BETWEEN THE LINES

Thanks to all of you who sent in comments about the first issue of the magazine. I hope you continue to enjoy reading this and future editions. It is truly a labor of love for all of us who work on the magazine. And speaking of labor, we were literally racing the clock to get this issue to press. Art director Karen Smallets had about half of the publication completed when her baby, Sarah Elizabeth, decided to make her appearance a month early. Congratulations to the proud parents and a big thank-you to Victoria Burke, director of university publications, for taking over the graphic design duties of this issue in midstream.

More evidence of Old Dominion's growing reputation as a nationally recognized institution comes recently from the publishing world. In author Tom Clancy's latest novel of international espionage and intrigue, "Rainbow Six," the university gets a mention on page 114 when one of the characters says he received a bachelor's degree from Old Dominion. The university also made an appearance on the bestseller list three years ago in "Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul," which featured 1993 graduate Bessie Pender's inspirational story of going from school janitor to school teacher.

Samuel Norfleet Etheredge '33 enjoyed a long and successful career as a vascular surgeon, and now, at age 85, he has recorded another notable achievement. On the first day of spring, Etheredge published "Poetry for a Lifetime," an anthology of well-known poems "to delight and inspire all ages." What started out as a collection of poetry for his children and grandkids has turned into a hardback edition of more than 340 of his favorites verses, among them "Paul Revere's Ride," "Annabel Lee" and "Casey at the Bat." Included are poems by such writers as Burns, Longfellow, Poe and Kilmer. "Poetry for a Lifetime" can be ordered by phone, 888-811-0746, or over the Web, www.miravista.com.

Friends of Women's Studies has launched a graduate scholarship fund drive in honor of Nancy Topping Bazin's distinguished career, which began when she arrived on campus in 1978 to serve as director of women's studies. Under Bazin's leadership, the fledgling program expanded from six to more than three dozen interdisciplinary courses per year. By 1983, the first two students had earned master's degrees in women's studies. To commemorate Bazin's many contributions as she completes her final year of teaching, FWS seeks gifts to support the Bazin Graduate Scholarship. Donations may be mailed to: Women's Studies Program - BAL, Attn.: Gloria Putnam, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va. 23529.

Veteran NBA player Mark West '83, now in his first season with the Atlanta Hawks, has trouble mustering any sympathy for this year's Jordan-less, Pippen-less Chicago Bulls ("Welcome to the real world of the rest of us," he told staff writer Jay Lidington in a recent interview). But he's glad he had an opportunity to compete against the player he - and most everyone else - considers the best of this era.

West, who entered the professional ranks a year before Jordan, says the most memorable games he played against the North Carolina phenom came when his Phoenix Suns faced the Bulls in the '94 finals. He remembers Jordan using "court psychology" on Charles Barkley, taking advantage of their friendship to get Barkley's mind on things other than the game at hand.

While West admired Michael Jordan's physical and mental preparation, it was M.J.'s passion for the game that impressed him most. "He played to win, not just to score points. At the time he came into the league, he'd score 63 and his team would lose," West recalls. "He learned that the secret was to elevate not only your game, but those you're playing with."

- Steve Daniel, Editor