I begin graduate school.
Wed 3 Sept R
What a weekend and a week. Sometimes I wonder about my reluctance to write in here. I must admit that the
only two things wrong last weekend were minor: the whole group didn't come to the house until Sunday and I didn't get my other
diploma (I had two simultaneous bachelor's degrees.) until yesterday because they took off with it before I could get it.
Anyway, Labor Day was a hiatus -- I just stayed home doing nothing outside of daily work. At least I had enough
money to pay for this month's rent: $135, up $15 (Inflation was 12.2%, and I was living in a former motelroom.)
Yesterday appeared normal enough. I went to the station. Then Gary Weiss invited me to Red Dog
Saloon (the oldies show), so I had fun being coannouncer, a dramatic change from the first Red Dog Saloon of last Fall
Term (a disasterous encounter with the returning management on Thursday, 30 August 1979). Not only that, but during
the last halfhour (Ray came in around 10), Ray Cromie and I programmed the show. (In six months, we'd be running
the show ourselves.) Furthermore, I ran the board. Absolutely delightful! I didn't think anything could
top that! (I was wrong, for the rest of the week set up the best two years of my adult life.)
Today started normally, too, what I expected. Sometimes I may believe in predestination. At 10:30, I went
to 605 Liberal Arts (Now Oswald, who was president of Penn State at the time) Towers to meet the other new grad students,
and at 11 AM, the grad assistants the second time around (The assistantships ran two years while the graduate earns a
master's degree.) came in. The one I wanted to meet did so in Doctor Goldschmidt's (professor of Middle Eastern History)
office. Lee Thomassen and I shared a few hours until two, and then I attempted to get home after dilly dallying
downtown (State College). I still didn't get to do (mark) any albums today, although someone else beat me to it.
Anyway, I think these next two years may be a repeat of 1977-78 (my best undergraduate year and my second sophomore year)
with the free tuition (actually a grant) in the summer. Now I can almost live normally.
I spent a good halfhour in my office corner rearranging the desk. Now I won't have my back to my tutees
-- heavens to '78 (when I was a voluntary tutor in student government)! I should be satisfied. I could have
received a corner booth which is smaller, but then I could have obtained a middle booth which is bigger. (The
carrels were quite uneven in space.) As it stands, I procured an eyetril booth on the fifth floor, which is great for
my acrophobia. (The window was about twelve meters from the ground.)
Thu 4 Sept F (Note: this entry would have happened, F=Fantasy, had I really met Terry that summer.)
In the midst of an incredibly wonderful week. I received bad news. I had been following Terry's Marathon
of Hope from a distance over the past two months. Today I was in Pattee Library (the main one on campus) when I
picked up the Toronto Globe and Mail from Tuesday. Terry had to stop near Thunder Bay! I couldn't get any more
information until I looked at La Presse from yesterday. (I could read French.) Terry's cancer has returned!
When I arrived home, I searched for his address in Port Coquitlam. I didn't have any get-well cards, so I
may have to visit Maclanahan's (a mass murchandiser in downtown State College on Allen Road) tomorrow. Terry's
situation has dampened probably the best week of my life. I will pray for him Saturday night (when I used to go to Mass
at the Forum on campus).
Sun 7 Sept R
I thought the week was finished with surprises. Friday night, almost by compulsion, I went to the Pizza Party (which
the Newman Student Association of the Penn State Catholic Center sponsored), and had a better than average time.
Then I saw "Bedtime for Bonzo" with Ronald Reagan's playing the lead rather than the chimp. After registration
(for classes) i was going to decorate my office that afternoon, but I need a dustrag before I do anything else.
Yesterday I went to see "Empire" once more at the Movies (name of the place in State College), then onto Mass at 4:45.
I was just late enough to come in the front way before Mass started.
So, I sauntered to WDFM to hear the albums I missed last week until almost 8 PM. However, no one signed up for
Fresh Trax still, so I waited to see who would come in -- Howard Mxxxxx
The rest was totally impromptu. Howard had come to do a comedy promo with Danno. So, I went in and took over
with encouragement from Kenny Nxxxx, who had just left the Night Train, his show. I was as nervous as a cat at first,
but by the third hour, I was into the groove.
So, for the first time since May 1978, I actually did a show. Furthermore, it was the second time this week that
I ran the board, the first time being Tuesday night. I ended with the album by Barnes and Barnes, "Vaboohaha" in place
of the comedy show. It was an impromptu pleasure.
Fri 12 Sept M & F
I had a rough start as a graduate teaching assistant in Middle East History. Our first class began with a miscoördination
of acting by Doctor Goldschmidt and slides. The course runs from Mohammed to Modern, although I am familiar only with
the recent history. I took that course last winter term, after the hostage taking at our embassy in Teheran.
I had my first section today. Because I was a latecomer to the course, I never met with everyone to coördinate
our efforts. I took the quizzes to my office to grade, then I went to Pattee (Library).
I went to the periodicals room. I found out that all of Canada had a telethon in Terry's honor on Monday.
It was a new Marathon of Hope with celebrities, including fellow Americans performing in his honor.
Terry has ignited a greatness that an entire nation has caught. I also saw that he's to receive the Order of Canada.
If only our media would give this event some publicity!
