People
- Alex Kuntz
- As the world's leading expert on the television show Lost, Alex is sought by top schools around the globe to educate people on this most essential subject. Turning down a $108,000 job offer at Harvard, he recently accepted a position at Phillips Academy, where he will be the new teacher of Lost, computer science, and basketball. In his spare time, he enjoys doing crossword puzzles with his friends and family, though he much prefers to do them in his native tongue of Quenya.
- Donny 'Franco' Mellstrom, 1978-2013
- Beloved husband and son, Donny spent his declining years at the Quarterback Club in his hometown of Northfield, MN. We are thankful that he could spend his last days surrounded by friends, family, and flappers to ease his passage into the next life. Donny is survived by his 5 children: Alex, Veronica, Ian, Rebecca, and Jack. Arrangements will be held at El Triunfo Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the American Hazardous Materials Association.
- Ian Heinzman
- Ian came into college planning to be anything but a computer science major, and we can all tell how well that worked out. Before he came to Carleton, he took a year off to backpack, study advanced math, and learn from the crossword puzzle experts who live in the far reaches of Argentina and Chile. There, he learned all the special crossword puzzle solving techniques necessary to become a true master, only to discover during this project that he could duplicate most of them with a computer. This made him very sad. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and sculpting.
- John A. Mullaney
- Harbinger of pandimensional cruelty, Jack rests at the edge of absolute darkness, gazing into the void between worlds. On dark-feathered wings, this stony sentinel sleeplessly awaits his moment to arise!
- Rebecca Gelles XV, heir to the throne of Pennsylvania
- Dear Rebecca, born of earthen womb of Mother Gaia, approaches these infernal machines known as "computers" with the greatest of trepidation. Wrought from aluminum and silicone by the hands of corrupted men, these devices perform unnatural tasks with the greatest of ease. Despite their debasement of the earth's intended order, she seeks to harness their might in order to save the world from the evils it created. Beginning with crosswords, she will now venture forth into the wilds, conquering one complex challenge at a time for the benefit of all the world's woodland creatures.
- Veronica Lynn
- Veronica, known as Rebecca by many of her friends, rediscovered her love for crosswords during this project. She has since left the state to pursue this interest further by going on a cross-country biking tour with fellow puzzle enthusiasts. Veronica will return from “Crossing The Nation” in 18 months in time for her wedding to Ms. Nancy Drew.
- Acknowledgements
- We'd like to thank everyone else who made our project possible:
- David Liben-Nowell, advisor and cruciverbalist extraordinaire
- Seth Grossinger, Carleton class of '94, for providing us with crossword data
- Matt Ginsberg, our other crossword benefactor and the creator of Dr. Fill, from which we drew inspiration
- Mike Tie, for setting up our machine and putting up with all our requests
- The Quarterback Club, for taking our pictures and keeping us fed