A Tribute to Mike Arons By Chris Aanstoos
On behalf of the Psychology Department, I'd like to send this brief memorial to Mike Arons, our former colleague, friend and mentor, who died on February 18.
As anyone who knew him would surely attest, Mike left a huge impact on all he touched. For the university, he founded a program in humanistic psychology when he arrived in 1967 to Chair the department. At that time West Georgia was a rather inconsequential place. He quickly turned it into a destination school for students and faculty from throughout the world.
Ever the organizer/disorganizer, leader/anarchist, serious/playful, Mike embraced alterity in all its forms, pre-forms, and wild being. To the extent that one's eyes are a window to one's soul, it was easy to see Mike's soul. His eyes twinkled with sheer delight. He approached the world with the wonder of a child and got in return the benefit of living "full tilt, all-out, all the time" while also getting to live into a ripe old age and die peacefully with his wife and daughter by his side.
Even after his retirement, he continued to be invited to lecture at universities and conferences on several continents. I was just on a panel at a conference in Italy with him last June. Even more recently, he'd been lecturing annually in China on creativity and humanistic psychology, in the process re-introducing the Chinese academy to their own Taoist traditions.
But most of all, Mike was a singular teacher, and it was his inspiration of generations of students that is his greatest accomplishment. He had written of one of his own teachers that: "he spoke to a part of me I was yet to
He retired in 2000, then returned to teach one more course, during the Fall
For further information about Mike, and a sample of his publications, refer to the link at the Psychology Department's web site:
A memorial service will take place at Kennedy Chapel Friday, Feb 22, at 4:00 p.m., followed by a gathering at the Psychology Department in Melson Hall.
Perhaps an epilogue is this passage from a poem he had written:
"The night is dark, But what of that? That's home as well Old Alley Cat.
You've done your work And worth a grin, A passing tear, A slug of gin,
And wait, The tricks all turned, The moment pure Now dearly earned."
from "Mating of the Gods" by Mike Arons
------------------------ * published in Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Vol. 32, No. 1, Winter 1992. VERY worth a look. |
September 7, 2007
Homecoming is September 29, 2007
Wouldn't it be amazing if Mr. Foster was looking down
on all this? What do you think he would say if he knew that former residents
were organizing in a way that might just memorialize the good feeling we all had
for him forever, or at least, in a way that would live on as long as they play a
game called football at the University of West Georgia?
That's our opportunity here. In its efforts to raise the needed money for a new
football stadium on the West Georgia campus, the School is seeking donations.
They need another 4 million dollars to realize the dream.
I know they will reach that goal. You and I can help. If just a few of us get
together, we can help them reach that goal, and at the same time, pay tribute to
Mr. Foster and Ethel.
This is so neat!
If just a few of us commit to pledging a little something a year for 5 years,
the school will permanently attach a brass plate with the words "Foster's Store"
on the chair back of two seats. s
Think about that. Picture it. Years from now, somebody walking into a West
Georgia football game and sitting down in one of those chairs, seeing the words,
"Foster's Store" and wondering what it means.
I can think of other chair names relating to my time at West Georgia, but first
things first. All we need here is a total of ten people including myself to make
that pledged of $ 100 a year for 5 years (Or 20 people pledging $50), and make
it in the name of this "Stadium Chair named for Foster's Store."
A few people have already voiced their enthusiasm for this endeavor, other store
mates are already giving in ways well beyond the scope of this individually
small gesture. But if you are like me, and need a little push sometimes,
consider yourself urged to join us in this small way to help out the university
and immortalize the name of Foster's Store at the same time.
Listen, if you are attracted to this idea and would like to be part of it, just
click on the new West Georgia Mascot logo below, an email message will appear
with "I want to Help - Stadium Seats" highlighted in the subject line. Just use
it to reply to me that you want to help, and I'll make sure you get a pledge
card.
The purpose of this website will continue to include the usual insanity, fear not, but we all need to pick up the pace here and see where it will lead. See, I just bought some new software and it's pretty durn powerful and I'm testing it out and will be using the Foster's Store site here as its first guinea pig. Any ideas about what you'd like on this site,....PLEASE!!!! let me know.
contact me Wayne Lankford welank@bellsouth.net
Doug & Jan Putnam have added a whole bunch of photos. I know there are more out there.
