It isn’t every day that you meet somebody who has toured with a famous rock band, owns a farm, and currently resides in a college campus dorm. However, the anthropologist Dean LoMonaco has done all these things, and my first encounter with her constitutes one of my most significant experiences since my arrival at Transy.
One night, during August Term, I was looking around the cafeteria for a table to eat dinner. I chose a table at which two RAs and one girl from my class were sitting. Although I was still trying to meet new people, I was not expecting the Dean of Students to sit down next to me. She greeted the RAs by name and then asked mine. After asking us about August Term and Transy in general, one of the RAs said that she should tell us about her experiences with the band U2. She recounted how she met them at a concert, and then one of the members recognized her again as “the anthropologist.” She ended up touring with them as she educated them about specific anthropological themes.
Her experiences, accomplishments, and ambitiousness gave me insight to the possibilities of the liberal arts education. This conversation showed me that one does not have to travel far to find adventure and success. This dinner also presented to me the perks of attending a small school where the Dean of Students knows me personally, and this familiarity gives me the sense of accomplishment and inclusiveness in the Transylvania community.
Great article. I wish I could go to school at Transy. Too bad I am so old and already have my degree. Way to go Malory!!!!