ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE LIBRARY

111111111111111 i]~~r1ll~lllii[f [~1111111 ~111111111 31696 01138 2262 :-1

HOMECOMING 98 Annapolis events included some- thing for everyone ...... 14

CATALOGUE BOMBS How-and why-a St. John's alum S!JOHN'S COLLEGE

lofted catalogues out the window of ANNAPOLIS ·SANTA FE his plane during bombing missions over Germany...... 9

THREE FACULTY STORIES Charles Bell adapts Symbolic History to the computer age; Krishnan Venkatesh talks about Chaucer and the I Ching; John Verdi and other Annapolis tutors relate Nietzsche to the Program ...... 6, 7, 10

DEPARTMENTS

From the Bell Towers: Searching for Isaac Newton, banishing the February blues, Paul Mellon's legacy ...... 2

Alumni Profiles: An explorer of underwater caves, an attorney who argued before the Supreme Court...... 20, 23

Campus Life: Community service in Santa Fe, milk and cookies in Annapolis, the all-American guy from Ghana ...... 11, 12, 13

Alumni Voices: A Peace Corps volunteer shares the story of his first shakymoments ...... 28

Alumni Association: Peripatetic tutors, chapter contacts ...... 16

Class Notes ...... 18 Randall Hall, built in 1903, is a true multi-purpose building: dining hall, dormitory, office space, administra­ tive computer center. Alumni from all eras have fond-or not so fond-memories of times spent in the building. See "Nine Facts About Randall Hall" on page 2. Watercolor illustration by Sarah Waters, A88. Letters ...... 8

+ Fro01 the Bell Tow-ers ...

by Sus3an Borden SEARCHING FOR ISAAC NEWTON

ir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) is from March 19 through April 18. generous grant to help St. John's philosophy at France's University of everywhere in our modern Plans for the conference began stage the conference. Lille, will lecture on the topic: Does Sworld: his laws helped build the when Stewart Greenfield (A53), a Both the exhibition and the con­ Newton's science disclose actual Bay Bridge, the engineers at General member of the Board ofVisitors and ference will have as their underlying knowledge of nature? Motors use his principles daily, and Governors, learned that St. John's theme the question of hypothesis. "I The following day, three talks NASA's scientists rely on his insights might be able to borrow books and hope the conference will be an occa­ are scheduled, two of which include for calculating orbits. But while his equipment of great interest to sion for raising the question: 'to re-enactments of Newton's original laws govern engineering around the Newton scholars from the Burndy what extent can methods of scientif­ experiments. William Donahue world, and his physics and calculus Library of the Dibner Institute for ic investigation give more than (A67), a former tutor and now one of are taught in nearly every college in the History of Science and Tech­ merely hypothetical ideas about the proprietors of Green Lion Press the country, his writings are rarely nology at MIT. From there, the idea things; " says tutor Howard Fisher, (which publishes a guide to the study read-only by the few hundred gradu­ of sharing the loaned items with chair of the conference committee. of Newton's Principia, as well as ate students who study the history of other students of Newton's thought Flaumenhaft elaborates on this other works of math and science) will science and, of course, by every discuss Newton's early work in light student who attends St. ~ and colors. This will include a This fact was driven home to ~ ~ demonstration of his famous double­ Dean Harvey Flaumenhaft in 1987- -s prism experiment. George Smith of the three hundredth anniversary of ~ Tufts University's department of phi­ the publication of the Principia. losophy and William Harper of the While reading a newspaper article department of philosophy at the that mentioned the number of copies University of Western Ontario will of the Principia sold each year, discuss Newton's double-pendulum Flamnenhaft noted that the number experiment. This talk will include a was very small, only a few hundred. demonstration of the experiment by He realized that most of them must Tutor Emeritus Curtis Wilson. For be sold to St. John's students. the final Saturday talk, Smith and "We read the Principia for a Harper will again pair up for a dis­ long stretch of junior math, and we cussion of Newton's work and read crucial parts of it in lab," says thought between the Opticks and Flaumenhaft. In addition, he says the Principia. that many junior seminar books On Sunday morning, Dana (Kant, for example) are, in some Densmore (A65), also a former way, reflections on Newton's way of Howard fisher, one of the tutors bringing Newton scholars to St. john's tutor and the other proprietor of understanding the world. ""A direct blossomed into the idea of an exhibi­ by explaining that an important Green Lion Press, will present ales­ confrontation with Newton's tion. And around the exhibition, question in the study of science is son on Proposition 7, Book III of thought is required and is a large plans for the conference grew. whether the pursuit of science yields Newton's Principia, a proposition part of the education at St. John's The exhibition will include first, a view of what is, or if it merely concerning the proportionality of College. Students elsewhere hear second, and third editions of the yields a set of tools that enable us to gravity and matter. The conference about Newton in a physics class, or Principia and seven other original manipulate what is. "The question will close early Sunday afternoon perhaps in a history class, but the editions of Newton's work, all on is," Flaumenhaft says about the with a panel discussion led by the study of Newton is not widespread." loan from the Burntly Library. In work of science, "are you getting a conference's speakers. This spring, St. John's plans to addition, visitors will be able to see a cookbook or a window? Is science a The conference's organizers, broaden the study of Newton by sev­ replica of Newton's reflector tele­ set of mental rules and tools for tak­ Howard Fisher, Curtis Wilson, and eral hundred scholars and students scope, on loan from the Smithsonian ing raw materials and making some­ Adam Schulman, along with Dean through a weekend-long conference Institution's National Museum of thing, or does science give you a Harvey Flaumenhaft, hope that and a month-long exhibition of American History; a replica of a typi­ view of what's already there?" interested alumni will be able to Newton's works and philosophy. The cal Galilean refracting telescope; This issue will be addressed attend some or all of the program. conference, "Beyond Hypotheses: and a model of Newton's double­ throughout the conference, begin­ All of the conference's lectures, Newton's Experimental Philosophy," prism experiment. In addition to ning with the keynote lecture on talks, and demonstrations are free will take place March 19 to 21. The facilitating the loan of these items, Friday, March 19 at 8:15 p.m., when and open to the public. For more accompanying exhibition will run the Dibner Fund has also made a Francois de Gandt, professor of information, call 410-626-2539. •

9 FACTS ABOUT RANDALL HALL

Ill It was built in 1903 to serve as the college dining hall; the architecture vate dining room and terrace were added. The entrance was moved from is pseudo-Georgian, in the style of Christopher Wren. the quad side of the building to the Pinkney side. Ill When women were admitted in Ill For many years, dinners were served family style (see photo) by student 1951, they lived in Randall dorm wait staff. Men wore coats and ties and women wore dresses to dinner. Any rooms (this was before Campbell alumnus who knows when this custom of the family style dinners was dis­ was built). Barbara Leonard, the continued, let us know. We haven't been able to track it down. tutor and assistant dean who The large portraits of William and Mary in the dining hall were donated was "'in charge" of the women, philanthropist Paul Mellon, class of 1944. lived in a suite (now the com­ Currently in the "basement" of Randall you'll find the tTeasurer' sand mon room) that was separated business offices, plus the nerve center of the campus netwnrk a curtain drawn across the where Plourde, A79, and other computer services folk reif!n over a end of the hallway. cabling and banks of monitors. Randall was designed by T. The food service contract is renewed every 3 years; a committee of u.auuaLL, a Baltimore stutaent~3, and administrators decides who should fruit loops . and named for the to the 350 or so students who use the food service. Current Randall family, which had provider is Bon Appetit, a catering firm out of Menlo Park, CA. many St. John's alumni There are 21 doubles and two single dorm rooms in Randall. According to among its members. Director of Residence Cora Sterling, A94, Randall is the least favorite dorm The building was remodeled because the rooms are the smallest and because the temperature of the show­ in 1981, when a new kitchen was built and the pri- ers fluctuates wildly. • Front the Bell Tow-ers ...

SURVIVING FEBR ARY ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Glenda Holladay Eoyang (SF76) the Rain. The hope was that the the end of the fifth Pollyanna characters, the spunky straight run, almost the mid-70s, when I was a stu- music, and the mindless plot would everyone on campus in Santa Fe, February was the lift comrades out of the depths of knew the lyrics and -,...,.,,,,,i,,."r month. I never did find shared depression. It seemed the was practicing the an ultimate cause for the February right antidote to misery and darkness choreography. By doldrums. Such an extreme and cam­ in the winter of J olmny discontent. the end of the pus-wide reaction must have been a The selection committee and a weekend, no one response to all four causes. A final few of their friends saw it first. They could remember cause could be related to the glories previewed the show after lecture on a how many times of the spring to follow. A formal dark and dreadful Friday night in Debbie Reynolds cause might flow from the long weeks mid-February. By the time the credits and Gene Kelly of regular schedules and uninterrupt­ ran, everyone in the room was smil­ had fallen in ed work between year-end and spring ing and laughing. They knew for sure love, but it break. Accumulated snow and ice that spring would come again, that didn't really would certainly be a sufficient mate­ senior essays would be accepted, and matter. Everywhere rial cause. The efficient cause was that Reality would return at least one you turned, hopeful students smiled most compelling-we were there, and more time. As the film rewound, the the smiles, danced the steps, whistled for a chorus of "Good so was everybody else! February word spread from coffee shop to the tunes, and quoted the lines. Their Morning, Good Morning" starting seemed to stretch on and on toward a library, from common rooms to pool optimism was renewed just enough to about February 10. Rumor has it that spring that refused to spring. table: THE SOURCE OF UNNER­ carry them through the month and this practice has stopped. I don't Before I came to the college, SAL JOY IS PLAYING IN THE into the warmth, sunshine, and Don know what interrupted this particu­ some insightful and particularly mis­ GREAT HALL. Rags of spring. lar prescription for sanity between erable student found a cure for By the time the second showing Singing in the Rain had become a mid-term and spring break, but I do February. (It turned out not to be a started, the Great Hall was filling up. sacred February tradition by the time hope that current students have some cure, but it certainly eased the worst Students wandered in with glazed eyes I came along, and it continued to equally effective and fun way to ban­ of the symptoms.) He or she-identity and chins hanging on chests. Again, break the mid-winter doldrums as ish the February darkness. We all lost in the fog of history-suggested the film did its magic and left a room long as I was a student. The effect on need some way to "Make 'em laugh! that the Film Society show Singing in full of smiling Johnnies in its wake. By me was so strong that I still hanker Make 'em laugh!"• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Musicfor People Who Love Creat Books

anice Felty, mezzo-soprano, and Jacquelyn Helin, pianist, will perform a porary music's most important composers-John Adams, Philip Glass, John joint concert in the Great Hall of St. John's College in Santa Fe at 8 p.m. on Harbison, Lee Hoiby, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich-andis known to television audi­ JApril 23, 1999. In honor of Shakespeare's birthday, the concert will feature ences for her performance as Dorabella in Peter Sellar's production of Mozart's a number of musical settings of the Bard, including songs by Henry Purcell, Cosi fan tutte. Pianist Jacquelyn Helin was featured in the PBS special Virgil Benjamin Britten, and Vaughan Williams. And in recognition of the 35th Thomson at 90; she is best known for her performances of American masters­ anniversary of the Santa Fe campus, the concert will include musical settings Thomson, Copland, Gershwin and Bernstein-but is equally at home in a reper­ of other great works of literature, as well as music by composers studied in the toire ranging from Bach to Stravinsky. The cost of admission for this event is St. John's Program-Beethoven and Schubert, for example. $10. Tickets are available at the door one-half hour prior to the performance. Janice Felty has performed in the premieres of works by many of contem- For information, call 505-984-6104. Frolll the Bell To"'W"ers ...

Allanbrook _...__..._ ...... ,_..._ ...... '

ouglas Allanbrook's opera based on Edith Warton's Ethan Fro me in November at Harvard.

several different colleges and as well as lustoncal, nriP<:Prv:::itrn time he gave more than 900 works of art to the National

"'-'"·LL•"-'J'' and Calder. He was an excellent horseman who raised horses on his is a senim there this year. Hero won the in 1993. the opera was com- Paul Mellon enrolled at St. as he "to make up for some gaps in my education."

i in 1951-52 when '"-"-'-""''La house on Market which he later donated to the to serve as the Allanbrook was on a vu.,-.u,Ju<- the years he made many to the at first in own name and later uu vui;::u Dominion Foundation and the A__ndrew W. Mellon Foundation. ""St. stxesses the essential Mr. Mellon once said. "To my mind the program constitutes a cohesive and IP<:1rnrno- together the ence." he donated went to projects like the heating and Lamr•Dell

orchestra va.LlvU.LV.L tions and of campus and to the college endowment. During the earlyyears of the ~ with members of the he contributed money which was used to clear college debts. ""It's hard to imagine what the college would have done Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra and without his support in the early years of the New Progrnm," said Christophex Nelson, president in Annapolis. ""He students from the New England the faculty salaries and kept the lights on in the evening. He contributed to our buildings and started our Conservatmy and Boston endowment. His munificence is evident everywhere." University. In the Harvard Mr. Mellon contributed a substantial portion of the funds to build Mellon Hall, named in his honor; the building University Gazette, Allanbrook is was opened in 1953. The addition of an administrative wing in 1983 was also completed thanks to his generosity. In quoted about using the stark nar­ 1970 he made a personal gift of $1 million to the two St. John's campuses, Annapolis and Santa Fe. rative of Ethan Frome as the basis According to the terms of his will, he left St. John's in Annapolis $5 million-the largest cash donation ever. "He for an opera: "The story has both had been honoxaxy chairman of our last capital campaign. He had made a commitment to the campaign through his the economy and dramatic intensi­ estate. But we were not expecting a gift of this size," said Mr. Nelson. The college will probably set aside a portion of tyyou look for in an opera... [The the gift for renovations to Mellon Hall (in the planning stages and due to begin in 2001) and the remainder will go to burden is on the composer to support the endowment. bring the inner drama to life in the Paul Mellon was made an Honorary Fellow of St. John's College in 1953 and was presented with the Alumni music.] The characters singwhat Association Award of Merit in 1971. "Paul Mellon was as generous in spirit as he was modest at heart," said Mr. they cannot say." • Nels on. "He will live on in the great contributions he made in his lifetime-certainly he will have his place in the hearts and lives of all of us in the St. John's community."•

years ago on community Hte~;~~~~~eJ:11·~~il~~··,r'!; ~?t:1~:~~ll~I::; anu moral development as itself and, they hoped, as _.,,uq.J~:oLLLa for '"constructive ~AT111m11n-itirni\1"'-n1!C Qf

Mr. Delattre was the 19th of St. c;;o1He:2e, from 1980 to I the last to preside over both campuses. He was the fourth or•~sic::ler1t the New Mr. Delattre was the director of the National Humanities 1F::11t·uH-v at Amherst College and of nhilo!ilio-

ur11iv•"!r~atv of Toledo. Frolll the ...

ALUMNI S EP RWARD SUMMER CLASSICS LINE-UP INCLUDES 0 ENC DRAGE OPERA, SCIENCE, AND COWBOY LORE !NANCI SUP erhaps the most successful out­ Idomeneo, Augustine's Confessions, reach program of the Santa Fe Galileo's Two New Sciences, cowboy Pcampus is Summer Classics classics The Virginian, Shane, National Alumni Development Executive Committee "learning vacation" programs focus­ Horseman, Pass By and the film High (NADEC) is a group ofalumni dedicated to helping St. Johns ing on the greatest literature, art, Noon (July 25-31); Poulenc's film, and music. Adults from all over "Dialogues of the Carmelites," the nation, with diverse backgrounds, Bernano's Diary ofa Country Priest, by Marta S. Lively, A78 atively low endowment and the his­ can attend for one, two or three weeks. Nietzsche's The Gay Science, torically low rate of alumni giving. Seminars are held Monday through Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of ome things about St. John's are Alumni giving is especially impor­ Saturday, ten to noon, while discus­ Verona, Love's Labour Lost, andA immutable-the books, the rush­ tant in that it not only supports the sion often continues through the Midsummer Night's Dream, T.S. bottomed chairs, even the stu- college directly but is also an impor­ lunch hour. Afternoons are free to Eliot's Four Quartets. (August 1-8). dents. As I walked around the cam­ tant criterion for receiving grants study or to participate in guided tours Limited on-campus housing is pus for my 20th reunion in and other financial support. and excursions. available. Tuition is $'690 per week, Annapolis this fall, I noticed that the Outside institutions must ponder Programs this summer include: which includes all texts, receptions and students showed an earnestness and their donations to St. John's, given Bizet's Carmen, Aristotle's Politics, lunches, and some excursions. A $50 seriousness (as well as an unkempt the perception that its own alumni Euripides' Trojan Women, Electra, discount is applied to registration quality) that was much the same as do not consider it worthy of support. and Medea, and Italian medieval and received prior to May 1. For more ours decades before. It was a joy to I do not believe that the lack of finan­ renaissance art (July 18-24); Strauss' information, call 505-984-6104 ore­ spend time with tutors like Barbara cial support reflects alumni indiffer­ Ariadne aufNa,xos, Mozart's mail [email protected]. • Leonard and Brother Robert again. I ence to the college and its mission. was delighted to see signs of change, In my experience most alumni however-the attractive new library, strongly support the school and the the renovation of Paca-Carroll, and program. They also understand the the beautiful new laboratories. needs of the school. From the peren­ Mabee Foundation Offers Challenge Visiting the campus, reflecting on nial problems of plumbing to the the program and the ideals that had knottier problems of faculty compen­ Grant for Student Activities Center originally brought me to St. John's, sation, St. John's needs our help. "This is now an unstoppable project and construction will begin as soon as renewed my commitment to support­ Alumni, more than anyone else, bids are received and a contractor selected," Santa Fe president John Agresto ing the college, which for me means should understand those needs and told the Board of Visitors and Governors in January. He had just received word giving of both my time and money. feel the importance of meeting them. that the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Oklahoma, had awarded a This past October, I also became During our first annual fund $500,000 challenge grant to the college for the new student activities center. the chair of the Steering Committee campaign, beginning this September With this award, the college is within $500,000 of the $3.8 million goal for ofNADEC, the National Alumni and running through June of 2000, phase I. Although groundbreaking for the new building was he]d last summer Development Executive Committee. we shall begin the process of reach­ during Homecoming, it was decided that construction would only begin when NADEC is an organization of alumni ing out to alumni through a series of the $ 3. 8 million goal for phase I was well in sight. dedicated to reawakening in all mailings that we believe will rein­ The Mabee Foundation challenge is always given near the end of a capital alumni their excitement about and force alumni interest in and support fundraising drive to "provide incentive for enlisting the support of other commitment to the unique educa­ for St. John's. We shall, of course, donors" to complete the project funding. It is already working-after the tion provided by St. John's, and to also be contacting all alumni, by mail announcement at the Board meeting, two members pledged $50,000 each. The translating that commitment into or telephone, to ask for your finan­ Challenge deadline is June 1. For more information, contact Susan Metts at the financial support that is vital to cial support. For a limited number of 505-984-6106, or [email protected]. • St. John's preservation. NADEC's classes, we shall also organize class mission is therefore two-fold: we gifts. We are especially excited about hope to provide alumni with a new a new initiative in which alumni and Hodson Trust Challenge and exciting connection to the col­ students will work together to find Targets Tutor Salaries in Annapolis lege and to communicate to them new ways to involve both of these how important alumni giving is to its groups in supporting the college's The Hodson Trust has offered the Annapolis campus a $250,000 challenge continuing financial health. financial health. grant to increase faculty salaries. Between January 1 and June 30, the Trust will NADEC is composed of 52 alum­ St. John's needs all of its alumni match new gifts to the Annual Fund designated for faculty salaries, any increased ni of both campuses and the Graduate to step forward and participate in its gift to the Annual Fund designated for faculty salaries, and any alumni gift made in Institute who span the decades from future. We hope you will join us in honor of a tutor or tutors. Although faculty salaries and benefits are one of the the 1940s through the 1990s. Wliat translating your support for the col­ largest items in the Annapolis budget, tutor salaries on average remain below the we all have in common is our interest lege into action and welcome your mean of those at other small liberal arts colleges with which St. John's is tradition­ and involvement in the current thoughts on how together we can best ally compared. Raising faculty salaries to a competitive level is one of St. John's affairs, and especially the financial serve the college and its alumni. • most pressing goals. For more information, contact Joan Ruch at 410-626-2534. • well-being of the college. We have been meeting, in Annapolis and Santa Fe, over the last year, searching for ways to increase alumni support for St. John's. In October we formally constituted ourselves into a subcom­ mittee of the Development Com­ mittee of the Board ofVisitors and Governors and undertook the estab­ lishment of a fundraising program designed and implemented by alumni. We hope to reach out to all alumni, to renew their interest in and commit­ ment to the school, and, of course, to solicit their financial support. St. John's faces unique financial challenges. Among these are the rel- President Chris Nelson with Finn Caspersen of the Hodson Trust. Scholarship ...

