Highlights of the Quarterly, Summer 2003
An examined life
A valued member of the Wheaton community for 61 years, the late Holcombe Austin was a man who embodied the Platonic wisdom that "the life which is unexamined is not worth living." Whether as professor of philosophy, self-educated arborist, world traveler, comet watcher or collector of Mexican folk art, Austin freely shared his enthusiasm for life. And those who knew him will never forget his contagious love of learning and teaching. (more)
A walk among the trees
When asked about his favorite Wheaton tree, Professor of Biology Scott Shumway names one, and then another and another.
"Well, there is the majestic pin oak in front of Cragin, one of the straightest-growing trees you will ever see," he begins. "Also the Korean Stewartia by the side entrance to Mary Lyon Hall--its exfoliating bark is beautiful in any season. And definitely the American beech growing wild in Wheaton Woods. But next week I might have a different list!"
Students in Shumway's "Plant Biology" class catch his enthusiasm for Wheaton's varied landscape from the very first lab session, when he leads them through campus and woods in search of some of Wheaton's most significant tree specimens. (more)
An elusive balance
It seems as if everyone has a beef with the Environmental Protection Agency and its chief, Christie Todd Whitman. Environmentalists say the former New Jersey governor has allowed the largest rollback of environmental law in U.S. history. Some conservatives say her green leanings hurt industry and, ultimately, consumers. In Whitman's estimation, this criticism means she's doing something right.
"The best way to judge that we're on the right track is when we're being sued equally on both sides," Whitman said in a January interview in her Washington, D.C., offices. "It's never pleasant, but it probably says that we're where we need to be." (more)
