{"id":83,"date":"2013-01-14T01:39:00","date_gmt":"2013-01-14T07:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nyssashobbithole.com\/wordpress\/?p=83"},"modified":"2022-02-21T03:25:35","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T09:25:35","slug":"classmate-a-stand-in-for-rudy-jigging-at-college-dance-library-tales-happiness-returns-college-memoirs-life-at-roanoke-or-how-nvld-affected-my-life-september-1993-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nyssashobbithole.com\/main\/classmate-a-stand-in-for-rudy-jigging-at-college-dance-library-tales-happiness-returns-college-memoirs-life-at-roanoke-or-how-nvld-affected-my-life-september-1993-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Classmate a stand-in for “Rudy,” Jigging at College Dance, Library Tales, Happiness Returns–College Memoirs: Life at Roanoke–September 1993, Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Classmate a stand-in for “Rudy”; Jigging at College Dance<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

I wrote this in my diary on September 1:<\/p>\n

Last night the old friends of Mom and Dad who have the college grandson stopped by. \u00a0I discovered they’re still thinking of fixing us up, and the woman asked me several questions and talked about him ([he’s going to] Purdue), and showed me a picture of his brother because she didn’t have one of him. \u00a0If he looks anything like his cute younger brother….<\/p>\n

And I noticed with surprise that the man’s eyes were sky-blue! [my favorite eye color] \u00a0My parents were looking all over for a picture of me they could give them. \u00a0When Dad pulled out pics from 7th and 9th grade, I hurried upstairs and got a senior picture.<\/p>\n

All this began just as Hawaii<\/a><\/i> ended on channel 50 [Chicago] and the 1st part of the sequel, Hawaiians<\/a><\/i>, began with cool music and a pic of a boat on the sea with Charlton Heston in it, dressed like a captain.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I don’t know whatever became of this fix-up with the grandson. \u00a0I never heard any more about it.<\/p>\n

Hawaii<\/i> and Hawaiians<\/i> were excellent movies, though. \u00a0Hawaii<\/i> was funny, with the natives doing as they’d always done and not realizing they might be doing something wrong; the missionary’s list of sexual sins only gave them new ideas: “Hey, I hadn’t thought of doing that. \u00a0I should try it.”<\/p>\n

Rudy<\/a><\/i> was a movie about a college student who’d always dreamed of playing football for Notre Dame, but was small and not that good of a player. \u00a0But because of his lifelong dream, he worked hard, and got to play at least once.<\/p>\n

The crowd chanted, “Rudy, Rudy, Rudy,” when he played. \u00a0Dad saw that game and remembered the chanting, though he didn’t know at the time what it was for. \u00a0On September 3, I wrote this in my diary:<\/p>\n

On the 10:00 news on [channel] 16 tonight, they talked about how hotly Rudy<\/i> is selling, and showed the long-sideburned stand-in–[one of my high school classmates]!! \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He’s a Notre Dame student, and the reporter was talking with him at a kitchen table, it appeared. \u00a0The reporter said, ‘Don’t think he wants to be an actor. \u00a0He wants to be a game-show host.’ \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I can just see that–and I think I remember him saying that once.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He was also the stepson of a famous South Bend DJ, one of our local gods.\u00a0 He was the James Dean lookalike in this McDonalds commercial<\/a> when he was 19.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

I probably arrived at school on Monday, September 6, because that was Labor Day and a much more convenient day for my parents to drive me to Roanoke.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, my friends and I went outside Bossard to cool off and drink pop while the DJ played “Jump<\/a>” by House Of Pain, a rap song. \u00a0Because of the Irish theme of the video, which had Irish hats and buttons and dancers, Astrid and I began to dance an Irish step-dance or jig.<\/p>\n

Since it was so much fun, I realized I liked it far more than the modern, boring sway-dancing going on in Bossard. \u00a0I requested “Funky Ceili<\/a>” by Black 47 so we could jig again, but the DJ didn’t play it. \u00a0I don’t know if he even had it.<\/p>\n

Library Tales<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

To my glee, James worked with me for the last few minutes of my Tuesday and Thursday shifts. \u00a0I had a chance to get to know him–and possibly even more.<\/p>\n

