Welcome Home Foresters! You're Gonna Make This Place Your Home!

Twenty-three years ago this weekend, my mom rented a van and drove me and my carefully selected and packed stuff to Lake Forest College to begin a four-year journey that would change my life. Like probably every other first-year college student, I was excited to be on my own and terrified, all in the same breath. I think I'd been away from home without my parents or other family twice, each time for less than seven days.

What I discovered from the moment I stepped into Deerpath Hall, which was then an all-freshman dorm and looked nothing like it looks now, was that LFC was like no other place I'd ever been. Yes, it was a small liberal arts school situated in a very affluent suburb 30 miles north of Chicago. Yes, it had a football team, a swim team, a tennis team, a basketball team, and a national-championship winning handball team. It also had an art department and theatre department. LFC had majors in everything I could imagine and extra-curricular activities in things I'd never even heard of. And yes, most of those things existed at almost all other schools around the world.

But there was something else. Something I couldn't ever quite put my finger on or verbalize during any of those four years and I've only come to appreciate in the 19 years since graduation.

Faculty, staff, and students genuinely cared for and about each other and it showed in every decision that was made and every action that was taken. Faculty members held office hours in dorms in order to make themselves more easily accessible. Administrators took students under their wings to mentor them from day one. The Admissions department didn't just recruit us to campus, they stayed with us throughout our college careers and checked-in with us.

Twenty-three years later, Spike Gummere, then the head of the Admissions Department, knows what I'm up to. I had more conversations with Ron Miller, the late Dean of Students, than I can count during my college career. After graduating, I enjoyed social dinners with him where he still challenged me to reach beyond myself and he even came to a Christmas party at my house one year. Jill Van Newenhizen, my calculus professor, not only worked with me when I struggled in Calculus, but her door was also open to me when I moved to Multi-Variable Calculus with Dr. Troyer the next year. Jill and I are still close and have dinner periodically. Nancy Brekke, Bob Glassman, and Arlene Eskilson left indelible marks on my life and fought for me when I secured an amazing internship in Washington, D.C. after graduation only to almost lose it because the agency failed to understand that I would have already graduated when I started the internship. Ultimately, thanks to their persistence, I got to keep the internship. Then President Eugene Hotchkiss knew me by name. He still does and so does now President Stephen Schutt.

When my mom tried to kill herself the summer I stayed on campus for summer school, faculty and staff came out of the woodwork to help me. They moved my final exam in my business ethics course so I could be where I was truly needed, with my family. They sent me notes. They opened their doors and arms to me. Students living in my dorm, some of whom I barely knew, helped me make the best of a very difficult summer by including me in everything.

I fell in love at Lake Forest. I dreamt bigger than I ever imagined possible. I went places I never thought I'd go. I made friends who remain my inner circle all these years later. I don't have to be anyone but me with them and they love me anyway. I explored my core beliefs and most fundamental values to answer the question, "why do I believe what I do?" In some cases, I discovered I didn't believe what I thought I did. I found my voice and believe me, it's never been silenced.

Those four years were filled with the highest highs and sometimes the lowest lows. And I wouldn't have it any other way because, no matter what, one thing remained constant.

That constant was the thing I couldn't put quite put my finger on back then, but I can now. Lake Forest College isn't just a college. It's a family. What separates Lake Forest College from all the other schools friends of my went to is the sense that LFC is home. The phrase "You're a Forester Forever" isn't just a cute catch-phrase. It's a way of life.

As I sit here tonight writing this post, I think about the new students who will be moving into Deerpath and the other residence halls on Friday. I imagine the journeys they will take. If I could give them a few words of wisdom it would be to open their hearts and minds to all that LFC has to offer. Find mentors in the staff, faculty, and the alumni. Experience everything. Be fearless. You're a Forester now. And you're gonna make this place your home.

The Beloit Mindset List or What Makes Me Feel Old Today

A few days ago, my college friend Worth published the Beloit Mindset List on his Facebook wall just like he does each year. And each year, right on cue, it makes me feel just a little bit older.

In case you're not familiar with it, the Beloit Mindset List was created in 1998 to point out the "cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college" each fall.

Now while I don't normally post things produced by institutions other than Lake Forest College because, from my entirely unbiased opinion, the highest quality thought comes from LFC, I do enjoy this list and believe you will too. Of course, you'll also cry when you realize that if you graduated from college in 1993, the Class of 2015 was born just as you were accepting your diploma. Also #2 made me scream just a little. And don't get me started about #56, which should have been #23, by the way. (If a Chicagoan had made the list, #56 would have been #23, out of respect. I'm just saying.) Oh, and get the hell off my lawn!

The Mindset List for the Class of 2015

Andre the Giant, River Phoenix, Frank Zappa, Arthur Ashe and the Commodore 64 have always been dead.

Their classmates could include Taylor Momsen, Angus Jones, Howard Stern's daughter Ashley, and the Dilley Sextuplets.

