CORe Digest

March 10th 2006

Dear Friends,



Just like in the little village of Anatevka, we keep our balance at Olin by paying attention to tradition. As many people point out, anything that happens more than once here becomes a tradition. There are many examples of tradition that we are (mostly) keen to keep alive and appreciate (see Figure R).





Figure R: An Olin Tradition



We like some traditions because they give us an excuse to confuse the frosh when they arrive, or because it helps us pretend that we go to a real school. Sometimes tradition is simply a reminder that not everything needs to be reinvented each time we do things. However, there are some traditions which we’d all agree are better off laid to rest (Figure $).





Figure $: Remember This?



But what is to be done with traditions which are neither alive, nor laid to rest? Traditions which are merely defeated, but plot their eventual return to power? Traditions which have had a career-ending injury, but still need love and respect, despite the fact that fame and fortune have left them? One such tradition, is that of the Rubber Phoenix. As can be plainly deduced from Figure ῷ, (which for those of you who are unfamiliar, is clearly the Greek lower-case omega with perispomeni and ypogegrammeni (a.k.a. iota subscript)) the Rubber Phoenix is 1) a rubber chicken with a teddy-bear-sized Olin sweatshirt, 2) endowed with a toe-tag bearing his Christian name, 3) wearing red nail polish, 4) currently hanging in my shower, next to Kristen’s loofah.





Figure ῷ: The Rubber Phoenix’s Current Home



As some of you might be aware, I intend to graduate from Olin in May. This means that Phrank, my beloved Rubber Phoenix, will be orphaned unless I can find him a new home. Class of 2007 folks will, of course, recall that Phrank was the trophy given to the advising family winners of the acclaimed Second Annual Olinimpics held during orientation. He was supposed to be a symbol of pride, but alas, he became a pock mark of mockery upon the advising family that he was bestowed upon. He was cast away into the gutter (OSL) and nearly canned (literally), when Carol Kelley took pity on him, rescued him from the dustbin, and entrusted him to me.



But I digress.



I implore you to take pity on the plight of a simple rubber bird. With your help, Phrank will rise from the ashes and retake his place among the respected traditions at Olin College. He just needs a good home.



If you would like to adopt, please contact me. You may be required to interview, where you will be asked questions in categories such as those depicted in Figure 1.





Figure 1: Texas with a dollar sign.





All the best,

-Mike

__________________________

Michael W. Curtis

Vice President of Communication