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Linguists Return for Their First Reunion
April
2001
by Yuki
Takatori '97PhD
It w as
2:00 p.m., November 10, when I opened the door on 270 Crown Street
to the Haskins Laboratories, where I once worked as a research assistant.
I had returned to New Haven for the first linguistics reunion, and
the big turnout for the tour of Haskins, the cradle of much important
research, bode well for the forthcoming main event.
Two hours later,
the reunion officially began with opening remarks by department chair Stephen
Anderson and a welcome by Graduate School dean Susan Hockfield. Listening to
her praise for him, I reflected upon the way he had reinvigorated the department
after his predecessors had saved it from extinction.
There followed a
panel on historical linguistics, and the attendees ranged from recent graduates
to those who graduated before I was born. After a social hour at the Sterling
Library, we were ushered to dinner and entertained by New York University linguistics
professor Paul Postal, who treated us to a wonderful talk about the use of the
word "squat."
The next day began
with a panel on phonetics. It became clear that while there is still a strong
tendency to relegate phonetics to footnote status, there is increasing recognition
for the field.
In the afternoon
session on "Endangered Languages," panelists made a plea to save the many languages
that are on the brink of disappearance. In the final session of the day -- "What
can you do with a linguistics degree?" -- the lineup consisted of a lexicographer,
a consultant, and an actress-belly dancer, demonstrating just how versatile
linguists can be.
Later that afternoon,
I strolled near campus and noted that although the bookstore has been transformed
from a nondescript establishment into a fashionable, upscale store, most other
businesses have remained virtually unchanged. This made me nostalgic for the
"good old days" of my time at Yale.
The last dinner was
held in the dinosaur room of the Peabody Museum. At my table, nonlinguistic
subjects, such as an unsolved murder case and a famous hamburger restaurant
that some thought was overrated, dominated the dinner talk. Some indefatigable
graduate students even went out for late-night bowling!
The first
linguistics reunion has definitely been a reminder that those who
came before me in the department have made many contributions in
all areas of the discipline. I came away with a renewed sense of
pride and responsibility, and a determination to make my own mark.
I was happy to be a witness to and participant in such a gathering,
as the department enters the new century. |
