David Zimet

Education

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

• One of the many great things about the University of Michigan is the quality and number of student organizations. While doing my time in Ann Arbor I worked with, briefly or otherwise: Animania, JSA, Habitat For Humanity, Knitwits, FYTE, Alpha Phi Omega (service organization, not a greek frat), Circle K, ASB, Dance Marathon, E3W, Gargoyle... I could go on and on. But I won't, because you most likely have no idea what any of these organizations are, and probably couldn't care less regardless.
• Every year, there's a blood drive run competitively between the University of Michigan and the Ohio State University known as Blood Battle, although I'm sure this is hardly the only blood drive known by this name. An interesting fact is that the university that won the Blood Battle would lose the football game that year.
• I can't understand why anybody would go to Michigan without attending at least one football game. Well, okay, maybe I can, but still... it'd be pretty sad.
• I can't say I feel the same way about the hockey games. They're definitely fun, but I think true hockey fanaticsm is an acquired taste, kinda like sourdough bread. Maybe if I'd grown up in Michigan.
• I'd been a pretty enthusiastic bibliophile (greek for "book dude") for years before going to Michigan, but never before had I spent so much money on so few books. Nor since, now that I think about it.
• On that subject, there's a great bookstore in Ann Arbor called "The Dawn Treader." It's expensive for a used bookstore, but they have an insanely large collection.
• As far as being a student there, in retrospect, I loved it. At the time, in between quarts (gallons) of coffee and all-nighters, I might have felt differently, but that's all a bit fuzzy now.
• Thanks to Profs. Crown, Halpern, Saylor, Caspari, and Eliav.

University of California San Diego (Extension),
La Jolla, CA

• I took a few classes through UCSD Extension while still a high school student. The class on Intermediate C, by Richard Ord, is the best I've taken on the subject.
• The class on Digital Design was definitely the worst I have taken on that subject, and my memories of it have been carefully suppressed through hypnosis.
• I took a neon-working class here also, and tried making a biohazard sign. Much more difficult than I imagined. The fundamental problem was that welding two small pieces of glass tube, which was what I practiced with, turned out to be totally different than welding two large, unwieldy pieces of glass. Nonetheless, the class was great and I hope to give neon-working a shot again at some point in the future (well, maybe).

Hawken School, Gates Mills, OH

• I can't imagine a better high school. I understand it has changed some over time, so I can't make any judgements about what kind of institution it is now, but at the time it was just about perfect. Especially in that my experience there was blessedly brief.
• Special thanks to Profs. Robert Shurtz, Joel D. Kraft, Fernando Soldevilla, Sarah Beck.

Interests:

• Programming - I don't like to do it in my spare time, but I love doing it as a job.
• Current Events - I try to keep up with the news, at least.
• Service, i.e. Civic and Community (i.e. Hunger Project or via APO, etc)
• Reading (SF, Fantasy, Tim O'Brien, Various News Services, not always in that order)
• American Football (esp. College: Michigan Wolverines, Pro: Cleveland Browns)
• Text-based Online Games (esp MARE i.e. WindsMARE, DustMARE)
• Listening, including music, news, sportscasts, etc.
• Culture, Domestic and Foreign (about which I know only a little.)
• Words. I like words. Not as much as Richard Lederer, but still, I like them.