You Become a Different Person

Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a special edition of Arches magazine that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Watson Fellowship, in which we explore the travels, stories, and reflections of Puget Sound’s fellows. For the best viewing experience, download the autumn Arches PDF.

The Orchard

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In 1938, Mary Louise Curran ’36 entered an essay contest that would change her life and her community forever. The topic was “Why I want to live in University Place,” and the goal was to advertise a newly developed subdivision close to the Puget Sound campus. She wrote: 

The Accidental Architect

Detailed sand sculpture depicting sea life, created by Jeff Strong

One day in May, Jeff Strong ’76, P’11, P’13 found himself at the entrance to Tacoma’s Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, preparing to transform more than 100 tons of sand into a giant marine-life sculpture.

From Fleece to Fleek

Anna Bugge ’03

But there, among the fleece pullovers and down jackets, that’s exactly what happened.

She had just graduated from Puget Sound with an English degree and didn’t know what to do next. “I thought I was going to go to law school like my parents did, but my friend, Anni Kelley-Day ’03, had this opportunity to live at her uncle’s apartment in New York,” Anna recalls. “She asked, ‘Why don’t you come with?’ And I did.”

Preserving the Present

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As Puget Sound’s archivist, Adriana manages the college’s archives and special collections, which include everything from rare books and manuscripts to administrative records, student publications, and transcripts of presidents’ speeches. She also serves as a guide to the archives for students and staff and faculty members doing research. But her favorite part of the job is putting items like the beanie into context.