I N N E

by Amber Boydstun (SF99) Venkatesh to prepare and give Jmvers1ty in Taiyuan City in dents' genuineness and their a lecture on "Sherlock Holmes northern China, Mr. enthusiasm to learn as quali­ en I asked Mr. in the Movies," looking at the Venkatesh taught English and ties that impress him. Mr. Venkatesh for a time figure of Holmes and how he is American Literature. He Venkatesh particularly enjoys when he could talk interpreted from literature to structured his classes as semi- advising seniors on their 'With me about this article, he film. Mr. Venkatesh says the essays: "I love advising papers. said he was not available dur­ aim of this lecture was "to get course on :Shakespearean I like the process of closely ing the at the of He also served as a guest working things vvith a ing his mommgs Holmes as a character. He's lecturer in film at the noons open for his senior one of a that North China Institute for Film advisees. Knm-vinir Mr. everyone in the world knows." and And for the Mr. Venkatesh is one of nine years, he has been a me. The most common of the comments I have

7 7 ~ Venkatesh has filled a .,,,n,,, " "" heard about him is that he is ~ devoted to his students. Both s ofroles. He has been an active ~ j member often the ~ ~·and ~ of the strong program supportive. IL is clear that he is for the last six years. He works very interested in the well­ diligently and intensely at his being of his students and is fencing, for, as he says "no willing to offer his friendship Venkatesh ever starts a sport and wisdom in dealing with any casually." He has also served problem, be it confusion with a as arch on of the Graduate Ptolemaic demonstration or a Program in Eastern Classics disagreement with a boyfriend for the last few years. He says or girlfriend. earnestly, ''I would recom­ ~en we finally met at mend the Eastern Classics 6:00 p.m. in the dining hall program to anyone. It's a good (during his dinner), I was chance to be genuinely na1ve struck by how rested Mr. about a body of books." The Venkatesh looked. It seems the role of Eastern Classics arch on sabbatical he took last year still allows Mr. Venkatesh to served its purpose, allowing teach full time; this year he him to return to the Santa Fe teaches one sophomore lan­ campus this fall with renewed guage class and one sopho­ energy. I was most curious more seminar in addition to about his sabbatical, because one Eastern Classics Chinese before he left in the summer of tutorial. Although his knowl­ 1997, Mr. Venkatesh men­ edge of Chinese is very basic, tioned to me that he wanted to he is in the process of writing a spend some time exploring manual that he says "would Chaucer, an author in whom I allow any of my colleagues to am particularly interested. teach from scratch." As a per­ Although he pursued a Krishnan Venkatesh is archon of the Eastern Classics program; sonal goal, Mr. Venkatesh number of different academic he also teaches sophomore language and seminar. hopes to become fluent in interests, Mr. Venkatesh did both classical and modern undertake an examination of Chinese. Chaucer during his year away the few tutors on the Santa Fe tutor at St. John's College in It is clear that Mr. from St. John's. He spent his campus with a strong back­ Santa Fe. Venkatesh has established a sabbatical in Chicago, where ground and continued interest The years Mr. Venkatesh remarkable rapport with his he delivered several guest lec­ in English literature. Born in has spent at St. John's have students, and that he loves tures at local academic institu­ Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he obviously been enriching for teaching just as much as his tions. Mr. Venkatesh gave a moved with his family to him, just as his contributions students love having him in lecture at Shimer College in England at the age of seven. as a tutor have benefited the class. Although his back­ Waukegan, Illinois, on the He received his undergraduate college immensely. ~en ground is in literature, Mr. Knight as portrayed in the degree in English Literature asked what he appreciates Venkatesh cites the math General Prologue. He also from Cambridge University in most about the college, he classes at St. John's as being gave a lecture to the Basic 1982. He went on to spend says, '"Well, I could say that St. some of his favorites. Program at the University of four years at the University of John's has taught me to read, "Although it's difficult for Chicago on the Tao Te Ching Munster in a post doctoral or helped me to learn how to me," he says of the math, "the in which he offered an explica­ research assistantship doing listen, but that's true for abstractness of the problems tion of Poem 2, focusing on textual and philological everyone. Everyone says those enables you to get really good the very important concept of research on works by things." After more thought, discussions on things like Wu Wei, often translated as Shakespeare, then began his he says simply and with convic­ beauty or thinking... The "non action." Last year's sab­ career as an educator. For tion, "I love the student body." geometry, especially, I find to batical also allowed Mr. three years at Shanxi Specifically, he cites the stu- be a peaceful haven."• Scholarship ...

usofNi

EIGHT ANNAPOLIS TUTORS SPENT THE FIRST SEMESTER WITH THE PHILOSOPHER WHO DOESN ' T BELIEVE IN PHILOSOPHY.

by Barbara Goyette A bove all, one should not ·wish to divest existence of its rich ambiguity," First example of paradox: the nature of the gay science. In sections 319, ftsays FriederickNietzsche in Book V of The Gay Science. Nietzsche not 324, and especially in 335, Nietzsche talks about what he calls "physics" or only recognizes life's ambiguity, he captures it in his writing; his apho­ "science." In 319 he lays out the premise:" ... [We] who thirst after reason ristic style defies efforts to systematize his thought-and that's just the way are determined to scrutinize our experiences as a scientific experiment­ he wanted it. A group of eight Annapolis tutors who met twice a week during hour after hour, day after day. We ourselves wish to be our experiments and the first semester this year constantly grappled with Nietzsche's ambiguity, guinea pigs." Then in 324, Nietzsche refers to the "idea that life could be an which frequently, they found, veers into paradox. experiment of the seeker for knowledge," that embracing "life as a means to The study group was one of the benefits of a National Endowment for knowledge" will lead one to live "not only boldly but even gaily." The gay the Humanities grant that provides for faculty development at the college. science, then, is Nietzsche's prescription for living, in which each individual Tutor John Verdi is in his second year of studying Nietzsche, thanks to the creates his own life as if it were an experiment. The creating includes moral grant, which gives a tutor two-thirds release time from teaching so that he or laws. In 335, he turns Kant's categorical imperative on its head, as Nancy she can study a topic in depth, and a second year with the same amount of Buchenauer said: "The categorical imperative implies that if you give your­ release time for the tutor to share what's been learned with the community self a law it is always the same for

through a study group and a Friday night lecture. everyone. But for Nietzsche it is ~ Members of the study group had a variety of past experience with not the same, even within the same =~ Nietzsche. Verdi, the leader, has been interested in him for a number of years person." Michael Grenke contin­ ~ and spent last academic year reading and studying him. Henry Higuera, Jon ued the thought: "We need to "O"' ~ Tuck, Nancy Buchenauer, George Doskow, and Bill Pastille had read him as become physicists in order to part of the curriculum. Michael Grenke, a new tutor, wrote his PhD thesis become creators, in order to give on Nietzsche. Laurence Berns, the most senior faculty member in the group, ourselves laws." Physics for had read and thought about Nietzsche since arriving at the college in 1960. Nietzsche seems to become the (Also attending the seminars was Irving Wasserman, SGI88.) study of human nature, of our A seminar being a seminar, the same general dynamic happens with a human nature. group of tutors as with a group of students and two tutors: questions are "This is an argument against raised, possible entryways are proposed. The study group provides a people who have some code of formalized network for what often happens when a tutor new to a subject or morality. We have to start picking baffled by some aspect of a reading corners a more experienced fellow things apart. But the results that faculty member in the Coffee Shop and they talk about it. "In these study come out of that are created by you. groups there's an atmosphere of helping each other understand," says The paradox is that what you create Berns. "You read the book and you are puzzled. You spend ten minutes talk­ is built of what you've already creat­ ing about it and gradually some way of approaching it begins to emerge." ed-your experience," said Bill Nietzsche is a difficult writer. He delights in tearing down the conven­ Pastille. And your experience is not tions of thought that informed the philosophers who came before him, mak­ entirely your own because you are a "Nietzsche is not giving us a system," ing a study of his works seem out of the orbit of other books on the St. John's product of your time in history and says John Verdi. program. His ideas have been misinterpreted and given radical political your "reverences" -the so-called truths from established religion and morali­ slants. His fabled insanity, his estrangement from the academic world of his ty. The seminar on this section closed with a question that further highlighted time, his stormy relationship with Wagner are hard to separate from a con­ the paradox. Verdi asked: "As physicists, then, we are constantly creating, but sideration of his thought. But his works are exciting. Nietzsche has a sense of what are the materials? We are what is there. Nietzsche has one foot in the adventure about philosophy; his metaphors seem to penetrate to some truth, world where there are truths-or does he? Is there a human nature?" and his stance against dogmatism and in favor of the "to thine own self be Second example of paradox: the notion of eternal recurrence, sketched true" credo are appealing. out in section 341 as the suggestion of a demon invading your ''loneliest lone­ Verdi came to Nietzsche, he says, after teaching at St. John's for a while. liness." The demon says, "This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will He studied him for several years before applying for the NEH grant, and he have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing thinks that the time is right for a more open-minded interpretation of new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh ... will return Nietzsche. "Now there are more tutors who've worked with him-like to you ... The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and Jonathan Badger and Michael Grenke. Enough time has passed since the old again, and you with it, speck of dust!" Nietzsche asks: "How well disposed vision of Nietzsche as pro-Nazi." Verdi argues that Nietzsche does fit within would you have to become to yourself and to life to crave nothing more the tradition of Western thought that's outlined in the program. "For one fervently than this ultimate eternal confirmation and seal?" thing, he's trying to build a bridge back to the ancients," he says. An impor­ First the study group tried to figure out what eternal recurrence could tant thing to remember about Nietzsche is that he doesn't think of philoso­ mean, and why Nietzsche would consider it a good. "You live your life in such a phy as a search for truth but as a way of life. That's why he admired Socrates. way that you would want to live it again," said George Doskow. "It's a stance "You can't be a follower of Nietzsche," Verdi continues. "He's not offering a toward your life that you have no reservations about it whatsoever, You would specific way of life but, like Socrates, he's describing what it would really will it again," said Grenke. "It's a positive disposition toward life as life. You mean to be true to yourself." Nietzsche wants to overcome the systematizers, want the unfixedness of life itself-you're saying yes to being alive at this who are missing a connection to humanity because they view themselves as moment," said Buchenauer. It is an affirmation and beyond that, a willing. In over and above it. other words, there is no divine purpose; man becomes his own god. The para­ Reading The Gay Science is tricky, Verdi acknowledges. "You can't read it dox of eternal recurrence is that it's a kind of nihilism at the same time as it's as a collection of aphorisms, just picking out one or two to focus on. You have to an affirmation: How do you make values (what Nietzsche demands that you do read every section in context. That he writes this way is part of what he's up to. to affirm your life) in a world with no purpose or ends? He wants to warn against dogmatization without being dogmatic-very much These examples of paradox mirror the paradoxical nature of the enter­ like Socrates. You read it as dialectical but not with him, with yourself." prise of studying Nietzsche-he unlocks a door and you look in to see a new world, but your way oflooking at what's beyond the door is pre-determined PARADIGMATIC PARADOXES by your lifetime oflooking at what's on this side of the door: the world of cause and effect, of physics and chemistry that try to control nature by The study group met 24 times. At many of the sessions, tutors struggled understanding it, of morality grounded in religious and philosophical tradi­ with Nietzsche's tendency to provoke a dialectical re-interpretation of expe­ tion. Verdi thinks it's important to study Nietzsche at St. John's as part of the rience-the "rich ambiguity" referred to earlier. The group found itself deal­ program because "we need to open the door a little bit. Nietzsche offers a ing with a Nietzschean paradox, a kind of ambiguity that is ultimately re-interpretation of our whole life, our day to day experience. He gets you unsolvable but nevertheless instructive. to re-think your fundamental premises." e •••

Modernization so much of our well-being depends. Editors' Reply: We apologize open the door. He opened a pack of Hayek was steeped in many of for the err01: Here is the illustration cigarettes just as idiosyncratically: the authors in the St. John's pro­ shown the correct way. from the bottom. He would extract a The number of twentieth-centu­ gram, and The Fatal Conceit discuss­ cigarette and hold a lit match or ry books that St. John's students es Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau, lighter under the filter end before read has not increased significantly Adam Smith, and Marx, to name a putting it between his lips and light­ since the New Program was estab­ few. It is a provocative criticism of ing it. When asked about this, he lished in 1937. Now that the century some and praise of others. said that other people did worse is almost over and a lot more books What would I delete from the things, that he only disinfected, and have been written, it is worthwhile seminar reading list to make way for that it was harmless. to consider what tvventieth-century The Fatal Conceit? Anything by In contrast Mr. Weigle was a books are great enough and fit well Hegel other than the Philosophy of very proper man, a straight stick. enough with older books to be History Hegel's writing is like He had the knack of making most included in the program. I suggest quicksand: try to get to the bottom students feel uncomfortable in his that alumni, students, and tutors of it and you end up drowning. presence. Curtis Wilson once submit their nominations with a remarked that Mr. Weigle seemed to brief explanation of who the authors -Kurt Schuler (A8 l) unbend only when in the mountain are, if they are not likely to be air of Santa Fe and in the presence already known to readers of The Error of wealthy people. Just as well; he Reporter; why these are great books; got along with moneyed donors and and, if possible, what readings they I enjoyed reading the article on was a very successful fundraiser. would drop from the program to the Moss Haggadah in the Fall '98 With all credit due Mr. Klein, Mr. make room for their nominations. Reporter. I was even more excited Weigle was as much responsible as My own nomination is F. A. that this piece of scholarship was anyone else for the survival of the Hayek's book The Fatal Conceit: The due to a St. John's alumnus. college. He came to the presidency Errors ofSocialism (1988). Friedrich However, the picture was reversed. Klein Weigle when the college was in turmoil and Augustvon Hayek (1899-1992) grew The Hebrew is backwards. and on a precarious financial footing. up in the extraordinary intellectual Mr. Weigle administered the college ferment of pre-Nazi Vienna. Lud·wig -Len Weinberg and Fran Gailun Cain with a tiny staff, raised funds and Wittgenstein was a cousin, and Parents ofAbigail Weinberg I would like to comment on two made something of the endowment, Komad Lorenz and Erwin Schroedinger (Class of2 000) articles in the Fall 1998 issue of The increased faculty salaries, arranged were childhood acquaintances. He Reporter. for mortgage loans for faculty mem­ became an economist. His ideas on I am the parent of a Johnny Robert Bart said that people talk bers, improved and added to the business cycles were widely studied (Charles Weber, A95) who now about Jacob Klein in ways that pain physical plant, worked to better in the early part of the Great resides at Kibbutz Lotan, D.N. . and that " ... we wouldn't be town/ gown relations, and estab­ Depression, then seemingly eclipsed Cheval Eilot, 88855 Israel. Charlie here if it weren't for him." That may lished the Santa Fe campus. To his in fuH by ideas of his rival (and later, is a Medic in the IDF. He be so. However, Mr. Klein was held great credit, he did not interfere when both were living in Cambridge, expects to go to graduate school in in esteem, respect, and even affec­ with the academic program. his friend) Keynes. Jerusalem next September. I do not tion by most of the students during On the subject of ghosts on the Hayek ceased work in economics nar­ pretend to Charlie's erudition in the the mid-1950s. In contrast, Richard campus, I recalled reading in rowly defined and wrote books on Hebrew language, but isn't there Weigle most certainly was not as Hoopes' biography of James M. Cain political philosophy, the something wrong with the photo­ well thought of or appreciated in (Cain, Holt Rinehart and Winston, of ideas, and psychology. The Road to graph of the Haggadah on p.6 of The those days. For evidence of this, one 1982) about Cain's thoughts con­ Serfdom (1944), a warning against Reporter? Surely others have com­ need only to listen to the recording cerning spirits on the St. John's cam­ the economic and political conse­ mented. The first thing that caught of "The Fifth Year," the musical pus. Some background: James M. quences of centralized planning, my eye was the : in the 3rd line comedy written and performed by Cain, journalist, teacher, and author became a surprise best-seller in the down. Why, I asked myself, would a students at the end of academic year of 17 novels, some of them best­ United States. In 1974 Hayek won sentence begin with a period? Then 1954-55. In the songs and dialogue, sellers, had a close connection with the Nobel Prize in economics. He I looked more closely at the text. Mr. Klein is dealt with gently and the college. His father, James W. lived to see his economic and other The letters appear to face from left even lovingly, while Mr. Weigle is Cain, joined the faculty as a profes­ ideas achieve new influence, espe­ to right rather than right to left. spoken of with what almost amounts sor of mathematics and English liter­ cially in Eastern Europe, where they How did you achieve this? You guys to contempt. ature the year Thomas Fell became inspired many critics of communism. have printed a mirror image! I held The differences between Mr. president-1886. James M. Cain, his Today his work is read by a diverse the text up to my mirror and sudden­ Klein and Mr. Weigle were great. Mr. first child with Rose Cain, was born audience including economists, ly the : appeared after the word Klein was plump, European, Jewish, in 1892 in Paca-Carroll, then a facul- political philosophers, and even Torah. I'm not crazy after all. I hope warm, and friendly, but even so, residence, young Cain lived there researchers on artificial intelligence. David Moss has a sense of humor, quite capable of shooting out the first 11 years of his life. The An edition of his collected works, but such a lack of erudition on the obliquely, and even on occasion younger Cain, who earned his bache­ projected to be about 20 volumes, is part of St John's. It's a Shanda! directly, little verbal barbs at people, lor's from Washington College, partly complete. sometimes gratuitously. In contrast, served in France during World War The Fatal Conceit is the last -Perry C. Weber Mr. Weigle was very American, I, and worked at a number of jobs, book Hayek v171·ote and it pulls (aka Pera Rachel bat Gdaliah) Yr<)testant, somewhat formal, cor- mostly as together the main ideas that animat­ rect, not to being personal the St .. ed his career. Its central idea is that I'm sure I'm not the first St. with others. And it was the odd- ing a lecture course in .~~··u~~-J•U, human .,_,VUIJ.U.H.s;;_ of these two men that and a class in the enabled the not to sur- u~•~u•U· In but in its modest understand. These prrnc1p1es anse I way, to thrive. neither from instinct or reason, Mr. Klein was a per- and Cain broke down. The from tradition. to direct son. There were times when he sat in mate cause the evolution of the Coffee and of his ion about the disciolininl! of some in a future issue. childhood in Russia. He seemed

J • as witness the Thanks for an al"Vva,rs-1nt:en:~sn.ng to be oleasant and relaxed. mass starvations that occurred in paper. the Soviet and else- ties. For when approaching more recogmuon where under communism. This is -Linda McConnell, RN (A6l) a closed door. he would out his hand Postman Always Rings Twice, because compulsory centralized in the pocket of his suit coat and Serenade, Mildred Pierce, The Moth, direction obliterates the knowledge only then, protected from direct con­ of local circumstances upon which tact with the door knob, would he continued on page 27 Catalogue 'Bombs During World War II bombing missions over Germany, a St. Johns lofted college catalogues the window ofhis plane.

