Northeastern University - Cauldron Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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Djerassi stops for a quick word with Assistant Track Coach Everett Baker. He whirls aroun d in a circle to gain momentum and strength to throw the 35-pound weight (top right) and tosses it over 50 feet in a practice seccion in the Cabot Cage, bottom. Northeastern s track team has re- ceived New England attention the past several years and Boris Dov Djerassi can claim a portion of the credit. Djerassi, whose nickname Dov means bear in Hebrew, has won the Greater Boston Championship, the New England Championship, and IC4A titles in both the 35- pound weight and hammer throws. And in the NCAAs he is an Ail- American in both events. But Dov has not yet reached his goals. My goal is 70 feet in the weight, said the well-built red- head. I ' ll get it. I ' ve been training like a dog. I do tons of weight- lifting six days a week. The Big Bear is a connoisseur in his field. He studies his sport as a scholarly student would study his books. And he realizes that weight lifting is an important factor in his success. I do power lifting — squats, dead lifts, and the bench press, said Dov. You ' ve got to have strong muscles to throw the weight. Weight-lifting increases the size of the muscle fibers and also increas- es my endurance level. Right now I ' m stronger than I ever was. Djerassi is keeping abreast of track around the world. In the sum- mer of 1974 he visited Europe to learn more about training tech- niques. He claims the trip aided him immensely. The Europeans know what ' s go- ing on in the hammer, he said. Americans aren ' t doing garbage as far as the hammer technique is concerned. The Russians and Ger- mans are 30 years ahead of us in techniques. The only thing that keeps us ahead in competition is our overall talent. Djerassi ' s aim is to participate in the 1976 Olympics in his favorite event — the hammer. And knowing the Bear ' s record, there is no rea- son to believe he won ' t be there. — Glenn Feldman 145

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Ann and Mary Jasper, identical twins from Rockland, have more energy than most hyperactive six- year-olds. The pair were familiar faces at athletic events the past three years as cheerleaders, urging the crowd to high-pitched en- thusiasm while keeping up the spir- its of the Husky teams. The two, both 21, are also ling- uists, speaking French, Spanish, Russian, and some Portuguese. Majors in both French and in Sec- ondary Education, they ' ve worked for Massport as interpreters, greet- ing flights and helping people at customs. It is the most inter- esting job we have ever had, Ann said. The passengers are so grateful for our help. Mary agreed adding, In this job, we . . . get a lot of satisfaction in being able to help other people. They sound like the girls next door but are genuinely interested in people. They always have a kind word and a smile for people they meet, said one admirer. The twins do most things togeth- er although each has developed separate interests. No longer do they wear identical clothes but choose clothes to show their indi- viduality. Graduates of Rockland H.S., they both plan to go into teaching. — Jack Goldberg Mary, left, and Ann Jasper Traditionally, students who rack up high academic averages at the end of their college careers fall into two categori es: scholars and work- horses. Mary Wessling, a Liberal Arts-Journalism major who won the Junior Ring Award for the woman with the highest scholastic average (3.963) takes a different approach. She ' s a self-admitted crammer. The only way I get things done is under pressure, she said. I don ' t set aside a certain number of hours each day to study. I don ' t think grades are any indication of intelligence. Mary ' s academic modus operandi is practiced and methodical rather than frenzied, however. A B-average student in high school, she attributes her high college standing to her training and experience as a journalist. For three years, she has worked for the Quincy Patriot Ledger, both parttime and fulltime as a co- op student. Starting out writing obituaries and small announce- ments, she graduated to covering town meetings along the South Shore. Mary has written several by- lined feature stories. Working for ' The Patriot Ledger ' has helped me a great deal with my school work, Mary said. After you learn how to write a story under deadline pres- sure, taking a class exam is a lot easier. The experience has paid off well for Mary, a lifelong resident of Quincy. She has never received a grade lower than a B , and she has continuously made the Dean ' s List. In addition to winning the Jun- ior Ring Award, she has also re- ceived the President ' s Award for high scholastic achievement and is a member of The Academy, the Lib- eral Arts honor society. In her spare time, Mary said she liked to read and play the piano badly. — M. Onieal 144

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Running around Students are more likely to imag- ine Gary Goshgarian wearing a space suit than gym shorts. Robert B. Parker should be slinking around lampposts rather than a track oval. But the two, close friends and teachers of two of the most popular courses in the university, run every day, punishing their bodies in an attempt to stay in shape while dis- peling the myth of nonathletic Eng- lish professors. Parker, author of the two detec- tive novels, The Godwulf Manu- script and God Save The Child, teaches The Novels of Violence, Parker, left, pushes himself to catch up with Goshgarian during one of their afternoons at the Northeastern Cage. a course that traces the devel- opment of the fictional hero who is unique to America. The course at- tracts students interested in the western and mystery genres as well as those intrigued by the chance to have Parker, a budding novelist who successfully practices what he preaches, for a professor. Science Fiction may be the best known course on campus. Goshgarian has attracted students who not only want to learn about science fiction but want to have a good time doing it. Capt. Gary, as he is known to his classes, is usual- ly only too glad to oblige. There is no reason for a class to be boring for a student to learn, he said, so he goes out of his way to make the classes interesting. A slide show containing science fiction material and including a slide of Goshgarian in a superman costume with a big G across the front is featured. Orson Welles ' s recording of War of the Worlds or an original shtick on the landing of a space ship done in five differ- ent languages might be on the agenda. Goshgarian claims to carry 65 per cent of the English enrollment in his class during a quarter. The 635 students in his class during Spring, 1974, tend to bear him out. Goshgarian talks of trying to change science fiction ' s channel 56 reputation of horror beasties. Much of it is very moralistic, he said. It tells of the dangers of a technological society. Writing is something I know how to do, said Parker, explaining why he started the Spenser series. There is a mystique to writing that is undeserved. I wrote God Save The Child while sitting around the kitchen, talking to the kids and watching the Watergate hearings, he said. Parker is waiting for his third Spenser novel to come out and is about to start work on the fourth. In addition a screenplay is underway and plans are laid to write a history of King Philip ' s War. Sports Illus- trated Training With Weights, a book on weight lifting, was released in 1974. I am interested in the subject of the American hero and in the con-