Stanford Report, June 15, 2005

Cardinal Chronicle

BY MICHAEL PEÑA

Throughout Commencement, graduates guffawed at quips imbedded in the otherwise inspirational speeches during the ceremony, such as when STEVE JOBS mused on the first Mac's multiple typefaces and how every computer now has them, because "Windows just copied the Mac." (Many also cheered at that point.) Or when he summed up a quote that made a big impression on him when he was just 17: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." And in his intro of Jobs, President JOHN HENNESSY talked about the keynote speaker and STEVE WOZNIAK developing the prototype for the Apple I, which was "very fast at the time, reading and writing 4K bytes in about 20 seconds." The accomplished electrical engineering professor went on to say how computers process data more than 1,000 times faster nowadays.

What better way to thank the Stanford Dining staff than with a year-end feast? Last Thursday, Residential and Dining Enterprises held its annual staff-appreciation luncheon at Wilbur Field, where workers enjoyed barbecue, kicked around soccer balls and raffled off ice coolers and portable fans. But organizers also doled out a bit of individual recognition, too. CHRISTINE GABALI, who along with Dr. ERNESTO GAONA runs R&DE's Workplace English Literacy (WEL) program, handed out certificates to 11 employees who proved their dedication to learning by attending classes all year. More basic than ESL, WEL is geared toward non-native staff who may not even be fully literate in their own language. Supervisors refer workers to the program, which also touches on health and cultural literacy. Last week, 20 Stanford Housing employees also received certificates at the Elliott Program Center.

In April, a 22-year-old Law School student collapsed while out jogging on Escondido Road. JACOB LEMIEUX, also a graduate student, was nearby and quickly administered CPR, which he had learned almost two years before while on the Dartmouth College ski patrol team. Stanford Police Chief LAURA WILSON is convinced that Lemieux saved the jogger's life, and on June 8, both she and the Palo Alto Fire Department chief awarded Lemieux with plaques at a small ceremony at the university's Department of Public Safety. Wilson said the incident serves as a good reminder of the importance of seeking CPR training. "His knowledge of CPR and decision to act instantly basically saved the student's life," she said. "Jacob will tell you, it is a life-altering experience to save someone else's life."