1. There has always been an Internet ramp onto the information highway.
2. Ferris Bueller and Sloane Peterson could be their parents.
3. States and Velcro parents have always been requiring that they wear their bike helmets.
4. The only significant labor disputes in their lifetimes have been in major league sports.
5. There have nearly always been at least two women on the Supreme Court, and women have always commanded U.S. Navy ships.
6. They “swipe” cards, not merchandise.
7. As they’ve grown up on websites and cell phones, adult experts have constantly fretted about their alleged deficits of empathy and concentration.
8. Their school’s “blackboards” have always been getting smarter.
9. “Don’t touch that dial!”….what dial?
10. American tax forms have always been available in Spanish.
11. More Americans have always traveled to Latin America than to Europe.
12. Amazon has never been just a river in South America.
13. Refer to LBJ, and they might assume you're talking about LeBron James.
14. All their lives, Whitney Houston has always been declaring “I Will Always Love You.”
15. O.J. Simpson has always been looking for the killers of Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
16. Women have never been too old to have children.
17. Japan has always been importing rice.
18. Jim Carrey has always been bigger than a pet detective.
19. We have never asked, and they have never had to tell.
20. Life has always been like a box of chocolates.
21. They’ve always gone to school with Mohammed and Jesus.
22. John Wayne Bobbitt has always slept with one eye open.
23. The Communist Party has never been the official political party in Russia.
24. “Yadda, yadda, yadda” has always come in handy to make long stories short.
25. Video games have always had ratings.
26. Chicken soup has always been soul food.
27. The Rocky Horror Picture Show has always been available on TV.
28. Jimmy Carter has always been a smiling elderly man who shows up on TV to promote fair elections and disaster relief.
29. Arnold Palmer has always been a drink.
30. Dial-up is soooooooooo last century!
31. Women have always been kissing women on television.
32. Their older siblings have told them about the days when Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera were Mouseketeers.
33. Faux Christmas trees have always outsold real ones.
34. They’ve always been able to dismiss boring old ideas with “been there, done that, gotten the T-shirt.”
35. The bloody conflict between the government and a religious cult has always made Waco sound a little whacko.
36. Unlike their older siblings, they spent bedtime on their backs until they learned to roll over.
37. Music has always been available via free downloads.
38. Grown-ups have always been arguing about health care policy.
39. Moderate amounts of red wine and baby aspirin have always been thought good for the heart.
40. Sears has never sold anything out of a Big Book that could also serve as a doorstop.
41. The United States has always been shedding fur.
42. Electric cars have always been humming in relative silence on the road.
43. No longer known for just gambling and quickie divorces, Nevada has always been one of the fastest growing states in the Union.
44. They’re the first generation to grow up hearing about the dangerous overuse of antibiotics.
45. They pressured their parents to take them to Taco Bell or Burger King to get free pogs.
46. Russian courts have always had juries.
47. No state has ever failed to observe Martin Luther King Day.
48. While they’ve been playing outside, their parents have always worried about nasty new bugs borne by birds and mosquitoes.
49. Public schools have always made space available for advertising.
50. Some of them have been inspired to actually cook by watching the Food Channel.
51. Fidel Castro’s daughter and granddaughter have always lived in the United States.
52. Their parents have always been able to create a will and other legal documents online.
53. Charter schools have always been an alternative.
54. They’ve grown up with George Stephanopoulos as the Dick Clark of political analysts.
55. New Kids have always been known as NKOTB.
56. They’ve always wanted to be like Shaq or Kobe: Michael Who?
57. They’ve often broken up with their significant others via texting, Facebook, or MySpace.
58. Their parents sort of remember Woolworths as this store that used to be downtown.
59. Kim Jong-il has always been bluffing, but the West has always had to take him seriously.
60. Frasier, Sam, Woody and Rebecca have never Cheerfully frequented a bar in Boston during primetime.
61. Major League Baseball has never had fewer than three divisions and never lacked a wild card entry in the playoffs.
62. Nurses have always been in short supply.
63. They won’t go near a retailer that lacks a website.
64. Altar girls have never been a big deal.
65. When they were 3, their parents may have battled other parents in toy stores to buy them a Tickle Me Elmo while they lasted.
66. It seems the United States has always been looking for an acceptable means of capital execution.
67. Folks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have always been able to energize with Pepsi Cola.
68. Andy Warhol is a museum in Pittsburgh.
69. They’ve grown up hearing about suspiciously vanishing frogs.
70. They’ve always had the privilege of talking with a chatterbot.
71. Refugees and prisoners have always been housed by the U.S. government at Guantanamo.
72. Women have always been Venusians; men, Martians.
73. McDonalds coffee has always been just a little too hot to handle.
74. “PC” has come to mean Personal Computer, not Political Correctness.
75. The New York Times and the Boston Globe have never been rival newspapers.

Lake Forest College Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2010

Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2010 is now just a memory. Frankly, after many months of planning and working with all the wonderful reunion committees, it's a little hard to believe it's over. There's a part of me that thinks last weekend flew by and wishes it could have been just one more day, but the sane part of me knows I may not have lived through a third day. I had more fun at Homecoming than I can remember having in ages and only got about 4 hours of sleep each Friday and Saturday night. I'm not saying I'm too old to get 8 hours of sleep in 48 hours, but I'm just saying.