by Barbara Goyette bomber group and was sent to gunners, who had open windows on Europe. either side of the plane for their

allege students, perhaps "Before I went over to L.H.LfSHUH..L ine-gun mounts, would fling a those from St. John's more I thought of dropping the books," bundle out when Andrews gave the than others, excel at the sym­ says Andrews. "Since America had word. The catalogues were dropped bolic gesture. sent me over there to bombs, on missions to Kassel and Stuttgart. pi.cuu""' the non-wearing of shoes or not catalogues, you will understand Andrews' time as a bomber smoking because it's cool-by that I did what I did surre1)titiousl was briefer than he it

actions like students on the Few 11cu1.1H:::. from the mem- would be-his plane was shot down cusp of adulthood establish their hers of my crew, knew what was on his thirteenth after 111

German Andrews was to carry sensitive information back to the which he a week m{~mor1z1ng before his return. The final St. twist There are two more St. involves a great book-War and twists to Andrews' wartime adven­ Peace. "One of our most stressful tures. The first involves the '"nose missions was to art" on bis Air recounts Andrews. "\Ve lost nvo

Force bombers were "decorated '-'H"'JU''-'" on the same side when we Viii.th or outlandish were attacked Messerschmidts. cartoons, which struck me as One of my crew was wounded. I had " says Andrews. His crew to back to F:ngland-not decided to call their in formation but alone. I had started Delivery" and to paint an American reading War and Peace that summer, flag near the nose. But before this and I kept thinking that I couldn't could be done, the plane was shot get shot down because I needed to down. Andrews, though, did have get back to finish it. Well, we did get The crew of Andrews' B-17; he's second from the left, bottom row. time to ask one of the special artists back to England, but I got supersti­ assigned to paint nose art to stencil tious and never have finished read­ under the pilot's window "Est Nulla ing the book." e in 1941 to join the Army, but he car­ would have drawn attention to Via In Via Virtuti," the St. John's ried out a kind of ultimate college them. They were never dropped motto which translates "No way is AfartinAndrews went on to a student prank-with-meaning during while we were under German fighter impassable to virtue." The Swiss long career making documentary his service-he dropped St. John's attack nor during periods of heavy officers who met Andrews' plane as films. He now lives with his wife, catalogues over Germany from the anti-aircraft fire." it made its emergency landing Jean, in Port Jefferson, New York. bomber planes he piloted. "Each The key man in Andrews' cata­ were so impressed by the B-17's He's never read the epilogue to War bundle of catalogues had a little logue-dropping process was the slogan that one remembered it 50 and Peace, so while the novel is parachute, floating down into Nazi parachute rigger. He devised the years later. finished, the book is not. Germany. It was a symbolic gesture method of releasing to say that, for us, books really mat­ them and together he tered. We weren't trying to recruit and Andrews rigged students but to protest the Nazis' every one. "'Each cata­ burning of books," he says. logue was tightly In 1939, when Andrews came to rolled, tied with strong St. John's, Hitler had just invaded twine, and firmly Poland. "We didn't think that we attached to its own would get involved in the war, but in little parachute," two years time it siphoned off half of explains Andrews. our class into the armed forces," he "The chutes were of says. By 1941 it was clear that he white nylon about the be drafted, and since he want­ size of a man's extra­ ed to fly, he joined the Army ("The large handkerchief." Navy was looking for pilots also, but The books were then at least in the Army when you landed bundled into packs of it was on land."). Haln

Ruth mistic."Bythe time I needed anything Goethe's quote(" ... nature is developed, it was there," he said. obliged to find me some other -Exce1pted with permission from When you talk with Bell, it is form of being when this one Pasatiempo, the arts and entertain­ hard at first to know where his breaks down ... "), for another shot mant magazine ofthe Santa Fe New thoughts end and say, Dante's or at being himself. Mexican Milton's or Goethe's ideas begin. On a wall in the dining room There is a shift in Bell's voice, a dra­ hangs a portrait of Bell, painted t 81, Charles Greenleaf Bell, matic tone, and you realize he is recit­ by Jack Goode. "He made me look tutor at St. John's College in ing a poem that has something to do like a lecherous old monk of the anta Fe since the early days, with what he is talking about. Clearly, 15th century," Bell said, obvious­ poet, historian, innovator (the list Bell believes others before him have ly pleased ·with the image. Along goes on), has been working full time said it better than he ever could. the bottom of the painting are on a third incarnation of his Symbolic History project. Composed Floor to ceiling books at Bell's home in Santa Fe. and refined over the past 20 years, the series of 40 lectures begins with ancient Greece, runs through Bach thought I was beginning to under­ and Milton, and ends with the stand (Einstein's Theory of) Atomic Age. Relativity," he said. "You had to But Bell does not call them lec­ bridge a contradiction to grasp a tures. He calls them shows. The last phenomenon. You precipitate polar­ three are entitled Now. "I can't get ities and embrace both." Years any more contemporary," Bell said when Bell was teaching at Princeton in a recent interview. Bell's mission University, Einstein would attend or obsession is simple to him. "Just shows that Bell put on at local book­ to make a richer account and more stores."I had a wonderful audi­ moving account of the actual drama ence," Bell said. of history," he said. His idea of combining history, In between public lectures and art and literature with a study of the private study groups, Bell has been music of specific time periods was a working with an assistant, in the novel one. Through the years, he basement of the tower building at strove to find ways to make his pre­ St. John's College, transferring the sentations more permanent. He had sound and image based shows to problems duplicating slides for dis­ newer technology. tribution and blending records with Bell's first show was in 1939, the his voice for video. "The whole year Kodachrome was released. He thing was based on ephemeral plas- used a record player and slides, and " he said. he recited quotes. The show was Every time technology changed improvised entirely but guided or improved, Bell looked for a way to the images."! had to memorize use it for his shows. Over time, grants because I was working in the dark," and some sales have helped reduce he said. Over the years, the shows production costs. At first, the pur­ evolved with Bell on tape. Eventually chase price of each video was $25. Symbolic History moved to video. Now, if one buys a complete set of 40, Now more than 15, 000 of the images the cost drops to $12.50 a tape. Bell have been scanned into a computer "Without contraries, there is no progression," says only made six complete sets because for the first phase of Bell's Symbolic Charles Bell. it takes so long. But he never let go of History that will be available in his project. "My own creative history DVD, the technological step beyond gave me the hope of some destinate CD-ROM. Surely there is no form of being words in Latin that translate, "I breakthrough," he said. What always has concerned Bell is that is suitable for Charles Bell other lived, I saw, I vibrated." But there is the other part of "the transience of multimedia record­ than being Charles Bell. And no Bell, whose first loves were Symbolic History-the content, the ing," he said. But he remains opti- doubt he would ask of nature in astronomy and science, probably words, the information. A hunger for began vibrating in earnest when he knowledge drove Bell. During his ·~ was 12, staring into his first tele­ time at the University of Virginia, r'S i::, scope, a well-timed gift from his students on the dean's list didn't

(),)t' parents. "It was just when I needed have to take classes. Because he ..:::: C§js something to investigate science," made the list, Bell only had to take

sQ ..c:: worked hard in high school except possible and stayed up all night and ~ in my own things," Bell said. took exams and got lOOs," Bell said. He wanted to attend the By day, the math and science major University of Chicago but his father, went to the library and read. who is from Greenville, Mississippi, He also became a private wanted him to go a southern col­ student of professors Stringfellow lege. Bell ended up at the University Barr and Scott Buchanan, Rhodes of Virginia in Charlottesville. "The scholars who were devising a read­ school with the largest telescope," ing program of the Great Books. he said. His mother sent along a pic­ Barr and Buchanan's ideas would ture of Einstein that young Bell form the core of the St. John's hung on his dorm room wall. "I College curriculum. By the time

Charles Bell and tutor Ralph Swentzel! scan images for Symbolic History. LIBERAL EDUCATION IN ACTION

Bell finished college with degrees Project Politae, a student volunteer organization, in science, he also independently had completed what is now the takes offin Santa Fe. Great Books program. by Amber Boydstun (Sf99) He taught himself art by read­ to bring all these different activities pollination skills. She hopes the gar­ ing in the art and music libraries." I ulletin boards on the Santa Fe together under one umbrella. den will also bring bats to fill the was nearly tone deaf, but the library campus feature notices of flu Before coming to St. John's, duty of pest control on this pesti­ had scores and records, and I began Bshots, reminders about recy­ Rothenberg worked with the Garden cide-free farm. to learn how to read music on my cling, upcoming lectures, local job Project, a San Francisco program Perhaps the largest addition own," he said. listings, and preceptorial lists. But that offers ex-convicts rehabilitation Rothenberg has made to the volun­ While at Princeton, he organized one board-in the Peterson Student through organic gardening. She's teer opportunities has been the a reading group of German refugees Center-has become particularly always found volunteering an impor­ tutoring programs. She organized an and began to learn German. "With interesting to students. It lists volun­ tant part of her life, and she thinks on-campus tutoring program-every just a few clues to grammar, you can teer activities, everything from there's a connection between the Wednesday afternoon St. John's stu- work through (foreign) text," he said. Habitat for Humanity to building When he was a Rhodes scholar at pens for captive-bred wolves to Oxford University in England, he tutoring. This year, volunteer com­ traveled to Florence, Italy, where he munity service efforts are united for taught himself Italian so he could the first time, thanks to the efforts read Dante in the original. Later, of sophomore Alexandra with a Rockefeller grant, he began Rothenberg, and the range of mean­ collecting the records he would draw ingful and fun activities listed on the from for his shows. "What I sought board is an indication of her success. was a knack for combining visuals After Rothenberg approached and sound." He started another the administration in September, Dante reading group in 1936, and president John Agresto, vice-presi­ continues to lead it out of his home dent Robert Glick, and public rela­ today. 'Tm the only original mem­ tions director Laura Mulry decided ber," he said. to work with her to outline an effec­ In his home library that started tive program for coordinating all in the basement and extended into community service work by students. what once had been an attached Rothenberg wanted to tailor the pro­ garage are books on shelves from gram after the successful Annapolis floor to ceiling, books in piles on version, called Project Politae. the floor, books on tabletops and Rothenberg now has a part-time Alexandra Rothenberg (center) poses in front of the Project Politae board, with countless boxes of papers and slides. job coordinating the Santa Fe Placement Director Margaret Odell and Student Activities Director Mark St. john. In one corner near a window is a Project Politae. A donation by desk that belonged to his father, a Robert Warren (SGI93), helped ideas of Project Politae and the ideas dents provide homework help and senator from Mississippi. Bell's fil­ make the funding possible. "By my of the great books. "Project Politae tutoring in all subjects to Santa Fe ing system appears to be chronologi­ experience," Warren says, "St. suggests that people should relate to students of all ages from the public cal although in talking with the pro­ John's is populated with students each other, an attitude that often school system. There were so many fessor, it is clear nothing ever is who are people of good will, willing does not extend outside of the class­ volunteers that Rothenberg sent completely linear for him. But '"I to go out into the community and room, but which is important in the some into town to tutor at the Santa know where everything is," he said. work hard to assist others who are literature we read," she says. Fe Boys and Girls Club. Project The books begin with Egypt, some perhaps not so fortunate as they are. Project Politae's recruitment Politae also helps out HOSTS (Help hieroglyphics, and go to classical Project Politae provides that oppor­ efforts are largelyword-of-mouth­ One Student To Succeed) in its high­ texts and then proceed through tunity and encourages cooperation. plus the bulletin board in Peterson. ly structured program coordinated time, "because my shows are that And it's a two-way street: the more Rothenberg posts flyers describing by the director of parent and volun­ way and I think that way," he said. the college and its students give to different volunteer activities and teer involvement for the Santa Fe Works in their original languages the community, the more responsive notifies Resident Assistants in the schools. As Robert Glick, vice presi­ stand alongside translations. the communitywill become to the dorms about upcoming projects. At dent, says, "The thing every St. Bell set up his slide projector needs of the students and their col­ last count, active volunteers num­ John's student can do is teach other and gave me a minishow-a short lege." Rothenberg's desk, computer, bered more than 50. students how to learn." program titled Blake and Temporal and printer were donated by Santa Here are some of the projects Rothenberg notes that many of Revolution. Fe tutor Linda Myers, (SF72), and Project Politae has been involved the people who lead volunteer organi­ "Without contraries, there is her husband Gerald Myers. Office with this year: preparing the gardens zations in town have told her how no progression," begins Bell in the space is shared with the Placement for winter at the Santa Fe Children's pleased they are that the college is taped lecture. For the next 30 min­ Office in Weigle Hall. Museum; a get-out-the vote effort giving back to the larger community. utes, I scrawl just a few comments: There already were a number of coordinated with Neighbor to Even more important is the impact of "For everything that lives is holy" students and staff on campus active Neighbor; Thanksgiving dinner the volunteer efforts on the campus "how does a confrontation become in volunteer activities. The preparation and delivery to home­ itself. "Liberal education has a ten­ philosophy?" Placement Office under director bound Santa Feans; and assistance dency to be very introspective," says What has Bell learned over the Margaret Odell, had students tutor­ to Beneficial Farms, a cooperative President Agresto. "It makes us years and what educational philoso­ ing at Zia Middle School and with farm that donates its food to Kitchen thinkers and readers and pursuers of phy has driven him? "I learn to homeschooled children. Last year, Angels and other local groups. knowledge. We run the risk of cutting celebrate in new terms, everything. Abigail Weinberg, then a sopho­ Rothenberg expanded the work done ourselves off from others. This kind Everything that I would have repu­ more, organized volunteers to help by student volunteers with the Santa of volunteer activity leavens the daily diated before I had to learn to cele­ with Habitat for Humanity and a Fe Community Farm by creating the introspective nature of liberal educa­ brate on its own terms," he said. program at the Santa Fe Community St. John's College Butterfly Garden, tion and gives us the opportunity to For Bell, learning always will Farm, an all-organic, all-volunteer a separate organic garden designed be with others, help others, and make involve embracing polarities. operation that distributes food to 30 to attract beneficial animals such as our contribution to the world." • "We build one wall by tearing local shelters. Rothenberg's job was butterflies, bees, and moths for their down another," he said.• Calllpus Life ...

Classic Tales, Cookies and Milk, and the Hokey Pokey Storytellers' Guild entertains alumni kids at Homecoming

by SusJan Borden for a round of the Hokey Pokey. explained the milk problem. Some he Children's Story Hour was the Homecoming's Children's Story people like two percent, some like highlight of the Annapolis Hour was hosted by the Storytellers' whole, and some like chocolate, so T Homecoming for a handful of Guild, a group of about 25 students the group asked for enough money to alumni offspring (and, truth be told, that meets every Wednesday night in buy three kinds of milk. their parents had a good time too). the General Hartle Room (the for­ Junior Gretchen Anderton, the Held during Homecoming seminars, mer reading room of the old library) Guild's archon, explains the club's when alumni throughout the campus for an hour or so of stories and milk appeal: "It keeps us from always were discussing great works like and cookies. This year's most popu­ treating books like they have to be Antigone, Moby Dick, and the lar readings include tales by Hans program books, like we have to only Republic, the Children's Story Hour Christian Andersen and the Brothers read program books, as if all other included a few classics of its own: Grimm, the Bernstein Bears, and the books were evil," she says. "Most of Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel, and, complete oeuvre of Winnie the Pooh. us read tons when we were little kids, of course, Winnie the Pooh. But unlike Like other campus activities, and back then we read for fun-not those whose focus was Sophocles, though, the Guild has its share of just because we had to get our semi­ Melville, and Plato, the children in controversy: its request to the nar reading done. It's really nice to attendance got a break for cookies Delegate Council for funds was met get back to that." 8 and milk and a chance to go outside with suspicion until members

Frisbee hats and balloons were the dress du at Hour.

EXPLORING THE GRAND CANYON

Kee Zublin, (SFOI) six days: two inches per person per day (minus the veg etarians). This can all be worked out with computers. out 60 million years ago an oceanic and a conti­ Believe me, it was enough. Besides, we all thought that nental plate had the conflict which resulted in the beeflooked pretty cool strapped to the sides of Nhe Rocky Mountains. From the base of these packs like lethal weapons. And that's what they were: mountains sprang the Colorado River, which emerged loaded sidearms for the battle ahead. to wend its merry way due west to the Pacific Ocean. lfwe were a far cry from Mr. Tanner and his Only some time later did the river settle on its now mining outfit, inching along the trail in our brightly­ famous shortcut through Marble Canyon of the Grand colored line, we weren't much like your average organ­ Canyon. ized hiking group either. To begin with, we paid $65 When it did, it ground like liquid sandpaper into instead of the $1100 for a comparable Sierra Club out­ the highest strata of the Colorado Plateau, exposing Katie Turco at rest. ing. We traveled with the smug assurance that we were layers of rock one and a half billion years old and creat­ an econo-line outfit, spiritually prepared to face the ing 5000-foot-high canyon walls. canyon. Then again, we didn't have anyone clever In January, a group of students fearlessly led by telling us the Latin names of bushes or the proper Brendan O'Neill, assistant director of Student epoch in which certain sedimentary layers are classi­ Activities in Santa Fe, hiked for six days in the canyon. fied, as is customary on such outings. We had to The trip, the first of its kind organized by Student make do. Activities in 15 years, gave students a chance to witness Brendan provided us with written information on firsthand the aftermath of all the geologic commotion. the geology of the canyon and its resident flora and The 11 members of the expedition (the radius of fauna, and this we read, as Johnnies are apt to do. We whose sphere of action is normally the distance were also able to observe the fossil evidence of bygone between the library and the cafeteria) packed their days. Mostly, though, our guided tour was provided by week's supply of food and other necessities on their members of the iconoclast 11 and our various nuggets of Samuel Parker, Jr., near the rim. backs down miles of rock into the canyon. As one of wisdom that outshone even the most learned discourse of the students thoughtfully noted of the unwonted stren­ trail gurus on those other trips. Sometimes we even uous activity, "It is important that occasionally we made up factoids if our collective information didn't leave our comfort zones." answer a question. The route taken by the intrepid 11 dropped along Like Albert Einstein said, imagination is more the Tanner Trail from the South Rim of the Grand important than knowledge. When we didn't have the Canyon to the Colorado River. The Tanner Trail was one, we just used the other. I'd like to see the Sierra built by Edwin Tanner, a miner from the old days. And Club try that! one tough miner he must have been, we agreed, to We didn't need anyone to tell us how beautiful the pack his mining equipment down miles of rock into place we were in was. They couldn't have, and neither the deepest canyon in the world. It wasn't even clear to can I. It sort of ruins it. I will say this: The view from us what he mined down there. All that we saw were the bottom of the Grand Canyon is worth the effort. Taking in the view. clam fossils and marmots. From the rim, the canyon is impressively large and col­ We were a far cry from mining pioneers, descend­ orful. But as one descends into its depths, leavi.ng ing that trail. We were decked out in warm polyprope­ behind the trinket-shops, improved campgrounds, and lene, with internal frame packs filled with all sorts of the sexually segregated toilets, a new sense of scale and nice food. One hundred years ago, Mr. Tanner hitched color emerges. The bands of color that blend together up his canvas trousers, grabbed his wood and canvas at a distance are each the earth of a multimillion-year shoulder sack, and hit the trail. His food supply was phase in the life of the region. In the rocks along the sweat, tears, and the elusive Abert squirrel. Slim pick­ trail we read the tale of past epochs when trilobites ings. Our six-day food supply was augmented by the danced with mollusks and sea lilies detached them­ wonderful yards-of-beef. Yards-of-beef is a nonperish­ selves from their stems to roam the waters of the able club of meat-excellent trail food. Our three yards Colorado Plateau. of beef formed the cornerstone of the otherwise shaky Like the sea lily, we detached ourselves from our foundation of nuts and humus. Three yards, 11 people, Mission accomplished. stems and wandered into the world. • Calllpus Life ...

