Letters from Dr. Gose1991

HEIDELBERG NEWSLETTER

Gose Writer, 24305 Baxter Drive, MaUbu, California 90265 (310) 456-4940 and (310) 456-4183

Dear Heidelbergers,

It's nearing Pearl Harbor Day and time for my yearly report. Looking back in my files it is hard to tell which letter was written which year. This letter is Christmas Season 1991. Just over four years until our Heidelberg reunion. Just today Kim Lambert and I met with Bill Phillips confirming our plans for the weekend of April 19-21, 1996, at the Moorehaus. lCm and I figured that we might as well request use of the house for a full week, April 17th to April 24th. That way some of us can arrive earlier in the week or stay later according to other travel plans. I've once again included the tentative schedule of events for that glorious, long anticipated weekend.

My other long range Heidelberg plans are not going quite as smoothly. You may remember my fervent ambition to return to Heidelberg and Year In Europe (now called International Programs) in 2012 with all your children. For that to happen you'd all need babies in the vicinity of 1993. Well, sports fans, in a few days it will be 1992 and there's not all that much indication that very many of you will be pg by March or April. So it gose. I guess I'll have to rework my retirement plans. (There is an outside chance, it would seem, that Michaelann and Curtis might have enough kids for me to go then, but I didn't mean for them to carry the entire burden, so it gose.) To date, and the best of my knowledge, Michaelann's Brock was first. Kowanda and Ron had a nine pound, measure it, nine pound baby boy, Derek, on June 2. And Michaelann should finish first and third with a second child due in March.

If babies haven't been forthcoming in abundance, wedding bills (sic) bells have been pealing or about to peal. Janille announces her engagement to John Dutton. They'll tie the nuptial knot March 28th. Each of your engagements and marriages is a comparable delight to me, but don't we all share a special amazement (and surprise and joy), without knowing completely why, that Shannon has come out from undercover and announced her engagement with an expected June wedding?

Zoila and David Busby were married in January. We were delighted to be there. I'll also mention that we left the dinner about a half an hour before Dane did, but about fifteen minutes later saw a car with the license plate: Dano, pass us on the left at something approaching warp speed. Dane assures me he is driving more prudently now, but I think you should add a stipulation in any new wedding invitations that he cannot exceed the speed limit coming or going. Or so it gose. I'm trying to get over my bitter disappointment that Cindy had her wedding at the same time as my first film class of the fall semester. I guess Arno is her new hero. And vice versa. Caroline and Jeff Dewey married in June in what Janice and Creedance accurately described as a high tech wedding. Great fun!

Connie sent me a card from Europe, but she and Rick are still with the La Mesa Church of Christ and at last year's address. Connie may go back to school. In Social Work. With both my letter of personal recommendation and blessing. Carlos continues to be a Hollywood mogul. Kim Austin is still teaching! And what would she be doing without our end of senior year retreat? Probably have won the lottery. But you can imagine my personal delight she is in the classroom.

Jonathan and Camille now live in Alameda. And Jonathan did study hard and do well in his first year of law school. I also understand Jon is no more obnoxious than ever, but that his introduction to the liberal world view of northern California has not been without its amusements. I asked Camille to pass on to Jon my own strategy for coping with the demands of higher education in the Bay Area, "make fun of everything." I can't keep up with all the names your generation calls "dating," "going around," "seeing one another," but Midori and Tim M. are apparently still "an item." (And Jennifer/Eric; Russ/Becky have established that such a condition is not incestuous.) Midori is some sort of major business executive in Santa Barbara; Tim has gone to acting school. I threatened Tim that I was going to tell USC that he forgot most of his lines doing the Heidelberg shuffle (I could have even sent the video tape), but I didn't. Kim Cabe is still with Campus Crusade but has moved to Orange County. Tanja was reported to have received the first A- in her career. She was more interested in talking about the new Star Trek movie to which she had already received a stolen copy of the film script. Scott Carlson continues to teach Special Education. Russ and Becky have both returned to Pepperdine to work on MBAs. Wisely Pepperdine wouldn't let them into the same class so that together they didn't ruin the class curve. Char is about to finish nursing school and seems delighted with that choice. Shayne actually stopped his car at a Stop sign where I had stopped my scooter. It was the first time in ten years I had seen a Law student stop at a stop sign. Shayne told me he had finished Law School here at Pepperdine; taken the bar; and was working for a firm in Malibu while awaiting his bar exam results. I'm sure he passed with flying colors. Kathy Bristow is completing a "terminal" master's program in Micmgan. I'm not sure whether she mentioned it was "terminal" because it was a) killing her; b) because I had, not unexpectedly, wanted her to go straight to the Ph.D.; or c) to assure me that she wasn't going to stay out of California more than a year.

