Albright Receives Two Major Grants
to Enhance Science Programs

Albright College received two grants in support of its science programs.

The George I. Alden Trust awarded Albright $50,000 in August to augment general analytical and organic chemistry instrumentation. The new instruments will benefit students in chemistry and biochemistry as well as biology and environmental sciences.

Albright’s optics program received a total of $62,000 to expand an advanced optics laboratory course that is a capstone for the experimental portion of the optics curriculum. The project was awarded $36,000 from the National Science Foundation and another $26,000 in matching funds from the College. Designed to meet industry demand for optics-trained scientists and engineers who are team-oriented problem solvers, students will work in project-based teams to design, implement, and test optical devices, especially in the areas of fiber optics and ultrafast lasers.

Michael Adams Captures “Buffyspeak” in Slayer Slang

Seven years ago, Buffy the Vampire Slayer began its romp on television creating a massive cult following among younger viewers. However, teens weren’t the only ones watching the show. So too was Michael P. Adams, associate professor of English.

Adams, a lexicographer, was fascinated by the slang terms and phrases that Buffy fans came to know and love. His new book, Slayer Slang: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Lexicon, was published by Oxford University Press in June 2003.

Beginning with a synopsis of the show’s history and a defense of ephemeral
language, the main text consists of a detailed glossary of slayer slang, annotated with actual dialogue. Words and phrases like afterness, Clark Kent and vague up fill the pages.

Afterness n, Residual effects

“ I’m suffering the afterness of a bad night of badness.” Buffy, Beer Bad

Clark Kent v. disguise

“ We have a gig that would inevitably cause any girl living to think we are cool upon cool, yet we must Clark Kent our way through the dating scene and never use this unfair advantage.” – Riley, Hush

Vague up vt. Make less clear

“ Gee, can you vague that up for me?” – Buffy, Welcome to the Hellmouth

In a CNN.com article, Adams says the concept of the book came to him one evening as he was flipping through the channels. Stumbling across an episode of Buffy just as she said the line, “Love makes you do the wacky,” Adams says, “Like any linguist, I thought, ‘that’s an interesting functional shift from adjective to noun.’” The rest, as they say, is history.