THE ALL-AMERICAN GUY FROM GHANA •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• by Sus3an Borden think it told them that, although we ment, about the world, about the on science courses, Tia's experience don't have the equipment or past.' That caught my attention." at St. John's has, to some degree, here's something kind of all­ resources they have, we can still Tia matriculated at St. John's in shaken his commitment to medicine. American about Iddrisu Tia's compete with them." September 1995. During his years at "Starting in my sophomore year, I did Tfour years at St. John's College. As a result of his score, Tia was the college, he continued to enjoy sci­ feel a little bit confused about what I There's a sort of rags-to-riches feel to sent to Atlantic College, the United ence, as he had in Ghana and Wales. wanted to do. Because at St. John's I his student aid jobs on the Annapolis World College in Wales, where he Lab was his favorite class; he was par­ see things that interest me more than campus, from his freshman assign­ chose physics, chemistry, and math ticularly excited by the works of what I see in medicine, although still I ment in the dish pit to his upperclass Newton and Faraday. "I learned all feel the interest in medicine very years in the library. There's an this stuff-electricity, magnetism, much. For example, philosophy industrious seriousness to his par­ f the laws of motion-in high school, caught my eye. I want to investigate ticipation in the biology and math t;d just by writing down equations, it, the philosophical way of seeing ~ study groups. There's a just-one-of­ e: but I did not understand what things. And, I think, I want to com­ the-guys spirit to his play on the soc­ those equations really meant; I bine 1twith medicine," he says. cer field. There's a community­ just put values in and then found Tia has given himself an extra mindedness to his service on the the answer. And when I read year to assess his commitment to polity's Food Committee. And Faraday, he brought me back to medicine while he studies agronomy. there's the B.M.0.C. aspect of his seeing the phenomena as they are, Like many Johnnies who plan to just-completed term as Delegate as values in equations. attend medical school, Tia intended Council president. But while his When I had another look at to take post-bac science courses to resume is Tia is not. Newton, the laws I saw were very meet medical school requirements.

He is from Ghana and has been in different from what I learned in -'-'h"''-''--'-'--'-' he will puruse a masters this for less than four years. high school. I saw it was not in agronomy, which Tia's road to St. 011vs1cs, it was also ornno~;;oi::mv the same courses he would need to his hometovv11 Tia's love for science did not take for his medical school nn··~ 1 •~n administered to the best students him from the full tion. '.X7hen his masters is

UU-~LL""'A"'~LLLGhana. year, stu- breadth of the program. He-wrote i he will re-examine his dents who score on this exam his freshman essay on the Meno. interest in medical school. If he are sent to United World Collee:es, His sophomore essaywas about decides he will essaywas on pursue a PhD in agronomy-a field Phedre, and for his senior essay, he that -will also benefit the Ghana he has returned to to return to. prepares students for what the '.:'.>1rirnr,1osw1n "I want to go back to Ghana the International Baccalaureate about love. because Ghana is a developing Diploma. Tia, like others from the for his high level studies and With essay writing now behind countTy; it needs help, it needs the underdeveloped north of Ghana, was Spanish, economics, and English for Tia is making plans for his next technology of this country. So my discouraged from taking the exam, his subsidiary level subjects. Because big project: a degree in agronomy, an plan is to stay here to gain the the result of a national prejudice that Atlantic College is a pre-university interest that dates back to his boy­ necessary knowledge and then to go northerners cannot compete with the program, it is a popular stop for col­ hood, when a friend of his father's home and help those people who are intelligence of those from the south, lege admissions directors, and while was an agriculture extension officer. unable to study as I've studied. Even particularly those from the capital city Tia was studying there, John "He would come by on a motorbike, if I wanted to stay in the United of Accra.Nevertheless, as one of the Christensen, the Annapolis Director and I always thought that if I could be States, I wouldn't be able to stay highest scorers in his region, Tia was of Admissions, paid a visit. an agriculture officer, then I would because I have a lot of promises invited to take a further test in Accra, "When I heard about St. John's getto ride a bike," Tia recalls. By the made back home. My parents have and his score was among the eight College, it really caught my atten­ time he was twelve, however, his aspi­ never doubted that I would come highest nationwide (rank among the tion, because at that point, lwas a rations turned to medicine. "I grew back, and the program that sent top scorers is not disclosed). little bit confused about what I want­ up in a community where the ratio of me to Britain selects people whom The achievement was an enor­ ed to do in the future. Most of the doctors to patients is really low and they think will be able to help their mous one, not only for Tia but for his schools said, 'Okay, you come to the you see people who are struggling country in the future. l promised family and community. "I remember university and you choose one thing with some tiny disease that could be them that I would help Ghana. So I it was on television, and people were as your major.' But when Mr.. · easily cured and it's just lack of infor­ really must keep my promise by writing to my dad, commenting on Christensen talked about St!John's, mation and medical advice that makes going back to impart the knowledge how great I did," he says. In addition he said, 'You don't have to choose a people suffer," he explains. I gained from the developed world. to reflecting a personal triumph, Tia major, you do almost everything. You Yet despite his long~standing Though I'm not going to change also felt his score sent a message get to know a little bit of everything: interest in medicine, and despite his everything in Ghana, I'll do what I toGhanaians from the south. "I about yourself, about your envjton- pre-St John's penchant for loading up can to help my country." e A Good Cup of Coffee GJS in Santa Fe have a new place to ulation being met, but also his desire national disease that we treat edu­ gather-the William Darkey that the most comfortable quarters on cation as a product. Mr. Graduate Common Room, dedicated in campus be constructed. He credited Buchanan began while at Cooper January. Located in the Peterson David Levine, director of the Union stressing the need for pro­ Student Center in the space formerly Graduate Institute, for his dedication viding education for adults," says occupied by the bookstore and named to the project's completion, a labor of Mr. Darkey. "The Graduate for tutor emeritus William Darkey, the love and determination. He then out­ Institute may be the most impor­ Common Room has been completely lined his admiration for Mr. Darkey, tant thing we do here. Teaching remodeled and furnished; support for calling him an "institution within an graduate students may well be the project came from Santa Fe GI institution." Surely thousands of stu­ the most gratifying part of my alumni, led by Robert Warren (SGI93). dents, he said, have benefited from long life." Mr. Darkeywent on The one stipulation that came with Mr. Darkey's incisive wisdom and gen­ to note that there may_ be some Th . · .. . .· . ·· ··. ·· ··· Ji J . eW.111 o "' ··- · Warren's gift was that "there always be a tle guidance. confusion among students look- am arkey Graduate Com- Roo ' •.. on mis" A good cup of coffee available." Mr. Darkey said that the work of ing for the "Dark Room" to develop '" eterson. At the dedication, Mr. Warren the Graduate Institute is one of great their rolls of film, but that the needed and a welcome noted that not only was his coffee stip- importance to the college. "Itis a Graduate Common Room was indeed addition to the campus. e • a~ eco Zl ~

A record 333 alumni came home to Annapolis for the October 2-4 Pawlewicz (A89). Many alumni had trouble breaking away from mealtime ftHomecoming, with family and guests boosting attendance numbers to conversation to attend seminar. This year marked an all-time high for semi­ over 500. Everyone who registered was presented with an orange nars: fourteen were offered, on works from Plato's Republic and Sophocles' Homecoming '98 frisbee, which sported the new college seal. Friday Antigone to Melville's Moby-Dick and Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were evening, President Nelson hosted the Class of'48 Fiftieth Reunion Dinner, Watching God. Concurrent with seminar was the Children's Story Hour, where members of the classes of '48, '43, '38, and'33 gathered for an ele­ during which current students entertained children of alumni with Winnie gant meal and a chance to recapture old memories and reacquaint with old The Pooh, Beauty and the Beast, and a rousing chorus of the Hokey Pokey. friends. About 25 alumni and guests of the class of '68 met in the home of The Alumni Soccer Classic took place after seminar. The alumni proved Gilbert and Debbie Renaut for pre-lecture drinks and dinner in honor of dominant on the field. "It was an absolute massacre," said Athletic Director their 30th reunion. Forty-three people participated in ''Dining Hall Leo Pickens. "Goals were scored by Paul Gibert (A91), Ian Webb (A86), Jide Nostalgia Night," where the opportunity to go through the dining hall line Nzelibe (A92), and numerous others, too many to name in this short article. and eat off a tray revived memories of the golden days. Craig Sirkin (A95) stood his ground in the goal, while Ned Freeman (A95) The after-dinner highlight was the Class of '94 Homecoming Lecture: played the game of his career at sweeper. Out of respect for the students, we Bill McClay (A74) spoke on the subject "Is America an Experiment?" After will not report the actual score." lecture, alumni joined current seniors in the dining hall for wine, coffee, and Many alumni who chose to steer clear of the athletic field thrashing dessert. Julia Mo bayed Dray (A87) set the tone with her sparkling piano headed to the bookstore. A 103 discount kept the cash register ringing as music. At around 11: 30, those still looking for fun migrated to the Coffee alumni loaded up on program books and sweatshirts. In the five hours the Shop where Eric Lyon (A89) served as):)J for a coffee shop party heavy on bookstore was open, sales exceeded $5000. Outside of Humphreys Hall, the disco, Motown, and '80s pop. bookstore hosted an autograph party featuring works by four alumni: Mark Saturday events began with the Annual Meeting of the Alumni Fabi (A78) signed WYRM, GlendaEoyang (SF76) signed Coping with Chaos: Association. Current Association business was reviewed by Alumni Seven Simple Tools, Anthony Chiffolo (AGI84) signed At Prayer with the Association President Allan Hoffman (A49) and reports on the state of the Saints, and Paul Stiles (AGI96) signed Riding the Bull: My Year in the college were presented by Chris Nelson (SF70) and Dean Harvey Flaumenhaft. Chester Burke (A74) gave a brief memorial for Michael Littleton (HA95) and Leo Pickens (A78) gave a brief memorial for Bryce Jacobsen (A42). During lunch, reunion classes gathered throughout campus and at the nearby home of Mary McCutchan (A63). The class of '38 celebrated their 60th reunion with St. John's College baseball caps for all who attended. The class of '78 lunched at the on-campus apart of Leo Pickens (A78) and Valerie

Scenes from Homecoming: Michael Oink (A75), Director of the Graduate Institute, talking with Gls who gathered in the Coffee Shop (above). Marta Lively (above right) at her 20th; Jane Spear and Robin Chalek Tzannes joined classmates from '7l outside Chase-Stone. Mark fabi (A78) signed copies of his sci-fi thriller (above center). Making the soft-sell to a prospective was Susan Eversole (SF 7 6 ), who brought her daughter to check out the college (lower center). Coney Island Tooters Mrs. Berns, Ms. Heines (hidden), Ms. Seeger, Mr. Kalkavage, Mr. Berns (hidden), and Mr. Stephenson serenaded the crowd (top right). A '98 Homecoming memorial frisbee (far right.) 0 'J~

Madness at Merril/Lynch. The appearance by Plato, author of classics such as The Republic and The Meno, was, alas, cancelled. ALuMNI AssocIATION HoNoRs FIVE Concurrent with the autograph party and the soccer match, alumni were treated to a musical interlude by the Coney Island Tooters, an overgrown bar­ bershop quartet of tutors led by Peter KaJkavage and including Gisela and Laurence Berns, Jonathan Tuck, and David Stephenson, among others. Immediately following, Elliott Zuckerman led returning Johnnies in choral music's greatest hits during "Freshman Chorus Revisited." The annual cock­ tail party brought athletes, bookworms, and musicians together in the FSK Auditorium for hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and high volume conversation. Saturday night's Homecoming Banquet in the dining hall featured toasts by members of the reunion classes. Stewart Greenfield (A53} and Tom Geyer (A69) received Awards of Merit from the Alumni Association. Constance Greenfield, L. Harvey Poe, and Chaninah Maschler were named Honorary Alumni. An exceedingly well-attended waltz party followed the banquet. Sunday's weather was chilly and damp, but that didn't keep an intrepid few from the 5Kfun run led by Mike Van Beuren (A77). Later, the runners Constance and Stewart Greenfield; Tom Geyer; Chaninah Maschler, joined about 230 alumni and guests in the FSK Lobby for a champagne and Harvey Poe. brunch where alumni were still reminiscing as late as 3:00 p.m., as caterers cleared tables and mopped floors aJl around them. t the Homecoming Banquet manyyears of service on the Board of Alumni planning to attend Homecoming 1999 should mark their calen­ in Annapolis, the Alumni Visitors and Governors. dars: October 1-3 will be this year's dates. And, the alumni office advises, it's A Association presented the In her acceptance remarks, never too early to make hotel reservations in Annapolis. Please contact the Award of Merit to Tom Geyer (A69), Connie said that she shared her hus­ alumni office (phone: 410-626-2531, e-mail: [email protected]) for lodging and Stewart Greenfield (A53). band's passion for St. John's. "Iflove information. • Constance Greenfield, L. Harvey oflearning is something you do here Poe, and Chaninah Maschlerwere at St. John's, then I feel that I fit in made honorary alumni. with the class of 1998," she said. Tom Geyer was introduced by Stewart noted that he felt "tremen­ Jonathan Zavin (A68), who recount­ dously fortunate in my choice oflife, ed his background: Geyer came to St. choice of college, and choice of busi­ John's from a dairy farm in ness partners." Many of his present Pennsylvania, took a year off to interests, he said, had their origin at become editor of a tribal newspaper St. John's: Newton, Darwin, com­ in North Carolina, and after St. puters. "They still give me pleasure, John's began a long career as a news­ and I find them very compelling." paper reporter, editor, and publisher. Allan Hoffman, president of the Zavin remembered Geyer's character­ Alumni Association, introduced L. istic "reason and tolerance," which Harvey Poe and Chaninah Maschler were reflected in his articles and his as honorary alumni. Poe was a tutor personality. Geyer has served on the at St. John's from 1946 to 1950 and Board of Visitors and Governors, assistant dean from 1947 to 1949. He where his counsel "has always been has practiced law in Washington, helpful." Geyer, in accepting the D.C., since 1966. Alumni remember award, remembered his time at St. Poe's dedication to the New Program, John's as a period in which he was not his unassuming but effective role as particularly attentive to schoolwork. tutor and teacher, his extraordinary However, the program "made the intelligence, charm and wit, and the deepest impression on me," he said. great respect he always accorded his Eva Brann introduced Stewart students. Martin Dyer (A52) wrote a Greenfield and his wife Constance, letter urging Poe's induction as an who was made an honorary alumna, honorary alumnus of the class of class of 1998. Miss Brann noted that 1952 in which he said: "I believe that Stewart had once confessed to her his he played a pivotal role in the col­ regret at not having been a better stu­ lege's decision to desegregate ... dent when he was at St. John's. "I Honoring him would also honor John developed over myyears as dean a Kieffer, J. Winfree Smith, Raymond theory... that the warmth of alumni's Wilburn, Jacob Klein, Simon Kaplan, attachment was in inverse proportion and the others who labored in those to the brilliance of their student days, early days to nurture and refine the and that, in turn, was in inverse pro­ New Program and who, through their portion to their success in life" she decision to open the doors of St. said. "This disparity has always made John's to all without regard to race or great sense to me ... The reason is that color, added new meaning to the it reveals the potency of our Program, word liberal in Liberal Arts." which goes to work over a lifetime Mrs. Maschler became a tutor at and often touches those most deeply St. John's in 1976 and retired last who absorb its good in the least year. She is known to students and ostentatious fashion." Certainly the tutors for the extreme seriousness Greenfields have demonstrated their with which she takes her teaching, strong feelings for the college, she the extra time she devotes to stu­ continued, by their generous dona­ dents and advisees, and her concern tion which made possible the new for the effect that our studies have Greenfield Library, and by Stewart's on the way we live our lives. • A YEAR OF CHANGE President's Report to the Alumni Meeting, October 1998, Annapolis by Allan Hoffman,A49 The usual July Santa Fe 4.The 1999 dues mailer; and dedicated alumni who comprise Homecoming and Alumni Seminar 5. The possibility of an alumni web site; the Alumni Association Board repre­ his has been a year of change. Sessions were held in June this year on 6. The possibility of a web alumni senting you and your best interests as Roberta Gable, the Director of a trial basis. After a careful review and Register; "permanent members of the College Alumni Activities in Annapolis evaluation it was decided to return to 7. How the alumni can further help community" as stated in the St. John's was granted a year's maternity leave. the usual schedule in 1999. The seniors and young alumni in their College Polity. These Board members Sus1an Borden is Roberta's temporary Homecoming was well attended as career serve receive no pay; .-"'r'b'-"''"'""'•'r Liz Skewes, the Santa Fe were the Alumni Summer Seminars. 8. Revivinl:'. inactive chartered they give of their time; and they Director of Alumni Activities, resigned Most alumni indicated that to establish new rho:>nrorc pay their own expenses to attend degree. Liz has was a much more convenient time for Board in and Tahmina Sha!izi. In the Santa Fe alumni activities. 9.Alumni archives and oral Santa Fe up to four times a as A second successful need and deserve support. ,..,,..,~"'''1"'r1r of the Alumni Association. Reunion was held in Ann'.:u-..-.11.: I 0. Senior Dinners; What can you do? First, let us Roberta will us at the end As usual the St. I . range ""

ienvenue et 'Bonne Chance How alumni can help current students grads

From New York Chapter Notes by Steven Sedfis (A73), President

in.ce becoming chapter presi

·:· ·:/·_, -;;. :·:···:····

ON THE MOVE: OUR PERIPATETIC TUTORS .·· :·:. '.·· ·_:.;:::~:::::::::: :·:::.::

> :.. ::·· •? If it's Tuesday, it must be . .. .. Seattle ' : ·.·.. ·<= ::::::::\

: .... ·: '' \) .... By Peter Huidekoper

arly last fall Santa Fe tutor Glenn ing north, and together they agreed Writings, "Is Ontology Fundamental?" Freitas was in Seattle and fellow on a discussion of the first third of A week later, back in Santa Fe, Etutor Philip LeCuyer was in The Piflow Book by Sei Shonagon.A LeCuyer began a preceptorial on Chicago. But in many ways they were woman's account of court life in the Levinas. He found that he drew on on familiar ground. They were leading I Ith century, the book touches on, as the Chicago discussion. Having the seminars for St. Johnnies at the local Freitas put it, "what is really valuable chance to take a topic of interest and chapter meetings. in human life." In getting to that larger "try it out on the road" proved most They were hardly alone in the truth-and in the focus the eight or fruitful for him and his students. outreach from the college. Last sum­ nine present gave to the text-Freitas Like Freitas, LeCuyer was particu­ mer Annapolis tutor Judy Seeger led said he saw little difference from the larly pleased with the quality of the the seminar at the picnic for the New kind of seminars he leads on campus. discussion among the alumni.Asked if ·.. •·LBALrlMORE:··· York Chapter at the home of Chuck "The conversation I thought was par­ he saw less discipline to the seminars, and Anne Nelson in Croton-on­ ticularly good; they had read (the or perhaps less attention to the text, Hudson. Early in September Annapolis text) very well!' "out there" far from the college, he tutors Adam Schulman and Peter After the seminar, as if obeying said he had just the opposite impres­ Kalkavage led a seminar for the tradition, the group headed out for a sion. "In fact, they are better readers. Boston Chapter on Shakespeare's drink "to continue;' as the saying Over the years they have improved Measure for Measure. A few weeks goes, "the conversation:' "It's really their ear a little bit." What had begun later tutor emeritus Elliott edifying," Frietas noted, to see alumni at St. John's, he felt, "had continued to Zuckerman led the Annapolis in their own environment. "I learn develop." Chapter's seminar on "Ode to a about the kinds of work they do, their Many participants went out to Nightingale," by Keats. At the end of family situation, the kind of reading dinner with LeCuyer after the semi­ the month fellow Annapolis tutor they are still doing. I was really nar, giving him the chance to learn Jonathan Badger led the seminar in pleased to see how thoughtful they more about the lives of St. Johnnies Durham, North Carolina, for the were they were about their lives and years since graduation. "I was very North Carolina Chapter on "Progress the books and the authors that they impressed," he added, "by not only and Return," by Leo Strauss. And Eva counted on in some way." what they are doing, but how they are Brann,Annapolis tutor and former Such trips have been rare for doing what they are doing." He was dean, was in the Twin Cities late this Frietas, but as he nears retirement, he especially struck by his conversation fall to lead a seminar on Book XI, "On can imagine doing a few more in the with Tom O'Shea (SGl88) now work­ Time;' from St.Augustine's years ahead. "For me," he said, "it was ing with kids from the Mother Cabrini Confessions. a lovely occasion." Project. Bringing it all back home, We're not done yet. On October In the past decade LeCuyer had LeCuyer was pleased to hear O'Shea 25 Santa Fe tutors Josh Kates and Jim flown to Los Angeles and San say that the discussion about the Forkin co-led a seminar in Culver Francisco for seminars, but it had been Levinas reading "was quite relevant to City, California, on a poem by Wallace quite a few years since he had last met the work he is doing." Stevens about Penelope and Ulysses, with the Chicago alumni. He, too, What alum cannot but be delight­ "World as Meditation." On November enjoyed the chance, as he put it, "to ed that the Alumni Offices at both I I Annapolis tutor Nicholas refresh my acquaintance with students campuses support such visits by Capozzoli led a discussion for the from the past." He and his wife were tutors to our chapters across the New York Chapter on the Hippocratic treated to dinner their first night in country. There is of course the mutual Oath and Oath of Maimonides.A few Chicago by Rick Lightburn (SF76) and pleasure for faculty and former stu­ his wife Frances. Rick had been a days later, November 14, Santa Fe dents in seeing one another, in renew­ : .. :. .. ··:-·:: :·

