Extra Credits & Bonus Points

Here we go again with another celebration of superlatives, a compendium of commendations, a grab-bag of goodies. Here are highscoring heroes and heroines who ought to be heralded, places deserving of praise, more-than-academic accomplishments to applaud. We give you more than the good; we bring you the better and the best. In our search for Dartmouth's best dormitory space, for example, we found that none surpasses the snug, one-room singles at Morton Farm (above), the College's new facility for the horsey set. Or take an unorthodox fund-raiser like the Flash (right), the most persuasive money-maker in the Collis Center game room. There's more:

Better than the basement

Beta's living room has panache. It has leather chairs and wood paneling. Recently renovated and redecorated, it looks like the fraternity Ricky Nelson belonged to on the Ozzie and Harriet TV show. What's more, it's clean. It's the kind of place deans and trustees like to see.

Breaking away

There are eight bike stores within pedaling distance of Hanover, but Gray Mercer '83 is building his own bicycle in the student workshop. This is no typical freshman shop project like the dozens of bookcases and record cabinets always under construction. The frame, made of a lightweight alloy, will cost $125 and take more than 50 hours to assemble. Mercer plans to race it in the Bicycle Club's road and track competitions.

Rooms at the top

Although the best place to hit the hay may be the Morton horse farm in Etna, 404 Lord Hall is where we'd like to kick off our boots in Hanover. With two private bedrooms, a living room, bathroom, fireplace, and a round window facing out on the cemetery, it isn't your usual dormitory accommodation. As far as campus offices go, first-year health educator Beverlie Conant out-classes ten-year president John G. Kemeny, who has to share his quarters with the trustees. Conant's plush chambers in Dick's House are furnished with valuable antiques. And she's closer to the Chinese-food cafeteria at the Medical School. Kemeny on the other hand, often has a ham-and-swiss at his desk.

Creative cooking

Richard Rubacka D.D.A.'s executive chef, won a prestigious first prize this past winter, and it wasn't for Ma Thayer's Mystery Meat. Rubacka's five-foot, 180-pound tallow sculpture of the Statue of Liberty won the grand prize,in the 111 th Societe Culinaire Philanthropique Food Show Competition in New York City. A paper he later presented to the New Hampshire Culinary Association explained that you start with equal parts of beeswax, paraffin, and beef fat. . . .

Beauty and the barbell

Trina Olin 'BO is taking this year off from school to train full-time for the U.S. Olympic crew. Her coach says she has an excellent chance of making the team. Whether the team will compete or not is another story. Olin can lift 210 pounds over her head. She's impressive.

Also ran

While we're on the subject of female athletes, let's hear it for Toni V. Cook '82, a runner from Fairbanks, Alaska. The Gail Koziaras and Linda DeRenzos of this college get most of the inches on the sports page for their outstanding performances on the basketball court, but Cook has quietly compiled 13 Dartmouth records for her quickness in indoor'and outdoor track and crosscountry meets. Coach Peter Fox Smith says, "She's a super young lady."

Stack 'em up

Hanover resident Clarence W. Church, a mason with Buildings and Grounds, has laid a lot of bricks since he started working for the College on May 1, 1933, when he was 17. In fact, Church has the longest tenure of any staff employee at Dartmouth. Robin Robinson '24, who started in the math department in 1928, takes the honors for the faculty and administration. Robinson also was College registrar from 1958 until he retired in 1968. He now works part-time (in theory) as the consultant for student enrollment patterns for the Dartmouth Plan.

Art for car's sake

Shortly after Hopkins Center was built, a larger but similar structure went up at Lincoln Center in New York. Before the Hop was built, a smaller but still-familiar building appeared behind the College's heating plant. Was it a prototype of a prototype? The first stall shelters Dartmouth's green Cadillac, Vox 1.

Non-stop talker

The only way to shut up Mike Sullivan 'BO is to turn off the radio. You've heard him as the Voice of Dartmouth Football-"every play of every game"-for three years. You've heard him at one time or another on every show aired by WDCR. Actually, if you've been listening, you've heard Sullivan for over 1,000 hours -a record for air time he started building during Freshman Week in 1976.

Ah, youth

Hired at the age of 23, Bernard J. Vyzga Jr. is still, at the ripe age of 25, Dartmouth's youngest professor. His full title is assistant professor of drama and scenic designer. His set designs for The Hairy Ape(Alumni Magazine cover for October) were recently honored in a national competition.

Good scout Slesnick

Never-forget-a-face Slesnick, professor of mathematics, terror of the tennis courts, eagle scout for 40 years, and recipient of the Silver Beaver and Silver Antelope scouting awards, received the rank of Distinguished Eagle Scout at a ceremony last June. The award was made in recognition of Sles's many contributions to scouting, to his profession, and as a good citizen.

Fancy fence

Some alumni can help you with investments, represent you in court, take out your tonsils-you name it. Dimitri Gerakaris '69 can forge you a fence-or whatever. The Canaan, New Hampshire, blacksmith made the new railing for the ramp providing wheelchair access to the library. Go look at the ironwork between Sanborn and Baker. Try to tell where the old work ends and the new begins.

Most inspirational

If the bathroom in the gym had windows like this, maybe there wouldn't be so much, raunchy graffiti. When the light illuminates this portal of Bartlett Hall, the dance of color on gleaming white porcelain quite soothes the troubled soul. The saintly figures in the window, the business in Latin about Dartmouth-one is moved to wonder what it all means. Art sometimes is incongruous.

More toys than Santa Claus

Matthew Wysocki teaches art, but mostly he likes to play with his collection of more than 2,000 toys. Wysocki even has more toy Santas than Santa Claus. Don't scoff. Toys are serious business. We recently saw a nifty toy bank -the kind with moving parts -auctioned for $18,OOO. Wysocki haunts auctions, antique shows, and junk shops. His office is crammed with toys. Don't give him anything practical for Christmas.

Good, better, best

Even your mother might approve of Beta's snappy new living room.

There are faster ways to enter a bike race.

Clarence has seen his share of mortarboards.

Trina Olin '80 makes a strong impression.

We've had a crush on her for years.

Vzyga designs sets and settees. This one was for a movie made by a Drama 10 class.

Mike Sullivan '80 talks it up for WDCR.

Is Wysocki an art professor or the Mayor of Toyland?

Don't mess with Dimitri He bends iron by hand.

The scenery's nice, but you can't see out the window.