The weekend was full of so many incredible memories. Friendships rekindled as though there had been no separation in time. New friendships made. The opportunity to thank professors who changed my life. The chance to set the record straight on how I ended up at LFC. Although the final numbers aren't in, I can share that across the board, the weekend was record breaking. And by filling the weekend with perfect fall days full of sunshine, warm temperatures, and rustling leaves, Mother Nature reminded everyone why we called it The Enchanted Forest. A perfect weekend.

I can't begin to give you all the details of the weekend. Partly because I don't remember them all, but also because I think that what happens in the Enchanted Forest, really ought to stay in the Enchanted Forest.

But thanks to Twitter, I can give you the weekend in 140 characters or less from many of the major players. We all tagged our tweets "#lfhc2010," which stood for "Lake Forest Homecoming 2010." Anyone on Twitter could have followed the fun live by doing a search for that hashtag. I've included the pictures I took, but to see the rest, click on the hyperlinks.

Tuesday & Wednesday, October 5th & 6th
TimState: Follow @LFcollege and use hash tag #LFhc2010 for Homecoming and Reunion updates. We are only days away. Oct. 5th
TimState: The forecast for Saturday now has a daytime high of 74 degrees. Perfect Homecoming weather. #LFhc2010 Oct. 6th
LFCollege: For Homecoming weekend tweets, use the hashtag #LFhc2010 and tag your Flickr photos, too! Oct. 6th
TimState: Students must remove their vehicles from the South Campus parking lot by 7 a.m. Friday to make way for Homecoming. #LFhc2010 Oct. 6th
CarolynGolz: Homecoming window painting! #LFhc2010 http://yfrog.com/jtl9owj Oct. 6th
TimState: Homecoming Pass production has begun. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/SB20. Oct. 6th
Jessica_Gardner: Forester Friends: There's still time to register for Homecoming! http://alumni.lakeforest.edu/homecoming Weather will be perfect! #LFhc2010 Oct. 6th
TimState: Nothing says welcome quite like a banner. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/EuWw. Oct. 6th
CarolynGolz: RT @timstate: Nothing says welcome quite like a banner.#LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/EuWw -> Great picture! Oct. 6th
RileyHutchinson: The best week of the year at @LFCollege is here and I could not be more excited! Join us at 8:30pm for fireworks on South Campus! #LFhc2010 Oct. 6th
CarolynGolz: RT @rileyhutchinson: The bst wk of year at @LFCollege is here & I couldnt B more excited! Join us @ 8:30p 4 firewrks on S. Campus! #LFhc2010 Oct. 6th
Jessica_Gardner: I just realized that my dance card is so full this weekend I may not sleep. Sleep is overrated, but you can't have too much fun! #LFhc2010 Oct. 6th
TimState: Working on the script for Marsha Anderson '68 for Saturday's nearly-sold-out reunion dinner and dance. #LFhc2010 Oct. 6th
TimState: Just got off the phone with an alum asking for fashion advice. #LFhc2010 Oct. 6th
TimState: Forecast high for Friday and Saturday is now 77 degrees. We are ready with bottled water. #LFhc2010 Oct. 6th
TimState: Just sent an e-peptalk to our Alumni Board Homecoming Volunteers. Homecoming would not happen without our volunteers. Seriously. #LFhc2010 Oct. 6th

Thursday, October 7th
TimState: Homecoming forecast keeps getting better. Friday's high is now 78 and Saturday's is 80! #LFhc2010
TheCaf: The fireworks last night were great, well done to Pat Dogett. Preparing for the tailgate on Saturday! #lfhc2010
Jessica_Gardner: Just bought a pair of Dr. Scholl's Fast Flats. I hope they really do save my feet on Sat nite when I decide to kick off my heels. #lfhc2010
Jessica_Gardner: I love that our 2010 Reunions Committees are so committed to LFC & that their classmates are so generous! http://bit.ly/btq7ey #lfhc2010
TimState: Many Class Reunions have created giving efforts. #LFhc2010 http://www.lakeforest.edu/live/news/434-reunion-giving-efforts-underway
TimState: Alumni are already arriving on campus and looking around. Haven't felt this kind of buzz since the Sesquicentennial. #LFhc2010
LFCollege: Yay! @timstate Alumni are already arriving on campus & looking around. Haven't felt this kind of buzz since the Sesquicentennial. #LFhc2010
GracieSchlaf: Soo excited for this weekend #LFhc2010 followed by Chicago Marathon... we'll just see how this goes!
TimState: Getting things in place for Boomer's Bash. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/n2S
Jessica_Gardner: So excited to see many Forester friends this weekend and meet the awesome Reunion Volunteers in person! #LFhc2010
JaredMFox: On my way to Chicago for Lake Forest Homecoming. So excited. #LFhc2010
TheCaf: Saw @lizlibby today she embraced the homecoming excitement #lfhc2010
Louise_Barclay: super bummed about missing #lfhc2010! Wish I could be there with everyone to celebrate. @thecaf, make sure you have a beverage for me!
CarolynGolz: @rileyhutchinson It looked like the auto show was off 2 a good start when I left campus tonight! Great job on #lfhc2010 so far! Bonfire tmw!
CarolynGolz: @JaredMFox Thanks for following! Will I see you on campus this weekend at #lfhc2010?!
CarolynGolz: RT @TheCaf: . The fireworks last night were great, well done to Pat Dogett. Preparing for tailgate on Sat! #lfhc2010 - Yay! New tradition?!
JaredMFox: Bumped into Olivia Olson '10 in the airport. Now I know there are three alums in New Orleans. Let the festivities begin. #lfhc2010
JaredMFox: Correction! Virginia Olson '10! #LFhc2010
RileyHutchinson: @carolyngolz Thank you! The auto show went wonderfully tonight! Loving #lfhc2010 so much. See you this weekend :)