President John Agresto headed north freshman in Mr. LeCuyer's first class ing friendships and past conversations <<•······)... :·:·.·.·· :1-:·)(:r(...... _,::--:-- ...... _...... : .-:· . \---= to Boulder, Colorado, to lead a semi­ back in 1972-so this reunion had and ties-and in offering tutors a I >·· .· _.:•· .. •... ·• ·• •• .·· ?•/ \. ·.:: .·: .: ······... •: ·.· < ...... ·.··•··· nar on "The Upright Posture," chapter more than a little history behind it. glimpse into "the fruits of their •. , :· ...... -v· •.: seven from Phenomenological But at the seminar the next afternoon, labors." But to have tutors taking off ','', /: :••:·: \ > w ) :.·.'. , .. : ' :.:• ' ' ... .• Psychology, by Erwin W Straus. held in an attractive conference room from Annapolis and Santa Fe to points ••: ..: / •·::·• < \ I '\U l .~ .... .·: . • < ( < ' i { ' - / c- :· ·.•· > \ ...... •..... Why such trips? Why such a overlooking Lake Michigan, LeCuyer all around the country and leading : < ...•.. ·•·· ... ·::• ' .·•' ••..• ( commitment on the part of St. John's also saw graduates he had known seminars with alumni reflects on a x: ·:.: ' "' ' ' ·:· .:: .. / .? ··• ····· ···:: .••' .:i / ·: .... faculty to add another seminar to from recent classes, as well as rather remarkable feature of the St. ''.' >•·> : <: >

their duties? Why does the college Annapolis grads he had never met John's community: that the "ongoing '··... ,'' ~·. ~ ... ..: .·.'' ··• :• ' } ... happily support such journeys? before. In all 18 alumni were present. conversation about the Great Books" i ·> .... ./: / •.• ·•· '.··· .:. p:_,:: ·::·<;:':=·· _.:_:::,;.: / Perhaps two accounts will provide Also gratifying for LeCuyer was is not bound by time or place. Or, as .· . ._: :· ;,:_ ' ··;~:: ...... :.·:· ...... some answers. the fact that he had begun a serious Eva Brann, among others, has said, we . .... Freitas had never been to Seattle. study of the work of Emmanuel are reminded that the college is not •• . Given his interest in Eastern litera­ Levinas, and the Chicago seminar was just two locations, but it is everybody .... •.• .. :.•:. ' ·.•· ...•.•. <'<.. :: ture, he spoke with local chapter his first chance to discuss chapter one involved in the reclamation of the '' ' ,,:•,•••,,• President Jim Dougherty prior to fly- from Levinas' Basic Philosophical great books. fl Aluntni Notes ...

Bill Elliott retired from the learned that ... the task is to get 1932 National Oceanic and Atmospheric inside the music and hear the tones 1962 Willis Lynch reports that he is Administration (NOAA) in April relate to each other." David Schiller writes: "Tutors, now 91 years old. He lives in 1998, where he had been leading a students, and alumni who would like Hampstead, Maryland. group devoted to studying long-term to sample my new translation of climate changes. He remains active 1955 Confucius' Analects can click on with the group, however. He has also Carolyn Banks-Leeuwenburgh www.sagapub.com. I'm still living in 1936 been honored by election to Fellow of writes that her son Todd (A85) the New England countryside, read­ Charles Westcott writes that he the American Meteorological Society "presented us with a beautiful grand­ ing books and running two travel is recovering from a heart attack for "outstanding contributions to the daughter, Sophia. Needless to say, we agencies. Chui-Ping and I take as with five bypasses. atmospheric sciences during a sub­ are having lots of fun with this new many trips around the world as we stantial period of years." role. I'm still singing on weekends can afford-recently Turkey and Arthur 0. "Pete" Davis and we still have our travel company." Guatemala." 1938 reports an exciting "Lost Islands of Francis Townsend is on the the South Atlantic" voyage aboard Board of Atlantic General Hospital. the Linblad ship Explorer II during 1956 1964 One son is an MD boarded in three October and November of 1998. John Chase is stuck down in Arlene Andrew is still working medical disciplines, and also a doc­ This exploration of our natural North Carolina "like a fly on flypa­ as a senior planner for the city of La tor oflaw. One son is a computer world was to the Falklands via the per." He says that he would love to Verne, California and living in business owner with four children Canaries, Cape Verde, Ascension, return to his beloved Maine, or per­ Claremont. Her daughter Abigail is a and eight grandchildren. St. Helena, Tristan Da Cunha, and haps venture as far as Alaska, New freshman at Goddard College in South Georgia Islands. Zealand, or Australia. Plainfield, Vermont, and her son Joshua is a senior at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, Nevada. Oscar Lord's oldest son, Lance w-illiam Banks has been Lord, is presently a Lieutenant Bill Buchanan translated and Sarah Robinson Munson was appointed a fellow of the American General in the U.S. Air Force and supplied notes for the book Hindu honored by being chosen Support Psychological Society. He is entering Vice Commander, Air Force Space Thought and Carmelite Mysticism, Staff Employee of the Year 1997-98 his eighth year as editor of the jour­ Command. lectures by Swami Siddheswarananda, by the Arlington County (Virginia) nal Consciousness and Cognition. published Motilal Barnarsidass. Public Schools. She was cited for her Paul Liebow e-mails: "I am One critic said of the book: "I do not teaching of elementary school stu­ retired at 55 ! Finished computer-ing recall another book that speaks so dents who are learning English as and now am involved with my com­ Peter writes insightfully to the interface between their second language and for efforts munity. I am a fireman in the Port with news about the Fairhaven Christianity and Vedanta." to ensure that cultural diversity is an Washington Fire Department. We School, which opened in Upper integral part of the curriculum. are all vols! No one is paid! Most Marlboro, Maryland, this September Hildi·eth ''Hildy" Smith-Becker time I work in an ambulance group. with full enrollment of 30 students. moved to Tucson this summer. Her I am having a great time. I am a vol "There are five of us St. Johnnies William Roberts is still sailing daughter Christina Paige (A88) and for the Long Island Alzheimer involved in this new 'free' school. the waters off south Florida and he her husband and child had moved Foundation. I do some computer Wish it could be more." spent this fall touring eastern there in 1997. She'd love visits from work and I am setting up Chat Canada by car. Christmas was in classmates-her address is 4901 E. Rooms for the Foundation." Vera Cruz, Mexico. "Life is much Sunrise Dr., Tucson, A2 85718. 1944 too important to be taken serious­ Kendon Stubbs, who has Carl Hammen recently partici­ ly," he writes. worked for 33 years at the University 1965 pated in the World Association of "I'm enjoying continued retire­ of Virginia library, recently received Allenna Dungan Leonard Veteran Athletes international mas­ ment from teaching, and playing the Thomas Jefferson Award, the reports that she has taken on a part­ ters championship track and field with hobbies, including the comput­ university's highest honor. Stubbs' time lectureship in managerial meet in Barbados. He won the 5000 ers," e-mails Don Koontz. innovation in making the University cybernetics in the Business School of meters and came in second in the 800 George Wend says that retire­ Library's vast resources more acces­ Liverpool John Moores University. and 1500 meters. "To be an interna­ ment for him has included PC com­ sible to the university community­ She's been dividing her time tional champion runner in the upper puter projects such as 1200 photos and to scholars worldwide, via the between Toronto (mostly) and the age groups," he writes, "one must: for a family album, and doing a internet-makes his recognition par­ UK. "In the past several years I've (1) live long enough, (2) be in reason­ genealogy. He's also taken trips to ticularly appropriate, as it combines also been helping deliver syntegra­ ably good health, and ( 3) have Egypt, Israel, and Costa Rica. Jefferson's fascination with new tions (a group process which maps enough money to get to the meet." inventions with his belief in the dis­ participants in discussion teams on semination of knowledge as being the icosahedron to maximize infor­ 1953 essential to a democratic society. mation sharing). This has taken me 1945 An article in the Baltimore Sun With a desk, a computer, and a to the UK, Switzerland, Colombia, "I counsel the homeless in a in November said about John staff of one graduate student, Stubbs South Africa, and the Netherlands as soup kitchen one day a week and Alexander: "He'll never play piano launched the Electronic Text Center well as Canada and the US," she keep up my business helping land­ like his idols. He doesn't have what in the Humanities in 1992. Its mis­ writes. "One of our events, 'The lords with their problems with ten­ you'd call a great voice." But the sion was to build and maintain an Future of Digital Media in the UK,' ants the rest of the week. It keeps me article praised Alexander for the internet-accessible collection of can be visited on busy," says Lawrence Levin. concert he performed at the Light texts and images-and later sounds www.interaction2.org. uk." Gene Thornton had a poem, Street Presbyterian Church-many and videos. Today the E-Text Center "Ovid in Exile," published in the years after giving up music to study has spun off five additional digital winter 1999 issue of the Paris law at the University of Maryland. centers and its resources are 1967 Review and a painting, "Buddies," During his successful law career he accessed a million times per month. Johnnies in the Sacramento, exhibited at the Duke University continued to play demanding pieces Stubbs earned an MAin English California, area are warmly invited Museum of Arts 1998 exhibition of in the style of Jelly Roll Morton or from the University of Virginia in to contact either Helen Hobart North Carolina artists. Fats Waller. But after suffering a 1964 and began his career in the (class of 67) at 916-452-1082 or minor stroke a few years ago, he was library there the following year. He Arianne Laidlaw (class of 57) at unable to play "stride" piano and he has worked in the manuscripts divi­ 916-362-5131 to join the chapter's 1947 began to compose instead. sion, was director of reference serv­ seminar discussions. John Brunn reports that he According to the Sun article, his ices from 1966 to 1976, and has B. Meredith Burke writes that retired from teaching this year and is music is quiet and meditative. served as associate university librari­ her book, Prenatal Testing: A doing volunteer tutoring. Alexander is quoted as saying: "I've an since 1976. Sociological Perspective, written with Alulllni Notes ...

Aliza Kolker, is out in paperback, which we had to leave with a friend)." with a new afterword. "Fortunately, Elizabeth Dobbs (A), who is the reviews were good enough to per­ chair of the faculty at Grinnell anta ..ll.JL.11...L.Jl.J. suade Greenwood Press that there College, argues that Chaucer uses would be a "'Wider market for paper­ windows to highlight parallel signifi­ back," she says. She continues to cant events in the story ofTroilus write newspaper opinion columns in and Criseyde and to reveal human Weekend 1999 in Santa Fe hopes of getting a full-time colum­ limitation, which is at the heart of 18, special events nist job. The San Diego Union­ the poem's meaning. Her article, Tribune carried her column on sex ""Seeing Through Windows in reunion classes of 1969, 1974, selection of children in October, and Chaucer's Troilus," was published in 1979, 1984, 1989, the Jlfiami Herald published one on The Chaucer Review. Dobbs teaches illegal abortion in Chile, also in courses on Chaucer and medieval lit­ ome a week early or stay a week later to take part in the 19 9 9 October. Ia the works are pieces in erature. She earned her master's and Summer Alumni Program. The first week, from July I 1 through the Atlanta Constitution (on sprawl, Ph.D. degrees from the State July 16, will e:rplore the world ofvisual arts through morning congestion, and population growth} University of New York, Buffalo. seminars led by Santa Fe tutors Steve Houser (SF7 9) and Kent Taylor, and in the San Francisco Chronicle and afternoon hands-on practica led by ]Jfichele Beinder, Director ofthe ("on the high-fashion ads' continued Santa Fe Senior Art Program. Week I seminars willfocus on works by use of size minus 1 models whom not Vermee1; Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Mondrian, while the afternoon one real woman in 100 can resem­ A newsletter from the Board of workshops will enrich these seminars through compositional studies and ble-nor, if they want to bear chil­ Child Care of the Baltimore­ analysis, a still life study; and a life drawing session. dren, should they!"). Washington Conference of the United The second week,fromJuly 18 throughfuly 23, will look at ethical Methodist Church carries a story dilemmas in biotechnology; led by Santa Fe tutors Jim Forkin (SF8 0) and about (A), a clinical Hans van Brie.sen, as well as David Krimins (A63), Annapolis physi­ psychologist who works at cian. Afternoon classes willfocu.s on readings that discuss transgenic ";o~• .,,.11~h (A) writes: Washington State Hospital. After an engineering, the human genome project, and cloning humans. Jl1orning "I married for the first time at45, extremely difficult childhood, classes willfarther investigate these issues in two classic works offiction statistic that I had a bet­ Mooring ended up at the Board of on biotechnology: Shelley's Frankenstein and Huxley's Brave New ter chance of being killed by a terrorist Child Care at the age of 16. She barely World. Week II will also include a field trip to the National Center/or than marrying. Darryl and I adopted a graduated from high school and Genome Resources in Santa Fe. three-year-old angel in March of 1997 scored only 2 50 on her SAT. But when The brochure and registration materials will be mailed to all mem­ from the People's Republic of China. she took the Maryland State bers ofthe reunion classes this spring. Ifyou are not in a reunion class We named her Houchan Zara Noreer­ Senatorial Scholarship Exam, she got and would like to receive a brochure, please request one from the Alumni Zara for a name in a book that defined the highest score in the state, earning Office in Santa Fe I 160 Camino Cruz Blanca, Santa Fe NM 8 75 0 !; it as 'bright shining light from the East her a scholarship to St. John's. During 505-984-6103. You can also e-mail the director, Tahmina Shalizz: at (Arabic).' She is busy absorbing every the sophomore year Bible readings, t-shalizi@mail. sjcsf edu. • fiber of my energy and attention .. .I she discovered God and has devoted have switched careers from financial her life to her faith ever since. analyst to administrator, since travel Joseph Barntta (A) reports that years ago; now it seems natural, as if has become more difficult. One more in 1998 he exhibited a series of man­ 1971 I'd been training all this time." task to master. As tired as I frequently dalas drawn on computer and demon­ Alan Lee (A) writes that his Andrew Ganison (A) says that find myself, I would do it all over. I only strating the unity of religion and sci­ daughter Amourence is leaving for he is studying the role of religion in regret that even the People's Republic ence. The exhibit was displayed at China and graduating from the New the practice of psychotherapy. He of China has reservations about my Harvard, Wellesley, and the Friends School in May. His son Jonah is a also notes that his son, age 13, is adopting another gift from God." Meetingin Cambridge. In March, the freshman at Reed College. He and his interested in St. John's. Charles Watson (A) reports a drawings go up at MIT. wife Hanne have adopted a five-yeaT­ Cynthia .namcon busy autumn and winter. He's trav­ K.,.,,,....."'••ri ... (SF) graduated old girl from China, Xiao Fang, and writes: '"I just finished recording my eled to lecture about twice a month. from Baylor Law School in July, will be adopting another in early 1999. third album of music for young chil­ His wife and daughter Anna are passed the bar exam and was granted Michael Vict01·off (A) sold his dren, ages 2 to 6. After all these years involved in a production of West Side a license to practice law in Texas in medical practice last year and (my music school is now 12 years old) Story at Barlow High School. November. He is currently working became Medical Director for Aetna I'm still enjoying teaching music to Number one son Ivan is trying to be a for the University of Texas system as U.S. Healthcare of Colorado. "It was young kids and their parents." telejournalist in Moscow, working for part of their real estate section in the a very good move," he writes. "I had CNN, CBS, and others. Number two Office of General Counsel. a full and busy practice, with three son, age 18, is taking a junior year other doctors and two physician 1972 with the Sea Education Association assistants (one of whom was my Helen Anastaplo Scharbach in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. 1970 wife). When I was named Family (A) says that her oldest daughter, RickWicks (A) writes from Molly Hammett Kronberg (A) Physician of the Year in 1996, I real­ Rebecca, has converted to Judaism Sweden, where he is a research associ­ and Ken Kronberg (SF68) celebrat­ ized I had accomplished just about and emigrated to Israel. Her second ate in the department of economics at ed their 25th wedding anniversary in everything I could, at the sharp end is on leave of absence from NYU. Goteborg University: "I'm working on June 1998, and realized that as of of the profession. I wasn't satisfied "The rest of us are living peacefully a doctorate in economics. Linnea, our that date, they had been married half with my leverage in the system. I in Chicago, where I have begun the seven-year-old daughter, is in first their lives. They fondly hope that needed another place to stand... University's Great Books program grade, and Ellinor is just starting back their son Max, now 14, will some day Now, as a full-time medical director, for adults to see what I may have to work (Hendrik, who is now four, is come to St. John's himself. I'm closer to the dials and levers that missed 30 years ago." in daycare part-time). We had a big Hudi Podolsky (SF) is working actually do some good, than I ever Kevin Snapp (SF) writes: trip to the States-our first since we in the Hewlett Packard K-12 educa­ was in practice, professional activi­ "After considerable drifting, I grad­ moved here six years ago. We spent a tion affairs department, which sup­ ties, academics or politics. My audi­ uated from law school at the month in Santa Fe in May-June, cul­ ports public schools working to ence is more thoughtful, critical and University of Chicago in 1982 and in minating with the reunion (I was in reform science and math programs. constructive than ever. My 'practice' 1983 married Susan Fasano, the Annapolis from '64 to '66, then fin­ She is also teaching at San Jose State now comprises hundreds of thou­ daughter of a Jewish mother and an ished in Santa Fe). Then we had two University in a masters program for sands of patients who need assur­ Italian father. Susan had rejected weeks at Lake Okoboji in Iowa at my high school teachers getting admin­ ance that their care is rational, Catholicism in which she had been mother's summer cottage. At the istrative credential. "Not quite up to defensible, and effective. I am sub­ raised; I had no religious back­ beginning we spent three days in St. John's standards, but an excellent stantially the faculty to a 'school' of ground at all. When our oldest child Washington, D.C., just long enough program in its own way," she says. 4000 physicians. There's no way I started asking about religious to visit old friends (including our cat, could have been fit for this job ten things, I resolved to investigate Alu01ni Notes ...

