Comments on: Where The Wild Boys Are

By: Anonymous in DC

Anonymous in DC — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:39:04 +0000

Thank you.

By: Nelly

Nelly — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:32:33 +0000

Of course there was more than just being Monroe Scholars. As has been mentioned before, both Robert and Joe were active in the student gov’t, the 13 Club service fraternity, and then later the Wm & Mary Washington DC alumni network. Wm & Mary is a small campus. People really got to know each other there. And they were both in the DC legal community. There shouldn’t be an implication that they had a relationship with gay overtones just because they met in college and stayed in touch over the years.

By: CDinDC

CDinDC — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:49:44 +0000

But, IMHO, Robert trumped Joe.

By: WH

WH — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:04:31 +0000

I was a Monroe Scholar during this time. I do not recall a formal mentorship program. As someone else already mentioned, the closest links between Monroe Scholars formed during the freshman year, when most Scholars lived together in a designated dorm. Therefore, Scholars from different years did not normally have such close association. There were other opportunities for them to form a strong bond, however. The two probably were members of some of the same clubs and organizations. W&M is a small campus, and Joe and Robert already knew each other well from Robert’s pre-freshman year visits (the campus tour and the overnight student event). I’m certain this led to a growing friendship between them, and Robert may have viewed Joe as a mentor in an informal way.

By: mw

mw — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:23:34 +0000

the truth will prevail in time and there will never be peace for the animal(s) that took his life.

By: galoon

galoon — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:02:31 +0000

oh that’s a good one.

By: Just Another Friend

Just Another Friend — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:25:09 +0000

Yes, the Post article describes Joe as Robert’s “guide” and as “helping him navigate law school,” suggesting the mentor/mentee relationship, at least for a time. It doesn’t say that Joe himself was a Monroe Scholar or that Joe was formally assigned to be a mentor. I’m sure that some of the former Monroe Scholars following this blog can refresh our memories about whether Monroe Scholars were assigned “mentors.”

My point simply was and is that there clearly was plenty that tied Joe and Robert together over the years, and I don’t expect the Monroe Scholar issue to add much to that.

By: CDinDC

CDinDC — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:03:03 +0000

Re jealousy, what about Joe? Perhaps Joe was jealous of Robert.

From my perspective, Robert was much more accomplished than Joe. He not only was successful at his chosen career, but Robert touched the community in many ways. His new position had an international reach. Robert strikes me as the type of person that would make a difference in a larger sense. Joe? Not so much. Successful attorney? Yes. Community work? Yes. But was he going to make a big difference in the world? I don’t think so.

By: CDinDC

CDinDC — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:55:59 +0000

Jessica, I remember reading that someplace.

By: Jessica in DC

Jessica in DC — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:54:19 +0000

Speaking to the Monroe Scholar point- I think that Joe was actually Robert’s mentor, if I have that right? And they became very close during those years. Maybe I interpreted that wrong from what I’ve gathered, but it seemed like they became very close in the “mentor/mentee” relationship.