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.)