AN UNDERTAKING 100 METERS DOWN UNDER packs worn by divers, since traditional scuba gear is inad­ can be reached at 247 Jackson St., equate for the extreme water depths. The principal goal #69, Newnan, GA 30263. hristopher Brown (A75) says that when he was a of the Wakulla 2 expedition is to produce a 3D virtual dennis2 j@hotmail. com" student he constantly struggled with the question reality map of the underwater cave system thatfeeds Peter and Mary Kniaz (A) of the practicality of his St. John's education: ""It Wakulla Spring. The biggest challenges to exploring the report that they and their five chil­ was impossible for me to imagine how all the marvelous cave system are the water depth, approximately l 00 dren continue to do well in Median, meters, and the long distances of things I was learning would ever come to play in real life. Ohio. Peter is now Director of And l subconsciously feared ever finding a parallel real.- the tunnels. "This is a part of the planet Systems Services at Invacare. life situation-another environ­ Dale Mmtimer (A) is active in where no one's ever gone ment of intellectual engagement the Portland area alumni chapter, before," says Brown. "Throw in as all-encompassing as St. the fact that our exploration site and says that they started the new John's-that afforded the oppor- was the location for Weismuller's year off with a seminar on Erwin to continually indulge my filming and is the Straus's essay "The LU•'-'"''-' U..:>v"'- curiosity? with- of Creature Posture." Dale led the seminar. with " even the cinephile in assistance from Alexander ,echnique teacher Karen Dale's latest article on "The Identification and Medical Treatment of Atlention Deficit/

a newsletter for clinicians. has

J:YVJlHl-'CU to Director-Elder Services at the Moore Center~"",.~,.;~""' 1Vlanc11ester, New

, vvvi..ru11t:, to make schools safe for lesbian, gay, bisexual,

s1"teunt11nux;-'-'-'~L--- d gazineJ · are int• 1 1e anu 1;.1.u-vuA-- u ~ Geographic an ma f" q,. ·pment like -by Barbara Goyette Ellen Veden (SGI77) has 11 works.) The team is. using· new types. d o e life._ support back- a new as General diver propulsion· vel n "cles andmixe gas M anager-S atel lite· Services for Belgacom in Westport, was moved to re-establish contact Connecticut. Belgacom is the domi- she and Michael van Buren (A77) with the St. John's community by the i~ant inter.national telecommunica- were married in July. receipt of a couple of extraordinary t1ons earner_ o~ ~el~um, she notes. Judaism again. Remembering from Christmas gifts from myvvife, Ann, ~er respons1b1lity1s global market- St. John's the importance oflan­ and one of my step-sons, Jay: The mg and sale~ ~o t~e broadcast/ cor- guage, I joined an adult Hebrew Loeb edition of the first five books of porate televis10n mdustry. class at a synagogue near the 1974 Plato's Republic and a "Middle University of Chicago. I became Debonh Ross (A) has changed Liddell"! Those hints that I have drawn into Jewish studies (yes, I jobs this year. She was appointed been dropping about brnshing up on 1978 eventually read Maimonides' Guide chair of the Washington State Energy Steve Ross (A) is now a history my Greek were taken quite seriously! ofthe Perplexed), became a Jew, and Facility Site Evaluation Council. professor at Louisiana State University. My fabulous Annie and I were now spend much of my leisure time John Rees (A) is a neuroradiolo­ married on May 11, 1991, after a in Jewish matters. Susan joined in; gist practicing in Orlando, Florida. whirlwind courtship (six weeks). as a daughter of a Jewish mother she "My wife Courtney and I have two Our "boys' are the aforementioned 1979 is legally Jewish. I want to thank children, Katie, three-and-a-half, and Lisa SimeonewTites: "The Jay, an explosive ordnance disposal David Sackton (1969) (who is not Daniel, one, and, imminently, smartest thing I've done was quit my technician in the Navy, and Patrick, who recommended the Guide) and Maxwell. Our e-mail is KlOORT full-time job three years ago to make a computer systems specialist for a tutor Bob Sacks for unknowingly @aol.com." my living as a freelancer in radio and national document storage company. planting some of the seeds. TV. I do quite a bit of work for NPR; We moved from the Baltimore I am currently working half-time I'm host and producer of the documen­ region to Georgia in 199 3. helping federal judges deal with suits tary series Soundprint; I still hosl the I have been involved in packag­ brought by prisoners, while seeking Betsy Blume (A), former director Baltimore Symphony Casual Concerts ing printing/manufacturing since I to escape a sense of confinement by of alumni activities in Annapolis, is Series; and I do commercial voice-over graduated from St. John's in 1975. I reading and writing. Susan counsels nowworkingin Washington, D.C., for work. Income unpredictable, but oh, is currently work for Lawson Mardon students at the University of the Special Libraries Association, the the freedom worth it!" Packaging in Peachtree City, Chicago, a sometimes stressful job professional organization for research Bill and Theresa Salter Georgia. My most recent project for that she loves, and we have two libraries and special collections. She welcomed their second child, them has been to develop a statistical daughters, Jennifer, 12, and works on deferred giving and founda­ Francesca Rose, on September 19. process control training course for all Gwendolyn, 9." tions and is traveling a lot, visiting of the production line employees. I companies like Dow Jones, Lexis will begin delivering instruction in Nexis, and Moody's. this course in just a couple of Church (A) is teaching at (A) is working with the I would love to hear from fellow Mada (A) reports the American School of Milan. in classical studies as a visit- ,,. ... .,uuu.1., especially those from the that after a happy association dating H.L.l..LCJ!.H.V Italy. ing assistant professor at Dickinson class of '75-are there any 'Cellar back to their days as SJC students, DennisJohnson e-mails: "I College. She recently completed he1 Gang' members out there? Ann and I PhD in classics from the University of like to point out that 'we don't know she earned a BA in philosophy 1998 Nobel Prize in Physics for her North Carolina at Chapel Hill. that much about the universe.' " (University of Washington), MAs in work on the effect of the doppler LeAnne Pembm_·n (A) reports: Nathan Rosen (A) and Roberta philosophy and in humanities shift analysis in comparison to the ''I'm still in the wonderful city of Babbitt announce the birth of Daniel (Stanford University), and an MAin particle field theory. She plans to Baltimore journeying into the second Tzui and Zachary Alexander Rosen Critical Film Studies and screenwTit­ travel to Stockhold, Sweden, to per­ decade of marriage and starring career on April 21, 1998. "Yes, that makes ing (University of Southern sonally accept the award with Chris number four? five?-programming." five children," says Nathan. He is California). She would love to hear Watson who co-authored the study." Cecilia Goin (A) teaching high school drama, now at from former classmates. Please con­ writes: "I am married to a wonderful Atholton High School in Columbia, tact her at 14406 E. Lake Goodvvin man, Timothy Harding, who enriches Maryland. John Michael McDonald Stanwood, WA 98292; or my life every day in addition to the helped make paternity leave possible. '[email protected]. Sarah English (SF) reports that wonderful books I read, the classes I Rob Crutchfield (A) is living in ur~ ..;.,..J..+ (A84) and she vvill be opening a holistic health take, and the places I visit. This sum­ Fayetteville, North Carolina. His _ _ _ (A85) would spa/health resort in the Flint Hills of mer we toured England and Wales by e-mail is [email protected]. like to announce the birth of their Kansas. "Our mission is to help indi­ car and then I went on to take French Pete1· Fisk (SF) and Natasha adorable son, Orville Evander viduals find balance in their life-body, classes at the University of Geneva. Walte1· (SF84) bought a house in Wright (named after his grandfather mind and spirit-so that they may Stayed in a women's foyer in the heart San Francisco. Their new address is and great-grandfather) on evolve to a higher plane of existence." of the old city where I met many won­ 63119th Ave., SF, CA 94121. Peter's September 13th 1998. John andJagi Amy Bianco Murphy (SF) is in derful people. We have lived in Coral office, Mind Body Chiropractic, in are living happily in Virginia, where New York, working in the publishing Gables, Florida, for the past two years. the Sunset District, is going beauti­ both are pursuing writing careers. industry. She is currently an editor at Have very positive memories of the fully, as is their 2-year-old, Goia. John's most recent efforts can be McGraw-Hill and her e-mail address people at St. John's. Don't hesitate to seen in the anthology Years Best SF is: [email protected]. write: 1258 S. Alhambra, Coral 3, edited by David Hartwell. Jagi's Gables, FL 33146." 1983 can be seen in the anthology Don't Steve Reynolds (A) has been lov­ Open This Book, edited by Marvin 1987 ing life immensely the last five years Kaye, and in the new magazine, Peter Melka (SF) writes: with wife Dena in the shadow of Mt. Anime Fantastique. They are happy "Doing pretty well schizophrenia­ Madin Mille1· (A) changed jobs Tamalpais just north of the Golden to hear from old friends and can be wise, have a paper route, buying a in September 1997, leaving Draper Gate. He's thus far been able to elude reached at: [email protected]. lot ofbooks." Labs after 13 years to work for Avid boredom by dabbling in software, film Andrew (A) is liv- Samh Steel (AGI) reports: "In Technology. Avid makes computer­ and video production, and now, play­ ing in a IO-person group house in retirement, I continue to poke my based editing equipment for the ing shipping magnate and telecom­ Berkeley. He works as an architect nose into any opportunity to movie, television, and broadcast munications guru at a firm that makes doing residential work. ''My real improve public pre-college educa- news industries. The real exciting and distributes nutritional supple­ interest and sideline at this moment tion, especially for stu- clrnnge, he says occurred this ments. Concurrently, he's been tutor­ is ecological design and restoration dents. My children's spouses include October 13, when Benjamin Adam ing math and history to high-school­ and I'm looking for a way to do this a Swede, a Jamaican, and an Indian Miller was born to him and his vvife ers. He hopes to get certified to teach full time," he says. "Our guest room (from India). They have blessed me Linda. Martin also reports that he burgeoning minds by the next millen- is open to any friends who are pass­ vvith four grandchildren. We're com­ and Dan Van Doren (A81) attended nium. So an M.S. in Human ing through the Bay area." peting with the U.N." a surprise 40th birthday party for Resources Management and Fr. RobertNicoletti (SF) is Evan Cantor (A81) in August. "It Organization Development hasn't had working at a mission in the Ukraine. was really a surprise since Evan was excessive bearing on these disparate He sends greetings to classmates. not 40 until December. Ellen Cantor pursuits: the joy of collaboratingvvith Lawrence Bush (SF) and Claudia Probst (A) announces did a terrific job on the party and some really great people has always Elizabeth Bush say hello from her engagement to Joseph Michael Evan was quite surprised." had greater appeal than the solitude Blacksburg, Virginia. John would Stack. They plan to be married on Smith (SGI81) is still of being a change agent. Turn-ons: like to say an especial "hello" to the June 6 in Palmerton, Pennsylvania. working at Coachella Valley High Disc golf, brewing beer, and proceed­ members of the "Raw Fish" wherev­ After four years of being the

School, but in the state and federal ing through the Great Books list back­ er they are. E-mail: [email protected] executive editor of Crisis Magazine0 projects office. To keep her hand wards, with rime for reflection. Turn­ and [email protected]. Samuel Casey Cai·te1· (A) is now a she's also teaching an English class offs: None (it's all good). Bradley Fellow at the Heritage for the local community college. Steve invites all Johnnies to look Foundation in Washington, D.C. him up if they find themselves in the While working for the conservative SF area. "God may live in Texas, TembraAnnLeonard (SF) is think tank, Casey hopes to finish his but She works in Marin!" E-mail in Geneva, Svvitzerland, after obtain­ dissertation on the phenomenology The1·issa (A) accepted a addresses: [email protected] or ing a master's at the London School ofJacob Klein this spring. His wife, ,..Pn.l.,.,fo assistant offer from the [email protected] of Economics and a leave of absence Suzanne, and he are expecting their of Minnesota Program in from her work as a lawyer in the first child on April Fool's Day. Neuroscience. "For the next four to )epartment of Labor. She will work Scott Klebe (A) and his vvife I vvill study neuroscience, for the International Labor Margaret have a new son, R,,,,...;"'.,.,,,;.,., work in neuroscience, eat, (A) will publish Organization. She is enjoying born on Julv 16. and breathe neuroscience ... The pro­ his first Republican Empire: in a French-speaking environment gram offers me an array of excellent Alexander Hamilton on War and and being close lo hiking and and labs in which to work. Free ·with the in the mountains. Press of Kansas No1·n1an Pete1· Green . that he is still hear from other alumni in the area. where he is Eastern is Senior Atto.1.11",, After seven years of "'""'"'iu.u'"" because I'm so fasci­ Euronean corresnondent for the resources law at the Coastal school math in northern New the neuroscientific asnecb Melissa has careers of add~~.,_~~~ and is a technical vvriter for a soft­ about J:!,tll'opean countries. His e-mail develomnent company in teach and do research. So my first address is ps:irn~erl(a)'te1rm1na continues his work as career, addiction treatment, is com- Norm ,."'.,.'"""·11-c an artist and is web page after 12 years." Her e-mail has attended a few of the Houston design at Parson's School

address is LLL7l.JUU-'-"'"\U'?L-'-,.ULl.H.l.VU.U. Neurocranial ti.esnucturmgJ on Alumni Chapter book readings. He Liliana Dallett approaches her sec­ Dmholtz (A) says September 6, 1998. Trisha contin­ can be reached at normanewart ond birthday and is pursuing a that she's "just married the most won­ ues to write screenplays, plays, and @coastalcorp.com. career as a professional ice skater derful man in the known universe. My poetry while also working with her This from Jan Conlin (SF): (she can stand up in her skates, ex-boyfriend (OK, husband) would husband. After leaving St. John's, "Jan Conlin was the recipient of the though she's still having trouble AluIDni Notes ...

.: • a • • • 11 • e. a.• • a.~ • • a a a a o a a a a • o a e a e a e .• e a • e • a • .. • e a a o e e a a a _a •. a a.• a e e a a a .• e _• •.a a a a. a a a. a a ~ a a a a .: . CALLING ALLALUMNI! . TheReporterwants to hear from you! Call us, write us, e-mail us! with the ice part of the equation). Letyour classmates know what you're doing! Schoedinger received the NMEA They can be reached at: 305 Grand In Annapolis: The Reporte1; St. John's College, Box2800, (National Marine Educators St. 1st floor, Brooklyn, NY 11211.E­ Annapolis, MD 2r404;4rn-626-2539; b"[email protected], Association) President's Award. mail: [email protected]. InSantaFe:TheReporter, St.John'sCollege,u6o Qamino Cruz Elyette Block (SF) e-mails that Blanca, Santa Fe, NM 87501~ 505.,984-6103; [email protected]. she is leaving Seoul, Korea, and . . moving to Amsterdam, indefinitely, 1989 ·············································~··································· to study, work, and enjoy. She's Elizabeth Powers (A) is study­ (SF89) at the St. Francis Cathedral Editor is the perfect gig for a keeping the same e-mail address: ing for her MBA at Wharton. She and in Santa Fe. Also attending were Johnny-you sit in this office and [email protected]. her husband, Andrew Wagner, moved John Lawton and his new baby, publishers from all over the place Erik Fisher (A) and Daniel from New York to Philadelphia in Win Swafford, Matthew Cooper send you free books on law, philoso­ Littleton (A93) have recently had July. Andrew commutes to NYC and (SF87), and Lisette Wallace and phy, political science ... Paola and I several of their songs released under Miami as a member of the Radio City Alex Grey 'Volf. will both be finishing up our work the name "Desmond Outcast and production staff for the '99 Super Beth Heinberg (A) sends the here this spring-me on a JD and she the Transplanted Heroes" on Bowl half-time show. Elizabeth plays following news: " I am on the facul­ on an MA in Architecture. After that Troubleman Records. Daniel is a pro­ ice hockey and continues as a consult­ ties of the Boston Conservatory and the three of us (including Lucas, 5) fessional recording artist with a major ant for a few dance company clients in Brandeis University, teaching musi­ will be heading out to Pasadena, record label and Erik teaches at the NYC. Their address is 48 N. Front St., cal theater at the graduate level. My California, for at least a year. I'm University of Colorado at Boulder. 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA. band, Magie 12, has just released an going to be clerking for Alex Christophei· Hadley (A) is in George 1\uner (A) was recently eponymous album on Dalia records. Kozinski on the 9th Circuit Court of Seattle, studying education sworn in as an assistant district I am living in Brookline, Mass­ Appeals. He's a brilliant judge with (M.A.Ed.-TESOL) at Seattle Attorney in Orange, County, achusetts, with my partner Nancy. I an irreverent sense of humor a lot University. He says there's lots of California. He's a 1995 graduate of teach piano to children and adults like mine-had he been a Johnny he talk of "curriculum and instruc­ Boalt Hall Law School, University of and arrange for and perform with would have been writing Real Show tion-It's cool, but I still like the California-Berkeley. He and his wife, local cabaret singers. I have been the skits. Paola's going to be working for St. John's way!" Abril (also an attorney), live in musical director for Harvard's Hasty the L.A. County Department of Theresa Klunk Lehmann (SF) Corona del Mar. Pudding Theatricals for five years." Public Works. We'd love to hear was marred to Brian Lehmann in In November Carolyn Brenner Pamela Jeffcoat (SF) has just from any SF or Annapolis classmates May. She'd love to hear from class­ (AGI) retired after teaching English begun work as a medical assistant in the area. I don't have our mates and can be reached at at St. Mary's High School for 20 and a Russian interpreter. Pasadena address yet, but we can [email protected]. years. She returned to her hometown Christophe1· Teleler (A) relo­ currently be reached at Sharon Campbell Knox (SGI) of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania to cated to New Jersey, "pursuing a [email protected]." announces, with her husband Lloyd, care for her mother. romance reminiscent of 84 Charing Joe Gerber (A) writes: "After the birth of their son, Teddy. They Erika Gaffney (A) e-mails: Cross Road." He is Director of graduation I went into a special form are back in Chicago where she is still "After five years working in the mar­ English Studies at a midtown New of hiding known as graduate school, working on her dissertation. keting department of Ashgate, an York language school. "The emerging four years later with a mas­ Michael Kopple (SF) is cur­ academic publishing company based romance is better by far than the ter's degree. Then I moved to rently living in Palm Springs, work­ in Britain, I have just moved into a job," he says. "Dmitri, with appre­ Colorado to live the good life: playing ing as a public defender. He says he new role as Ashgate's acquisitions hension, will be ·with me for in the woods, and dancing (and writ­ has achieved true happiness since editor for literary studies. I will be Homecoming 1999." ing computer programs for a living). I landing a job where he can get paid commissioning studies on literature recently woke up and realized that I to talk. He misses the intelligence from the Middle Ages to the 19th cen­ was simply trying to embody all the and spiritual vigor of the St. John's tury. I will also be commissioning to 1990 noblest concepts I had learned at St. community and invites anyone in the some extent for our history line, in Alexandra Edelglass John's, and now feel, as Kepler put it, area to look him up. He can be women's and gender history and the Stockwell (A) announces, with her 'The occasions by which people come reached at 760-360-8064, or you can history of science, technology and husband Rodd, the birth of their to understand celestial things seem to just commit a misdemeanor and ask medicine. I work from Ashgate's son, Christopher Jerome. He was me to be not much less marvelous for the public defender. North American office in Vermont." born at home. His sister Josephine is than the ... celestial things them­ Lisa Hollis-Brown (SF) and Jon Raney (A) and Marie now two and a half. selves.' So drop me a line, I'm no David Brown (SF) were married in (Toler), who is class of 79 in J. Clinton Pittman (SF) won­ longer hiding or funning away. July of 1996 in Gunnison, Colorado, Annapolis, are moving to Portland, ders if Santa Fe Johnnies have ([email protected])" ·with many Johnny friends in atten­ Oregon. Marie has a new job with "noted an immigration of computer dance. They are now graduate stu­ Engineering Animation as a soft­ scientists, buyingwater, canned dents at U.C. Davis, working on Ph.D.s ware engineer providing 3D CAD food, and ammunition in prepara­ 1992 in applied math (David) and ecology visualization and animation tools. tion for the Y2K crisis." Sarah Schoedinger (A), who (Lisa). They would love to hear from Jon will be looking for work as an Kathryn Lane (SF) reports that works as the education coordinator old friends at: dbrown@math. attorneywhen he and the boys (16 after graduation, she went out to for the Consortium for Oceano­ ucdavis.edu, and they have a spare years old) move to join her. The fam­ explore the world, worked and lived in graphic Research and Education bedroom for any Johnnies passing ily spent a month in the Baltics, Central African Republic for two and (CORE) and is an alumna of the through northern California. Poland, and Russia this summer, "a a half years. She returned to the U.S., University of Delaware Graduate sobering and occasionally encourag­ got an MSW in social and economic College of Marine Studies, this year ing glimpse into emerging govern­ development, and married a wonder­ organized the first National Ocean 1993 ments and their histories." They'd ful Frenchman named Christophe. Sciences Bowl. More than 200 high Donna Strow (A) has invented love to hear from classmates via e­ They traveled to Latin America to schools participated. The contest and received a patent for a "sta­ mail: [email protected]. work for six months. Currently, was developed to test high school tionery perspective device." It's a Steve Dean (SF) is working at Kathryn is working in international students' knowledge of marine sci­ device for painters that clips to the Washingtonppost Newsweek development. They hope to be over­ ence. "The Bowl creates an opportu­ easel, enabling the artist to judge Interactive studying how people use seas within the next year. nity for teachers to use ocean sci­ the subject more accurately and to websites and incorporating feedback ences in their biology, physics, avoid mistakes "like painting the top into both the washingtonpost..com chemistry, geology, and math curric­ and bot.tom of the apple at the same and newsweek.com websites. 1991 ula," says Schoedinger. "Another time," she says. She's thinking about Elisabeth DuRard Keller (SF) ChrisNewman (A) e-mails: goal is to help university oceano­ trying to produce the device in plas­ reports that she and husband Reece 'Tm currently at University of graphic research programs develop tic and market it. just bought a house in Santa Fe. Michigan Law School, serving as strong links with pre-college com­ Ashley Waring Vietor (A) They have two children, Sophie (4) Book Review Editor for the Law munities in their home areas." For announces the birth of her daughter, and Nicholas ( 1). She sends word Review and president of the her efforts in organizing the Elizabeth Randolph Vietor, on July about the wedding of Nathan Hey Federalist Society. Book Review National Ocean Sciences Bowl, 18, 1998. Ashley is living at

