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Show To Here Is Menlove But Stay And Come Go, Students May by Jennifer Thompson Forum staff writer Barbara Mcnlove, the easy-goinfriendly woman behind the Westminster Abbey snack bar, has been dishing up breakfasts with smiles here for 23 years. Mcnlove arrives on campus at 4:45 a.m. and spends two hours preparing breakfast students, then she works for residence-hal- l at the snack bar until 1 p.m. Barbara docs very well communicatwell-like- d by the ing with customers and is faculty. Shes an important part of the snack bar, said Troy Larson, Westminster Abbey manager. Tod Harrison, junior in English, agrees. She is always considerate and makes my . experience at the snack bar pleasant with her kind outlook and conversation, said Harrison. I just want the kids to be happy and have fun. They keep me young, said Menlove. Im a good listening post for students who tell me their problems. Mcnlove doesnt mind helping picky, rushed students. Mary Lang, senior in communications, said, Shes like Burger King. Hold the g, pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders dont upset us. But the food is better. Generally, students here dont complain. When they do, I just tell them its the first mistake Ive ever made or the complaint department is closed, said Menlove. She makes sandwiches for me like my mom would. She never gets rushed or in upset, said Heather Bush, sophomore psychology. Mcnlove cares about the students as much as they appreciate her. It breaks my heart to see some students graduate, she said. She regularly receives letters and visits from students who have graduated. Menlove came to work in October 1968 when the manager of the snack bar called and asked her if she could help out for a few days. Menlove said she was waiting to take her civil service exam when the manager asked if she would take the job permanently. The first two exams offered were for swing shift jobs, so she didnt take them. By the time I was offered the final exam, I had decided to stay at Westminster, said Menlove. It seems to be my niche. The students are fun. . Professor Barry Quinn Is A 30-Y- ear semester Quinn enjoys the slower-pace- d system as well. The quarter system doesnt give the stud?ntfimq$ do anything butrun, from test to test. Semesters allow more time to absorb the material and maybe even enjoy it. The years between 1962 and 1991 have seen radical social and cultural change, yet according to Quinn, Westminster has always been a bastion of quiet. Our students have always been more serious, more ca- reer and While the student protests of the 60s the college, and 70s may have goal-oriente- d. by-pass- by Mari Herold Forum staff writer It was the Fall of 1962. JFK was in the White House, Westminster College was welcoming 450 students to the new school year and Professor Barry Quinn was getting ready to teach his first biology class in the old Science Hall. I used to drive by Westminster in the years that I attended theUniversity of Utah. It looked so nice and pretty and quiet that I knew I always wanted to teach here, said Quinn. In the spring of his graduation year he got his wish. I was on Spring Break from the University of Colorado, where I was getting my Ph.D. I stopped in, they interviewed me on the spot, and a contract came in the mail a month later. After nearly 30 years, Quinn is still happy with the choice he made. Im a product of large universities, but I much prefer life on a small campus, he said. Page 2Forum ed Quinn has seen some dramatic changes over the years. Sports and music no longer play an important part in the schools curriculum. Many new buildings have been added, including Malouf Hall where his office now is. The percentage of dorm students has dropped dramatically over the years, and weekly chapel is no longer required for the students or the faculty (a tradition that Quinn was not sorry to see go). With these changes has come growth, but also a certain loss of closeness and loyalty the students feel towards the college. We have become a bit of a commuter school, said Quinn. The school used to be comprised of almost all traditional-age college students; now the average age is 29. There have been positive changes as of well, according to Quinn. Two-third- s the students enrolled in biology courses these days are female. Im happy to see that women are finally taking their rightful place in the sciences. Recent donations to the school have allowed the science department to upgrade their facilities. Both the biology lab and its adjoining greenhouse were completely revamped over the summer break. - She was a single parent then with five hours young children and enjoyed working when they were in school. She now has 15 Grandmas house is algrandchildren. ways open to them, said Menlove. Students themselves havent changed too much over the years, according to Menlove. She said they are more health conscious now and eat food lower in fat: We used to bake a lot of pies and sweets, but now students tend to go for fruit and salad more, said Menlove. The tip jar at the snack bar originated as a Wendover fund about 13 years ago. It caught on with students and faculty, so its still there, and customers are pretty generous, said Menlove. Shes seen many campus activities and fads come and go over the years. She contests, remembers sock hops, best-le- g streakers, gold fish swallowers and one student who played the Mickey Mouse Club song on the jukebox over and over. There was a group of students who played poker in the Abbey every Thursday for three years. I think the chairs in the Abbey now are thesameones that were here when I started, said Menlove. She said she misses the faculty .who used to come in every morning and sit down for coffee. She said the worst part of her job is having to wear a hair net. Menlove, who has no plans of retiring, said, Ill probably be the only snack bar lady in a wheelchair." Devotee With No Regrets Quinn is confident that over the years, Westminster has not just added instructors, but quality instructors. Quinn is proud Uiat the quality of education has stayed constant. Grade inflation is a problem in many academic disciplines, but not the sciences, said Quinn. I set strict standards. An A from me now means the same as it did 20 years ago. Unlike many other professors, Quinn will never grade on a curve. That lets the students set the standards for the class, and classes can vary so much in quality from year to year, he said. Graduate schools seem to acknowledge the worth of a Westminster bachelor of science degree as well. Many of Quinns students choose to pursue a masters or Ph.D, and most are accepted to the graduate school of their choice. For the future of Westminster, Quinn would like to see the school retain its small class size. I have 40 students in general biology this year. Thats the largest class size Ive ever had, but at a university, a class that small is unheard of. Small schools can also have their drawbacks. Cadavers are hard to come by, said Quinn. Right now we have to do with what Ive collected an arm, a reproductive system, a human kidney. I used to be able to go up to the university and just say Id sure like a piece of that cadaver, but theyre getting stricter on things like that now. Barring the cadaver shortage, times are We pretty good for the college now. finally have a quality of administration that matches the quality of the faculty, he said. Quinn speaks from experience. He survived the devastating cutbacks of the 1980s when the college was almost closed for good due to lack of enrollment and poor management. That was the only time in his teaching career he ever seriously thought of leaving But now Ill probably be Westminster. here until the year 2000 or until I die. We 11 see. In the latter case, maybe hell donate his body to the science department 4 iiiBnEB a FORUM Forum Editor, Bill Kilpack; Copy Editor, Peterson; Production Manager, Kirsten Heaton; Photo Editor, Heather Bush; Business Manager, Shelley Parsons Staff Writers: Nancy Bennett, Heather Liz Bradley, Calvin Harrington, Mari Herold, Matt "Thurm" Kellogg, Ly nette Rundell, Carrie Stults, Fred Thaller, Christopher Thomas, Jennifer Thompson, Benjamin Williams Photo Staff: Heather Bush, Mari Herold, Amanda Johnsen, Matt Thurm" Kellogg, Liz Peterson Cartoonists: Kirk Jensen and Kenneth J. Strait Faculty Advisor: Dr. Fred Fogo The Forum is published every Tuesday. The address of the Forum is 1 840 South 1 300 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84105. The Forum editorial staff encourage letters from students (include major), faculty and all other readers. Submissions must be sent to Converse Hall, room 205, no later than 3 p.m., the week prior to publication. Due to limited space availability, Forum editors reserve the right to edit all copy submitted. Opinions expressed on the editorial or commentary pages are those of the writers and are not to be construed as those o the Forum, Associated Students of Westminster College, the college administration, faculty or staff. Mail subscriptions are $20 per year. |