T.I.M. (This Is Me)

Author: Tom McCann and Ryan Reese

Each week, the writing team of Tom McCann '06 and Ryan Reese '06 will present to you, through our eyes, the life of Tim Bellis '06, your average Middlebury student. Now, meet Tim Bellis '06 - your average 19-year-old college student, from an average town in an average state. His hair is an average length. He has an average shoe size and lives an undoubtedly average existence here at Middlebury College.

He prefers the T-shirt to the buttondown, the denim to the cargo and the sneaker to the loafer. You, the reader, will be given a unique perspective into, to misquote Winston Churchill, something about a riddle, mystery and maybe an enigma... The latest and most exciting development in the life of Bellis revolves around a program designed to get Tim back in the saddle of love.

During the summer, Tim's life underwent an earthshaking metamorphosis as he got dumped and was left back on the proverbial market. In response to this upheaval, a girlfriend exchange program (GEP) is being set up with the Chi Omega sorority at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL).

The idea was born during a recent meeting between Katie Kerr (UNL) '06 and Tim during her brief visit to Middlebury. Katie will act as the Sister Sorority Romance Liaison, whose mission is to enable the injured young fawn that is Tim, to be gently released back into the wild. While the immediate focus of Tim's attention lies in the heartland of America, local hearts need not be broken, and anyone interested in friendly conversation, companionship and studies of the lunar phases should feel free to contact him (see below for details). Joy, a petite brown-eyed, brown-haired first-year at Nebraska is the GEP's leading candidate for Tim's affection but the race is far from over and promises to take many unexpected and exciting turns as the future unfolds.

While it may be a while before Tim is able to woo Joy with a candlelight dinner, soft music and charming smile, dinner this past weekend was anything but romantic. For most, going out to dinner in Middlebury should not be a complicated process. Going out to dinner with Tim in Middlebury is an entirely different story. In two strange and completely unrelated events, the dinner involved plentiful sweet corn relish, marinated white beans, apple butter and Tim's brother becoming violently ill. While the original goal was to wine and dine with Tim's family, Tim's family disappeared: Jeff, his brother, attending to his stomach and Mr. Bellis attending to his son, while we were riveted in conversation with Tim's brother's friend.

Recently, with Tim's family long departed, and nursing their wounds, an intended shopping trip with one girl and Tim to retrieve a futon, resulted in no girls, no futon, three boys, one pullout couch, two atomic clocks and a doorbell.

Despite the plethora of purchases, Tim's primary acquisition remained one deluxe-model, wood-paneled, atomic clock, complete with indoor-outdoor temperature gauge, date, time and, most importantly, a lunar phase monitoring system, courtesy of Wal-mart. Tim's desire for accurate and precise time keeping stems from a deep-rooted, passionate love for science and gadgetry. If this sounds like someone you've always wanted to get to know and you're reading it thinking, "He's perfect, I want him to be mine," remember he's on the market, for the time being at least.

For comments, suggestions, advice, date requests or anything that you need from Tim, feel free to contact him at timthisisme@hotmail.com.