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Show Forum The Point Is. . . Liz Peterson Forum Editor 'VJ Looking Forward To Growing Old lot about This summer I thought a aging. I had to; I completed an internship in the media department of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). While working with AARP, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of their volunteers. I met the first woman who earned her Ph.D. in Wyoming, a City woman who is into self healing and philosophy and the peace movement, and a woman who was the first female television broadcaster inNew Mexico.Each had marvelous stories. The woman from Wyoming told me that when she received her Ph.D. in psychology, her college dean reluctantly shook her hand, then said, Congratulations, but I still maintain that a woman loses all femininity when she receives ho doctorate. The same woman told me that even though I will always meet people who will give me advice, I should ignore it unless I dont want to. The TV reporter from New Mexico wasnt allowed to report on her regular morning show the day of Robert Kennedys assassination because her producer thought it would be more soothing if a male reporter did it. I have always liked older people and their stories. It seems that every older person has some fascinating story to tell. It was especially inspiring this summer to meet old people who have not expired to the that point of merely telling the stories is, they are involved enough in life to still be making stories. Im thinking that it must be rather satisfying to be old. Perhaps we, more than any other age group, should pay attention to the elderly. Here we are, on the brink of exactly whatever it is we are going to make of our lives. Older people have the 70-year-- Salt-Lak- e Elys Bank Although X would notapologize, she Forum Production Manager made an offering of peace in the form of a rose stolen from a neighboring garden It all started last May, some time and placed under the wiper of Ys car. before summer officially began. It wasnt The word came down later. The rose trip.butithardly cxactlyaroutine camping had been discarded. Peace talks were shut time. seemed out of the ordinary at the down. After a day of taking pictures, watching Im not sure if it was retaliation or the sunset and downing imported beers liberation. Maybe it was a combination of and Chois fuzzy navels, X" and Y both. The ritual was planned. were ready to share an evening of lightI flew out of Salt Lake in the middle was a ning over the Great Salt Lake. It of June. By the end of the month, X and a and closeness of (and bonding night her band of merry chicas (sans me) were little bit of kissing). As the sun rose, the ready. only evidence of the evening was left at The evening began with a the bottom of Xs sleeping bag: a gray ceremony at Janas house. Barley and Y. Toehill sock belonging to hops were consumed. Candles were gathIt was June when we had my going-awa- y ered. Matches were found. Then, the chantparty. We were all, for the most part, ing began. happy and buzzing. In the dead of the night, in the I didnt see the slap happen, and only Westminster parking lot, the chicas were sent had been later heard that Ys glasses chanting. The fluorescent glow of X was room. across the you upset, flying streetlights and the flames of borrowed see. She had just been called by the wrong bodies, candles illuminated their to so name that a name, happened belong their shirts discarded upon arrival. In the to Ys old girlfriend. center of the circle they danced around, What happened after that remains the gray sock lay upon the pavement in of a lost are The facts puddle vague. Heather recorded everything on beer and hard feelings. Not that facts Polaroid. Stephanie laughed so hard she really matter when both X and Y end up peed her pants. X lit a match. furious at each other. The sock was on fire a moment later. There were bad feelings all around. It When Wendy noticed the was a black day in chica history. (Chl-c(n): Westminster security heading in their di1. a climbing plant of South America. 2. a rection, all pyrotechnics were quickly girlfriend, a homegirl.) extinguished. With the sock still emitting of already knowing exactly was it whatever they have made of their lives. Whether or not they accomplished what they had hoped, at least they dont have to wonder about what is ahead. And they (some more than others) can shed enlightenment, at least interest, to our youthful perspective. We get on older people because we say they talk too much and always try to tell us what to do. Well why shouldnt they? As Dr. Hirst told me, we dont have to listen to them. Even though maybe we should. I know that the best advice Ive received hasntalwaysbecn from my peers. The Forum is published every Tuesday. Theeditorial staff encourages letters from students (include major), faculty and all other readers. Address all publications to Forum , Converse Hall Rckm 205, 1840 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84105. Submissionsmustbereceived one week before publication. Due to limited space, the Forum editors reserve the right to cditaH submissions. Opinions expressed on the editorial commentary pages are those of the writers and are not to be construed as those of the Forum Associ ' ated Students of Westminster College, the College administrationjaculty or staff. Mail subscriptions are $20 per year. September 21, 1993 The Summer Adventures Of Lost Footwear satisfaction a Summer pre-bu- m bra-cla- d a smoky ash, the chicas grabbed their shirts and ran from their holy ground, cast out like religious zealots. I cmly heard about this night of festivity. I was thousands of miles from them, on the very tip of the country. I heard everything, but not before I received a half-bursock in the mail. The sock was passed to me for completion of the ritual. It caused me great stress after I nt opened that envelope, but not because of the strange and overpowering odor that escaped it. I was left with no instructions on how to complete the ritual. It took me all summer to receive the revelation. Before returning home, I gave out eight purple envelopes, sealed, with instructions not to open them until the recipient returned home. The eight envelopes were packed and sent home, going to every corner of the country. In each purple envelope there was a small square of stinky gray sock, burned and falling apart. Manifest Destiny had become a reality. The ritual was complete, spread from coast to coast X and Y are recovering nicely. They about are ready to start talking again. Peace has been achieved in the Middle East There may be hope for X and Y. My friends still wonder what that was I put in their purple envelopes. English Professor Attends International Conference In Italy Over Summer Kimberly Pfaff Forum Staff Writer Georgiana Donavin, assistant English professor, attended a conference of the International Society for the History of Rhetoric this summer in Turin, Italy. The conference, which took place July 20 through 24, is held biannually and involves an elite group of about 250 scholars of historical rhetoric from around the people study the history of rhetoric, so it was positive to meet others from afar with the same interests, she said. Eating Italian food was not bad either The conference was also a good language study for Donavin. She learned Italian on the spot Enough to understand the sermon of St. Peter, she said. Donavin would love to attend the con- - ference again in the future. The level of scholarship at the conference was very high. I learned a lot and received many ideas for new projects. It was a very wig experigaging and ence," she said. After the conference Donavin and a friend from graduate school traveled around Italy for two weeks. thought-provokin- world. The conference really make? an international statement It has been held in different countries, it involves scholars of many nationalities, and the sessions are given in many languages, Donavin said. The scholars each specialize and focus their study on a particular time period. They pursue concentrated minute projects in their historical fields, according to Donavin. In addition to key note speakers, famous in the international study of rhetoric, scholars delivered their papers during the conference. Donavin gave a paper on medieval rhetoric, her area of specialization, entitled,From Persuasion to Identification in Medieval and Modem Rhetoric. According to Dwiavin, the discussion period after the delivery of her paper was the most significant part of her experience. My paper sparked a debate. The room erupted into argument I also received a lot of good criticism and suggestions and was encouraged to publish it, she said. Donavin also enjoyed meeting others who share her interests. Not too many r ff t 1 photo by Doris Itow Professor Donavin spent time in Italy this summer. While there, she attended a conference for the International Society for the History of Rhetoric. |