Chowder and Invertebrate Charades (Spring Ogilvie Paul, HMS 2000)

Dr. B,

It would take a novel to really express everything you taught me, so I’ll settle for sharing a memory or two.

I was in your spring 2000 group at Stanford Hopkins Marine Station.  We used to get together at night on the beach after a long day of lectures.  We couldn’t get enough of the beach, and our favorite game was invertebrate charades – a game inspired by your lectures.

One night, we had an idea.  We decided to pick a word, and when you said it the next day in lecture, we’d all bark like sea lions.  We were so proud of ourselves when we chose the word “mouth”, because nearly everything has a mouth, so no matter what you were talking about the next day, you’d be sure to say it at least once.

Well, the next day in lecture, you labeled the mouth on your drawing and spoke the word … and one lone, brave sea lion barked from the back of the classroom.  You turned around, addressed the person who barked, and cracked a joke.  We all laughed nervously and you continued your lecture.  Then you said the word “mouth” again, and this time we all broke out barking.  We had only just stopped when you calmly asked us if there was anything special about the word “mouth.”  We thought we had been so clever, but we couldn’t get anything past you!

I remember the night you made us clam chowder, and we ate it in sourdough bread bowls in the lab.  I remember you sitting with all of us girls one evening watching “Steel Magnolias” on the projector.  I remember when I first showed up at Stanford Hopkins after having my appendix out, you turned to my mom, instead of to me, and asked her what I was allowed and not allowed to do – and I know you did it out of love and with the understanding that I wouldn’t have admitted any restrictions.  I remember you made the TA follow me around the tide pools the next day to make sure I didn’t hurt myself, and while it grated on my nerves to be babied at the time, it shows how much you loved and looked out for each of your students.

Thank You!

Spring Ogilvie Paul

(Spring had Zoo 204 and Marine Biology from Dr. B before going with him to Stanford Hopkins Marine Station in the spring of 2000.  She is currently a stay-at-home mom of three kids, and living in Idaho.)

"Three steps later..." (Ben Werner, OIMB 2007)

Dr. B,

You have given me eyes to see.  I remember one day on the beach in Coos Bay.  The whole class was out on the beach, scattered far and wide.  You walked out to the beach and said, "They think if they go farther away they will find more".  Three steps later you bent over and picked up a jelly fish that had washed up on the shore.  Then you walked over to a boulder and started taking pictures of invertebrates I had not seen until that point.  Not that they were not there, it's just I had not yet looked.  I followed you for 15 minutes to just see how you saw.  I have tried to remember that life is always in front of me, if only I will take a moment to look for it.  The sunset, the invertebrates, things to be grateful for, are always in front of me.

I also need to thank you for helping me learn how to learn.  The lectures, learning to take down every word in notes, and learning to see the detail needed for an illustration have been invaluable to me.  It has allowed me to learn faster and to retain longer.  Your friendship, your example of steady discipleship, and self discipline inspire me.  Thank you.

Ben Werner

OIMB 2007

(I am currently a first year dental student at University of Louisville School of Dentistry and a 2nd Lt in the US ARMY.  My wife Emily and I have been married for 3.5 years and have two children, Autumn Rose (2yrs), and Gideon Duncan (7 mos.))