OK, Dr. Semmler and your evil numbers … you win this round!
By Chris Johnson
Director of Communications
As a writer and a long-time newspaper columnist (still am, actually … click here to read some of my soon-to-be Pulitzer winners!), I’ve said facetiously (kinda) that words are from God and numbers are evil. So Dr. Richard Semmler should be my natural-born enemy. Like mailmen and dogs. Like Oprah and David Letterman. Like PETA and Jim Bob’s BBQ Paradise. Like … OK, you get the picture.
Dr. Semmler teaches mathematics, including something called calculus at Northern Virginia Community College. I thought calculus was something you got on your feet if you walked around barefoot too much. Or was Calculus a Roman emperor? Or was it a robot from that “Space Giants” show I watched on TBS when I was a kid? Hmm, I’ll have to look that up.
But as much as I hate numbers, I’ll have to forgive Dr. Semmler for spreading them around – because he spreads them around with dollar signs attached. I’ve never in my life spoken to a person who gave such a percentage of their income and life to charity. I’m sure there are a few here and there, but I’ve never met them. And boy does Dr. Semmler raise the bar for giving. As does his friend Karen Warkentien. Click here to see what I mean.
Other than Dr. Semmler and Karen – or “Toolie” as Fuller Center folks know her better as – making me feel bad for not being charitable enough, it’s been another great day here at headquarters. In addition to “meeting” Dr. Semmler and Toolie on the phone, I got to meet some folks from Palestine who are visiting nearby Koinonia Farm where they are trying to build bridges of peace.
Jiries Atrash and Nawal Sami Shomali stopped by The Fuller Center to say hello, along with Koinonia community member Amanda Moore, who recently returned from a trip to Israel and Palestine. They’ll be sharing aspects of Palestinian culture tonight (including foods!) tonight at Koinonia.
Oh, and if you’ve signed up for our E-newsletter, look for it tomorrow. If you haven’t signed up for it, well, what are you waiting for? Do it here!
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