Cook, ‘confidante' of 25 years
gets a tasty tribute from ‘kids’
By Frale de Guzman
(K th«i Kmrraltl
Swaying t<> the beat of Randy
and tin! Equators, residents of
the Chelsea House quickly
made dinner, lit candles on ti
cake and then dimmed the
lights ail in honor of their
surprise guest, Ruth Thorne.
Fittingly enough, Thorne this
time was catered to by about 80
of her past and present ‘'kids.’*
or University students she has
cooked for during -the past. 25
years. .
Although she currently cooks
at the Chelsea House, Thorne
began working In the .University
area as the first cook ai the
Philadelphia House' in- 1961.
She then .cooked fqr Phi Delta
:Theta and Alpha Tau Omega
before starting in 1976. with the
Chelsea House, where she has
cooked for tin* last four years,
Famous for her ’ chocolate
chip cookies and sirawfterrv
pies, Thorne was more than, a
cook and managed to% endear
herself to a lot of people,.says.
Mike Evans, a former A TO
member.
“Ruth fulfilled a.much larger
role," Evans says. "She made'
sure the house functioned. And
. she was a great friend."
In addition to being- a cook
and budget director, "she was
also surrogate mother, friend
and confidante And she-takes a
lot of pride in what she cooks,'.*
says Jeff Bissonnette. current
manager of the Chelsea House.
The smells of Thorne's cook
ing is often what make! is viiittjF
want to live at the Chelsea
House, Bissonnette adds
Many students say the love
and affection she gives her
"kids" have enriched their
lives, earning Thorne a special
place in their hearts. ■ ---
"She's a real pioneeron cam
pus," says Kevin long, an
English major and a .currant'
resident of the Chelsea House.
"She's reul traditional and has
got a lot of charisma,"
"She's one of the most giving
people I've ever known," says
joeinne Green, Thorne's
daughter. "She really knows
how to love. I'm really proud of
her."
love and a strict adherence to
the Golden Rule is Thorne’s key
to success, she says. In the 25
years she has cooked in the
University area. Thorne has
witnessed many changes,
especially in the Greek system
“After the discontinuation of
hazing in the Greek system,
things began to quiet down,"
Thorne says. "Now the boys
have a lot of respect for older
people, and in the last few
years, they’ve lieen mom con*
Kuth Thorne, "surrogate mother ” to scores of students in. the
pest 25 years, (tots a huff from k'im Ketterer.
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corned with their' .education.
'"'Bpt .tjoys'wlTnSS'boyii!'
. "When the movie 'Animal
Mouse' came out,.my friends
•tried to convince me not to'
waufb'thh movie.They probably
thought I was a prude," Thorne
says- "Bui I told them.that I had
; serin i fa I l‘i n per si i iT'
As confidante, Thorne was.
often told about upturning
pranks and* special events such
as the engagements of various
house members
"1 was full of secrets,"
Thorne says. "And I wish that I
had kept a diary, then I could
i blackmail somebody." Thorne
, adds with a. laugh
A widow since HitifS, she says
she regards the "kids" she
cooks for as her second family.
"The kids mean a lot to me,”
-Thorne says. "They're what's
kept me going all these years.
They’re my life.
"It's been interesting and
rewarding life," she adds. "I
feel that I've made a little mark
in the lives of boys and girls,
and if I have, it's all been wor
thwhile because they're all
good kids."
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