Though some people thought library work was the most boring, I thought it was the most wonderful. \u00a0Almost anything seemed better after a year working in Food Service, but it wasn’t just that:<\/p>\n

I could sit at the information desk and read my homework assignments, waiting for people to check out or return books. \u00a0When the cart of returned books was full, I put the books in order and re-shelved them.<\/p>\n

I loved being alone among all the books, and often found books on the cart or on the shelves which I checked out for myself. \u00a0I hung the daily newspapers on racks in the main reading room (by the information desk). \u00a0I loved spending time among the 800s, of course, since that’s where literature is in Dewey Decimals.<\/p>\n

There was a third floor, a half-floor, actually, a kind of balcony extending over part of the second floor. \u00a0It may not have been in use junior year, though senior year it was used for a juvenile section.<\/p>\n

My boss, Head Librarian, was a tall, skinny woman with glasses and dark hair. \u00a0I don’t remember Flora’s librarian title; she had short hair and glasses. \u00a0I don’t know how old they were; probably forties. \u00a0Flora was from Indiana, but had a Southern bent to her mostly Northern accent. \u00a0She must have come from farther south than my hometown.<\/p>\n

Seymour was the circulation librarian. \u00a0He dealt with the newspapers and magazines. \u00a0I wrote an essay on him for Advanced Writing. \u00a0He was tall, mostly bald, and dark-haired, with glasses and a gentle expression.<\/p>\n

This was a post-retirement job, taken after he got a Library Science degree. \u00a0He often sat at a desk alongside the wall opposite the information desk, and above the desk was a window. \u00a0People would come in and, without turning his head, he greeted them by name.\u00a0 Some people found this scary, but he could see their reflections in the window. \u00a0He was friendly and talked to everyone he could.<\/p>\n

Freshman or sophomore year, I went into the library and checked out a book.<\/p>\n

Seymour asked, “Where are you from?”<\/p>\n

“South Bend,” I said.<\/p>\n

“Why did you come so far away from home to Roanoke?”<\/p>\n

I came for the Writing major, and other things.<\/p>\n

“South Bend is the home of Notre Dame football. \u00a0Are you a fan?”<\/p>\n

“No, but I still support the team.” \u00a0I supported it by rooting for it, not watching the games.<\/p>\n

Sophomore or junior year, we had the same conversation, almost word for word.<\/p>\n

Though Head Librarian and Flora could occasionally be seen doing things around the library, much of the time I found them sitting in the office watching a TV on a wheeled stand. \u00a0Sharon wondered if they had us student workers do most of the work.<\/p>\n

They were pleasant and laid-back, not caring if student workers came in a few minutes late, and often smiled at us. \u00a0The library clerk, J–, had one leg shorter than the other. \u00a0She was a pleasant person, with blonde hair and glasses. \u00a0When she was at the desk, she’d chat with me.<\/p>\n

Sometimes I was the only student working, and sometimes there was someone with me. \u00a0When setting up hours, you had to be careful not to schedule yourself with more than one person.<\/p>\n

One of the heirs to a prominent local business was a schizophrenic man in probably his forties or fifties. \u00a0He would come into the library to find his tutor. \u00a0He talked very loudly, and as if he were a little slow mentally.<\/p>\n

He was tall, maybe a little overweight, and dark, with heavy eyebrows. \u00a0His tutor was heavy-set, dark, and mustached. \u00a0I grew to recognize them both.<\/p>\n

“Mr. Heir” would ask me if I smoked, maybe to offer me a cigarette if I did (bleh), and go outside to smoke in the entryway, the only place in the library where it was allowed. \u00a0I think sometimes he even lit up in the library itself, and had to be told to move into the entryway.<\/p>\n

Teachers put articles, test answers, books, and other things on reserve, and these reserved materials were put in a bookshelf to the left of the information desk and along the wall, with each teacher’s name pasted over separate sections. \u00a0Students had to ask one of us to get the reserved materials for them, and they signed their names on long cards stuck in the material.<\/p>\n

