As someone who knew Don Snyder slightly at Colby, I'm struck by the irony of
his saga of career meltdown and personal recovery. (See Colby, Summer
1997.)At Colby, while Don headed for his career as a university professor, some of
his contemporaries took a different tack. Highly
distrustful of leaders who devoted staggering resources to the conduct of a
dubious and horrific war, we chose to shun white collar work in general and
academia in particular. We spent years framing houses, laying pipe and toiling
in foundries while Don was dazzling his students. By the time Don's career
collapsed, though, some of us had mellowed to the point of adding managerial or
academic tasks to our work.A quarter century after Colby, we no longer seem oceans apart. Don is a
writer and house painter who has discovered dignity in physical work, and I for
one have developed a greater respect for white collar workers and academics
than I have had since high school. I still enjoy the physical aspects of my
job, but I'm entirely stumped when I try to recall why I once felt white collar
work was demeaning, and physical work ennobling. Perhaps reading Don's book
would help me remember.
Jon Weems '70
Morgantown, W.V.
Still Attached
I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for making such a wonderful
magazine. Since I am so far away from Maine, it is always so nice to read about
what is going on at Colby and what Colby graduates and faculty are doing.
I am currently working in Japan, my home country. After spending seven years
in the U.S., I decided to take a sales position here in Tokyo. Although the
offer was extremely attractive, I was nervous about the move. I was scared to
death to be detached from friends I made at Colby College. I thought that
people would eventually forget about me because I would be so far away from
everyone.
This is why receiving Colby magazine in Tokyo meant so much to me. It
was proof that Colby does not detach anyone regardless of distance. Reading the
magazine in a packed train in Tokyo, I remembered how much I enjoyed being at
Colby--it was the best part of my life so far.
Thank you very much for printing many stories that give me smiles and
inspirations. I am proud to be a part of Colby's history.
Nozomi Kishimoto '96
Tokyo, Japan
How I Remember It
I was delighted, as I always am, to receive the summer issue of Colby
magazine. As always, I turned immediately to the classnotes to see what my
colleagues are up to. Upon doing so I was surprised and amused to find that my
recent engagement was the subject of the pull quote in the middle of the page.
While I am flattered that the editors found the news noteworthy, I'd like to
clarify the statement that I was "engaged high atop Rockefeller Plaza, had
champagne and baked Alaska, and [don't] remember anything."
Despite what the message seems to imply, I did not indulge in too many bottles
of bubbly that evening. In fact, I remember it perfectly. A more accurate
(albeit less interesting) description might have read, "she was so blissfully
surprised by the proposal and so stunned by its seamless execution that the
details of the evening passed in a dreamlike blur."
I love Colby, keep up the good work!
Sarah Nagle '93
via e-mail