PreAmble
The Class of 2007 departed 乐播传媒 on May 27, leaving behind in campus houses and halls lots of stuff 鈥� mostly furniture and clothes 鈥� that was later sold at the annual Clean Sweep sale, benefiting local nonprofits.
A month earlier, a somewhat older 乐播传媒 graduate, former 乐播传媒 Magazine editor Ruth Rowe Wilson 鈥�36, departed her longtime home on College Street, and accompanying her departure was a dispersal of possessions too. But hers was executed on a more personal scale.
She gave the Dunn Guest House a set of 乐播传媒 College china by Wedgwood. The Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library received her graduation cap and gown, a handwritten copy of her senior thesis on Ocean Park, and materials that once belonged to her father, legendary dean Harry Rowe 鈥�12, who founded this publication.
Professor of Religion Marcus Bruce 鈥�77 received a gift of Yale china (Ruth鈥檚 late husband, Val 鈥�38, and Bruce both earned Yale doctorates). The theater department鈥檚 costume shop received vintage clothing, including Ruth鈥檚 prom dress from Lewiston High School.
Then, at a Chase Hall Lounge luncheon just a few days before Ruth鈥檚 move to Fairfield, Calif., near family, we said goodbyes and best wishes.
Many international students attended the lunch, reflecting one of Ruth鈥檚 myriad connections to 乐播传媒 life. Each September, she had a picnic at her Ocean Park cottage for international students, who would be driven to the coast by longtime dean James Reese, the master of ceremonies for the informal Chase luncheon. 鈥淚t was easy for me to tell them that they would love it,鈥� Reese told the gathering. 鈥淏ecause they always did.鈥�
鈥淎nd I loved it too,鈥� rejoined Wilson from her seat.
The international students signed a guest book, which Sorina Cri艧an 鈥�07 of Arad, Romania, gave to Ruth. 鈥淢y first month at 乐播传媒, you welcomed me to Ocean Park, where I signed your guest book,鈥� Cri艧an said. 鈥淎t the end of my 乐播传媒 education, it is a privilege for me to be able to say goodbye in the same way.鈥�
In her remarks, Wilson shared editing pet peeves, telling how she zinged a local TV news anchor for reporting that a man 鈥渓ay on the railroad tracks.鈥� Ruth wrote a letter: 鈥淲ho put him there?!鈥� Ruth also admitted to her share of magazine goofs, such as reporting the name of an alum鈥檚 鈥渘ew addition鈥� in the magazine鈥檚 births section, only to learn the addition was a canine, not human. 鈥淚 had a file called 鈥楥row,鈥� and I ate a lot of it,鈥� she said.
She took jabs at wordy writing. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need to say, 鈥楾he fact of the matter is.鈥� Just say, 鈥楾he fact is, 鈥� such as, 鈥楾he fact is, this is a lovely party.鈥欌��
In her gifting, Ruth also gave something to the current magazine staff: the knowledge that whether she鈥檚 on College Street or in California, this 93-year-old alumna鈥檚 attitude, spirit, and perspective make her our target reader.