Friday, October 8th
TimState: Homecoming fun for alumni and parents starts at 9:30 with the Bob Amaden Golf Classic in Lake Bluff. Perfect day for golf! #LFhc2010
TerynJRobinson: Happy Homecoming, Lake Forest College! #lfhc2010
Jessica_Gardner: It's HERE! Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2010 is HERE! Can't wait to see all my Forester friends! #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: Special #lfhc2010 #FF: @timstate @LFCResLife @LFCollege @rileyhutchinson @Jessica_Gardner @TheCaf @thehalldirector @msernatinger @kkblee
CarolynGolz: More #lfhc2010 #FF: @terynjay @JaredMFox @mariob847 @wpittinos
Jessica_Gardner: Special #lfhc2010 #FF: @timstate @carolyngolz @LFCollege @rileyhutchinson @ForesterScores @JaredMFox
Jessica_Gardner: En route to Lake Forest. Hope I remembered everything I need. If not they've got Marshall Field's in Market Square. Oh crap. No they don't.
JaredMFox: En route to Lake Forest. So excited. I, somehow, missed this ride to and from my 4 year home. #LFhc2010
RileyHutchinson: IT'S HERE. #lfhc2010
JaredMFox: @lfcollege is it #lfhc2010 or lfchc2010. I have seen two conflicting hash tags.
TimState: Dean Speros:"Mother Nature heard all of your prayers.Perfect weather, without reaching the much-too-hot 87 degrees for HC in '07." #lfhc2010
TimState: Lake Forest Twitterers... the hash tag for HC 2010 is #LFhc2010, short for "Lake Forest Homecoming 2010."
TimState: Don't miss the Taste of Chicago Lunch in Hart Dinning Hall beginning at 10:45 a.m. #LFhc2010
TimState: Fascinating topics this afternoon at the Forester Symposium! Check out the schedule. http://bit.ly/auZ13P #LFhc2010
LFCollege: @JaredMFox it's #lfhc2010 Thanks for following along!
TheHallDirector: I'm excited about the tasty Taste of Chicago lunch today on campus as well as some exciting symposium presentations! #lfhc2010
TimState: Daniel hangs the Welcome banner. #lfhc2010 http://bestc.am/ExaV
LFCResLife: Hey residential Foresters! Do you know about all the fun Homecoming events this weekend? Check the schedule: http://bit.ly/bxcsbH #lfhc2010
TimState: Boomer's Bubbles are ready for the kids tomorrow. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/PoWK
TheHallDirector: @LFCollege yummm yummm. Boomer goes Raaawwwrrr nom nom nom! #lfhc2010
CarolynGolz: RT @LFCResLife: Hey Foresters! Do you know about the fun Homecoming events this wknd? Check the schedule: http://bit.ly/bxcsbH #lfhc2010
CarolynGolz: Heading out to grab lunch and a seat at Soup and Stories. #LFhc2010
TimState: Overheard at the Taste of Chicago lunch: "This is the best lunch so far!" #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: LFC alum & member of BoT, Tamara Smith tells her story at Soup & Stories. #LFhc2010 http://yfrog.com/e6lckhj
Jessica_Gardner: RT @CarolynGolz LFC alum & member of BoT, Tamara Smith tells her story at Soup & Stories. #LFhc2010 http://yfrog.com/e6lckhj
CarolynGolz: "When one door closes, another one usu opens. Are you prepared for life's challenges?" T Smith. #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: "We all make choices, the question is what's your attitude abt that choice? Are u motivated 2 make it work?" T Smith #LFhc2010
Jessica_Gardner: "Life is about relationships." Tamara Smith, Soup and Stories. #lfhc2010
CarolynGolz: Life is about creating opportunities for the future. Focus on continually learning. T Smith. Soup & Stories #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: Lessons abt creating opportunity: step outside your comfort zone, build relationships, work your network. T Smith #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: When job searching: research, first impressions, hard work are all important. T Smith. #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: T Smith left Corp America to become CEO of YWCA to leave this Earth in a better place, and live her purpose & values. #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: Happiness comes in little moments. Take the time to appreciate those moments. T Smith #LFhc2010
TimState: Homecoming Scene: relaxing under a tree. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/Fkofi
CarolynGolz: doesn't matter whether u winORlose, it's how you play the game. Even when u lose, you learn something. -quick pregame talk to WBB. #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: The glass ceiling is there the barriers are there. Attitude can make a HUGE difference. Learned to play golf 2 B included. T Smith #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: Mentors & relationships can help navigate challenges. -TS #LFhc2010
LFCollege: @carolyngolz Sounds like the Soup & Stories with Tamera Smith '80 has got everyone bursting with words of wisdom to share! #lfhc2010
WPittinos: Biodiversity and agriculture symposium presentation: who knew this course has no assigned classroom? Liberal arts at its best. #lfhc2010
CarolynGolz: @LFCollege Soup & Stories was a great session! The room was packed. #LFhc2010
TimState: The campus looks gorgeous today. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/LNT
TimState: Installing the ice sculpture for tonight's Boomer's Bash. Students are invited, too! #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/eph9M
TheHallDirector: Great presentation on the last decade of development at LFC by Art Miller #lfhc2010
CarolynGolz: @Daniel3904 Hopefully you'll find time to step away from hmwk and enjoy some HC celebrations. #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: RT @timstate: Installing ice sculpture for tonight's Boomer's Bash. Students are invited, too! #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/eph9M -> C u there!
