He laughs and continues. I was on the 12-year plan for a doctorate. After finishing at Brunel, I had spent a summer hitch-hiking from Calgary to Los Angeles and back and had become smitten with the states. He applied for the exchange program and came to VMI for the second semester of the 1997-98 school term. Faced with slim prospects for imminent promotion at Shrivenham and buoyed by those who encouraged him to apply for a full-time opening in the math and computer science department at VMI, he decided to apply to remain on the Institute faculty.
Teaching here is unique.
Understand that in England, people with little or no hair are called 'skinheads,' and one cannot be always so sure what they are thinking or what they might do. My first classes were primarily Rats. I look out at these young men and start wondering if they have any 'skinhead' connections. Bennell and his wife, Sarah, are more than happy about their decision to become full-time members of the VMI family. It was stunning to us to find out how friendly everyone is around here.