Grain & Chaff

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Assistant professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures Robert G. Sullivan was honored at the 38th International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo, Mich., May 8-11 with a special session dedicated to his book "Justice and the Social Context of Early Middle High German Literature" (Rout-ledge, 2001). The gathering is one of the largest academic conferences in the nation with approximately 3,000 participants meeting annually at Western Michigan University. Among the attendees this year was James E. Cathey, professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures, who delivered a paper on "Bernlef and the Heliand." ... Distinguished University Professor Lynn Margulis and graduate student Jessie Gunnard, both of Geosciences teamed with graduate student Andrew Weir of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to write the featured article in the May issue of Natural History. The piece, "Mycological Maestros," hypothesizes that "termite agriculture preceded termite cities" and locates one path via which "lower termites" might have evolved -and might still evolve - into "higher termites." ... Interim Vice Chancellor for Outreach John Mullin delivered the keynote speech at a conference on affordable rental housing in South Portland, Maine, May 13. Mullin said affordable rental housing makes sense economically, as well as socially.

"I want you to think of housing making money for the community," he said.

Remembering Emmie Tippo

Emmie Fernas Tippo, 87, widow of former chancellor Oswald Tippo, died March 22 at the Emerald-Hogeson Hospital in Sewanee, Tenn. An Amherst resident for 39 years, she moved to Tennessee in October.

She had been president of the Amherst Women's Club and was involved in the group's philanthropic activities.

Both her husband and a son, Ray Ethan Tippo, died in 1999.

She leaves a son, Denis Robert Tippo of Monteagle, Tenn.; four grandchildren; four step-grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Oswald Tippo Library Endowment Fund in memory of Emmie Tippo, W.E.B. Du Bois Library.

A memorial service is planned for September in Amherst.

Feeble protest

One of 36 National Public Radio affiliates targeted for a May 14 protest of the network's reporting on Israel, WFCR saw only three people gather outside its offices at the appointed time. All were University students. The event was organized to draw attention to what participants say are negative portrayals of Israel.

David Mednicoff, assistant professor of Legal Studies, told the Daily Hampshire Gazette that the protestors don't represent most area Jews or Israel supporters and that NPR's coverage of such issues is among the best in the nation.

No writer's block

Alumnus Francis J. McInerney, '85, of South Hadley is listed as Amazon.com's seventh most prolific online book and video reviewer. Although McInerney didn't get paid to write his 879 reviews to date, he told the Boston Globe in a May 20 story about him that he now receives advanced copies of books from some authors and publishers.