Jeff Gillett's mom told me Jeff is about to finish law school. Just think, a kid who had no more sense than to leap onto the slippery, mossy rocks of the Rhine Falls, is now an adult who will be suing organizations that cannot keep their "clients" from acting like Jeff. So it gose. And where is Tom Goolsby? Still on Quail Ridge Road? Tom usually writes me after December 6th apologizing that he forgot the true significance of Pearl Harbor Day (write Gose for the Christmas letter). Brett was on his way to Australia for a business vacation. He was selling his own company for a minor fortune (maybe Brett instead of Russ and Becky will own a plane to take us to Heidelberg for the reunion? just stimulating a little competition among you all so that someone can help out with the reunion ...) and looking for a new adventure. But was he able to find copies of the video tapes, "Walkabout" and "Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith"? If I heard correctly Danielle and John have acquired a new house and Danielle continues to teach. Cristina continues to include a Day Care program in her career service. Kevin and Michelle are still in Santa Barbara but considering a major commitment to returning to Germany as missionaries. Mark, how's the Real Estate business? Carolyn Ford finished her Masters and is taking a break. I had the gall to tell her she should get a Ph.D. and the further gall to tell her that my ambition for her to do that was a recognition of her brilliance whether she really wanted to continue in school or not. (No one ever accused me of humility; so it gose.) I haven't heard from Audrey lately but believe she is still in Simi Valley. (Any Year in Europe prospective prospects?) Sarah continues to make the long commute from CT to NYNY. And when will she return to sunny California? I have really appreciated some long, thoughtful letters from Sweetness in Ecuador. I'd also like to encourage him (us to encourage him) to come back and teach in an ESL setting. I know that is a viable alternative because Patrick Manyak was able to secure a full time position in Pasadena teaching a Kindergarten class that speaks only Spanish and he was able to achieve this gainful employment without a teaching credential in hand. Has anyone seen Jeanne Kroy? Janet went to Germany and the Wall collapsed. Now she is back working at Pepperdine and President Davenport has begun a complete restructuring of our administration. I haven't heard from Kelley for awhile. Erin has left Graimbergweg 10 for the Monterey Institute. She is working there and will be working on a degree. I know I tell you all that you are the best; that a life of reflection is the happiest; that teaching is fun; but I was willing for Erin to sacrifice her academic career to stay in Heidelberg until our ten year reunion. So it gose. Kim Lambert has also announced her intention to leave her state side post with International Programs to pursue, among other plans, a teaching credential. I do think, however, that Erin and Kim have assured our plans for the ten year reunion. (And I still send Herbert Luft a Summer card and Christmas card each year, you may remember, the ones we signed at our last retreat at Serra? Does he think all our women retained their maiden names or that no one ever married?)

As hard as it is to imagine Shannon engaged, I still think of her asleep in the corridor in front of our classroom, it is somewhat harder to imagine that Scriv and Maz are both taking acting classes AND rooming together in Santa Monica. Scriv also continues to be seen regularly with one of my favorite on campus film students, the lead and star of The Lion in Winter. I think Paige is back in graduate school; I'm continuing to try the phone number I have for her. Steve Nicks is back at his parents' home, sort of, don't think you'll ever reach him by phone there. He is at Pepperdine's on campus MBA program. He expects to do the international version and work in France? Kristy got a reprieve this year and doesn't have Creedance in class (and Creedance misses that very much). Her school will be turned into a 6-12 school starting next year. Kristy made Sting's birthday party at the Wiltern Theatre, but it isn't Gordon that she's been spending so much time with lately. And Monica still rooms with her; and they haven't killed each other; and they had us over for dinner recently; and it was swell. Monica is the consummate teacher; loves it maybe even more than I do. I occasionally hear rumors that Jon Rankin is espied in Europe singing and/or tending bar. Much like the Docetics argued that Jesus only appeared to be on earth, there are some recent revisionist Heidelberg historians that are arguing Jon wasn't really with us in Germany. But then who did sing from Fiddler on the Roof in my Values class if it wasn't Jon? And Patrick, where does the wind go? And so it gose.

