Fellow Bulldog Alumni,
Summer is almost here - time for graduations,
family get-togethers, paperbacks on the beach and, of course,
golf! Everyone has something to do, somewhere to go or someone
to visit. As we put together this issue and began researching
the article, "Get 'Serious' About Summer," pp. 12-13, I was
reminded of my own favorite summer memory.
Summer vacation was not an important ritual for our family, so when I graduated from high school and had the chance to visit Virginia Beach, Va., with friends of the family, I jumped at the opportunity. What made the trip truly special was experiencing the ocean for the first time. I discovered that unlike my visits to Lake Michigan, the Atlantic is home to large creatures who are not scared of us.
There I was, with my "arms out in the breakers
tirelessly tossing," when a few hundred feet from me three fins
broke the surface and submerged again. I reacted to this in
a manner I thought perfectly sound - I tore through the surf
to shore at a speed I have never again achieved on land or in
water, and frantically warned my friends about the sharks. My
warnings did not meet with quite the reaction I had expected.
With much laughter, my friends and many other beach-goers pointed
out the happy frolicking of a pod of bottle-nosed dolphins.
It was a scene much closer to Flipper than to Jaws.
Each year thousands of you visit campus to enjoy an athletic event, use our library, take part in a workshop, introduce a new generation of Bulldogs to campus, or just satisfy your curiosity as to how much things have changed. Perhaps your (non-stressful) summer adventures will bring you here for a round of golf at Ferris' Katke Golf Club, or to drop off your children at a sports or academic camp.
We're proud that Ferris State University has become a destination and resource for students and teachers of all levels, as well as community,
regional, national and professional organizations. Ferris is home to the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia (see story page 20), the
Card Wildlife Education Center
(www.ferris.edu/card) the Michigan Art Walk, as well as the site for many alumni reunions. I invite you to
visit and make Ferris and Big Rapids a part of what you did on your summer vacation.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Mishler, E ‘96
P.S. There's always tubing on the mighty Muskegon River where there are, trust me,
no sharks!
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