Seven of Nine

“To the newest member of our crew: may all her desires be fulfilled except for one so she’ll always have something to strive for.” Seven of Nine, “Star Trek Voyager: Human Error”

Although my favorite “Star Trek” series was “The Next Generation” with Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, my favorite character was Seven of Nine in “Voyager,” played by Jeri Ryan during the final four years the series originally aired, starting in 1997.  Meant to be a foil to Captain Kathryn Janeway, much like Spock had been to Captain Kirk in the original series, Seven of Nine, whose athleticism and sex appeal extended to both male and female viewers, had been assimilated into the Borg collective consciousness before being somewhat liberated while on board starship Voyager.  Actress Jeri Ryan, an army brat born in Germany, was selected 1989 Miss Illinois and finished third runner-up in the Miss America pageant. She was married to Republican Jack Ryan between 1991 and 1999, and divorce court documents revealed that he had pressured her into performing sex acts at strip clubs.  At the time the revelations became public (2004), Ryan was seeking an Illinois Senate seat against Barack Obama, and his withdrawal from the race enabled Obama to win in a landslide.  In that unintended way, Seven of Nine played a role in Obama’s meteoric rise to the American presidency.

Nineteen years ago, before online dating became commonplace, 66-year-old retired English teacher Jane Juska, who died last November, decided to spice up her barren sex life and placed the following personal item in the New York Review of Books: “I would like to have a lot of sex with a man I like.  If you want to talk first, Trollope works for me.”  She received 63 responses and rejected offers from a man who said he was horny, an exhibitionist who included a naked photo of himself with an aroused member, and a married man.  She initiated affairs with a variety of lovers who passed muster, including a six-foot-tall, buffed 32-year-old.  In 2003, Juska published “A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late-Life Adventures in Sex and Romance” and embarked on a book tour, which she found to be a satisfying way to hook up with admirers, including married ones.  While what lascivious Jane Juska pulled off might seem disturbing to some (“Round-Heeled Woman” at one time was slang for slut), and downright lecherous if done by a dirty old man, it allowed her to enjoy intimate companionship without putting up with the confinements of marriage.

A woman friend of mine who lived in New York City actually placed a personal message in NY Review many years ago.  I get a kick out of the pretentious statements that the magazine still runs.  As evidenced in the Nov. 23, 2017 issue that Ron Cohen gave me, most contemporary ones are blunt (i.e., "affable, articulate DC man, 56, thin and fit seeks wise and wanton woman for occasional frolic"); but some, such as the following, contain at least a modicum of literary erudition:

“Many ingenious things are gone,” wrote William Butler Yeats in middle age.  Like him, I’m an uncomfortable citizen of the times in which I live.  I’m still a devotee of print literature, of the lapidary prose sentence, of the films of Tracy and Hepburn.  My belief is that something whole and lasting can be made of life’s fragments when the present moment is informed by the past.  Is there a similar sensibility out there reading this?  I’m a 72-year-old male, retired and ready to pursue with another a life centered around things with little or no market value.

above, Alexis Blake on left; below, Brittany Wells

Wearing my IUN Redhawk Homecoming sweatshirt, I was in the bleachers as Coach Ryan Shelton’s Lady Redhawks defeated Wilberforce University, 59-48, despite 21 points from diminutive Bulldog Brittany Wells.  Senior Alexis Blake led IUN with 17 points and was a force inside, demonstrating both aggressiveness and a sweet touch.  Coming off the bench, sophomore Ashley O’Malley from Crown Point made several impressive hustle plays.  Dating from 1856, Wilberforce University, located near Dayton, Ohio, is named for British abolitionist William Wilberforce and is the oldest historically black college in the United States.  Its alumni include March on Washington organizer Bayard Rustin and opera star Leontyne Price.

Trivia Night: on stage Robin Rich dedicates a set of questions to Michael Chary's memory

I spent Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon in Miller.  For the tenth annual Temple Israel Trivia Night, Diane Chary decorated our table with Philadelphia Eagles banners and other paraphernalia in honor of Fred and my team going to the Superbowl.  I wasn’t much help except in the music and quotations categories.  I identified Procol Haram as the group that recorded “Whiter Shade of Pale” and recognized quotations by Clarence Darrow, John Donne, and Charles Dickens.  The only one we missed – “opinions are like assholes, everybody has one” -  was from Clint Eastwood in “Dirty Harry.”  Nancy Cohen nailed the questions about flowers, but none of us knew much of anything in the zombie movies category, putting us out of the running.   One category had to do with concerts held at the recently demolished Star Plaza.  Three I actually attended, Cheap Trick, Bette Midler, and B.B. King, the latter as part of a House Rockin’ Blues Night the Farag brothers produced and also starring Albert King, Lonnie Brooks, Lonnie Mack, Bobby Blue Bland, and Buddy Guy.  We didn’t get home until near dawn.