AlexReplied: @LFCollege will alumni be turned away from tailgating tomorrow if they haven't registered? #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: 2 alums debate 2 students: "Sarah Palin is good for feminism". #LFhc2010 http://yfrog.com/eb1jqj
WPittinos: @ProfSwyers making people laugh and cry during her presentation about Wrigley bleachers and community - remembering Ken and Les. #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: The women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are good for feminism. Sarah Palin is NOT good for feminism. -alum debater #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: Sarah Palin acknow. that her view of fem doesn't fit in the small box that most fem put themselves in. -Student debater in favor #LFhc2010
WPittinos: @profswyers says it's an unwritten rule in the bleachers that talk about work is forbidden. #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: Boomers Bash set up - amazing how nice the gym looks! Round bar for all campus Happy Hour. #LFhc2010 http://tl.gd/6d233p
WPittinos: "The bleachers are like your dog park." @ProfSwyers #LFhc2010
TimState: Alumni tailgate spots are full and any vehicle without a tailgate pass will be redirected; alumni are welcome to walk in. #LFhc2010
TimState: The cinnamon bear waits his fate as the Forestini is prepared. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/fV4NG
TimState: Cheryl and Laura are ready to greet donors #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/E8FgT
TimState: In case there was any question at all, Class of 1968 is on campus. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/xYa8
esLakeForest: Glenn and Liz gave a presentation about the garden at the homecoming symposium today. Thanks to all who attended! #LFhc2010
TimState: Overheard at Boomer's Bash: "This is stunning!" #LFhc2010
TimState: Carolyn and Colin wrist-banding students for Boomer's Bash. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/v3Z
Mariob847: Happy hour! Starting #lfhc2010 off right http://yfrog.com/mz79002774j
TheCaf: Wild lunch at the caf today...homecoming spirit is in the air!!! #lfhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2vsnw1
Louise_Barclay: Love it. Take one "driving a car" RT @owine: My goal for #lfhc2010 is to post risqué pictures that gets @LFCollege to block me. Can I do it?
TimState: For a brief moment, the champagne was missing. #LFhc2010
TheHallDirector: I love how nice everything looks! I'd like this for my office! #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/n8w2yqj
TimState: About to transition to the Recreation & Sports Center Donor Dinner. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/BJbrg
JaredMFox: Saw so many amazing people today. Thanks to Public Safety Officer Cohen for the ride to the train. #LFhc2010
JaredMFox: They put my picture in the new sports center! #LFhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2vtd0t
CarolynGolz: Setting up for Ellis & Katie Todd to perform at the bonfire. #LFhc2010 http://yfrog.com/5n1mgcj
CarolynGolz: Ellis doing sound check. #LFhc2010 cc: @rileyhutchinson http://yfrog.com/3dbt6yj
CarolynGolz: Katie Todd doing sound check. Her dad is an alum of @LFCollege! #LFhc2010 cc: @rileyhutchinson http://yfrog.com/jwr6ujj
Mariob847: Touring alumni reunions with the senior 25. Just hit 1960, now we're at 1968-70. #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/jpmlaej
Jessica_Gardner: On to party #2 of 6 for the nite.
WPittinos: Class of 1990 reminiscing about living in pre-remodeled Deerpath Hall - awesome stories. #lfhc2010
CarolynGolz: @wpittinos What? No pic? ;) #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: @AlexReplied It sounds like you just need ID to get into tailgating. You can also register on site tomorrow. #LFhc2010
CarolynGolz: LFFD lighting the bonfire! #LFhc2010 http://yfrog.com/6976855013j
CarolynGolz: Burn baby burn! #LFhc2010 http://yfrog.com/2rnopgj
WPittinos: Spike's catching up with friends at the 1985 reunion in Durand Art Institute. #lfhc2010 http://plixi.com/p/49478317
Mariob847: #LFhc2010 I spy President Schutt at the Class of 1980 reunion! http://yfrog.com/j1bdakj
TheHallDirector: Homecoming bonfire! #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/n0bucxj
TheHallDirector: We totally just talked to @ellismusic about how the weather was like the chocolate crunchy on ice cream! Yum! #lfhc2010
TheHallDirector: .@ellismusic performing at LFC! #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/41xwqbj
TerynJ: Tim finally takes a seat after a long day at work. #lfhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2vuxfe
Jessica_Gardner: Best part of 1990 reunion? Tuna salad croissants from Aramark! If you were here in 1990, you recall the Tuna Croissant Incident. #lfhc2010
TimState: The Donor Dinner was a smash hit! #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/K8Jxj
TimState: Boomer's Fruit spread. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/SPX
TimState: The students threw an awesome bonfire. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/jVKdh
Mariob847: #LFhc2010 this poor parking lot... Good luck tomorrow mr. Lot http://yfrog.com/n36ozcj
TimState: 1968 rocks on into the night. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/KsuS
Jessica_Gardner: Ending the night at The Full Moon. Is there a better way? http://twitpic.com/2vwasgJessica_Gardner: At The Full Moon with Christopher. So many memories: late nite study sessions, @timstate's graduation party and more! #lfhc2010

