GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Borders Bookstore!

If you are one of the lucky people who gets this Newsletter the moment it appears, be sure to come along on the Borders Bookstore trip this Sunday, November 7th, hosted by Michelle Marcelais. Meet in the JCR at 1:00 p.m.

The Heavens Were Smiling

Cornelia Strong was smiling on us this past week at our wonderful Star Party and Three-College Observatory trip. The Star Party was a grand success, with beautiful views of Jupiter and Saturn, and for the first time the Orion nebula which is beginning to rise in the middle of the evening. The first experimental photos of the Orion nebula taken by Dr. O’Hara through our telescope are now on display in the College Office. They aren’t bad considering they were taken low to the horizon and almost through the trees. The observatory trip on Thursday, hosted by Strong College Fellow Steve Danford, was also a grand (if cold) success. The beautiful dark sky we have lost in the city was crystal clear, and globular clusters, nebulae, supernovae, and galaxies were all on view. Star Parties take place on the first Wednesday night of every month, and other observatory trips may be in our future, so stay tuned for further celestial news!

Flood Relief

The generous people of Strong College have contributed $332 to help our own Sakettia Tillery whose home and belongings were severely damaged by Hurricane Floyd. Many thanks to all who contributed, and we wish the best to Sakettia as she continues the difficult work of repairing the damage done by this terrible storm.

Another Focus Day is Coming!

Saturday, November 13th, will be another FOCUS on UNCG day, sponsored by the University Admissions Office. Strong College will be hosting tours as usual—watch for more details on Strong-L this coming week.

Ad Astra

Our own Susan Buck reports that Dax, the Official Strong College Canine, earned her first qualifying score towards her Companion Dog title on October 24th. She needs three qualifying scores under three different judges. The tasks are heeling on and off lead, making a figure eight on lead, recall, standing for examination off lead, a one minute sit-stay, and a three minute down-stay. Dax’s owner is very proud.

The rankings change moment to moment, but at one recent moment the leaders in the Strong College Stock Market Competition were Scott Thomason, C.J. Heidel, and Erik Nuss. These wheeler-dealers shouldn’t let success go to their heads, however, because their fortunes may be lost in the blink of a screen any day soon. Watch for updates!

Dr. O’Hara led a walk in Peabody Park this past week for the Peabody Park Rangers. Many thanks to Krista Karbowski for organizing this delightful series of monthly events.

Strong College’s friend in the Admissions Office, Ellen Redmond, came over this past week with the University photographer and took pictures of lovely Strong College students (a redundancy, is it not?) for possible use in future campus publications. A thousand thanks to all who participated!

Poem-of-the-Week

The Poem-of-the-Week appears regularly in this space. This week’s poem is, of course, James Elroy Flecker’s immortal “To a Poet a Thousand Years Hence”:

I who am dead a thousand years,
And wrote this sweet archaic song,
Send you my words for messengers
The way I shall not pass along.

I care not if you bridge the seas,
Or ride secure the cruel sky,
Or build consummate palaces
Of metal or of masonry.

But have you wine and music still,
And statues and a bright-eyed love,
And foolish thoughts of good and ill,
And prayers to them who sit above?

How shall we conquer? Like a wind
That falls at eve our fancies blow,
And old Maeonides the blind
Said it three thousand years ago.

O friend unseen, unborn, unknown,
Student of our sweet English tongue,
Read out my words at night, alone:
I was a poet, I was young.

Since I can never see your face,
And never shake you by the hand,
I send my soul though time and space
To greet you. You will understand.

STRONG COLLEGE CALENDAR

8 November (Monday), 9:00 p.m., Committee Room (230) — Monday Night at the Lemurodeon! (Free movies!)

9 November (Tuesday), 4:30 p.m., Junior Common Room — College Tea! The social event of the College week.

9 November (Tuesday), 5:45 p.m., Dinner at Spencers — After Tea, come join the crowd for dinner at Spencers!

9 November (Tuesday), 8:30 p.m., Junior Common Room — Card Games Galore! Everyone is welcome to come!

10 November (Wednesday), 8:00 p.m., Committee Room — Strong College Council meeting. Everyone is invited!

10 November (Wednesday), 9:00 p.m., Star Chamber (362) — Star Trek: Voyager! Join us in the Delta Quadrant.

11 November (Thursday), 9:00 p.m., Committee Room — Blue Lemur Coffee Bar! Come and get caffeinated!

12 November (Friday), 12:00 noon, Strong College section of the Caf — Fellows’ Lunch; students are welcome!

OFFICIAL DISCLAIMERS: Nothing here is official. Please don’t sue us. Naturally flavored with other natural flavors. Mind manipulation is totally my forté. No fungi, no future. I feel an interpretive lobster dance coming on. Crash outcomes may vary. There are people praying in my card parlor. I thrive on menial labor. This does represent the official policy of James Elroy Flecker. Who needs to work hard when you have extortion. Eeeew, she wrote “gurge.” When you live in the water it’s hard to keep your hair neat. It’s a good thing he has an exoskeleton. If this works out, you may be able to live in a glass ball on Mars. Promptly refrigerate unused portion. Color swirls are a natural occurrence. Don’t wake me up for the end of the world unless it has very good special effects. Stuffed with polyester fiber. If you experience eye watering, headaches, or dizziness, increase fresh air or wear respiratory protection. It’s hard being secret agents. Everything’s better with a halo. The better our fantasies are, the better our realities can become. Second star to the right, and straight on till morning. If we succeed there will be many songs sung in our honor. A decent boldness ever meets with friends. Think continually of those who were truly great. Risk—risk is our business; that’s what this starship is all about; that’s why we’re aboard her. Without struggle, there is no progress. Per aspera ad astra!