1975

Vernon Chadwick our very own Elvis scholar, left Ole Miss last year due to a controversy over the Elvis conferences he initiated there. These conferences represented a pop-culture counterpoint to the university's annual high-culture conference on native author William Faulkner.

Vernon then moved to Memphis to serve as executive director of the Institute for the Living South, a non-profit organization he founded. The institute will be unique in its emphasis on the contemporary South. Another innovative feature will be its vision of the South as a concept shared with other Southern regions around the world. The hope is to attract scholars from "Souths" everywhere.

As for the Elvis conference, Vernon staged the third one last summer, hosted by the Memphis College of Art, and funded by a Memphis businessman. Afterwards, Vernon taught his Melville-Elvis course during a week-long Caribbean cruise in honor of Elvis aboard Carnival's cruise ship Celebration.

Ron Akie has been named CEO of SilverPlatter Information. He joined the company last summer as president of the U.S. region. In his new role he will be responsible for all of the company's operations worldwide.

Ron said "SilverPlatter has been a leader in the delivery of electronic reference information in libraries worldwide. By building on our strengths, we will continue to help serious knowledge workers navigate through the chaos of today's information environment. " Silver Platter's corporate strategy will be to continue to bring what technology has to offer to the service of librarianship but will also focus on the exchange of information, rather than just its distribution.

Scott Mosenthal has been promoted from English department chairman and vice principal to principal of Irvington High School, effective this summer. Scott has taught in the high school 22 years, during which time he designed and implemented standards in writing, reading, speaking, and listening and created an English department handbook that is distributed to all the students. He also teaches three sections of English. Scott said, "I have had 23 years in Irvington. I wouldn't think about being the principal anywhere else, and I knew that it was probably now or never for me."

The announcement made at a school board meeting drew loud applause from more than 100 people in the audience. Many people said they anticipated that the high quality of education at the high school would be maintained or even get better. One parent said, "I have never run into anyone like this guy. He is a rare find, and if we don't get him in Irvington, someone else will. He is someone we desperately need."

With new educational standards and graduation requirements being set by the state education department, Scott said his first priority will be to get himself and his teachers familiar with the new standards. He also said the greatest challenge he faces as a principal is dealing with a student who isn't motivated. "I don't see myself sitting down in an office pushing a pen around. Rather, I see myself still going out for runs with the kids." Scott lives in Briarcliff with his family.

I Love You, Don't Touch Me, a film created by Julie Davis '90, was distributed through MGM earlier this year and shown in New York City movie theaters. This film was also shown in Hanover last fall during the weekend celebration of 25 years of coeducation. The accomplishments of Dartmouth graduates are truly remarkable.

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Robert Sullivan '75 questions the President, p. 20