Because of this, I felt like I knew a lot about what was going on in the classes. \u00a0Sometimes, teachers came up to the desk and talked to me because of these reserves, or because they knew me.<\/p>\n

Flora’s husband liked to call her a lot, and always asked for her by her first and last name. \u00a0Since many people just asked for “Flora,” we’d know it was her husband. \u00a0It almost seemed as if he wanted there to be no mistake that she was his woman.<\/p>\n

I didn’t know her full name at first, and had just read in the student workers’ information manual that the student workers weren’t there to go fetching people all the time.\u00a0 We often got calls asking to talk to people who might be in the library, so I went to Head Librarian and Flora, who were usually in the office, or to Seymour and asked if they knew who such-and-such was. \u00a0They often did, and found them if they were there.<\/p>\n

So one day I asked if they knew a Flora T–. \u00a0Flora laughed and said that was she. \u00a0She took the phone and told her husband I was new.<\/p>\n

I had to read the manual on my first day, and though I probably forgot a lot of it, I knew I was supposed to answer the phone and say “library” if it was on-campus (one ring) or “Roanoke College Library” if it was off-campus (two rings). \u00a0I kept wanting to say “Lib’ry!” like the British.<\/p>\n

Sometimes Latosha came into the library and talked with me. \u00a0She, of course, had her cute baby daughter by then, and sometimes brought her in. \u00a0Last year, when she conceived the baby, she was living off-campus with E–; now, she’d broken up with him, and was glad to be rid of him.<\/p>\n

(She’s on my Facebook, and now that little baby is all grown up and graduated from high school! \u00a0Scary how time flies when you pass 20.)<\/p>\n

Happiness Returns<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

On Wednesday, September 8, classes began. \u00a0The new year excited me: What would it be like? \u00a0Shawn was gone, and I didn’t see Peter anywhere.<\/p>\n

On the one hand, it was sad to not see Shawn anymore, but on the other hand, it was a relief. \u00a0Both those men were finally gone, and I was free! \u00a0I could start the year off on my own terms.<\/p>\n

I had gotten used to looking at everyone who came in or passed, wondering if it was Shawn or Peter, but now it would never be again. \u00a0That was weird. \u00a0A wonderful semester began, the best and happiest semester I ever spent at that school.<\/p>\n

Though I thought about Peter during the summer, I did not want to get back together with him. \u00a0On September 22, I wrote in my diary–and later told Pearl–that maybe the supposed “word<\/a>” about Peter and I getting back together, referred to friendship and not romance. \u00a0Though before I would have hated this thought, now it elated me.<\/p>\n

One night, sometime before mid-October, as Jennifer and I washed our hands alone in the bathroom of Fox Valley Mall in Appleton, I asked what had become of Peter. \u00a0I hesitated and took great care in bringing this up, probably because I didn’t want her to think I was still hung up on him.<\/p>\n

She said, “He dropped out of school. \u00a0He decided he didn’t need a degree for what he wants to do. \u00a0Now he’s working in Radio Shack in the S– mall.”<\/p>\n

On the one hand I wondered how the supposed “words” were supposed to be fulfilled now; on the other I felt joy and release: Peter was truly out of my life.<\/p>\n

I rarely stayed in my room on Friday nights, and I think Clarissa often came with me. \u00a0My friends had parties, or Jennifer and her new boyfriend Mike invited me to join them and others as they drove off to Jennifer’s house or elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Jennifer and Mike weren’t together yet at the beginning of the year, though: We met him that year. \u00a0He may have been a transfer student or a freshman.<\/p>\n

I remember him sitting next to me in the back of a car full of my friends, and talking to us. \u00a0I thought he had an uncanny resemblance to my World Civ teacher<\/a> (and laughed like him)–though, thank goodness, he didn’t spit when he talked.<\/p>\n

I soon discovered he liked Jennifer. \u00a0I thought they started dating, but Pearl or Sharon told me he was interested in another girl and had to decide which one he wanted. \u00a0This anxious triangle was soon resolved when he chose Jennifer.<\/p>\n

Index<\/a><\/b>
\n<\/b>Cast of Characters (Work in Progress)<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Table of Contents<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Freshman Year<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

September 1991:<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n