Saturday, October 9th
TimState: @Jessica_Gardner You should have told me you were headed to the Full Moon!
TimState: @AlexReplied @LFCollege Alumni can walk into tailgating today. Those without a Tailgate Pass can not enter with vehicles. #LFhc2010
TimState: Sunrise from Glen Rowan House. Perfect day for Homecoming. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/IA9Mp
Jessica_Gardner: Funniest Friday moment: Alum I saw at Boomer's Bash says to me, "I heard your hubby & baby are here! I want to meet them." Me too. Me too.
TheCaf: Already received 6 text message saying "merry Christmas" #lfhc2010
RileyHutchinson: It's a great day to be a Forester. Happy happy Homecoming! #lfhc2010
Louise_Barclay: Wish I was going to be at #lfhc2010 today. Hope you all have lots of fun :) #misscollege
TimState: Setting out the spread for the Breakfast of Champions. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/V4CQ
Jessica_Gardner: I thought about doing the stairs at the beach. #lfhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2w0rig
TimState: Getting the chips ready for the Forester Fare picnic lunch. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/VWf
TimState: The kitchen is preparing for tonight's Reunion Dinner and Dance. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/Ebe
TimState: Making the magic happen. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/asKN
TimState: Ta-Da! Tonight's Centerpieces... #LFhc2010http://bestc.am/F9jzI
TimState: Caitlyn Golz, the marshal of parade line-up. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/Zroxz
What's a trip to LFC without a trip to the beach???? #lfhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2w0s8g
TimState: Students are getting ready for the Parade. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/wWu2
TimState: Grease is the WORD! #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/Fvskf
TimState: Parade makeup. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/gLQ
TimState: It's going to be close to 80 for today's Homecoming festivities. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/gjt5w
esLakeForest: Walking through the town square--yes!-- you can find homecoming spirit there. #LFhc2010 http://yfrog.com/f3qzfaj
WPittinos: Football team just paraded through Middle Campus with bagpipes. #LFhc2010 http://twitvid.com/KULUB
Mariob847: #LFhc2010 parade marshal and just-retired hockey coach Tony Fritz chats it up with a few of his boys b4 the parade http://yfrog.com/i3knuoj
Mariob847: #LFhc2010 Alpha Phi is almost too into their 101 Dalmations theme http://yfrog.com/bfayjoj
Mariob847: #LFhc2010 look! The mail room float! http://yfrog.com/6e46621783j
Jessica_Gardner: Look who's sporting some sexy red Chuck Taylor's! @timstate! #lfhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2w1vsa
LFCollege: Homecoming parade is well on its way during this beautiful morning. #lfhc2010
TheHallDirector: Folks getting ready for the Homecoming parade in Middle Campus #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/6h8wfj
Mariob847: #LFhc2010 el desfile! http://yfrog.com/53v0mj
TimState: You try to organize a parade route and who knows which way it's going to go. #LFhc2010 #lostparadeagain http://bestc.am/jHEPG
TheHallDirector: The parade emerges onto Middle Campus! #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/6qs43hj
TimState: Incredibles Parade! #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/rnc2
Fiolopez10: pup-phis :D :D :D #lfhc2010
LFCollege: Picnic Lunch begins in Middle Campus at the student center. #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/5nzqovj
TheHallDirector: Family carnival on Middle Campus #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/n7l63vj
TimState: Reunion dinner and Dance is sold out. #lfhc2010
JaredMFox: Vegetarians beware. The homecoming potato salad has bacon snuck in. :-( #lfhc2010
CarolynGolz: Who knew kid wrangling at the Family Carnival would be so difficult?! ;) #LFhc2010
Jessica_Gardner: Ladies of Class of 1980 reminiscing over Save the Date pics! #lfhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2w2tfc
JaredMFox: Tragic. #lfhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2w2vm1
TimState: And we're out of Jim Forester's fried chicken. #LFhc2010
TimState: The cheddar cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped hot dogs went in a flash! #LFhc2010
Jessica_Gardner: 2005 knows how to tailgate! #lfhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2w33cn
TheHallDirector: The petting zoo is up! #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/jqjycsj
LFCollege: Couldn't have asked for a better day for Forester Football! #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/nd952tj
LFCollege: Photo opps with Boomer. #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/ndny9wj
Jessica_Gardner: Retired President Eugene Hotchkiss and his famous bike! #lfhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2w3j73
TimState: Score! Foresters get their first touchdown. #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/sF9U5
CarolynGolz: RT @Jessica_Gardner: Retired President Eugene Hotchkiss & his famous bike! #lfhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2w3j73 - a man after my own heart.
LFCollege: Show us your Boomer tattoo! #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/jtchduj
KayKayCrook: Sun is shining in the sky, there ain't a cloud in sight. Beautiful day for #lfhc2010. Sad I'm missing out! Have fun, foresters!
TimState: #lfhc2010 will football go into overtime?
CarolynGolz: @ForesterScores So close! Sounds like it was a great game. #LFhc2010
CarolnGolz: RT “@ForesterScores: Forester football falls 33-27 to Beloit College in overtime.” -> So close! Great job, guys! #LFhc2010
JaredMFox: A real princess. #lfhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2w5lnz
Jessica_Gardner: Can you believe THIS is Szabo????? #lfhc2010 http://twitpic.com/2w698d
Jessica_Gardner: Best LFC Homecoming & Reunion Weekend EVER. Thanks @timstate, Suzanne Nyren, Dolores Lotysz, and ALL Reunion Volunteers! #lfhc2010
TimState: The lead singer for the band at the reunion dance has Sonny Bono hair and a porn-stache. HOT! #LFhc2010
TheHallDirector: Popped collar and black frame glasses all the way back to the future at the Homcoming Dance! #lfhc2010

