2.24 - The Old College Try
I spent Friday and Saturday of last weekend up at my soon-to-be (hopefully) institution of choice, Allegheny College. I slept in on Friday until about 9:00, then drove up with my mom. She basically just dropped me off and then went down to Greensburg to attend to some family business.
Before she left, we got our materials, I got a free t-shirt, and we both had folders. We had scheduled a financial aid appointment and as we were walking up, I asked my mother if she knew Ariel's last name. Ariel is the god daughter of Emmitt Frisbee, a long time family friend. He and his wife, Christine, mentioned that Ariel was at Allegheny and I was trying to remember if I knew her last name. The student who met us at the booth had a name tag that read "Ariel". What luck! We asked her if she was from Pittsburgh and knew Emmitt, she did. We found her. Damn, am I a good P.I. or what?
I met my student host and then mom left. As it turns out, "Mike" was actually in a musical and wouldn't be able to host me. Instead, Ken was my host. Mike/Ken and I went to drop my stuff off, got dinner at Brooks Dining Hall, then saw A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and capped off the evening with a trip to the annual Casino night. I hit the craps table hard, and thanks to Aimee and my sister last summer, I about quadrupled my money. I got a string of raffle tickets and put them in assorted bags from which a ticket would be drawn and prize awarded. I won a deck of Allegheny playing cards. Whoopee! Afterward, we hung out at the dorm room in Baldwin until about 1:40am when I went to sleep. At the musical, I noticed an energetic young coed who was vaguely similar to Norah Jones. I filed it away for future reference with a small measure of glee.
The next morning, I woke up at 8:00 and went to the bathroom. I'll admit, I wasn't sure about using a communal bathroom, but with a few precautions, like flip-flops for the shower, it was fine. I got dressed and went over to breakfast. From 9:00 until 9:30 or so, I drank a glass of orange juice and watched people. I observed two people who caught my interest. At the pre-law/political science table was Professor Seddig, the man who mentored and advised my mom while she was at Allegheny. The other was someone whose name I never caught. She was blond, hair cut short, reminiscent of Harley, but a little different. Good different. She had the Shea/Elizabeth face that always appeals to me. She was at a table behind me and I peripherally kept an eye on her while leaning on the rail overlooking the lower floor.
At breakfast, I introduced myself to Professor Seddig and met up with one of the guys I played craps with the night before, Isaac. Professor Seddig and I had some discussion, the others were silent for the most part, I was reduced to conversational gambits that I reserve for five year olds. Ugh, mental headslap. I conveyed that I was in mock trial, my mother was the dean of a law school, I had little trial exposure, and was ambitious as hell. Professor Seddig gave me a note for my mom to call him and I relayed it. We didn't get in touch while we were in town, but I have a feeling we'll be back in Meadville before long.
Unfortunately, the Allegheny Mock Trial team ended two years ago. Seddig indicated that if I go, I might resurrect it. I just might. As for the rest of Mock Trial, we have a competition tonight at Dauphin County Courthouse. AGAIN! And it's defense. AGAIN! I feel my eye involuntarily twitching from time to time just remembering how things went last trial. Although, this is my chance to redeem myself and show up my critics.
My weekend at Allegheny was an eye opener. There is quite a cross-section of life at the college. Weather is usually gray and rainy, winters are long and cold, it's a small town, and residence halls are a risky roll of the dice. But those are the only disadvantages I can see. Otherwise, I have nothing but fond anticipation for the place that I believe will be my school for the next three or four years. I just need to finish growing up and tieing up loose ends.
The last loose end standing in my way is the Endgame. I'll be in NYC for the first step of my plan, known as Project: Staging Grounds. I have a feeling the Fox Chapel team won't be going this year. No problem. It's covered. My Endgame came to the attention of the admin and red flagged. But they're confident that everything will be fine. As well they should. We're ticking down to the last great masterpiece of my high school and super-villain career. Just like my life as a super-villain, high school is also one of those contrivances that applies to the old saying. All good things must come to an end.
