I originally created this webpage in the spring of 1997, just before my nomore year of CTY. It was a small entry in the ever-growing presence of CTY on the Web. At the time, my links page included less than a dozen other CTY webpages. In the past years, the number of CTY pages has skyrocketed, as more and more CTYers, and people in general, become internet literate and the number of programs and services that allow people to create webpages quickly and easily has grown. Now my links page includes almost fifty pages. For some reason, I feel that my site is somewhat different than most of the other CTY webpages out there. Perhaps it is because I created it, and thus look on it with favor; perhaps it is because it is the oldest maintained, and one of the most complete, CTY webpages out there (most of the others sites that were around when I started it have not been updated in many years). Regardless, I have found it difficult to just let this site fall by the wayside as I grow farther from CTY. At this point, I have been maintaining this site for longer than I actually was a CTY student.

I feel some need to justify the existence of this site. I mean, I'm pretty busy. And yet, ever couple of months, I spent hours adding new information, re-arranging things, tweaking the code. Why? To some degree, because it amuses me. I get a kick out of writing HTML code, finding new information, figuring out what else needs to be said. To another degree, because I know my site is Good, and to remain good and useful, it needs to be current. I don't want to let something Good that I have created die, and if all it takes to prevent that is a couple of hours every few months, than well, that isn't too much.

I have come to believe that all websites have a purpose. Every one. It may be to try to make some money, sell some stuff, create fame for the owner, provide an easy way for friends to get some photos, satisfy one's ego, provide information for the masses, organize a protest, or waste a few hours writing HTML code. Regardless of how great or low the purpose, they all have one. Webmasters who know the purpose of their page and create it specifically to fill this purpose end up with better pages. For that reason, I'm going to state the purpose of this page in a lovely unordered list. It is up to you to judge if I am meeting these goals or not. (for the record, CTY alumni refer to both current CTY students and CTYers who no longer spend their summers at CTY, as well as staff who worked at CTY)

• To provide a point of nostalgia for CTY alumni.
• To create a more complete picture of the social aspects of CTY, so that perspective CTY students can have a better idea of what CTY is all about.
• To allow CTY alumni to express their opinions about the flaws and benefits of the program, and to reminisce in a public forum.
• To record CTY's rich history in a more permanent media than the oral tradition in normally takes.
• To provide services such as reunions, college information, address databases, and the like that would be provided by the CTY alumni association if it wasn't currently restructuring.
• To help keep CTY alumni in touch with the program by providing news and information about the program's current direction.
• To amuse myself when I have a free moment or two.

There. Now I feel all corporate and stuff. I have a mission statement.