A pleasant surprise

By Will Wemer -- 11/23/08 Karen Deardorf changed my life. During my four years at Ohio University, she was a teacher some of the time, and a surrogate mom all of the time.  I remember her office on the second floor of Trisolini House, where we laughed, cried, made fun of each other, and enjoyed life. She made me want to be a better person. When I decided to "stop by" OU's NCA social, I was just expecting to say hi to one or two professors, grab a carrott stick and be on my way. But just five minutes after arriving, I hear "what are you doing here?" from a voice I instantly recognized. The next hour was filled with updates and memories, both good and bad, and the standard "you're coming back to Athens for your PhD" pitch. It was at that point I realized why so many people come back to NCA year after year. At the end of the day, when the breakout sessions end and the press team packs its cameras and trek back to the east coast, its the reconnections with old friends, and the memories of meeting new ones that will stick with us forever. I was very scared when I left Ohio that I may never see Karen again. My trip to San Diego changed that, and I am very thankful as a result.