News and Notes

GSA President, Lynne Darden's Address on the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of GSA

Welcome to the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies 50th anniversary dinner hosted by the Graduate Student Association.

I was surprised to discover that several important events occurred in 1955 that greatly enhanced the life of graduate students. For example, the first home microwaves were manufactured in’55...., Bird’s Eye introduces potato patties - no longer is there a need to scrub or peel potatoes, simply open the wrapper and pop it in the oven..., instant oatmeal was invented by the Quaker Oats company….,. Ray Croc starts the hamburger chain, McDonald’s, aka mickey dees..... and thorazine was found to be useful in the treatment of mental patients, and as we all know, there is a fine line between mental patients and graduate students, especially at the comprehensive exam stage!! ………… yes, 1955 was, indeed, a good year for grad students!

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Our school is now middle-aged at 50, and although her hair is beginning to gray and her frame is in need of some repair, she still sits majestically in the center of the forest. In spite of the challenges, she continues to nurture bright and creative scholars. Despite difficulties, she remains committed to her task, urging us, as Stanley Hopper, the first Dean of the Graduate School said, “to risk a fresh commitment at the place where our troubles and our knowledge intersect”. We gather tonight to celebrate not only her birth, but to express our thanksgiving for her fortitude and to wish her well in her future life.

This gathering is an excellent thing, since we often fail to acknowledge her nurturing and commitment, focusing instead on her limitations. In doing so, we often fail to acknowledge the good things about ourselves for we are connected – and so, I’d like to take this moment to share with you what members of the GSA steering and executive committees expressed to the trustees at the Student Life Board meeting on Thursday, October 20,2005 regarding our experiences at Drew:

We were all in agreement that we appreciate the close relationships that are established between faculty and students. We recognize that this kind of mentorship is unique to us; that many graduate students at other schools do not experience this benefit. We appreciate that our faculty’s doors are always open and that they are willing to listen to our concerns and take our suggestions seriously, even when our suggestions counter their own. We are enthusiastic about the interdisciplinary focus of the school which allows us to produce innovative scholarship. We like the fact that, as the T.A., we are given the freedom to structure our own precepts. We find the opportunity to work on search committees and other University committees invaluable in providing us with hands-on administrative experience. We love the beauty of the Forest, in general, and the Graduate School, in particular. We are grateful that she creates the space where life-long relationships are formed with other students, where we care for each other like an extended family, sharing tips and advice with each other so that we all achieve our goals. And, most importantly, we recognize that the school has instilled in us many of her own qualities including the determination to succeed in spite of the challenges and difficulties we face.

So, let’s lift our glasses in the first toast of the night – Here’s to Caspersen, may she continue to sit majestically in the center of the forest. May her hair turn completely gray and her frame be treated with loving care.

-- Lynne S. Darden