James Madison University - Index

James Madison University - Madison - The Magazine of James Madison University - Spring 08 - Index

adison
spring 2008 * VoL.31 * no.2
B o a r d o F V i s i T o r s 2 0 0 7 - 2 0 0 8
Joseph DamiCo (’76, ’77M), Rector
mereDith strohm Gunter, Vice Rector
mark t. Bowles (’86)
J. sCott BriDGeforth (’86)
ronalD C. Devine (’78)
lois J. forBes (’64)
Charles h. foster Jr.
Jim hartman (’70)
stephen r. leeolou (’78)
e. ray murphy
wharton B. rivers Jr. (’02p)
larry m. roGers (’79, ’81M)
JuDith s. striCkler (’60)
freD D. thompson Jr.
linDa ZeCher
staCy fuller (’08), Student Member
Donna harper (’77, ’81M, ’86 ed.s.), Secretary
presidenT
linwooD h. rose
diVision Heads
DouGlas t. Brown
Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs
Joanne Carr
Senior Vice President, University Advancement
Charles kinG
Senior Vice President, Administration and Finance
mark warner (’79, ’81M, ’85ed.s.)
Senior Vice President, Student Affairs and
University Planning
ViCe proVosTs For aCadeMiC aFFairs
a. Jerry Benson
teresa a. GonZaleZ
John B. noftsinGer Jr. (’85)
deans
ralph alBeriCo
Libraries/Educational Technology
sharon lovell (interim)
Integrated Science and Technology
DaviD f. Brakke
Science and Mathematics
linDa halpern
University Studies
DaviD k. Jeffrey (interim)
Arts and Letters
marilou Johnson (’80) (interim)
Visual and Performing Arts
reiD linn
Graduate School
roBert D. reiD
Business
phillip m. wishon
Education
aLUMni assoCiaTion oFFiCers
Jon offley (’89), President
a-J fisCher (’92), President-Elect
parenTs CoUnCiL oFFiCers
DeBBie D. (’77) anD Barry BarnarD (’04, ’08p)
Madison is an official publication of James Madison
University and is produced quarterly for alumni, parents of
JMU students, faculty and staff members, and friends of
the university. It is produced by the Division of University
Advancement. Editorial and advertising offices: JMU,
MSC 3610, Harrisonburg, VA 22807.
JMU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, religion, gender, age, veteran status,
political affiliation, sexual orientation or disability
(in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities
Act) with respect to employment or admissions, or in
connection with its programs or activities.
4 Madison Magazine
22807
Remember the Madison bus?
RUSTiC PURPLE
AnD gOLD
imagine my surprise when i found this
rusting ghost while my husband and i
were looking for a Civil War cave. This
old Madison College bus is resting beside
Thorn Creek road near Franklin, W.Va.
i remember a botany class trip with dr.
amos showalter to botanical gardens in
Washington, d.C., and chugging up the
mountain to an observatory near Charlottesville
with dr. Wells’ class. as the engine
sputtered, the driver said, “i hope the 1928
will make it.” does anyone remember this
purple and gold Madison relic, or know
how it ended up in West Virginia?
Alda Simmons Berlin (’50)
Lynchburg, Va.
DATing ‘ThiSTLEBURT’
They called him “Thistleburt” after a character
in a grammar book written by one
of the Madison english professors, but i
didn’t care, i loved him. i started Madison
College in the summer of 1964, and georgina
Milliken was my roommate. i was on
academic probation my first summer, and
if it had not been for dr. Mary Campbell
Brill who gave me a “B” in english, i would
never have made it to the september session.
But i made it back and so did Thistleburt.
i lived across the street from the
Quad in Lincoln House — down the street
from doc’s soda shop. once after a trip to
doc’s for a burger, Thistleburt (whose real
name is Walter Unruh) and i returned to
the front porch swing at Lincoln House.
We talked and laughed in all innocence as
we sat in the big old swing. Then, “boom”
the front door of Lincoln House suddenly
swung open. “one of the girls is locked in
the attic!” a housemate
bellowed. Thistleburt
leaped into action, entered
Lincoln House, ascended
the stairs and unfortunately
for me, entered
my bedroom where the
‘I hope the
1928 will
make it,’ the
college bus
driver said of
the sputtering
engine.
attic door and hollering Madison girls were
located. after taking the door off the hinges
and freeing the girl, he was standing with
the door in his hands — and who walked
in — our housemother and the dean of
women. They seemed to understand since
it was all innocent enough. But i did receive
a “weekend strict campus” notice for swinging
on the front porch with someone of the
opposite sex — an action i did not know
was “unacceptable.” While swinging on the
front porch that day Walter asked me to
marry him. i said “no,” but he later asked
me again in the gifford Hall dating parlor. i
said “yes.” We have been married for almost
40 years. We have two sons and a wonderful
life together. Thank you, Madison, for
helping make this possible.
Carol Smith Unruh (’68) and
Walter Hugo Unruh (’66)
Hopedale, Mass.
RATEMYPROFESSOR.COM
DivERSiOn
i feel compelled to comment on the By the
numbers page of the Winter 2008 issue
of Madison. i think it is a mistake to feature
rateMyprofessor.com as an effective
method for evaluating faculty or their teaching
ability. The vast majority of my students
freely admit to “shopping around” the site
for easy professors who give good grades for
very little effort. it is a site that promotes
personal attacks, rather than serious evalua-
photograph by alda simmons berlin (’50)