i&eotembtr 3, 1993 Prof adds different perspective Joe Wallace Staff Writer When talking to Mark Leeper, you'll quickly realize he likes to joke around a lot. You'll also re alize that he is a well-qualified ad dition to the Guilford faculty. Leeper, 29, was born and raised in Lincoln, NE, where, as he puts it, "The land is flat and so are the people. But they are also very friendly." Leeper got his under graduate degree from the Univer sity of Nebraska. After realizing that he wanted to leave his home state for a little while, he went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There he received his master's degree in 1989. However, he isn't finished yet. Leeper is currently working on his doctoral dissertation dealing with the plight of women in politics. "I studied politics because I saw that something was wrong," Leeper explained. "I saw the tre mendously unequal representation of women and other minorities in politics and said 'Hey, something's gets some advice Staff Writer The door had one them name* plates which read: Rev. R. B. Daisy Counselor of the Far. Fetch/Far Retch. Randy knocks on the door, he hears a muffled, "Cmon i.*' The door opens. Randy's eyes pan from the Boor to a couch where a cat sits smil ing, flinging gobs of wax from its floppy ears left and right all over, making an awful mess, Randy pokes a finger in a pool of the brown earsludge and says, :• "Mmm.,♦.butterscotch** "No. not quite feller, lfteSv, R. B. Daisy : pipes up from her desk where she is cross-stitcbin ■ a design that resembles a white rabbit. "By the way, that's Jack the Kitty, and! am Rev, R. B.Daisy. You must be a Mister Randy | Specs. ProcessorTacj*ewapooia j notified me ofyier rikkbefcav the other da>. VV),u goto* on In that tangle scalp of yen?" Randy strode past trie cat anu . sat.on opposite cud to the see, it's like jSLa Mark Leeper enjoys his time at Guilford. got to be done about this.' So, like many of my family members be fore me, I began studying to be a teacher." So why would a cornhusker from Nebraska choose to come to Guilford? "At first, I didn't know the an swer to that," Leeper answered. "I had never even heard of the school until I was doing my graduate stud- this-when I wu2 a little young un, i suffered from a terri-bidl accident I can't say much 'bout mm W> coz I'm like a piece o' wood 'boul to be split with awl fer a bowl of viitlesv Plants and animals. Yes, indeedy * Just a ptaie of the stinlring mess, Ya see, T am optimistic, A bowl of plams and animals may be our last gesture, eh Rewvvr h "Dear heart, nowlisten toyer || : cottnsekSl|p ; |iwiw Ipeswpbe you a botile of Hie Ijipoiiß ^te ; -!k?res : .aloog' ;ihe whippin Skills of this f here establishments fine Doc Farfest's we have puttogether;* potion which sup presses furry love and makes yer thoughts dowsed in drunken hai> piness, Nowbe on yef way and stop tornv'n' yerself! Qit on outta ntiw ** 3fv, l-m not depressed, ) i uvi: good vibes and soeL An-* u>wvwith that mulchin' ..oi critters bxeedin' l ii of pic 1?? • • this h:;rc tw-'. iy ti oC,. uol)itched j t;i v . - _ .• herselfs, tree hugz, stubs ofbugxxz." jftaturea ies at UNC-CH. But, one day a neighbor of mine told me about the school and about the people and about how the school was unusu ally collegial and friendly and I knew I would like it. "But that is not what I like most about the school. What struck me as the most important to me is that the faculty at Guilford is expected to have a close relationship with Not a lucky summer Reagan Hopkins Subscriptions Manager Regardless of popular "Guilford consensus," art professor Roy Nydorf claims that his so-called "unlucky summer" was actually super. Nydorf's bad luck began in Italy during a trip he and his wife took this summer. While stopping in Florence on their way back from visiting friends, Nydorf's rental car was broken into. The thieves took all of their clothing, some of his wife's hand-made jewelry, and three of his paintings. Some of the paintings stolen were Italian paint ings from previous visits Nydorf had made to the country. Nydorf said, "I got over it in about three hours. What else could I do?" He feels that the incident could have been a whole lot worse and is thankful that the thieves took only material things. Nydorf 's luck didn't improve The Guilfordian needs a Features Editor. You think this section just happens by itself? Well, it doesn't. If you can write, edit other people's writing, and want to get some experience with our fine newspaper, stop by the Pub Suite or call us at ext. 2306, and ask for Joan or Karen. the students, while at the same time put a premium on teaching. I feel this is important to the learning process and making each faculty member readily available to the student can only add to the ben efits of acquiring an edu cation. "I also like Guilford's attitude to wards its students and faculty. The school has taken the stance that stu dents are here to learn and though they do not discourage faculty mem- Photo by Ben Cadbury bers from writing papers or attending symposia, they do stress that the faculty's first priority is to teach. And once that is taken care of, we can see what type of financial support the school can dig up to allow you to do some research." Leeper's views tend to fit in very well with those of many of the stu dents and faculty members at Guil ford. But what he tries to stress in his classes is that there are "at least I Roy Nydorf working with a student. much when he returned to the States. While out in his yard later in the summer, he was stung twice on the head and once on the eyelid by a not-so-friendly bee. Nydorf claims, "I thought then that it was the beginning of a bad day, I just didn't know how bad!" Later that evening, as he was walking over to help his next door neighbor fix a burglar light on the t two sides to every issue and both sides deserve respect It is up to each person to know both sides and try to come to an understanding of them. It is normal to disagree, but what comes from that disagree ment is what is important." That is why, Leeper, who describes him self as having slightly left-of-cen ter political views, has assigned for his American Politics course the book, The Way Things Ought To Be by Rush Limbaugh. "I think Rush is a symbol of right-wing conservatism, and though he may be extreme at times, he supplies a very good overview of the conservative agenda. It is the conflict that arises from learning about a view that may be different from your own that enhances your learning and makes us all better citizens in the future." Leeper is looking forward to ful filling many of the goals he has for himself: become a positive part of Guilford, start a family with his wife, and complete his doctoral dissertation - not necessarily in that order. side of his house, Nydorf felt a sharp sting on his foot. As he bent down to fine the culprit thorn vine to re move it from his foot, he came face to-face with a cop perhead snake coiled in striking position. "Then, I ran," Nydorf states. "I knew it was a bad day!" Nydorf says Poto by Rob Davidson that he was more in terested in the hospital machines than the bite. After five days, he was feeling great. His attitude about his whole summer is extremely positive. Nydorf feels his unlucky streak provided some great stories to tell, but his summer really was fine. Incidentally, Nydorf's next door neighbor was robbed in broad daylight the very next day. 7