Greg Reising

It was standing room only at an Aquatorium memorial service for Tom Eaton presided over by Greg Reising, who noted that Tom left behind over a thousand bottles of wine, some quite valuable.  George Rogge, Gene Ayers, and others noted Tom’s indefatigable efforts on behalf of numerous Miller organizations, including the MCC and the garden club.  I noted his love of Gary high school basketball, his culinary prowess, that he and Pat Cronin were in our bridge group, and that he took yearly trips to Rio and gave me invaluable pointers prior to my trip there.  I added that we were both fans of the Brazilian soccer teams, and that I’d be thinking of him and wearing my Brasilia shirt during the upcoming World Cup.  I’d almost worn it under my sweater and wish I had, especially after Greg Reising stripped down to a “Hillary in 2016” t-shirt while describing Tom as a liberal Democrat.

"Despacito"

The Grammys got off to a rousing start, with performances by Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga.  For an hour I watched “Victoria” with Toni, but I switched back to the Grammys in time for a duet between Elton John and Miley Cyrus and a spectacular rendering of “Despacito” featuring several dozen sexy dancers backing Puerto Ricans Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.  Bruno Mars was the big winner.  The Rolling Stones won their tenth Grammy in the “Best Traditional Blues Album” for “Blue and Lonesome.”  The group didn’t collect their first one, believe it or not, until 1978.

IU Northwest Emeritus Professor of Geology Mark Reshkin, 84, passed away.  Bruce Rowe, public information officer at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, was one of many former students who eulogized him in the Moeller Funeral Home guest book:

    Mark Reshkin (he was always Dr. Reshkin to me) touched my family’s life in so many ways. He was a colleague and friend of my father Lloyd Rowe at IU Northwest for many years. They and their wives even took a couple of vacations together to the state of Maine where Mark had worked and my parents grew up. Mark was also a professor of mine in Grad School and encouraged me to do an internship at the national lakeshore where he had been the Chief Scientist some years before. During the internship, I fell in love with the National Park Service and was lucky enough to make it my career. It would not have happened without Mark. He touched so many lives in the region and has left a rich legacy in both the environmental and academic communities.

At Moeller Funeral Home in Valparaiso, I ignored the open casket, offered condolences to daughter Karen and was pleased that two old colleagues from IUN’s Geology department (which Mark founded), Tim Stabler and Bob Votaw, were in attendance.  I mentioned Mark having donated materials to the Calumet Regional Archives and appearing (as I do) in the documentary “Shifting Sands.”  In an interview for Paul Kern and my history of IU Northwest, Reshkin told me:

I arrived at IU’s Gary Center, which consisted of just one small building, in May of 1964.  The first year, I taught two days in Gary and two days in South Bend.  My first office was a storeroom between the science lab and the art room, shared with three others.  Mobiles hung over the tables.  I clashed with the art instructor and within a year the room became Geology’s.  I was listed in the catalogue under Geology as assistant chairman.  I’d go to Bloomington weekly for meetings.  I’d leave at 5 a.m. and start back around ten after spending evenings with Chairman John Patten.  About midnight I’d be near Lafayette and roll down the window and sing to stay awake the remaining 90 miles.

Allie Buelow interviewed bridge player George Buelow, whom she labeled a not-so-ordinary individual.  

George started playing bridge with his dad when he was a teenager but soon stopped because his sister and mom no longer wanted to participate.  He claimed that they didn’t like constantly losing, but he may have just been bragging.  George played again when in college, but at first it was difficult to find three others who knew how to play. After teaching dorm mates how to play and set up competitive tournaments every Thursday. He had always been a big fan of strategy games, but bridge was at a whole new level. One could know all the strategies in the world, but if you and your partner aren’t on the same page, then it messes up the whole system. He claimed it was tricky to pick a partner because arguments could threaten a friendship.  Better, he said, to pick someone that you aren’t that close to.

