As one might expect, "Get on the Bus" has incurred many debts. In the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program (LHSP), our institutional home, I wish to thank Professor David Potter, our Director, who provided pedagogic and financial support for the trip; without his commitment, this trip would have remained nothing more than intriguing fantasy. I also wish to thank Associate Director Cecilia Infante, who encouraged all of us in LHSP to test the limits of pedagogic abilities, and Program Coordinator Rachael Wiesz, who provided a sympathetic ear and level head in moments of crisis. (Thank you Rachael.) Robin Mays, the Office Manager, deserves my thanks for helping to keep the trip on budget and within university regulations, no easy task to be sure.

The University of Michigan community has supported "Get on the Bus" in every conceivable way. Financial support from Associate Provost, Dr. Lester Monts, Dr. John Matlock, Director of the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives, and Dr. Robert Owen, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in LS&A, made the cost of this trip affordable for every student. William Zeller, Director of University Housing, also provided us with much-needed cash and a much-appreciated van; Bill Zeller may be the only housing director in the US who thinks seriously about pedagogy. We are all lucky to have him. Within University Housing, Ann Roberts, Bill Zeller's assistant, deserves a special thanks, as do Bill Durell, director of dining services, and Martine Carl, his assistant, who allowed us to participate in the meal sacrifice program and to work in the dining hall. Dr. Linda Gillum, Assistant Provost, and Marjorie Horton, Assistant Dean in LSA, supported "Get on the Bus" in word and deed whenever they could. Cindy Bank, the University's Federal Relations Officer, provided us with a home away from home during our visit to DC, and shared our long wait to see John Lewis.

Not surprisingly, I also have many personal thanks to express. Michael Simon, a veteran of "Get on the Bus 2000," did a wonderful job with our web site once more. Tara Ghastin served as my research assistant, completing any task I gave her with a smile. I appreciate her quiet competence more than she knows. I also appreciate Sarah Kruman, who helped me with the trip's logistics. Without complaint, Sarah tracked down inexpensive hotels across the South, making and unmaking reservations as the trip changed, tending all the while to many odd jobs. Like Tara, Sarah occupies a place in the pantheon of great research assistants. My brother, John, a successful writer of video games and science fiction, was also a wonderful sounding board for my unorthodox ideas about higher education during our regular Friday lunches.

One final thanks, to my wife, Teresa, who in addition to pursuing her own demanding graduate career, has made two Civil Rights trips with me and is eager for a third. Teresa has been with me every step of the way -- every tiny victory, every irritating set back. Not many spouses would eagerly agree to spend their spring breaks on the road with undergraduates, but our students are unusual undergraduates, and Teresa is an unusual woman. Make no mistake: The day Teresa says "no" to "Get on the Bus" is the day I stop teaching it. Given Teresa's love and support, however, I know that day lies in the distant future.