__ .. Chatham Hall in Chatham, Virginia, a girls' boarding school, where she UP E EC I I teaches Latin, and where her hus­ takes a case highest in band, Oliver, is chaplain. _.__,._.,"".._, ...... _, Koontz (A) reports inc\...Aau1e Although the court found that the reservoir alone did not that he was married to someone he by John (SGI99) violate the interstate agreement, Draper's model helped met in grad school, Kazue Draper, SGI97, has a color sketch in his office of a convince the court that the wells violated the compact. Watanabe. They both work at the arguing a case before the Supreme Court. The The case has been decided in favor of Kansas, but the same place on machine translation in the picture-Sandra Day O'Connor, Clarence question about repayment for past violations is still in between Japanese and English. Thomas, Chief Justice Rehnquist-are familiar. The man question. Kansas is due either money to make up for lost I oJaatn:an Pead received a before them is Draper himself, and the title reads water, or water itself-428,000 acre-feet of it (one acre­ Master of Music in Vocal Per­ B. Draper, United States Supreme Court, Kansas v foot is the amount of water it would take to cover an acre formance from Rice University in ~ 1 ~~~,:i~ March 2L 1995." to the of one foot). 1997. That September, he mar- Enormous goes into presenting a case ried an aerospace eneineer he met at Rice. In before the Suureme Court, savs Drauer. One thinl.! he did "1,VaS ,-,.~n me~

Martin Astronautics and is involved with the Mars

school where he can work toward a PhD in musicology, in the coimitive science of song. Marcus (A) is working as a legal aid attorney in rural Ohio. She has a new e-mail address: N [email protected]. A Santa Fe-based attorney with 20 years of experi­ Louisa Griffin (A) just bought ence, Draper is an alumnus of the Graduate Institute who a house in Glover Park, S. C. She understands how the political texts studied at the college pertain to American life. The Supreme Court case, which Power ofthe Constitution would love to hear from people. Her e-mail is [email protected]. has dominated Draper's time for the last nine years, is not Today, Draper spends a good deal of his time work­ Johnson (A) reports that an abortion rights case, not about civil rights or any par­ ing to resolve disputes between states. In that light he he graduated from Lesley College ticularly controversial or high-profile issue; it is a matter regards the power of the Supreme Court with awe and with a Master's in Clinical Mental of interstate water rights. Draper represented the state of reverence. "Here is a court of nine people, constituted Health Counseling. He is currently Kansas against Colorado in a disagreement over rightful to, among other things, resolve issues between states working with autistic children ages 1- use of the water in the Arkansas River. that, if they were fully sovereign nations, would be cause 3 in a community-based program. He The Supreme Court first had to decide whether the for war," he says. He sees the cases he works on as impor­ says he would love to talk with stu­ case should fall under its jurisdiction. Draper quotes the tant not so much for political reasons, but in terms of dents and alumni about careers in convincing passages from Article 3, Section 2 of the power: "It is very difficult to strike the right balance counseling and psychology. Constitution: "The judicial power shall extend to all between the national power and the individual powers of Thomas Lisco (SF) earned cases, in law and equity, arising under the Constitution,. the states." National Board Certification from the .. to controversies between two or more states; .. .In all The great books are directly applicable to his daily National Board for Professional cases ... in which a state shall be a party, the Supreme work, he says, because the issues that are dealt with in a Teaching Standards. Through a rigor­ Court shall have original jurisdiction." Since the case classroom discussion of the American texts like the ous performance-based assessment, went to court in 1990 there have been more than 175 Constitution and the Federalist Papers are the same as National Board Certified Teachers days of trial. The court appointed a Special Master to those he confronts in the cases he tries. And St. John's demonstrate not only their knowl­ handle the evidence and make recommendations; Draper seminar discussions are helpful because they are based edge of subject matter but their argued before the justices themselves one time. on questions-just like court cases are-and because understanding of how to teach it. The conflict dates back to a 1949 compact between preparation is so essential. "You tell yourself you're Alexander (A) and Vanessa Kansas and Colorado that apportioned the waters of the going to be on the line at least some time during class, (AGI) Ellerman are living in San river. It allowed further development along the river as and that means you're going to be much better pre­ Diego. She recently passed the long as it would not deplete the usable flow. But after pared," he says. California bar and is using her Congress approved the compact, many farmers or organ­ Draper found out about St. John's when he was a Spanish skills to practice immigra­ izations of farmers put in wells to supplement the water student majoring in engineering at Princeton. Wltile tion law. Alex is still flying Navy heli­ they divert from the river, thereby depleting the amount working on his class yearbook, he interviewed professors copters and enjoying some time in of water available downstream. in the philosophy department who had spent their sum­ his homeport before gong to sea The state of Kansas introduced the suit against mers in Santa Fe at St. John's. After college, he studied again in the spring. They are active Colorado when one Colorado town, Trinidad, held what consumer law in Sweden under a grant from the in the San Diego chapter of the Kansas considered to be too much water in its reservoir. American Scandinavian Foundation. He returned to his Alumni Association. Kansas farmers argued that they were getting less water native New Mexico for law school at the University of than they had a right to according to the compact. An New Mexico, where he became interested in environ­ engineering firm from Denver analyzed whether the mental issues and water rights laws. He hadn't forgotten 1994 reservoir was a violation of the compact. Their findings about St. John's, though; about 15 years ago he started a Stacie Slotnick (A) e-mails that confirmed that although the reservoir may have deprived study group with some St. John's alumni to translate she is in the midst of the third year in the Kansas farmers of some water that was rightfully Homer. Finally, he enrolled in the Graduate Institute, the doctoral program in English and theirs, the real problem was the wells that had been finishing in 1997. American literature at Brandeis drilled along the river. Draper practices with the firm of Montgomery & University. "I received my Master's As a part of their presentation, Draper's team creat­ Andrews in Santa Fe. He has begun work on a new case 'enroute' this May, and am now get­ ed a computer model of a 150-mile stretch of the river, involving Kansas and Nebraska. In late January, the ting ready to start reading for my field from Pueblo to the state line, that simulated the interac­ Supreme Court agreed to take the case. Draper feels per­ exam, which is my last requirement tive processes affecting how much water was consumed. sonally involved with these Supreme Court cases and before I'm ABD. My field of special­ The model allowed them to show what would happen if thinks he has gained rare insight into the judicial ization is 20th century American the wells were "turned off." The simulation showed that process. "You feel like you're very close to the heart of poetry, so Boston/Cambridge is a the wells along the river depleted the usable water flow. the Constitutional system," he says. e she has been "learning much about method and Harvard's case study Robert Drake (AGI) the fine art of patience-I have been method. I will be graduated in 2000 reports: "I moved to Ireland in Karla Manzur (A) writes that teaching Latin and math to seventh, and am already looking for another 1998, after three years in she has been living and working in eighth, and ninth grade girls at graduate program. We hope all is well Philadelphia. I sold the liter­ Austin, Texas, for a year and has suc­ Harpeth Hall School, a private school for the friends who have scattered to ary agency I'd built up over the ceeded in breaking into the Austin in Nashville." Next summer will bring different areas of the world." past 12 years and began exclu­ music scene. She has a CD and has a change of venue as her husband, a Erin Hearn (A) moved to sively pursuing my own writ­ been playing out in the local scene lieutenant in the Army, and she move Anchorage, Alaska, with \Villiam C. ing career. The second install­ about twice a week, steadily gaining to some other part of the world. Furvy IV. They plan to return to ment in that (after a novel recognition as a solo singer/song­ Annapolis in September 2000 to be Penguin published in 1995) writer as well as with her band, "Karla married. was published in November & the F-Holes" (a string ensemble). 1996 Amy Huberman (SF) who is 1998 by Anchor/Doubleday, "I began my singer/songwriter career Cader Snead (A) and Leigh currently living in Chicago, working The Gay Canon: Great Books while at St. John's, where I gave up Fitzpatrick Snead (A98) happily for Encyclopaedia Brittanica (no, Every Gay Man Should Read, classical piano and began from scratch announce that they were married in they won't let her fix all the errors in a sort of' St. John's in the on the guitar. In myjunioryear I Morgantown, West Virginia, this Ptolemy), doing Korean martial arts, Castro' kind of thing. In 1998, decided I would pursue music as a past October. They are living in and learning Chinese, is planning to I was awarded the Lambda career. I play on a classical guitar and Washington where Leigh is a staff leave the country again in March, Literary Award for recognition take my musical influences form my assistant for Senator Robert Byrd, probably for Israel and China, and of my editorial work." South American and Middle Eastern and Carter is finishing his third year possibly for other corners of the heritage, as well as my St. John's edu­ oflaw school at Georgetown. They East. She is considering getting a ~f&­ would love to hear from any alums in graduate degree in East Asian stud­ T cation for lyrical content. But as for The Reporter regreifully 'genre' - I am difficult to classify, and I the area or elsewhere. ies sometime in the next few years. informs its readers that Robert would say that is a big disadvantage William Lane (AGI) was Amy Norman (A) married Bill Drake has suffered severe head starting out in today's music industry. recently named Interim Assistant Morgan on June 13, 1998. They live injuries as a result ofa I sometimes venture to call my style Provost at Gettysburg College in in Newport, Kentucky, just south of ] anuary 3 l beating in his 'ethnic pop/folk."' Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Cincinnati. apartment in Dublin. He has Micah Pharris (A), a third-year Michael Barth (AGI), after fin­ Jonathan Rowan (SF) is cur­ been in critical but stable con­ law student at the Dickinson School ishing up at St. John's, went to work rently in a Master's program in dition. Friends andfamily are of Law at Penn State, was one of with Benno Schmidt, the former pres­ Italian studies at Middlebury working to raise funds to fly three students on the school's ident of Yale, at his start-up for-profit College in Florence, Italy. him back to the United States National Appellate Moot Court education venture, The Edison for medical care. Anyone who Team. The team placed second in the Project, in Manhattan. He wrote the would like to offer assistance Mid-Atlantic regional competition. Project's Character and Ethics 1997 or support to Ml: Drake should Phil Overby (SGI) and Pierce Curriculum, and adopted Hillary Fields (SF) has com­ contact Dr. Scott Pretorius, Harman (SGI) share an apartment Touchstones to supplement the K-12 pleted her first novel and sold it to 314 South Iseminger Street, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where humanities program. He is currently a St. Martin's Press, who've offered Philadelphia, PA 19107. both are finishing degrees in politi­ PhD candidate in philosophy and edu­ her a two-book contract. "Many may cal theory. Often the two can be cation at Columbia University, where be disappointed to discover that I'm found in sleek coffee bars courting he's also the men's lacrosse coach. using my SJC education to become a great place to be. My e-mail is: Elizabeth Bryer (SGI), who also After graduation, John romance novelist, but I'm enjoying [email protected]. lives in the area. Williams (A) spent most of the fol­ things so far! I'm living in New York, Peter Bezanson (SF) reports Charles Weber (A) is a medic in lowing year living in Dublin, doing some occasional traveling, that he met the "love of his life," the Israeli Army. He hopes to go to Ireland, writing, working in a hotel, and working on my next book. I can Alison Brekken, at a country western Reform/Liberal Rabbinical School next and training with a champion Irish be reached at [email protected]." bar in Iowa City. He was working on year (HOOCH Jerusalem). Currently kickboxer. Upon his return to the On October 10, 1998 Shannon his PhD-writing his dissertation-in his address is Kibbutz LOTON D.N. States, he spent the next year pursu­ Wiltsey (SF) and Kelly Stirman philosophy. They were married on Cheval Eliot, 8885, Israel. ing a career in the film industry. "I (SF) were married in Santa Fe. They June 6, 1998 at a family wedding in Maggie Amold (A) married worked alternately as a camera assis­ currently reside in Austin, Texas. Lake Mills, Iowa. Peter is teaching Martin Roberts in March 1997. They tant and a set lighting technician for Judith Neely (A) has begun philosophy at Mesa Community are living in Anacortes, Washington, films with budgets between one and studies at the Irving B. Harris College. His e-mail is: bezanson where Maggie is doing some work for ten million dollars. I also did some Graduate School of Public Policy @mc.maricopa.edu. the Anacortes Museum and enjoying writing for an awful television show Studies at the University of Chicago. Nathan Humphrey (A) writes: I having Martin back home after a six­ called Space Orphans," he says. He She plans to return to the continue to preach "the gospel accord­ month deployment in Japan. has now taken a job as staff coun­ Baltimore/Annapolis/DC area when ing to St. John's" for the Admissions George Erving (SF) is currently selor at a residential rehabilitation she's finished, ready to help change Off!ce while I complete my ordination pursuing a Ph.D. in English litera­ facility specializing in dual-diagnosis the world for good. process in the Episcopal Diocese of ture at the University of Washington. (a diagnosed psychiatric condition Casey Pan:ickMcFaden (AGI) Maryland. If all goes well, I'll be From Page to Stage: How combined with a chemical depend­ was marred to Gwen Marie Vickery at ordained a deacon by June 2000 and a Theatre Designers Make Connections ence). The director of the facility is the E.W. Morland Mansion in Ponca priest sometime in 2001. In the mean­ Between Scripts and Images, by Dr. Paul Rosenberg (A61). City, Oklahoma in November. Gwen time, I've been teaching Introduction Rosemary Ingham (AGI) was pub­ Carol Brinjak (AGI) is the office is a doctoral candidate at Ball State to Philosophy at Anne Arundel lished in July by Heinemann. manager and assistant to the execu­ University in English literature. They Community College and tutoring sev­ Kie1·sten (SF) began tive director at the Pittsburgh Opera. arc living in Muncie, Indiana, but are eral high schoolers in Latin. I also her second year of a doctoral pro­ Michelle (AGI) just planing to move back east when they write the occasional music review for gram in film studies and rhetoric at began the PhD program in history at finish their degrees. the Baltimore Sun. This summer, I'll the University of California at the University of Michigan, Ann JOSlah"JoJIULlViailllllOil (SF) mar­ be a student chaplain at Johns Berkeley. She reports that H€:thanv Arbor. Six months down, 30 to go. ried Deanne Hyde and is working at Hopkins University Hospital in Serene Huffman was married to Her e-mail is: [email protected]. Raphael House of San Francisco, a fam­ Baltimore. While I'm still in Michael O'Connell in June in an Heidi Steiner (AGI) is living in ily homeless shelter, as their Children's Annapolis, I invite anybody who needs open air ceremony near Missoula, Chicago and attending law school at Evening Program Manager. They are a floor on which to crash to contact me Montana. She also sends word about Northwestern University School of Law. expecting a baby in August. (whether they know and like me or Kendra Mack, who began her sec­ an1dv 'Wootton (AGI) writes not). I may be reached by e-mail, N­ ond year of a doctoral program in that after finishing his tour teaching [email protected], and would par­ American studies at the University of English at the Naval Academy, he and ticularly like to hear from Johnnies of a Texas at Austin. his wife Kathy moved to Boston where Christy McElroy (A) is doing theological bent (whether they crash Laura Gianniny (A) graduated he matriculated into Harvard Business missionary work with an organization School. "There are many interesting called International Missions. She's on my floor or not). last May from Vanderbilt with an ~A in teaching Latin. Since then, she says, parallels between SJC's Socratic living in Loughborough, England. OLLEGE IS PREP FOR LIFE Why students not choose higher education for gain

the Pittsburn:h Post-Gazette auuateb are starv­ December 1998 unable to come to with the demands of the real you couldn't be more wrong. Consider a few random statistics.