Sunday, October 10th
TheHallDirector: Rick Cohen takes the drums! #lfhc2010 http://yfrog.com/0wigqxej
TimState: Homecoming Weekend comes to a rocking close! #LFhc2010 http://bestc.am/dsq
Mariob847: #lfhc2010 and my homecoming ends in proper fashion. http://yfrog.com/nd3bwej
Jessica_Gardner: The bags under my eyes today need their own zipcode, but they are so worth it given all the fun I had at Homecoming! #lfhc2010

So that was the weekend. I hope you enjoyed the recap!

For the official Lake Forest College Homecoming pictures on Flickr, click here. The Class of 1980 also has pictures on Flickr.

Thanks to everyone who made the weekend spectacular - faculty, staff, students, alumni, and parents! You each made it perfect!

And remember, Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2011 is right around the corner on September 30th & October 1st, 2011!

Do You Meditate?

I do. And I love it. I always feel much calmer, more focused and I sleep better when I meditate.

The first time I meditated was in college with my friend Kirsten. I remember thinking the whole experience was kind of hokey. Sitting in a room with our eyes closed while listening to "weird" music silently for an hour with the goal of "clearing our heads" and not thinking. Hmmmmm. Okay. As you can imagine, this Type A Personality didn't do too well and I never went back.

Years later, I discovered a friend of mine was a certified hypnotherapist. She invited me to join a group she was starting of other Type A women for a once-a-week 1 hour guided hypnosis or meditation. To say I was skeptical was an understatement. At the end of the first session, we talked about our experiences and each of the other women talked about what they saw while they were in some hot air balloon, but I had no idea what they were talking about. So I talked about what I remembered and could recall a certain amount of the session, but suddenly my experience took a turn and rather than being in a hot air balloon, I was off on some other journey. Each week, my experience was vastly different from that of the groups' experiences.

A few weeks later, I had an experience in our session that would change the way I looked at guided hypnosis/meditation forever. As we were discussing our experiences, as we did each week after the hypnosis/meditation I was surprised to learn that the hypnotherapist hadn't taken us all down a road where we were to recall a tragedy and taught us to overcome it because in my hypnotized/meditative state, I relived a truly horrific and terrifying experience I'd had about 15 years earlier, fought back harder than I did at the time and actually changed the outcome. It was amazing and liberating. My skepticism was gone. I was sold.

Now I do self-hypnosis and meditate on my own a few times each week. I find it incredibly relaxing and a terrific way to help me release stress. Often I do it at night, but I also have some that I use in the mornings. Self-hypnosis/meditation has changed my life.