Respectfully Submitted,
Art "The Brain"
Before she left, we got our materials, I got a free t-shirt, and we both had folders. We had scheduled a financial aid appointment and as we were walking up, I asked my mother if she knew Ariel's last name. Ariel is the god daughter of Emmitt Frisbee, a long time family friend. He and his wife, Christine, mentioned that Ariel was at Allegheny and I was trying to remember if I knew her last name. The student who met us at the booth had a name tag that read "Ariel". What luck! We asked her if she was from Pittsburgh and knew Emmitt, she did. We found her. Damn, am I a good P.I. or what?
I met my student host and then mom left. As it turns out, "Mike" was actually in a musical and wouldn't be able to host me. Instead, Ken was my host. Mike/Ken and I went to drop my stuff off, got dinner at Brooks Dining Hall, then saw A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and capped off the evening with a trip to the annual Casino night. I hit the craps table hard, and thanks to Aimee and my sister last summer, I about quadrupled my money. I got a string of raffle tickets and put them in assorted bags from which a ticket would be drawn and prize awarded. I won a deck of Allegheny playing cards. Whoopee! Afterward, we hung out at the dorm room in Baldwin until about 1:40am when I went to sleep. At the musical, I noticed an energetic young coed who was vaguely similar to Norah Jones. I filed it away for future reference with a small measure of glee.
The next morning, I woke up at 8:00 and went to the bathroom. I'll admit, I wasn't sure about using a communal bathroom, but with a few precautions, like flip-flops for the shower, it was fine. I got dressed and went over to breakfast. From 9:00 until 9:30 or so, I drank a glass of orange juice and watched people. I observed two people who caught my interest. At the pre-law/political science table was Professor Seddig, the man who mentored and advised my mom while she was at Allegheny. The other was someone whose name I never caught. She was blond, hair cut short, reminiscent of Harley, but a little different. Good different. She had the Shea/Elizabeth face that always appeals to me. She was at a table behind me and I peripherally kept an eye on her while leaning on the rail overlooking the lower floor.
At breakfast, I introduced myself to Professor Seddig and met up with one of the guys I played craps with the night before, Isaac. Professor Seddig and I had some discussion, the others were silent for the most part, I was reduced to conversational gambits that I reserve for five year olds. Ugh, mental headslap. I conveyed that I was in mock trial, my mother was the dean of a law school, I had little trial exposure, and was ambitious as hell. Professor Seddig gave me a note for my mom to call him and I relayed it. We didn't get in touch while we were in town, but I have a feeling we'll be back in Meadville before long.
Unfortunately, the Allegheny Mock Trial team ended two years ago. Seddig indicated that if I go, I might resurrect it. I just might. As for the rest of Mock Trial, we have a competition tonight at Dauphin County Courthouse. AGAIN! And it's defense. AGAIN! I feel my eye involuntarily twitching from time to time just remembering how things went last trial. Although, this is my chance to redeem myself and show up my critics.
My weekend at Allegheny was an eye opener. There is quite a cross-section of life at the college. Weather is usually gray and rainy, winters are long and cold, it's a small town, and residence halls are a risky roll of the dice. But those are the only disadvantages I can see. Otherwise, I have nothing but fond anticipation for the place that I believe will be my school for the next three or four years. I just need to finish growing up and tieing up loose ends.
The last loose end standing in my way is the Endgame. I'll be in NYC for the first step of my plan, known as Project: Staging Grounds. I have a feeling the Fox Chapel team won't be going this year. No problem. It's covered. My Endgame came to the attention of the admin and red flagged. But they're confident that everything will be fine. As well they should. We're ticking down to the last great masterpiece of my high school and super-villain career. Just like my life as a super-villain, high school is also one of those contrivances that applies to the old saying. All good things must come to an end.
Respectfully Submitted,
Art "The Brain"