An SNHU Wonder: Dr. Jim Walter’s Office
By Fred Lord, School of Liberal Arts
In an Arthur C. Clarke story, alien archaeologists of the far future are unearthing Earth, searching for clues of what long-extinct human beings looked like. With great delight they discover a canister of 8 mm film. Their advanced technology quickly translates this crude video into sounds and moving images, and there we are: Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy.
Culture Schlock Prof. Jim Walter’s office is a treasure trove of pop culture memorabilia – and a popular campus sightseeing stop.
16 | The Extra Mile | Fall 2008
We’d like to think our culture will be remembered for its classic art, profound literature and breathtaking architecture, but personal effects are often more humble. Which says more about our values, an Augustus SaintGaudens statue of Lincoln, or an Ozzy Osbourne bobblehead doll? Which is the
better indicator of our tastes, a Shaker basket or a Brady Bunch lunch box? Frost 219, at a corner on the second floor, is a cul-de-sac of such cultural bric-a-brac. It is the office of Dr. Jim Walter, professor of sociology, faculty member since 1981. As expected, it is lined with bookshelves and files. But it is also a mini-museum of knickknacks and artifacts, mementoes and memorabilia, kitsch and sculch. To your right, as you enter, you notice the striking resemblance between a small mask of Howdy Doody and a cardboard cut-out of former President Bill Clinton, holding a