CYNTHIA ARMBRUSTMACHER BOEKE (Russian). ...

REBECCA GROSS (Russian and English). ...

DR. R BENJAMIN JOHNSTON (Russian). Ben relates the following reminiscenses and information about what he's been up to since graduating Grinnell: "John Mohan used to crack a joke when asked about what you could do with a Russian major. "You could do manage a male strip club, or you could go to medical school. Or, if you're Ben Johnston, you could do both." I think John's best advice when I was considering a Russian major was..."Ben, this is the only time in your life when you can study something you love for the pure joy of studying it. The major is rigorous, but you will be well prepared to do whatever you want after you graduate. If you want to go to law school, be a Russian major and take the required pre-law classes. If you want to go to medical school, be a Russian major and take the required pre-med classes. But don't miss this opportunity to intellectually immerse yourself in something you love and enjoy for four years."
John was wonderful man and made a deep impact on me. And as aside he was right. When I applied to medical school, I got tons of interviews and one of the contributing factors was that I was a Russian major. As described to me by one of the medical school admissions officers, they have stacks of applications on theirs desks. The stacks are sometime two to three fee tall. The largest are the pre-med, biology, and chemistry majors that "have always wanted to be doctor so they could help people." If the admission officers have to sit through hours of interviews, they're going to choose interesting people. "I wonder why the hell a Russian major wants to go to medical school..." and sets the application in the small pile of applicants to the interviewed.
Since graduating from Grinnell I have not used my major other than to occasional surprise some native Russian speaker. I did medical research in the Labs at the University of Chicago, I managed the male strip club (The Sugar Shack in Lake Geneva, WI) and then I went to medical school. In medical school at the University of Illinois, I published several papers and worked giving monthly reviews of the basic science lecture series to the first and second year medical students. I also worked tutoring some of the minority medical students. I graduated from medical school, did two years of surgical training in Tampa, Florida, then completed an emergency medicine residency at Christ Hospital in Chicago. I am currently living in Chicago, and am a partner in a fee for service democratic emergency medicine group at Morris Hospital in Morris Illinois. I recently purchased a 15,000 ft old factory built in 1870-1890 and am renovating it into a commercial building. I do a little recruiting for Grinnell on the side but would like to do more. I have a wonderful wife Leisa, three cats, and a great 13 month old son, Robert Wallace Macgregor Johnston. (He's Scottish is you couldn't tell.) Recently, though arch enemies in the past, the baby and the cats have formed an alliance to vote my wife off the island."
Ben can be contacted by e-mail at: rbenjohnston1@comcast.net.

E. ANN JUSTICE (Russian). ...

HEIDI BRUMBAUGH KENT (Russian). ...

ADONICA A. SENDELBACH (Russian and Political Science). ...

ELLEN E. SNOOK (REES and English). ...

CAROL E. TAYLOR (Russian). ...

ERIC A. WEISS (REES and Economics). ...