McIntyre women pen-pal with troops in Japan
Mary Petrides
Issue date: 10/1/09 Section: News
While a student, Leah (Turner) Novak '06 lived in McIntyre Hall for four years.
Now, women from McIntyre are pen-palling Marines in her husband's unit, stationed in Japan.
Teri Martin, house director, has had McIntire girls pen-pal for the past five years. They wrote to her niece's second grade classroom in Detroit until last year, when her niece moved to a different classroom.
"I said 'I think we're going to write the servicemen this year,' and she says 'I think that's a good idea,'" Martin said.
Martin said she contacted her first pen pal through a class project in second grade. She kept in contact with the girl from the Philippines until she was in high school.
"To get a letter from halfway around the world when you're a little kid is amazing," she said.
She said the experience led to the idea for dorm pen-palling.
"It was a good community activity," she said.
The pen pal project became a social event for the girls, Martin said.
"We'd have cookie nights - come on down, write your pen pal," she said.
This year, she instructed the girls to ask the soldier to pass the letter on if he isn't interested in writing.
Last year, some girls didn't receive letters back.
"That just takes the ball out of the court and moves it around a little bit," she said.
Martin set a Saturday, Sept. 19 deadline for the letters, and by then she had "a couple of handfuls."
"I'm shooting for 100 on our first batch," she said Saturday.
She collected 80 letters, some from other dorms, and mailed them Wednesday.
"I think it's important that the soldiers know that people back home appreciate them," Kelsie White, a freshman, said.
"I think it'll be really cool to hear about what they're doing over there," she said.
Now, women from McIntyre are pen-palling Marines in her husband's unit, stationed in Japan.
Teri Martin, house director, has had McIntire girls pen-pal for the past five years. They wrote to her niece's second grade classroom in Detroit until last year, when her niece moved to a different classroom.
"I said 'I think we're going to write the servicemen this year,' and she says 'I think that's a good idea,'" Martin said.
Martin said she contacted her first pen pal through a class project in second grade. She kept in contact with the girl from the Philippines until she was in high school.
"To get a letter from halfway around the world when you're a little kid is amazing," she said.
She said the experience led to the idea for dorm pen-palling.
"It was a good community activity," she said.
The pen pal project became a social event for the girls, Martin said.
"We'd have cookie nights - come on down, write your pen pal," she said.
This year, she instructed the girls to ask the soldier to pass the letter on if he isn't interested in writing.
Last year, some girls didn't receive letters back.
"That just takes the ball out of the court and moves it around a little bit," she said.
Martin set a Saturday, Sept. 19 deadline for the letters, and by then she had "a couple of handfuls."
"I'm shooting for 100 on our first batch," she said Saturday.
She collected 80 letters, some from other dorms, and mailed them Wednesday.
"I think it's important that the soldiers know that people back home appreciate them," Kelsie White, a freshman, said.
"I think it'll be really cool to hear about what they're doing over there," she said.
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