In high school George played varsity football and Michelle was a cheerleader. They were dating for 8 years before getting married, the love of his life. George stopped playing bridge after college and didn’t get back into it until a few years ago. On a cruise, he noticed on the itinerary for the day that there’d be a bridge tournament on the lower deck. He begged his wife to be his partner but she kept refusing, so he went alone in hopes of another person without a partner. Luckily, he did.  The tournament lasted a good six hours. He didn’t realize the time had gone by because he was having so much fun. Afterwards, he and his partner went to dinner with their wives, who, coincidentally, had met each other at an art show the previous day. They bonded so well on that cruise (see below) that they are still in touch to this day.

Michelle usually refuses to play with George, claiming he’d get upset if she wasn’t paying attention to bidding signals and plays. She explained that it wasn’t that she hated the game, it was the competition factor. She doesn’t like being upset and believes games should be for fun. Also, the tournaments last too long, but she likes that George can go and have fun. She prefers bingo.

          In 2018 George and Michelle have three cruises planned for their fiftieth wedding anniversary, including one to Alaska. For George, it will offer an opportunity to relax and hopefully play bridge. George also enjoys crossword puzzles and books. In the summer, he likes to sail on a lake near their house and ride a pontoon boat. He enjoys baking new recipes and changing the favorites to healthier options. I can attest that George makes the best pumpkin pie.  He also likes to garden although two years in a row deer and rabbits destroyed his garden. Now he lays out carrots and lettuce across the street so the animals will leave it alone.

George Buelow

Shannon Davis interviewed Mary Kocevar, who grew up in Glen Park, across from IU Northwest.

Asked about childhood memories, Mary said, “One thing I looked forward to was taking a night drive on Sundays after dinner. We’d all pile in the family car and go get ice cream. In the summer, we’d spend all day enjoying the summer sun and the cool lake water at Miller Beach.”  Village Shopping Center was not far from Mary’s house.  She recalled: “J.C. Penny was the place we shopped, and I even worked there when in school.”

Mary attended IU Northwest at a time when there was only one building, Gary Main. After she obtained a degree, Mary taught in Merrillville for 43 years at all levels between kindergarten and sixth grade.  She learned that the trick was to always remain calm and never lash out. She recalled: “It is best to make friends with the other teachers so you all can collaborate on ideas about what and how to teach.  It is a great support system for when you are overwhelmed or not sure of how to handle something. The parents can be hard to handle. They might not be giving the child the help they need at home. These situations need to be handled extremely carefully. You dare not overstep but you want what is best for the student. I tried to always be respectful and understand that the parents might work often and long. Have that open communication and let them know their kid’s safety and best interest is always number one for you.”

Mary learned how to play bridge in her early 20s but after a few years stopped and did not take it up again until after she retired.  She took lessons at the Hobart senior center and said, “It all began to come back to me slowly. This was a game that I had to practice at often to get back into the rhythm.” I started playing in tournaments, which were hard to get used to in the beginning. My favorite memory was placing third in a sectional.”  Mary plays twice during the week and at different spots weekends, including in Gary. She enjoys out-of-town tournaments as an opportunity to renew acquaintances. She told me, “This game is very strategic and you and your partner need to have an idea of what you are going to do. You need to employ strategy in communicating with nonverbal signals without entirely giving what you have away.  I also like that people find time to socialize with one another - unlike now, where, so often, people just turn to their phones or social media.”

            Mary began teaching a bridge lesson once a week. It was a chance to make use of her teaching experience. Talking with her showed me how much fun bridge can be if you know what you are doing and get along with the people with whom you are playing. Her best advice, whether playing bridge or teaching, is to develop patience.

Jessica Collins and Shelby Carter (above) kept a log of their interaction with bridge players Charlie Halberstadt and Naomi Goodman.  Here are excerpts:

On October 1, 2017, we met with Charlie and Naomi at Sunrise Restaurant in Chesterton and interviewed them about their personal lives and bridge experiences. Naomi grew up in Queensland, Australia, moved to Missouri and then Northwest Indiana, has two children and two grandchildren, and has lived in Hammond, Munster, and Valparaiso.  Charlie grew up on the Main Line of Philadelphia and has lived in Northwest Indiana since he was 21.  He has one child and has played bridge intermittently since his 20s.  Naomi started playing bridge because of her husband.  When he was a graduate student, he had to wait for computer programs to run, so he and others played bridge to pass the time. He started up again when he retired, and that was when Naomi learned.  That’s how she first met Charlie and after her husband died, they eventually became partners.

