By Faith Topolski, Staff Writer
Guy Imhoff, Ph.D., professor of French, has his office adorned with many gifts and small treasures from all over the world. The objects in his office reflect where he has been, people he has known throughout his time at St. Bonaventure University and the places he wishes to go.
1) On the bookshelf, Imhoff has a small and intricate piece of hand-made Japanese origami art of a wedding couple. He received this piece when he first came to St. Bonaventure 14 years ago from the wife of a teaching assistant, who is a Japanese artist.
“Origami is an amazing art,” he said. “Of course it takes a lot of patience, but Japanese people, I think, have the patience to make stuff like this.”
2) Sharing the shelf is another wedding couple carved from wood. A Korean student gave him the wooden bride and groom. The pair sport the traditional wedding color of red.
“In Asian culture, it is considered a lucky color,” he said. “It is interesting, the choice of colors in cultures.”
3) Then, further down the same shelf, is a gift from a former colleague at the school Imhoff was previously employed by. It is a model of a Terracotta Warrior from China.
“Of course, I’ve never seen that tomb,” he said. “I’d love to see it.”
On the model is a Chinese good luck charm, which is also red.
“I have a lot of things from Asian countries and I’ve never traveled to any of those coun-tries, so those are different to me,” he added.
4) Imhoff has an object that doesn’t have a specific significance, but is still unique and serves as a conversation piece: an Eiffel Tower Barbie doll. The doll’s origin is not very special; it was on sale for four dollars at the Olean Kmart. Although it represents France in general, where Imhoff is from, the doll adds some fun to the office space.
“I thought it was so weird,” Imhoff commented. “I’ve never opened it, so maybe it has value. These are different things you don’t see everywhere.”
5) Another gift, this one given by Fr. Michael Calabria, O.F.M., Ph.D., is a piece of Egyptian art on actual papyrus paper, similar to that seen in the tombs and pyramids.
“I don’t think we understand the beauty of the colors they used to have in the pyramids because most of it is gone now,” Imhoff explained. “But, inside, you still have beautiful blues and reds and yellows, so I like this one because it’s Arabic.”
6) Also sharing space on the shelf is a series of small, carved elephants from Mexico. A teaching assistant from Mexico gave him these elephants and told Imhoff that Mexican culture views elephants as lucky. Imhoff has always wondered why elephants are considered lucky in that country.
“You would think they come from India,” he said.
Not pictured, but hanging beside the bookcase, is an Amish hat that Imhoff got from one of the Amish communities in Ohio many years ago.
“To me, the Amish people are amazing people,” he said. “I did not know the Amish until I moved to Ohio.”
Imhoff added that he used to go to local Amish farms during the summer to buy pies and different foods. He has worn the hat once since he got it, but it represents his respect for them.
Imhoff’s office contains many items that express his interest in other cultures, dedication to finding beauty in difference and fond memories with past colleagues and students alike.
