Legacies with true power and meaning make monuments that live within each of us in the form of the stories we carry. That type of legacy has deeper roots than physical monuments because it is not tied to one location. Instead, such a legacy has the opportunity to live within us and influence us for generations. I witnessed this idea in action when we celebrated the second annual Dapper Depte Day on October 26. That day was the fulfillment of a library proclamation made by Dean of University Libraries Mary Page last October to annually celebrate Corinthian’s service to our campus community. This day of celebration was our promise to remember how Corinthian put others first and how he was an ambassador to so many of you in our campus community. A year to the day Corinthian Depte retired from his position as a Library Assistant, everyone who met him seems to have a story to share. Corinthian’s name is synonymous with kindness, friendship, and selfless service toward others.
Corinthian behind the Library Help Desk in FHG Library.
“He was so wonderful when the lottery was getting really big – he always made sure to get everyone in on buying a big group ticket; he would even put his own money in for you if you didn’t have it that day,” Interlibrary Loan Technician Jenn O’Leary said. “Then we would sit in our office and talk about what we would do with the money if we won.”
Corinthian was also generous with his time and his wisdom. Shortly after I joined University Libraries as a Library Assistant 1, I told Corinthian I was getting married. He was genuinely joyful for me and wished Kelsey and me many years of health and happiness. Corinthian also took the time to give me advice on how to be a loving partner. Corinthian has been married to his wife Marvine for over five decades and wanted to share their life lessons with me. He encouraged me to reach out any time I needed advice or guidance.
Dapper Depte Day was also a special occasion because we created a new tradition based on Corinthian’s compassionate service to our community. Dean Page and Associate Dean of University Libraries Amy Ward presented the first annual Corinthian Depte Golden Bowtie recognition. This acknowledgment honors an employee who serves all of you in our WCU community with the same selflessness, dedication, and compassion that Corinthian did for over three decades. Jenn O’Leary was the first to receive this new recognition.
“It is such an honor and such a high compliment to be compared to Corinthian because he is such a good, kind person and was so dedicated to his job here at the Library,” Jenn said. “He always had a smile on his face and treated every single person with such kindness. Everyone who interacted with him remembered how he treated them. He wanted to help people; it was never an inconvenience. He got such joy from getting to know the students and from helping everyone around him here at the Library.”
Jenn brings a constant attitude of kindness and compassion to the library, which never fades, even when circumstances are difficult. Jenn also brings an infectious joy and positivity to the library, which never fails to uplift those she meets. She genuinely loves helping people, which shows in the way she guides you through the Interlibrary Loan Borrowing process. She is always willing to meet with you and answer any of your questions. Jenn helps make that process understandable and less intimidating. I have seen students, who were panicked about getting a book they needed, leave her office with a sense of calm and confidence. Jenn helps connect you with what you need and helps people feel at home here at University Libraries.
“My dad has always been an incredibly positive and optimistic person and we always try to look at the glass as half full, not empty,” Jenn said. “Life’s too short to be negative; there’s so much to be grateful for. It’s been ingrained in me. In terms of compassion, you always have to try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes.”
What was so profound about Dapper Depte Day is the statement it made about how we choose to impact the lives of others in our community. That University Libraries is the kind organization that sees, celebrates, and cherishes the value in every member of our community. Corinthian and Jenn’s examples lovingly invite us to be present with others in a way that goes beyond simple transactional interactions. Their examples encourages us to look for ways we can make the lives of everyone who walks into University Libraries better. Simply put, people like Corinthian and Jenn compel us to be golden.
This week featuring film remakes I decided to watch the original Scarface (1932) [IMC DVD 364.106 S285 1932] and the 1983 remake [IMC DVD 364.106 S285 2003]. This was fun because it was surprising when similarities came up—otherwise they felt like very different movies.
The original movie Scarface is based on the book by Armitage Trail. It takes place in Chicago in the 1920s and focuses on Antonio “Tony” Camonte who works for an Italian mafioso Johnny Lovo. Tony is ordered to kill the leading mob boss in the South Side, which allows Johnny to take over control of that part of town. Tony is told not to interfere with the North side, but soon ignores this as his aspirations grow out of control. Tony also begins to pursue Johnny’s girlfriend Poppy, who later choses him over Johnny when Tony’s reputation has grown. Things begin to spiral out of control for Tony—killing his best friend when he finds him with his sister Francesca. The police eventually corner Tony in his apartment, and his sister is killed in the cross-fire. Paul Muni did a wonderful job playing Tony, who has a mix of charisma and bull-headedness that you can’t help but smile at. There are several funny parts as well, which help to offset the remarkable violence that the whole film is imbued with. It is especially amazing that there is so much violence, because this was the period in film history where films were being censored under the Hays Code. One such change that the producers were forced to change was the ending; however, the DVD we own has both endings so you can watch yourself and see the difference.
The remake Scarface is different in many big ways. The main character is Tony Montana and he begins his mafia lifestyle in Miami in the 1980s. We first see Tony with a group of friends who are given green cards in exchange for murdering a Cuban general on the orders of drug dealer Frank Lopez. Frank’s associate, Omar, gives Tony and his friends a job to purchase cocaine from Colombia dealers, but things go horribly wrong. One friend is brutually murdered, while the rest are able to kill the Colombians and rescue Tony. Tony brings the drugs and money to Frank personally, where he meets Frank’s wife, Elvira. Tony eventually rises in Frank’s group, and makes deals without Frank’s knowledge with other cocaine drug dealers. Tony also begins to pursue Frank’s wife and eventually marries her. Several years later however, we see Tony dissatisfied with his lifestyle and has frequent paranoia. Elvira eventually leaves him and a cocaine dealer sends men after him, with the movie ending in its iconic gun scene from Tony’s house.
There are several similarities in these movies, even though the plots are different. Most of these similarities are focused on Tony’s relationships; for example, his relationship with his sister and mother are extremely similar between the two movies. His sister eventually marries his right hand man, who gets killed by Tony in both movies. Tony pursues his boss’s girl and eventually wins her, although the end of this relationship in the remake is far more violent than in the original. Finally, Tony’s relationship with his boss is similar as well—the boss originally likes him, then when Tony begins to infringe on his territory, he sends assassins (in both movies) to kill Tony. Tony escapes, and eventually kills his boss as a result.
If you have seen both movies (or even one!), feel free to tweet us @FHGLibrary with thoughts and/or comments. Don’t forget to come to the IMC to check out our new DVD display featuring Remakes and continue on your own film travelogue journey at https://letterboxd.com/peterstanley/list/1001-movies-you-must-see-before-you-die .
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