Throughout the Fall 2017 semester, we kept up an email correspondence with Naomi and Charlie to check on their lives and weekly bridge games and have gotten to know them on a personal level. Below are excerpts from our email correspondence:

        October 10 (Jessica and Shelby): Hello Naomi and Charlie, thanks again for meeting up with us last weekend; we enjoyed speaking with you. We'd like to come see you play some Wednesday in Valparaiso.
        October 11 (Naomi): Hi, Jessica and Shelby, We enjoyed our brunch with you the other Sunday.  Tomorrow we are having an oak tree planted in a Valparaiso park in memory of my husband Dan, who died five years ago.  My grandchildren and I went together to the Jurassic Park exhibit at the Field Museum.  It's for kids of all ages, those who are old enough to remember the movie of 25 years ago, and those fascinated by dinosaurs.  In bridge, Charlie and I started the week on a high note Monday by coming in first in the Michigan City game.  It was particularly satisfying because this week, the A, B, and C groups (according to points owned) played together, and we beat the A players as well. We will both be at the Valparaiso game at Banta Center next week.  We probably won't be playing together because Charlie is director and a “floater” who only plays if an odd number show up.

October 17 (Shelby): Naomi, I am glad that you got to spend time with your family. It is awesome that your grandkids love to read! I babysit a 13-year-old girl, and it is a struggle to get her off her phone. Both Jess and I are Harry Potter enthusiasts. We are both very sorry to hear about your husband, but we are glad that you were with family when you planted a tree in his memory.                
        October 24 (Naomi):  Charlie likes to play other games, including chess.  Last month at the Michigan City Senior Center chess championship he came in first (of eight players.)  Then the next week, he came last.  He must do better when the pressure is on! We played again at Michigan City on Monday.  We go to that game whenever possible. I played at Banta Center last week with a friend, Lila, and will play this week with another partner, Vickie.  We went to Michigan to spend time with Charlie's extended family at a "cottage" on Lake Michigan.  It' a very informal games weekend, board games, strategy games, card games and word games.  Nothing too serious.  Lots of fun, and good food, and walks along the lake. My grandson likes the Percy Jackson series.  Both have read the Harry Potter books. I just read The Maze Runner and think it would be a suitable book both would enjoy.  I didn't like the movie made from the book - lots left out that takes away from how the characters work together to solve their situation.

November 1 (Shelby):  I hope you have had a great week. Did you do anything special for Halloween? Both Jess and I had class last night, so we did not get to do much. Since you play bridge in several locations, do you usually play against the same players or does the competition vary a lot?  Also Naomi, how do you decide who you are going to be playing with at Banta Center, is it just whoever is available or do you have certain days with certain partners? Both Jess and I have been pretty stressed.  Since we both work and go to school full time, it can be overwhelming. I have read the Percy Jackson series and loved it. I also liked the Maze Runner series more than I thought. I agree the movie really did not compare to the books at all. Unfortunately, that tends to happen when a series is made into a movie.

Nov. 5 (Jessica): Where have you worked and have you traveled outside of Indiana for bridge? How often and where have you been? Talk to you soon!!

Nov. 7 (Naomi): My first job was as a high school teacher in Queensland, Australia, in the Brisbane area. The school was small, about 400 students in a farming area, and school was very important to the students and their families.  As I teacher I got to know most of the students, even the ones I didn't teach.   I was qualified to teach English, Geography, and Math.  Queensland is about one sixth the area of the U.S.  At that time, it had a population of 1.5 million.  There were mostly small schools scattered throughout this huge area, so high school teachers were required to be qualified in at least three subjects. After four years, I moved to Sydney to study for a graduate degree in library science.  While doing that, I met my future husband, an American.  I worked at the University of Sydney library after graduation.  We arrived in the US during a severe recession, so it took me three years to get my first job here, in the Hammond Public Library.  I stayed home while my children were young, then worked for 20 years in the Valparaiso University law school library, first as a reference and teaching librarian, later looking after the technical services area, which involves providing books, periodicals, online publications, and running the library system.  We haven’t gone to many tournaments but did play at an ACBL national competition in Chicago.  As well as high level competition, there were games for all levels down to beginners - us. It was a fun experience, especially as we were "on our game" that day and came in first in our beginners' game.  When I visit my brother and sister-in-law in Australia, I play with them at their duplicate bridge club.  That's fun, and I enjoy playing with my brother.  We didn't "play well together" as kids, so we must be improving.  There are differences in bidding but it's easy to assimilate.  We just have to agree which way we will do it, before we start.

