO 2 4 Tl---IE REP©RTER

WHERE WAS HEGEL HELP WHEN I NEEDED IT? ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• by Sus3an Borden

ife on the Annapolis campus looks seminar awash in sentences like these: highlights such as "Kant Practice" and Lpositively posh to visiting alumni The universal Idea exists thus as the Mr. Zuckerman's annual Tristan lecture, who remember how they had to tough it substantial totality ofthings on the one and through four ongoing programs: out "way back when." The gym has been side, and as the abstract essence offree language assistance, math assistance, upgraded. Ditto McDowell, the boat­ volition on the other side. This reflection of music assistance, and writing assistance. house, and the conversation room. Senior the mind on itselfis individual self The overwhelming majority of assistants enabling exams are abolished. The comciousness-the polar opposite ofthe Idea in these programs are current students. French exam is a thing of the past. in its general form, and therefore existing in Annapolis Dean Eva Brann explains that absolute Limitation. the help programs have their roots in the Tutor John Verdi, who conducted college's tradition oflearning through "My goal is to keep stu­ Hegel Help this year, elected to call it discussion. "Students have always "Hegel Warm-Up," explaining that he dents from going off in worked together outside of class, but not wasn't sure he was capable of helping all students feel that they have someone completely useless direc­ with such a difficult subject. "My goal is they can work with. This way we have tions or pointless tangents to keep students from going off in students designated to fill in the gaps." completely useless directions or pointless While all of this sounds fine and during their seminars. " tangents during their seminars," he says. dandy for current students, alumni "I start with an overview of rhe reading reserve the right to grumble about the and then I take questions." Out of cushy life of"kids these days." They Retyping drafts of papers? I don't think concern that his warm-up sessions might recall a time before the calculus manual, so. On today's campus, the personal detract from the seminar, Verdi keeps to a before the pocket calculator; a simpler computer is king. And just when they simple rule: "Ifit's a basic meaning time, perhaps a better time. They sigh are getting used to these changes, alumni question, we discuss it. If it's a seminar­ and hold tight to their memories of the are asked to absorb yet another painful type question, I ask them to save it for days when Greek, French, German, and innovation: Hegel Help. seminar." Larin were on the program, when lab That's right. Hegel Help. Today's Hegel Help is part of a growing was four years instead of three, when the Johnny can now attend pre-seminar network of academic assistance that helps application demanded five essays, and warm-up sessions on Hegel readings. students through the most difficult when they trudged eight miles from "What happened to the good old days?" challenges of program life. Help is Chase Stone to McDowell in the bitter, alumni might ask as they recall arriving at available on an occasional basis, through driving, Maryland snow. •

Dale Mortimer, A75, is a child psychiatrist who also works with prisoners.

tutor Leon Kass's example that inspired Dale Mortimer, A75. A student in management unit, which draws from 14 prisons around the state. Mortimer's sophomore biology lab class with Mr. Kass was depressed about a Before deciding on medical school, Mortimer had five years of trying "Plan B," as he deteriorating romantic relationship. During a discussion ofwhether death is a says. He wrote his senior essay on Darwin and thought it would be fun to travel process or an event, the student dramatically stacked his books together, stood up, said around the world as a naturalist. After graduation he volunteered as a naturalist's "It's a process," and left the room. Later, Mortimer saw Mr. Kass-a assistant on Long Island (where his family is from), but found that physician-knocking on the student's door to make sure he was OK. his interests didn't overlap with those in charge, who tended to be "That's the single event that made me think about medicine," says forestry majors who liked to "hunt, fish, and read outdoors maga­ Mortimer. Today Mortimer is a doctor with a private practice in child zines." Next he was offered a temporary job with the U.S. Forest psychiatry and also serves as the chief psychiatrist for the Oregon Service in Oregon; while there he also volunteered at a low-income Department of Corrections. community health clinic, rode with the ambulance, and took first aid Mortimer took the job at the penitentiary when he finished his courses. When he decided to "take the $60,000, nine-year plunge" residency-as a stopgap until something better came along. Bur he into medical school, he applied to Oregon Health Sciences Univer­ found that the work fir nicely with his interest in child and adoles­ sity. Even though the admissions board had never heard of Sr. John's, cent psychiatry and once he established his private practice, he they were impressed with the curriculum and accepted him. continued to work with the prisoners. He thinks he is one of only Mortimer notes that he had to rake several chemistry courses at the two doctors in the country with that unusual combination of local college before enrolling, bur that "medical school itself was specialties. pretty easy after St. John's." By his fourth year, Mortimer knew It's the most difficult kids who end up seeing Mortimer, the last psychiatry was where his true interest lay. resort for parents after pediatricians, social workers, or counselors Most of the prisoners he treats have at least five mental disorders, have failed. "In my practice I have a number of teenagers who I fear some more treatable than others. When asked about the relationship might end up in prison. Working with the inmates, I have a better idea ofwhat it rakes ·of mental disorders to criminal behavior, and whether his idea of evil has changed with to be a crook, and when I see those characteristics in a teenager, I say to him: Unless you this job, Mortimer skirts the issue. "We see the underside oflife, and it's not a pretty stop drinking and smoking dope and assaulting your parents and start going to school, picture," he says only half-joking. "There are sharks out there, psychopaths who do not you are going to prison." If the patient doesn't believe him, he rakes the teen, along appear to have a conscience. They are not treatable; no one knows what to do with with the parents, to the prison, and has an inmate listen to the parents' account ofwhat them." Drugs are a growing problem among the prison population; Mortimer says that their child has been doing. Then the inmate gives an assessment to the patient and his some inmates he's seen have been misdiagnosed as psychotic because they acted para­ parents. "When they hear it from the inmates, they believe it," says Mortimer. noid or hallucinatory, when actually they had "massive polysubstance dependence." Mortimer's private practice informs his work in the prison as well. "Many prisoners However, Mortimer draws comfort from his work with children, who have a have disorders that started when they were children," he says. "For example, 25% of "natural tendency to please the people important in their lives. When something inmates have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD HD). They have a lifelong significant is blocking that, they can get in trouble. Ifl can find it, their personalities are difficulty with impulsive behavior, which gets them involved in criminal behavior. self-righting." Once in prison, they continue with that impulsiveness, become difficult to handle, and Although Mortimer didn't count on sticking with the prison work, he has found get put in the hole-solitary confinement. I can often identify their problem and treat that the two kinds of psychiatry can be natural companions-insights gained in each it." Mortimer evaluates and treats an average caseload of about 30 patients in the special contribute to his ability to puzzle out problems in the other. •