Main Sheet — Student Profile — May 7, 1992

A guy who makes things happen
by Eileen Geoghegan

Jerry Schmeer got caught in a snowstorm on the way home from school back in 1980. When he got home, he turned on the television and caught the Magnum P.I. show. Realizing that Tom Selleck was leading the good-life in Paradise, he decided to do the same. A short time later Jerry was not only in Hawaii but had landed a part on Magnum as a psychotic teenager, playing football with Tom and the guys.

Jerry makes things happen. He was born in London in 1957, where his father, a marine, was stationed at the American embassy. His mother is British. Jerry says, “they lived all over”. He has two brothers, insists there was no childhood trauma, and that his family is the Brady Bunch divided by 2 reincarnated. He lives with his parents in Yarmouth.

Sporting a perpetual shit-eating grin Jerry Schmeer is not a deep kind of a guy; as long as things are moving smoothly on the surface he just glides along. Of slightly less than medium height with a muscular build, he moves confidently and athletically. Jerry has a pumpkin face capped with a choir-boy hair cut; he exudes an impish worldliness.

Jerry was selected for the Gifted Student Program at Cittuac High in 1972. This program enabled students with a strong math and science background to do independent study. Jerry chose computers and microwaves.

During his sojourn in Hawaii, he met a young man who had started his own software company and had developed some of the first artificial intelligent and code generating programs for micro computers. Jerry was hired by the guy as a salesman and soon, as he says, “I not only figured out how he made his magic, but found ways to improve upon it. As our company began to grow, I moved into research and development.”

The relationship between the two men evolved and Jerry abandoned his dumpy studio apartment for a plush state-of-the-art penthouse at Yatch Harbor Tours. “We did most of our programing from our balconies overlooking the Waikiki Yatch Harbor and the Waikiki sunsets,” said Jerry. The company eventually faltered but not before Jerry had digested a million dollar education in the software business. Recently, he was hired by CCCC as our computer technician. Christine Jacques, of the writing lab, has commented that, “Lately Jerry seems to be the only one working on the computers here. He could be an alien bugging our system for the E.T.’s.”

“He has also developed a theory on aging... he calls it the Wobble Effect”

Computer genius, actor, writer, dancer, and environmental activist, Jerry Schmeer has probably extended his stay at CCCC longer than any other student; he boasts the oldest student number on campus. His first course at CCCC was Bartending in 1977. Never married and childless, he sponsors a Palestinian girl in Bethlehem named Safa.

Still looking for the perfect woman, Jerry describes her as “a young, artsie, dancie, environmentally and socially conscious, intelligent woman who loves to travel and has a wonderful sense of humor.”

The search for the perfect woman has brought him to the Cape Dance Theatre where he will be performing in the spring production. He was sitting in the cafeteria at the end of the semester in 1989, studying for his Biology II and Chemistry II finals, when he overheard two women discussing their dance finals. Said Jerry, “One of them mentioned that since the finals were going to be at the beach, she thought that she would be like - blowing back and forth in the wind. The other woman planned to rise naked from the ocean doing a dance of life as she emerged from the sea. It became instantly clear to me - I was taking the wrong classes.”

Jerry’s acting and performing career began in 1978 taking classes here. In 1987 he started a TV/film acting workshop in Hyannis hoping to establish a resource for casting directors working on Cape Cod. Besides the Magnum experience Jerry has had professional work in a Burger King commercial and extra work in two movies, The Good Mother and Tough Guys Don’t Dance. He has also worked with the Janus players.

Jerry, a Capricorn, has been involved with Earthworkers at CCCC since its inception. This is not his only environmental effort. In 1989 he conceived of The Global Pledge Foundation which has spread all over the world. Jerry says that the Global Pledge started out as an editorial for the Main Sheet. The gist of it he says, went: “Wouldn’t it be nice if one day all of the children of the world would wake up and make a pledge to the planet earth instead of to their little nations known to them as colors on a map. A pledge free from political or religious views that stressed global responsibility.”

He has targeted his peace pledge at young children all over the world from whom he has received letters in response. Jerry says that the pledge is his most pressing project. “I want to see it in fifty countries and fifty states by the end of this year. I want to get kids involved in communicating. Hopefully, I’ll become a voice for them. Children have a better understanding of the environmental crisis than adults do, they are not corrupt - they lack the pressures that adults bear so they see more clearly.”

Amazed at the grasp and knowledge of the children he meets, Jerry goes into elementary schools and talks to them. “I get them to write to politicians and they get results. I want kids to realize that a single person’s action can make a difference. Anybody can change the world.” By encouraging environmental activism Jerry believes that self-esteem is validated; children are empowered when they see that they are making a contribution.

The response to the Global Pledge has been heart warming. Corporate-heads, politicians (including the office of the president), school children and teachers, have written to Jerry offering support and congratulating him on the success of his foundation which operates out of a post office box in Yarmouth. One letter came from Egypt where the writer had seen his pledge in the Egyptian Gazette; they were having a clean-up day around the pyramids.

“Education is important,” says Jerry, who believes he was empowered by his early success and that good teachers had great influence on him. Another factor was the Kennedy era, “I was lucky, the Kennedys planted seeds and I was motivated by the lives of both John F. and Robert,” says Jerry.

Jerry owns a wide selection of music and likes to read science books. He has also developed a theory on aging that he would like to publish; he calls it the Wobble Effect. Back in 1989, while doing some independent study at The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, I discovered what I believe to be a major key in the human aging process. I believe that much like a computer gets its timing reference from the oscillations of the quartz crystal, I believe that the human body gets its reference from the oscillations of the water molecule.” Says Jerry, “If this proves to be the case - eventually, much could be done to alter the aging process.” Jerry hasn’t been able to publish his paper yet because it lacks the accreditation necessary to support his work in this area. He is thinking of giving it to the National Enquirer just to get it out.

“A degree has never been a big thing to me. I could have been a doctor by now”

We asked Jerry why he stays at CCCC. “A degree has never been a big thing to me,” says Jerry, “I could have been a doctor by now.” He wishes that they would make CCCC a four year program because we have such a great faculty and community here.

What does Jerry consider challenge? “To motivate people to make a difference,” he says. Jerry claims to have no aches, pains or problems and says that he will still be here next semester.

I pledge my allegiance
to the planet Earth,
to make it a better,
healthier and safer
world for all.

J. Schmeer