"-'-HJlU.ues faster than unnormalized SAT scores. Parents who have exnectirnt that their young ~1auuau::

such degTees. But we also rank third in selves. one useful result of this pressure has been improvement in the the the of gradu­ of college placement services. But a more depressing result has been ates who earn Ph.D.s in math and com- tendency of colleges to prepare their students for that first iob" rather puter science. you say, you want Curtis• .,.,.,,... ,,.. .,. ... "' than for a long lifetime of useful and interesting work. youT child to become a doctm? Well, I'm and Co. in Pit-hh1111"oh \Ve might have a dim idea about what jobs are likely to be in demand in sorry to report that St. John's not only St. four years, but we have almost no inkling of the jobs that "\Vill be needed 10 or doesn't offer a pre-med program (far too 20 years from now. Students who are prepared only for a short-term employ­ vocational), we don't even offer some of the courses which are pTerequisites ment market may find themselves unpromotable and almost unemployable a at virtually every medical school in the world. So where does St. John's rank in few years down the road. And yet, as they attempt to sell themselves to par­ producing physicians? First in the country in 1993, the most recent year for ents, four-year colleges are starting to look more like two-year colleges, two­ which statistics are available. And this is hardly a fluke-St. John's has ranked year colleges are looking more like trade schools, and trade schools-well, among the premier educators of future physicians for more than 40 years. you get my point. Of course, St. John's isn't for everyone. That's not my point. My point is Let's examine this business of preparing students for the job market. that, paradoxicaHy, the more focused a colkge is on educating the complete Not long ago, I became chair of the board of a small co11cge which is perhaps man or woman-that is, the less focus there is on qualifying students for that the most extreme example in America of a school which appears (note the first job-the more successful the students will be occupationally. St. John's word "appears") to be unconcerned about the immediate job prospects of its students, it must be said, are exceptional from the start. They have a bent for students. St. John's College is America's third oldest college. We have cam­ intellectual inquiry. We believe the school encourages them to make the puses in Annapolis and Santa Fe, and are best known for our rigorous cur­ most of their curious minds. riculum focused on the "Great Books." Do we want our children to be stuck i~ dead-end jobs, always last on the At St. John's, students not only study Plato-an almost extinct experi­ list for promotion? Probably not. We want them to be prepared for anything ence in higher education-they study him from the original Greek texts. In life is likely to throw at them, because that's the kind of world thepvill have an era when colleges feel compelled to offer a smorgasbord of electives, to live in long after we're not around to help out. Johnnies take a fully prescribed course of study from freshman year through So my advice is this. If all you care about is that first job, send your child graduation. Humanities-oriented students can't duck calculus or physics, to welding school. But if you really care about him or her, you might aim a lit­ and quantitatively oriented students can't avoid reading T.S. Eliot or study­ tle higher. Obtaining the best and broadest education possible-liberal educa­ ing music composition. tion in the finest sense of the word-isn't a luxury or a waste of good tuition To call St. John's the world's most intellectually focused institution, an money. It's the most valuable educational gift we can give our children. •

Gt 1

M'.:ira'.:llr.,.t- Odell and Karen K ,.. • .,.a.,. ...

re you a recent graduate who services are available not only to cur­ The placement directors at both with current students or fellow hasn't yet found your niche, rent undergraduate and graduate campuses have gathered an exten­ alumni to share their employment either in the corporate world students but to alumni as well. sive collection of career-related pub­ experiences after leaving St. John's. or graduate school? Are you a more Our primary focus is to provide lications and graduate school Both Placement Offices have distant alumnus who is ~ students and alumni 'With career catalogues, which can be used by websites with information that is your and would like to talk counseling to help them search for I~ rd"~~ for direction Of available to alumni. The Annapolis over your career ideas with a coun­ jobs, internships, scholaTShips, or alumni who are seeking a new direc­ site, (w-vvw.sjca.edu/placement/ selor to get some suggestions about graduate school programs. The term tion. We help students prepare jobs/html) lists job openings that ways to reach your goals? If either "placement" is a bit misleading resumes and cover letters for their are appropriate for Johnnies-some of these descriptions sounds famil­ because it does not mean that our job searches. We also offer support for recent grads, some for more iar, the St. John's Placement Offices staff is here to "place" anyone in spe­ and assistance to people filling out experienced alumni. Other kinds in Annapolis and Santa Fe can cific situations afteT they leave St. applications or writing statements of information will be available help you. John's. We are not employment agen­ of purpose for various endeavors. online soon. The Santa Fe site The placement effort at both cies, even though we do help stu­ We maintain job boards to match (www.sjcsf.edu/placement/) also campuses has expanded during the dents and alumni find jobs. As ·with students with employers seeking lists jobs as well as internships and past 10 years. Alumni who graduated the rest of the St. John's program, both part- and full-time help. We general placement advice. before 1988 many only vaguely the Placement Offices seek to teach have interviewed more than 1000 Placement Director in Santa Fe remember placement as a presence skills-in this case career skills­ alumni in various occupations and is Margaret Odell-505-984-6067; at the college, but we are alive, well, rather than preparing anyone for a locations for our Alumni Network. fax 505-984-6003; e-mail: and growing. More importantly, our particular job or graduate school. These people are willing to speak [email protected]...... ----- ~

AN UNKNOWN FATE IN A DISTANT JUNGLE ... continuedfrom page 28

most sullen. After many kilometers we came upon a small village, and I saw a gendarmes were laughing at me and I despaired to think what they would do barricade in the road. I asked the man next to me if this was Sorobango, and with me. Confusion, indecision, and frightful apprehension gripped me and was relieved to see him shake his head. I could not think or move. Then something odd happened. Three pudgy gendarmes swaggered out from under the shade of a mango I felt anger well up inside of me and extinguish my forlorn stupor. I tree. They each carried vintage automatic weapons, which were draped non­ yelled and cursed at the gendarmes in English. Why could they not under­ chalantly about their faded uniforms. The largest of them peered into the truck stand that I was here to help their people? I needed to be on the stinking, bed and noticed me immediately. He ordered me to get out and show him my perilous truck so that it could papers. I felt exposed and vulnerable as I climbed out of the truck. The other carry me off to my unknown fate passengers stared at me in silence. I wondered if I should be concerned that I in the distant jungle. AB I demand­ was being singled out like this. I showed my temporary papers to the gen­ ed access to the vehicle that was darme. The soldier said the papers were no good and asked for my passport. I the centerpiece of my anxiety, I tried to explain that the Peace Corps office was processing my passport, and realized that this had all been a all I had were these temporary papers. He called the other two gendarmes over comedy, and I started to laugh. The tremendous pressure that had How arrogant to assume that I could live like a slowly built to a debilitating cul­ villager. Clearly, I was the one in need. mination suddenly disappeared. The children stopped yelling as if and spoke with them rapidly. I could not understand what they were saying. on cue, and the gendarmes looked Then the larger one turned back to me and demanded an obscene amount of at me for a moment and then shuf­ money. I told him, truthfully, that I had little in the way of cash. He then yelled fled back towards their shade. I something to the truck driver and my bags were thrown off the truck and into placed my bags into the back of the dirt. I experienced a dreadful feeling of loneliness as I saw my possessions the truck and climbed in after being thrown into the road in the middle of this strange village. them. The truck was pushed back The rest of the village had grown quiet as people stopped what they had into motion, and I allowed myself been doing to stare at me. Several children had gathered nearby to watch me, the freedom to continue my jour­ and as more children joined them they grew bolder and began pointing and ney in good faith. • yelling at me. The children's chants filled my head. It seemed that they could sense my rising panic and their yells became scathing taunts and jeers. I had As a Peace volunteer, Marshall never before experienced the pressure of so much unwanted attention. The had to readjust his cultural compass. continuedfrom page 8. • • • and more Letters

The Butte1fly, Past All Dishonor, and saw "President Richard Weigel." I are interested in results. nomenon of St. John's-as-party­ Three ofa Kind. could only take a deep, smokeless Although the life of my mind has school. The often excessive And now, about ghosts on cam­ breath and say, "Alas, poor Richard, certainly been enriched by my edu­ Bacchanalian eruption on weekends pus, from Hoopes' book (p. 7): "The I knew him well. His name ends with cation, my corporeal body would always seemed to me to be the Cains lived in the north end of the E and not with L." have perished long ago had I relied inevitable result of squelching or double house (Paca-Carroll), and, of only on my St. John's education. discarding human feeling through­ course, it was haunted. 'The colored -William Malloy, S77 My Club Fed alumni have helped out the week in order to compete in help, who knew its history, said it me, my SJC alumni have not. daily contests of intellectual muscle. was,' Cain recalled, 'and I am under Re "Up in Smoke" (summer (Are you with me, Euripides?) the impression some bloody episode issue): During the 1993-94 academic -fames Jacobs, SF'72 Nihilism and self-destructive had taken place in it sometime in the year I wrote an article for the Gadfly extremes of behavior ran rampant 1870s. My father would get very which documented precisely the per­ among those torn apart by too much angry at such tales, for one of the centage of the polity that were cur­ love Strife, raw for the balm of consis­ things he had convictions about was rently smokers. Believe it or not, tently suppressed and denied Love. I the frightening of children, which he Nathan Jongewaard and I spoke per­ at St. John's know that this was true of me, and of held was wrong and likely to produce sonally with every enrolled student, many I knew. unfortunate results later in life. He asking them if they smoked. If my I would like to thank Bill Pastille \\Thich brings me to the last of said that there were no such things memory serves me, the figure was for his beautiful, eloquent, and my painful but typical St. John's as ghosts, and with my head I sup­ 55% smokers. At the time, the above all brave commencement experiences of "strife": the experi­ pose I believed him. But my heart national average was about 25%. address (reprinted in the summer ence of sitting at a Coffee Shop, din­ was a different matter. The front Reporter). It was courageous of that ing hall, or seminar table across room in the cellar, where a pale gray -John C. Williams, A96 gentle, soft-spoken, and unassuming from some person whom I loved, lis­ light filtered in from under the front tutor-still considered a young tening to him/her/them argue and steps, certainly looked like a place upstart when I was a student-to dissect Love completely out of exis­ that a ghost would like. And my The Down utter what some would deem heresy. tence. This would leave me v\rith a room, which was on the third floor Ironically, I imagine he's since been hollow feeling where all the warmth and had dormer windows, I was While I am still quite happy to subject to the very dismissiveness and joy used to be. Love has been the always a little frightened to go up to, have a St. John's education, it has against which he warns us. I remem­ topic of much discussion since Plato, and left the door open when I had had some severe negative effects ber that disrnissiveness. but I must say that I never saw so gone to bed, so I could see the upon my life. I wonder if you will I loved my time at St. John's-but much "heartless, soulless intellectu­ friendly light and hear the reassu:r­ print anything about the down side. my experience there was, on the alism!!" ing talk from down below.'" I had 12 years of musical interest whole, one of near-constant anguish. The most important knowledge I and training by the time I graduated The divisive forces of "Strife" I could claim to have attained in my -JacobH deRaat, A58 in '72 so I pursued a career as a per­ encountered were great and exhaust­ four years was this: that if you forming pianist when I left Santa Fe. ing, and the force of "Love" was attempt to cut a living cell, you will As I expected, it was difficult to regarded with uneasy skepticism (or kill it-there are some things which Some Speculations break into the field when I returned at best mechanical detachment)­ resist division; that the human intel­ to California and I was forced to look when and if it ever entered the equa­ lect can be boundless in its hubris, About Stan and Smoking for "straight" jobs to make ends tion at all. That one of the college's fully expecting to know and to under­ meet. Looking back, it's amusing how own should suggest that knowledge stand a world of which it is only a "Requiem for a Carp" (summer many potential employers had never alone is not an unqualified good, and small (and far from omnipotent) issue) begs the question, "Was the heard of St. John's or a liberal educa­ that perhaps we should allow our­ part; and that to lose wonder, to fish named for Stan Nordstrum, hon­ tion. I can't remember how many selves to feel deeply toward life and insist that there are no mysteries, is orary alumnus (SF87), beloved chief times I was told that I was unqualified one another, is, I daresay, a fairly to put the knife to Love, and to life. of buildings and grounds and Senior for even entry level positions. radical development. Bless Mr. Pastille for "hazarding Resident (with spouse Sis) at Santa At one point, I was reduced to I say this as someone who had sentimentality," to speak words of Fe?" Stan (the man) would patiently shoplifting to feed myself and my been "at war" with the St. John's cul­ wisdom and compassion informed by listen to no telling what line some girlfriend. I was overcome by a moral ture, and simultaneously at war with life and by Love-not merely clever student would give him, then smile dilemma (cf. Aristotle vs. Nietzsche) myself. In that overwhelmingly tradi­ ones that could have been spoken by and give back a "No kidding?" in the middle of stealing a package tional, Cartesian environment, any precocious adolescent, any "Up in Smoke" (also in the sum­ of hamburger and was promptly where reason and emotion are aspiring student of Strife. mer issue) evoked a strong memory. arrested. This began a life-long asso­ sharply dichotomized-with the for­ When Santa Fe classrooms went ciation with the underside of socie­ mer elevated to a position of absolute -Carolyn Barndt, A90 smokeless, at first students could ty-smugglers, prostitutes, et al. To authority and the latter essentially step out into the hallway, leaving the this day, I have always found these discarded as irrelevant-I remember door open to follow the discussion. A people to have more compassion and feeling, as an empathetic type natu­ woman who had never in her life more heart than so-called educated rally inclined toward intuition and The Reporter welcomes taken a cigarette to her lips found it people. But I digress. deep feeling, quite literally cut in letters on issues of interest to half. Hence, my so-called "reason­ necessary to go out and stand next to I eventually broke into the readers. letters may be edited the smokers, so addicted had she music scene and enjoyed a 10-year ing" part functioned feebly at best, become to secondary smoke. career touring in bands such as the flailing about like some grotesque for clarity and/or length. Those Michael Ossorgin may well have Jerry Garcia Band, and even a stint maimed insect, even as it was work­ under 500 words have a better been the heaviest smoker on the fac- with Chuck Berry. After I tired of life ing as hard as it possibly could to chance of being printed in their in Santa Fe; but he never com­ on the road, I once again tried "stick to facts," to be analytical (and entirety. Please address letters to plained about having to abstain dur­ (unsuccessfully) to enter the profes­ not commit passion's contemptible either campus:Annapolis - The ing seminar. The loudest complaints sional world. "No experience, no leaps in logic), to be somehow purely Reporter, Public Relations Office, I can recall came from a fairly new training, no job." mental. (Here I must mention that long gone) tutor who affected I currently make my living in a modern neuroscience-most notably St. John's College, Box 2800, the pipe lifestyle. I remember Mr. blue-collar occupation. I'm an assis­ the work of Daniel Dennett-has Ann.,,r-.1"\il<" MD 21404 or e-mail Ossorgin, his eyes sparkling as he tant foreman at one of the larger called into question the accuracy of [email protected]. smiled, saying, "\Ve have a number composite shops in the Mid-Atlantic this classic and lent new vigor Santa Fe - The Reporter, eminences on this area, and once again my education to the of the much Public Relations St. John's and the grayest of them are under has hindered me. I have to watch my impugned David age 35." vocabulary as workers, customers, I would even go so far as to College, I 160 Camino Cruz reading the final (incom­ and product reps are put off by assert that the too generally Blanca, Santa NM 8750 I or plete) paragraph of the third column multi-syllable words-using "isn't" unchallenged dichotomy between e-mail [email protected]. on page 14, I cried out in Lear's in a roomful of "aint." No one in this "reason" (good) and "passion" (bad) voice, "Alack, why thus?" when I field is interested in dialectic-they may have contributed to the phe- ANUN A curwus an

'hen Reuben Marshall (A95) was accepted into low fever. A farmer who had been educated in the city was the Peace Corps during his senior year, he knew also asszgned to work with Marshall on health and clean I he'd be/acing some adjustments. .lust a few wata "We would walk around the village thinking up rl} months after graduation, assigned to the Ivory Coast in projects. My main task was to train him, to transfer ~ ~ west Africa, he had to adjust to intense heat (''My body knowledge. He was my bzggestproject, "says Marshall. •l""t "'Cl just wanted to shut down during the day, "he says), dif­ Although the people in the village were devoted to ~ •l""t ferent food, exotic germs and bacteria, speaking French Marshall, he.frequentlyfound himselfintensely lonely, liat (and eventually Koulango, the language ofthe village he frustrated and stressed out by the conditions oflife. "The ~ a_,__. was assigned to), and a new set ofcultural standards onlypeople to talk to are other volunteers. We would (like never using your left hand). journey to other villages to talk with each other and Marshall's first stop in Africa was a Peace Corps share our concerns," he says. Marshall's recent St. John's training center in Senegal, where, along with 50 otherpeo­ experience helped him mentally by giving him a context ple, most right out ofcollege like himself, he learned about for his thoughts. ''It's really important to take care of the basics ofAfrican culture and life. After three months, he yourself I enjoyed reading books-not in the way I had was sent to the village ofSorobango in the Ivory Coast. at St. John's, where I was focused on picking them apart, Most ofthe population ofthe nation live in villages, where butjust reading/or the sake ofloving the literature." the economy is based on subsistence farming. Now back in the States after two years in Africa, ''Jn most villages, conditions are very basic. There is Marshall is thinking about his next move. He'd like to be some schooling. Agriculture is the focus oflife. In the part ofthe aidprocess for Africa, because, he says, south, they grow pineapples, cocoa, and coffee. In the "Peace C01ps people really get an idea ofwhat Africans north, the root l'gnam, a yam, is raised, along with some need. I think there's a question about whether they do '"Ci (L) µ other vegetables. There are not manyjobs in the cities and need anything. The only Africans who think they are rJj (L) ifvillagers leave for the city, they end up becoming taxi poor are those who see material goods in the capital and ~ Q,) ::l (I) O"' ~ bf) (L) drivers or they hawk wares," says Marshall. He was realize they don't have money "Life in the villages is <:..) 'tj'I ...... 0 i::c: 'tj'I asszgned as a water and sanitation technician, charged good, he thinks, ifthere is enough food. One true need is ~ ~ ~ ,....., ~ 0 C"1 with overseeing a project to provide clean water sources for health care. 0 0 (I) rJj .µs ...e:: ~ <:..) µ 0 0 (L) for drinking and kitchen use. But since there already were Here is Marshall's own account ofhis early adjust­ ~ ~ H >-. .,...., ~ ;..; ..0 some pumps operative, and since health issues seemed to ments to west Africa. ~ rJ; 0 '"Ci Q) 0 ...... u be ofmore overriding importance, Marshall ended up ~ :a (I) i::c: 0 0 rJj 00

t was as hot as a sauna inside the as my body was soaking itself in my Peace Corps service. covered truck bed, and I reluctant­ sweat. I wondered for the first time if In contrast to my agitation, the I ly took my seat on a hard bench perhaps I was not cut out for this other passengers seemed to be great­ against the cab. This was the only type of adventure. I yearned for the ly enjoying my presence. Several of vehicle that traveled from the region­ comforts of Abidjan, the capital, them were laughing at me al capital to my post so I had little which I had only just left that morn­ unabashedly. They did not appear to choice in the matter. A mixture of ing. The three wooden benches in be the least bit ruffled by the heat, strong and unpleasant odors hung in the truck bed quickly filled with pas­ and I tried not to despise them for the air about me. I noticed with sengers, and several latecomers were this. I was beginning to feel very fool­ apprehension that the driver kept the forced to crouch in what little space ish. Not only had I come here to live windows and doors of the vehicle remained on the floor. I could not like a West African villager, but also closed. I understood the reason for believe how many people had been to help others in need. How arrogant this strange behavior only later on in packed into the truck. I concluded I had been to assume that I could live my service. from the passengers' complacency, like them. Clearly, I was the only per­ Most villagers owned a set of for­ however, that they were used to the son in need here. I found myself mal clothes, which they wore for crowded and sweltering conditions; doubting my potential for success as a weddings, funerals, and religious that nothing here was out of the Peace Corps volunteer. In an attempt Reuben Marshall and a friend in front of the village store. ceremonies. Trips to town were rela­ ordinary, save my own conspicuous to rekindle the adventurous and curi­ tively expensive, and were usually presence. ous spirit that had brought me this left town and headed down the dusty just made for these special occa­ As I sat motionless in the heat, a far, I tried to chat with some of the track that led to my site. The truck sions. I was often amused to see horde of flies descended upon me. passengers. Unfortunately, they did listed dangerously from side to side farmers ostentatiously climb aboard Theywere attracted, I supposed, to not understand my poor French, and as it bounced along the rutted track. the dirty, rust-covered pickup truck, my sweating skin. I could hear a num­ they laughed at my attempts to under­ I could hear and feel the chassis dressed in their fancy garments. In ber of animals screeching, braying, stand their local language. I became scraping through the dirt beneath an effort to protect their clothes and thrashing about under the bench­ even more despondent. me. Yet, even with the imminent from the ubiquitous road dust, the es. I looked down and saw that one of The truck's starting mechanism danger of our motion, I was so nerv­ truck was sealed as tightly as its old, them had urinated on my backpack. was broken or had been removed, ous about my arrival in Sorobango beaten frame would allow. This There were a few goats or, perhaps, and it was pushed into motion by a that I did not want the ride to end. I peculiarity would remain an annoy­ sheep, some chickens, and a couple small army of children. The weight had neither a mattress to sleep on ance for me throughout my service, oflarge, dead rodents. These hideous of the baggage on top of the roof nor a stove to cook with. I had no because it was always too hot not to creatures were the source of the flies, caused the truck to sway unsteadily. food or water for that matter, and have the windows down. It was, how­ and they did not improve the odor of I looked around, expecting to see not even the promise of a place to ever, made slightly less irritating the place either. Baggage that could signs of panic, but the expressions stay. I would be completely at the when I considered it from the vil­ not be tied to the roof of the vehicle on the faces I saw were as composed mercy of strangers. The villagers lager's perspective. On my first was being heaped on top of us, and as if they had been on statues. I would assuredly think I was crazy transport ride, though, I lacked any my cramped limbs were soon trapped assumed we would leave town but we when I arrived in this manner and understanding of the people I was to in place. In the fifteen minutes or so only drove around its quiet streets, announced my intention to live in live with. I thought, absurdly, that I that I had been aboard this vehicle my the stillness rudely broken by the their village for two years. I was con­ had stumbled upon a tribe that was enthusiasm for this enterprise had driver's gratuitous use of the horn. cerned that I did not know enough immune to the heat of the day. diminished considerably. In fact, I We stopped near the town market French to communicate with them, Because the back door was was more uncomfortable than I could and more people and animals were were they to understand any French closed against the breeze, the heat remember ever being before. I knew packed into the truck, and more bag­ at all. These anxieties compounded was stifling and unbearable. My that this was only one of many hard­ gage was piled on top. my discomfort and before long I was resolve was melting away as rapidly ships that lay ahead for me as I began The heat slowly dissipated as we continued on page 26