My friend Cindee posted the relaxing meditation below on Facebook today. It's a little different from the ones I use in that you should actually watch the video rather than focus on breathing and have your eyes closed, but I was surprised at just how effective it was nonetheless. I encourage you to take the next 9 minutes to watch this video. Turn off your phone, close your email, close the door so your kids can't walk in, turn off Pandora and just focus on you for the next 9 minutes. Trust me, your day will be better.

Feel Good Story of the Day: The Legend of Toby Williams

You know how I love happy news and uplifting stories. As graduation season gets into full-swing, we will surely find a plethora of stories about students overcoming incredible odds and obstacles to reach their goals and provide an exceptional life for them and their families through education. What I love most about these stories is that they prove there's nothing that can't be accomplished through hard work and never-ending determination and focus.

Today's story is about Toby Williams, master's degree candidate at Northeastern Illinois University with cerebral palsy.

The Legend of Toby Williams
by Kara Spak, Chicago Sun-Times, May 6, 2010

Toby Williams knows what people think when they see him in his wheelchair, hear his slow speech, notice how his eyes don't move together.

"It's there, it's always there, it will continue to be there," he said of assumptions that he is less capable because he has cerebral palsy. "I expect it."

But he doesn't accept it.

"I enjoy proving people wrong," he said.

On Saturday, the 30-year-old Englewood man once again will prove himself when he accepts a master's degree in communications, media and theater from Northeastern Illinois University. He has been enrolled as a student there for 13 years.

"I enjoyed meeting the challenge," he said. "It might take me a couple of years, but eventually I'll beat the challenge."

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that manifests in infancy or early childhood. His brain is unable to control his muscles.

For his first 20 years, he went to therapy -- physical, speech, occupational -- for hours after school. He underwent three surgeries.

In 1997, as a senior at Spaulding School, a Chicago Public School for students with disabilities, he was recruited to Northeastern as part of a grant program to help disabled students move to college-level classes. He started there weeks after high school graduation.

"He liked it, and in the fall he came back for the term," said Victoria Amey-Flippin, director of Northeastern's accessibility center.

He returned semester after semester. For 13 years, Williams has been a campus legend, eating in the cafeteria, working as a graduate assistant for Amey-Flippin and studying for a bachelor's degree, which he received in 2004, and now his master's degree.

His typical day starts when a wheelchair-accessible van takes him about 20 miles to campus from his South Side home, dropping him off at 9 a.m. He often stays on campus until 8 p.m.

He can't control his hands enough to take notes, so he records classes on a tape recorder. He types 30-page papers with his index fingers. His other fingers "don't work right," he said.

He receives extra time for tests, which he takes in the accessibility center where he works. He answers the same questions as the other students, but an employee types the answers for him. Though he gets extra time for the tests, he must complete classes in the same time frame as other students, so he often didn't take a full course load during a semester.

"He has a tremendous memory," said Cody Sweet, who taught Williams voice and diction courses in 2003 and 2004. "He has to take all the verbiage into his brain and he has to organize it, put it in little pigeonholes in his brain."

Thanks to an outgoing personality and his long tenure at the school, he's known by students and faculty throughout the Northwest Side campus. While he said he's ready to move on, those who are used to seeing him day after day are not quite as sure.

"I find myself getting a little choked up," Amey-Flippin said. "It really did seem strange to go through the cafeteria and not see him up in the front."

Williams gradually has been spending less time on campus because of an internship at American Street Mortgage Co., where he works with a former classmate who specializes in mortgage loans for veterans. He is hoping to eventually obtain a state mortgage broker's license. "It's time to start working and make some money," he said.

He knows that even with a master's degree, he is entering the job market in a shaky economy. He remains undeterred.

"My mom always told me there will always be people who don't think you can do it," he said. "Don't listen to them. Focus on what you're trying to do, keep praying to God and focus. Eventually you'll get there."

Let's Talk About Sex, Baby!

My friend Steve posted the graph below on Facebook today with the comment "Not sure, exactly, what's to be implied here, but . . . "

So that got us to talking about the chart and trying to figure out if anything could be extrapolated to our own experiences at Lake Forest College.

First, here's the chart:

Chart from the Sun Sentinel.

There are some interesting things about this chart that make me question its validity. First, there is no information on when this study was done or how it was done. Second, Wellesley, while one of a small group of elite women's colleges known as the Seven Sisters, is a small school and it's all women. For 2007, Wellesley had only 2380 students. Did they poll them all? That's an incredibly small sample size. Third, we don't know if virginity was measured when students entered Wellesley, when they graduated, or at some point in between. Fourth, who did this "study"? Fifth, how is "virginity" defined? Sixth, how did they compensate for the fact that not all majors have the same number of students?

Putting all of those concerns aside, do you think this chart rings true?

As a former Political Science/Psychology double major who dropped the Poli Sci mid-year in favor of just Psychology, I can say that my own sex life vastly improved the minute I made the switch, but I seriously doubt it had anything to do with my major. I think it had more to do with just finding the right guy at the right time. ;)

What about you? What was your major and do you see any similarities between your major, your sex life in college, and the chart above?