Summer 1989 - Lock Haven University

2 PERSPECTIVE: THE NEW ACADEMICS
Viewers of ABC-TV's popular "thirtysomething"
know that yuppie
character Michael and good friend
Gary, a grad uate student, love to trade
insults.
In a scene last season, the two pick
at each other with Gary accusing
Michael of being a daddy (which is
true and certainly not insulting, but
something Gary cannot envision for
himself) - and a quick-witted Michael
responds - "you ... you academic
(again true, certainly not insulting, but
New "Beginnings"
For a Perfect
4.000
When Rachel L. Kelly addressed her
graduating class during commencement
exercises last spring, she spoke
about "Beginnings" - an appropriate
topic for a woman who was soon to
embark on a new and enriching life.
About to marry and just a few
weeks short of beginning her graduate
education, she had outperformed
every student in the class to earn the
distinction of being named the Class
of 1989 valedictorian.
For the achiever with a perfect 4.000
average, graduation did not signal the
end of an academic career, but in fact,
a true beginning.
A health science and athletic training
major while at Lock Haven, she is
now enrolled at Hahnemann College
in Philadelphia as part of a master's
degree program in physical therapy
and reports things are going well.
"I think my background at Lock
Haven helped," she noted adding that
strong study habits developed during
her undergraduate years and the
courses she took helped prepare her
for the challenge of graduate school.
"I did get a 4.000 at Lock Haven, but
I certainly didn't start out with that in
mind."
"I just did the best that I could each
semester and it just kind of happened
one semester at a time."
something Michael often wishes he' d
opted for)!"
They laugh out loud.
There's a new respectability toward
"the academics." They're " in" - not
out ... whistled at during commencement
(which may be viewed as
positive or negative). They're personable,
even popular, and often
viewed as " having it all."
Over the years, we haven't seen
many characters like Gary on TV, but
the show points out the rising
Like many of the new academics,
she learned early on that one of the
keys to success in the classroom is
learning how to budget your time ­
especially important in order to take
advantage of other opportunities and
Rachel L. Turner, '89
popularity of being smart (or at least
having people think you're smart).
Many of America's TV kids have
grown up. They're now in college,
and for the most part, doing well with
the exception of perhaps Mike Seaver,
Denise Huxtable and M allory Keaton.
In this issue, Perspective looks at
"the new academics" - stars you
may never see on TV, but who have
found strong ratings in the classroom
help to attract an awful lot of attention
and provide the opportunity for
some dandy spin-offs.
to maintain some sort of social Life.
Kelly, now Mrs. Turner after marrying
Thane N. Turner, '89, in June,
served as the University's head student
trainer in 1986 and 1987 working
with the summer wrestling camps,