June 14, 2005 issue
I came to EMU 33 years ago. At that time, the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts had no major in broadcasting and film, and I was allowed to develop one.
Some 30 years later, hundreds of EMU graduates are working in a wide variety of electronic media outlets thanks, in part, to the program I helped to design.
One of our graduates is Steve Wild, owner of Grace & Wild Studios in Southfield. Last month, we had two student interns at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
EMU encourages me to do so many enriching things. Recently, I took a group of students to New York City where we visited Radio City Music Hall and several museums including the Museum of the Moving Image.
I'm very much impressed with the students at Eastern Michigan. They are very dedicated to getting an education. Many work full-time and still take a full load of classes.
Next summer, I'm organizing a trip to Italy for students to study Italian culture as it is portrayed in motion pictures. These trips allow me to get to know students better and to share my passion for travel with them.
Also, EMU allows me to pursue my interests and encourages me to participate in civic projects.
One of my hobbies is playing the theatre organ. In 1970, I restored the pipe organ at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor. In 1979, I helped to form the Michigan Theatre Foundation to save the organ from being lost and the theatre from demolition. I was president and am now a member of the Foundation's Executive Committee.
As a professor, I have the freedom and the flexibility to develop new classes, offer field trips, work on committees, do research and publish my work at professional conferences and in academic journals. I love teaching about motion pictures and broadcasting, and look forward to every day in the classroom.
