Baruchians Robert Brooks (’63) and Marilyn Karlin met while working on The Ticker, the College’s long-running undergraduate newspaper. Bob shares his amusing memory of their first encounter.
I was sitting at my desk in The Ticker office when a young woman came in and asked, “Are you Bob Brooks?” I said yes, and she proceeded to pick up a ruler and hit me on the top of the head (lightly, I should note). I asked, “Why did you do that?” She replied, “My name is Marilyn Karlin, and I signed up to be a reporter on The Ticker more than a month ago. I was told that since you’re the news editor you’re the one to assign stories. Well, you still haven’t assigned one to me.” I told Marilyn that given the number of potential reporters, I hadn’t had the opportunity to assign stories to many other people who had signed up.
I was not certain she fully accepted that explanation; instead, she reminded me of her name once again. Rather than endure another hit on the head, I assigned Marilyn the next story that became available. And as the saying goes, “The rest is history.” We now have two terrific sons, two lovely daughters-in-law, and four wonderful grandkids.
I am very fortunate that Marilyn took the initiative and used the ruler in the way she did many years ago in The Ticker office. And I should add, she followed me as editor in chief of the student newspaper.
—Dr. Robert Brooks (’63)
♥ Editorial Note ♥
In 2014 Bob and Marilyn (Karlin) Brooks will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Although the two met working on The Ticker at City College/Baruch, Marilyn did not graduate from Baruch. Before she completed her degree, they married and moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, where Bob began graduate studies. Marilyn completed her undergraduate degree at Clark University.
Baruchians may also remember Bob—now Dr. Brooks—as Student Council president. Says Brooks today, “Baruch was a college at which I truly grew in so many ways, paving the way for joys in both my personal and professional lives.”
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