Nov. 8 (Shelby): So far I am certified to teach US and world history, as well as government.

Nov. 10 (Naomi): Jessica and Shelby,you asked in a previous email, how do Charlie and I decide when we play together. The answer is, whenever we can, including at Michigan City and Chesterton. I decided when I started coming to the Valparaiso game that I would play with Vickie Voller whenever possible.  If she's not around, I sometime ask another friend, or I just come and sometimes play with Charlie or whoever needs a partner.

Nov. 12 (Shelby): You had asked where Jessica and I work, and we actually both babysit! I have babysat a 13-year-old girl for almost 3 years now regularly throughout the week. And Jessica babysits 3 little boys a couple times a week! We both love babysitting, but it definitely can be stressful.

Nov. 12 (Naomi): Babysitting can be stressful.  The families are lucky to have someone they have confidence in who can come on a regular basis. Visiting this Wednesday works well.  Charlie gets there about 10 a.m. to set up.  I will make sure I'm there by 10:30.  We don't play together this week.  I will play with my friend, Vickie Voller. The game starts at 11 sharp. We look forward to seeing you then.

Nov. 15 (Naomi): Hi, Shelby and Jessica, I was happy that you made it to today's game.  Hope you enjoyed it and had some questions answered. Vickie and I had a good day, tied for second.  We also came second last time we played.  More importantly, we enjoyed playing together.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving even though you will be busy studying for finals.

Bridge at Banta Center, Charlie Halberstadt, director

Nov. 15 (Shelby): Thank you for having us today!  We really enjoyed ourselves and liked meeting the people you play with every week.  It definitely gave us a better understanding of how bridge works. We both were shocked that the games go on for 4 hours!  We had no clue. We both are glad we had the opportunity to come!

Nov. 15 (Jessica): I thought it was interesting to see bridge actually being played. There were aspects that I did not comprehend when talked about in class, but visualizing it made me understand it better. I also was able to get questions answered, like what the director does while everyone is playing, where the money goes that is collected, and also how long bridge takes.  Overall, I can see that bridge is a good time-passer and creates a nice social atmosphere to keep in touch and make friends.

After thoughts (Shelby and Jessica): After staying in contact with Charlie and Naomi throughout this semester, we learned a lot about their lives and about bridge and why they play.  The personal connection kept us involved and able to ask more questions. Overall, we really enjoyed Charlie and Naomi, and can see ourselves learning to play when we have the time. 

Having finished his bike trip, Aaron Davis (above) reported:

      Should you see me in Fort Wayne in the near future, be not afraid. It's not the ghost of one devoured by a puma, nor the specter of a man flattened by a large truck upon which you've laid eyes. I've been back in town for about 24 hours now, after 99 days on the road. I made it as far as El Paso, Texas (almost 3000 miles by my route) before I ran low enough on funds and willpower to dissuade me from venturing further. All things considered, I'm inclined to declare my journey a success, insofar as one can succeed at wandering. What I suppose I mean is that I think the rewards, subtle and unquantifiable as most of them are, will prove to be worth the investment. Beyond that, as difficult and uncomfortable as this trip generally was, it went relatively smoothly. I never got sick, injured, or lost; my only mechanical issues were flat tires; all of the people I met were friendly and generous; and the weather was not nearly as bad as it could have been. Time will tell whether I'll ever do another bike tour. Although I've already invested in all the gear, and have little doubt that my desire to see more of the world will not perish anytime soon, I'm too weary right now to even imagine putting myself through such a grueling endeavor again. But, of course, we humans are blessed with the ability to forget. So, should the passage of time convince me that riding a bike dozens of miles every day couldn't really be that tough, I will presumably benefit from some of what I learned this time around. 

      What did I learn? I learned that I'd rather climb hills or ride in the rain than face a stiff headwind. It's like running underwater - completely demoralizing. I learned that the odor of an industrial chicken farm is effectively indistinguishable from that of roadkill, and only the former actually made me gag. Not sure how that will ever be useful, but it's something I know now. I learned that I can bike more than 200 miles with 10,000 feet of climbing in three days, without losing my sanity (or what semblance of sanity I ever had) in the process. I learned that Google maps doesn't know better than to direct bicyclists onto gravel or dirt roads, or even private roads that have gates across them. Considering that Google is likely to rule the world relatively soon, I consider this to be mildly disconcerting.