Staff Spotlight

  1. September 20, 2004

    Spotlight: Covering ground with the marathon man

    Imagine this: It’s 2 a.m. You’ve been riding your bike non-stop for 18 hours. Your muscles are screaming. You’ve sweated all you can. People are dropping out all around you to sleep, vomit or just quit. Somehow, amidst all of this, you manage to be glad that you drove the four hours and forked over…
  2. September 13, 2004

    Spotlight: Windows on the computing world

    It was the first week of classes, and scores of students realized that—oh no!—they needed software for their computers. And they needed it soon. They rushed into the Computer Showcase in the Union, in search of a deal and a quick way to cross one item off their to-do lists. Phil Harding, right, helps Bojan…
  3. September 7, 2004

    Spotlight: Getting a move on

    Marcus D. Weemes is an easy man to recognize—big smile, friendly face and an unforgettably pleasant demeanor. But try to find him during student move-in at Mary Markley Hall and you’re in for a lengthy search. Marcus Weemes stays steady in the flurry of activity during student move-in at Markley Hall. (Photo by Martin Vloet,…
  4. August 16, 2004

    Spotlight: All cleaned up: Pearly white comedy

    She may not utilize the same four-letter flaunting that brought fame to comedy greats like Chris Rock and George Carlin. But with her brand of “clean comedy” and the help of her alter ego, Miss Spitfire, Kimberly Smith is lighting up smiles all over town. Kimberly Smith as “Miss Spitfire,” below, and in more traditional…
  5. July 19, 2004

    Spotlight: The music man, with strings attached

    If you had asked John Sargent five years ago what his hobby was, he would have had a hard time telling you. But with the help of a few good how-to books and plenty of trial and error, today Sargent is the proud maker of more than two-dozen archtop guitars. (Photo by Marcia Ledford, U-M…
  6. July 6, 2004

    Spotlight: A gold-medal archive

    The year was 1900, the city was Paris and the Olympians from U-M won three silver medals in the city of lights. (Photo by Paul Jaronski, U-M Photo Services) Fast forward a century to Sydney, where a contingent of 15 Wolverines competed, including several who won gold and notched Olympic and world records. These feats,…
  7. June 21, 2004

    Spotlight: On cue

    Green felt stands out against dark wood paneling. The clack of the cue ball hitting the numbered billiard balls is followed by a soft thud as one falls into the pocket. U-M football teams, dating back to 1898, stare down from their frames on the wall. (Photo by Paul Jaronski, U-M Photo Services) This is…
  8. June 7, 2004

    Spotlight: All aboard

    In recent decades, railroads have taken a backseat to jumbo jets and SUVs in the transportation world. Tom Cornillie is looking to reexamine the legacy of America’s railroads with a book investigating their role in forming communities, shaping regional economics and employing thousands of workers. (Photo by Martin Vloet, U-M Photo Services) “Railroads shaped communities…
  9. May 24, 2004

    Spotlight: The gift of sound

    Books served as a bonding agent with David Erdody and his father. When his dad’s vision was threatened as a result of diabetes, Erdody started to think of a way visually impaired and physically challenged people could continue to enjoy reading. (Photo by Martin Vloet, U-M Photo Services) Erdody, a computer systems specialist at the…
  10. May 10, 2004

    Spotlight: Groundskeeper given a new lease on life

    Don Griffis is a live-your-life-to-the-fullest kind of guy. He’s an eternal optimist, even when he was diagnosed with astrocytoma—a tumor in the inner core of his brain—the same week he found out his wife was pregnant with their first child, even when a biopsy confirmed the tumor was cancerous, and even when his medications forced…