Kowanda and Ron are still with State Farm in Oregon. And was the baby really nine pounds? Don Sampson is taking longer to finish school than Kimberly. Kimberly is already at work as a nurse; Don should finish Med school this year although he will still have his internship to go. I want him to go into orthopedics so he can fix my hips. Janice was willing to do the same operation on me for free at Thanksgiving with the electric carving knife. There's a rumor that Dena and Jeff are pg and that they've opened an Art Studio in Oxnard. Maybe the year's best news was that Cara had gone something like three months without being in a car accident. Jan, how's NYU? No one has seen Stephanie on tv lately; I've heard she was in stocks, but what would Stephanie ever do wrong that would make an entire community put her in stocks (ooh, I'm only to the S's and I'm needing to erase whole lines of bad text…). Karin is still with Pepperdine but has moved to the Dean's Office. She is also a memorable example of why I need to wear my glasses all the time now. One Monday I saw Steve Nicks outside of Appleby Center; he mentioned he had just seen Karin working in the Dean's Office. I went in to celebrate her moving into our building; she was surprised by my reaction because I had waved at her in her office on the preceding Friday. I do see well enough to discriminate large physical motions like a wave; and I'm polite enough to wave back; I just don't usually know who it is unless they are within eight feet. So it gose.

Brad and Margaret are reportedly doing very well in Orange County and I heard that Bard (sic) Brad is enjoying the teaching so much he isn't coaching this year. Debbie and Tracy are doing well and now living in Oceanside. Debbie continues to teach sixth grade. Julie Trimble is in Law School at Pepperdine, currently at the London facility. She writes inquiring about our attitudes on being the resident faculty family for the London program, 92-93. I'm just going to be honest with my new group, they will feel like step children, but I will try to love them anyway. (I'd also like to make this something of a second generation group, try to think of them as grand children so they don't have to live up to your standards, so I may ask 39 of you to exchange a letter of advice with this new group of students.)

Diana (aka the Frig--and how many of you remember she was nicknamed after Walter Perry?) continues to work for Russ so Russ must be doing fabulously well. Kim and Scott Lambert continue to help me with my Winter Softball class. With very little modesty I describe it as the best class at Pepperdine. Each Wednesday from 10-12 (center of the week; center of the universe) we orchestrate a gala experience for 66, count 'em sixty-six, students playing softball. Can you imagine my delight? Since I don't have to lecture or lead a discussion I get 120 straight minutes to hassle 66 different students unmercifully and it works so well the course closes early each year with all the sado-masochists at Pepperdine.

David and Gayle are getting really, really, really serious about their work in China. They especially appreciate letters from State-side; just don't mention stuff that will get them in trouble with the Chinese censors; you know, stuff like the time David was arrested at the HOLLYWOOD sign... Eric and Jennifer are both working full time and going to school. Eric convinced ATT to send him to UCLA for his MBA. PDQ Eric. Jennifer is working on her Master's degree, clearing her credential, and counseling her brother and sister (twins) who are both taking my Great Books class (different sections). I am confident we all share my great desire to meet Kimberly, the woman who apparently of her own consent and free will married Todd. (And Todd told us he wasn't visiting us as often from his home in Kentucky because the nature of his job had changed, right.) Tim Young is still in my home state of Tennessee--lessened the average IQ in both States? Paul and Konni was both still with Pepperdine. Paul dresses so well now it's hard to believe he was the guy who wore a decca to the Halloween Party. And, last, but not least, Andy and Carrie Wall are back in California from their sojourn to Texas (added to the average IQ in both States?). Andy is the minister at the Costa Mesa Church of Christ; Carrie is working on a Master's degree in Pupil Personnel Services. I hope this will and testament of all the rumors I have heard is reasonably accurate, or sufficiently off that you take pen in hand and correct me immediately--keep them cards and letters coming. All is reasonably well at the Gose's Haunt. Creedance was chosen by her teachers as the outstanding eighth grade girl. She is thirteen now and will be mortified that I shared this item of news even though, as I tell her, it is a matter of public record having been in the local newspaper and on the local cable station. I have relinquished the reigns of leadership in the Social Science/Teacher Education division. I am only teaching this year, my truest professional love, and it feels like a vacation. I'm teaching two sections of Great Books this year (a program that has become very popular as judged my increasing enrollments) and an Education class. I'm a little nervous about next semester. It will be the first time I've taught School and Society since Heidelberg. With my characteristic immodesty I will mention that Herbert Luft told me in Heidelberg that it was the first course in Year IN Europe to receive a perfect student evaluation score of 5.0. I haven't wanted to teach the course again because it can never be as good since it won't have you. Ah, the challenge of Heidelberg, to live up to such unreasonably high standards, and yet being better for trying...

Janice, Creedance, and I give thanks for you in this season of Thanksgiving. May God bless you richly,

Back to Menu