Just click on the Ranch and be taken to the new Gallery.
circa 1970
New Photo Gallery
New Friend's of Foster's Page from
Bill Freeman - Click the Draft Card
News December 2006
Store mate O'kelley has New Webpage
Click on Bob's Picture to go to his website.
Click on the peace sign and turn up the sound! You'll be taken to a different site.
MILOVILLE UPDATE
Miloville Creators Lankford, Carmichael, and Harrell, are joined by Catwoman during recent
Research and Development Sabbatical In Dahlonega Georgia.
The Miloville book has a planned release date sometime in Spring of 2007. Stay Tuned!
Oh, Milo has his own webpage now. It's just getting started. Give it some time.
West Georgia Plans Construction of new Football Stadium
Stadium Seats With Foster's Store Name on Brass Plaques Proposed.
Participation Opportunity! Click here!
AMAZING!!!
Yes, it is amazing that old pictures still keep showing up.
Click here to see the "NEW GALLERY"
Get ready for Foster's Store Follow Up Book!
Get Ready for:
Sycamore Place Gallery & Studios
Readings by Store mates and other stuff.
June 24, 2006 Atlanta GA 7 PM
A Capella Books
484-C Moreland Ave. NE
Click pics to Enlarge
Fosterians at A Capella book signing June 24, 2006
Click here to be included on Appearances/Book signings E-mail notification list!
Readers Comments ( Click Here )
The First Atlanta GA Book Signing was held at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library June 17th at 3 PM.
Picture Gallery (click here)
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library
More Pictures to come.
Click here for Jay Ball's Contribution
Click here to be included on E-mail notification list!
Lankford & Carmichael
Double
click Paper to see full story
Be Then Now!
Hortons Carrollton GA Carter Library Atlanta
The First Book signing was April 15, 2006 at Horton's Bookstore in Carrollton GA. Pictures Here!
Milo thinks there's a movie here. To find out why, click on this sentence!
If you've had a chance to read the whole book and would like to post a review or a short comment about the book, click HERE! A blank email document will appear with "Here's a New Review" in the subject line. When I get a few of them, I will post them here for all.
Foster’s Store
A subculture of the
times and of
West Georgia College
Some partied like there was no tomorrow
and for some,
there was no tomorrow
Semi-sociological deja vu
by
The surviving lab rats
Foster’s Store is about coming of age. It is as
much about wild parties and college life as it is
about a place in history where a generation
had it all, but at the same time, “all” turned out
to be so fragile and fleeting for so many. It
wasn’t just another generation discovering its
collective consciousness, but a “new “generation
fully equipped with new flavors of knowledge
and circumstances. We searched for or
stumbled into realities, which put the truths we
were fed and raised on by loving parents from
the Greatest Generation into question. Almost
every truth we’d ever known was now in doubt.
We were a generation raised on fear, taught to
dive under school desks to survive a nuclear
Armageddon and to trust in God if nothing else
worked. We grew up with it, we toed the
company line, but we didn't like the feeling. The
churches said it was OK to kill a commie for
Christ, but for some reason love ended up
feeling better to us than hate. Where did our
parents go wrong? Something had to give and
a lot of things did.
Birth control pills made the sexes equal. The
ways we got our kicks were constantly changing.
At some point out there at Foster’s store
there were more people back from a war than
would ever go. That had never happened
before. The luck of a draw could kill you or save
you. There were things that were inspiring to
some and downright dangerous to others.
Then,. some say it's all a bunch of nonsense.
Disclaimer
This is a book of essays from a whole bunch
of people and the subject matter is from a
a long time ago. A team of investigative
reporters, let alone archaeologists, could not
certify the accuracy of events recounted in
much of this volume. What you have here are
our contributors best recollections, colored
by powerful emotions, of some of the best- and-
worst years of their lives. Therefore, Oak
Valley Press, Inc. disclaims responsibility for
any mishap that might befall any person or
institution as a consequence of these faded
memories being shocked into life by print.
While we are unaware that reading this
volume will produce dangerous side effects
down the road of time, we must warn our
readers of a spreading rumor that eating
certain pages of this tome will cause its masticators
to experience effects not unlike the
accounts described herein.
Crazy idea! However, we have warned you
and therefore deny liability to potential
eaters of this book for any debility should you
disregard our warning and eat the thing
anyway. In Fact, Bon Appetit!