I was deeply saddened by the news of Professor Nystrom’s passing. Unlike the other students, I never addressed her as Chris. My education in India had instilled the concept that teachers were to be revered and respected and it was only fitting to use the term, “Professor.” I last saw Prof. Nystrom at the memorial of Prof. Postman held at NYU and we talked for a while. My older son, Gopal, had been killed in the 9/11 attacks, and she was concerned about my well-being. We promised to set a lunch date which sadly never came to pass. I was emotionally distraught at the time and Postman's death compounded my sense of loss. I did however, get news of her through Professor Moran who was my PhD advisor and is my neighbor.
Prof. Nystrom demanded perfection from her students as much as she did of
herself. She once gave a hand-out titled, "How To Read a Book," which at
the time I thought was facile. But it turned out to be a great guide on how
to think critically and parse an argument. Years later, I would use it with
my own students. Prof. Nystrom also served as an outside reader for my
doctoral defense and she was as exacting, if not more so, throughout the
process. She even pointed out the “dangling participles” in my thesis with an admonition to correct them! Her approach, albeit intimidating, made me a better scholar and I will always value the lessons she imparted. Her range of knowledge spanned
several disciplines and was impressive. She was the antidote to Postman's
light banter and when they co-taught a course, there was such synergy in
the room that it left one reeling with new ideas about the effects of
media.
When I received the George Payne Memorial Award, my husband was away and I
had no family to attend the ceremony but Profs. Postman, Nystrom and Moran
showed up declaring they were my family and took me out for a celebratory
dinner. I was touched by the kind gesture and indeed Media Ecology was my
home away from home. I mourn the loss of its patriarch and now its
matriarch and cherish their legacy.
