"But skating is a totally different world than it was 20 years ago. It's much more competitive and there are more `stars' now in the skating world," says Wylie, adding that he has no plans to enter "Ice Follies"-like employment after graduation.

A Galaxy of Luminaries

Speaking of `stars,' Wylie will be joined by several of the top figure skaters in the country to participate in this year's "Evening of Champions," an Eliot House-sponsored skating show which helps raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. "People at Harvard sometimes don't realize how respected the show is, and how skaters die for that invitation to come," Wylie says. "Skaters really like the atmosphere here."

Carl D. Shannon '87, co-chairman of the November show, says Wylie has picked up quite a few fans here at Harvard since he first skated in the Jimmy Fund show three years ago. "A lot of the undergraduates who work on the Jimmy Fund show know very little about skating, and Paul helps bridge the gap between the actual skaters and the students. It also helps the skaters when they come that they have someone to connect with."

Another world-class skater at Harvard, Elise R. Davison '86-'87, sports as much experience in both the skating world and the Jimmy Fund. "Paul is a great example for young skaters who don't believe that you can mix skating with an education. It has either been one or the other in the past," she says. "He has a lot of determination to succeed in both worlds." Last year, Davison represented the United States in the professional World Figure Skating Competition held in Spain.

Moscow or Bust

After Wylie competes in the Portland, Maine, SkateAmerica Competition later this week, he will fly to Moscow to participate in the "Prize of the Moscow News" competition, a different sort of international skating meet. Early in February, Wylie will then attempt to move closer to obtaining the Men's National Title when he skates in the National Figure Skating Championships in Washington state. "That's going to be during spring shopping week," he muses.

Skating on the international circuit has even created possibilities for a little East-West diplomacy. When Wylie competed in another world competition in Canada, he had a chance to skate against some of the top Russian and East German figure skaters. "We sat down once, and had a couple [of shots] after a competition," he says, "but [the Russian skaters] just didn't stop with one or two. They just kept going. It was amazing."

Wylie's roommates, however, are nonplussed with their suite-mate's status. "I knew that when I came to Harvard I would meet people like Paul," says bunk-mate Tad A. Dibbern '90. "He sure gets a lot of phone calls, though, from radio stations wanting interviews."