January 21, 1974 (Letter from Dody)

I am so glad that I got your letter today.  It sure is great to hear from you again, and to hear that you're doing so well.

I'm sorry that I'm typing this letter but it's either this or you really won't be able to read the letter at all.  (You see my handwriting has gone downhill considerably since college.)  The other reason is because I'm not sure how long this letter will be and I want to be sure to tell you all of the shit.

Since the beginning of school I've been teaching and going to school at the same time.  I've been taking an IPS (Introductory Physical Science) workshop for 6 graduate credits in Philly.  I was also the assistant football coach this year and had a ball doing it.

About Christmas time our faculty decided to put on a musical so as to send our foreign exchange teacher, from England, down to Florida for the Christmas vacation.  Needless to say, yours truly got stuck with the lead, because he didn't show up for rehearsals.  (He who doesn't show gets stuck with one of the leading parts.)  Well, we put the show on within 3 weeks and made $901.  Enough to send this guy and his wife to Fla in style for about a week.

When I got home for the Christmas vacation the first time it was for only a very few minutes.  I did see Mike and he told me about his travels and schooling etc. and it seems that he's getting sick of school.  I really think that what Mike needs is to get out and work for awhile.  He's really getting hung up on society and its absurdness.  I really don't think that he wants to cope with what society has to offer and the responsibilities associated with it.  Hopefully, he'll outgrow his "bitterness" or whatever is bothering him.  It was real nice to see him though.  He's still got a lot to offer this world if he ever gets around to it.

I'm glad to hear that you are getting into the swing of your new "job".  It sounds as though you really dig this library science bit.  I sure hope that you can get a job somewhere, IN YOUR FIELD, because it is really a bitch and half when you have to teach or do a job that isn't your major field.  However, if one wants to get into a company or school, in my case, it sure does help to start somewhere.

Our new high school should be finished in September of 1975 and is supposed to be quite a school.  I got on the curriculum committee yesterday along with the other guy that I teach with.  We're hoping that this will be our foot in the door for a Biology position when the new school opens.  Here's hoping for the future.

During the vacation I spent a lot of time with the parents and had a fantastic time.  I've found them to be quite the friends as well as parents.  It was a nice stay and much too short overall.

New Years Eve was something different.  I started the evening with Gussie.  She was to come up to my grandfather's house for dinner and yours truly lost the key someplace.  Man, did I ever feel like an ass.  Believe me, a total ass.  She couldn't stay out for the whole evening so I then went down to the Knight's Lounge and had a fabulous time.

I've kinda taken an interest in a girl from back home but will have to wit to see what happens.  I won't expand on this point right now as I really don't think that anything will materialize.  Don't worry though, it isn't Linda Cummings.  Besides she's married and you wouldn't believe how lucky I am that I got rid of her.  Only time will tell in regards to this other girl.

On the local scene I've decided that they should name Warren Peyton Place with all of the crap that is going on there.  It is unbelievable.

Do you remember Tom Peterson?  Well, he married Bonnie Weldon a few years ago and now they're split up.  In fact, he's supposed to be down in Florida with Cathy Siegle, who is married to Dr. Gettes' son from Youngsville.  How true all this crap is I really don't know.  But I do know that Bonnie is in Warren without Tom, because I was with her at the Rathskeller for about half an evening.  So I've decided that I'm staying out of Warren for awhile until thing settle down a bit.

This summer I'll be going back to Edinboro, hopefully, to work on my master's degree.  It should take only two summer total to finish up and then I can take a rest for awhile.  It will be a nice change from this workingman's world though.  A bit of a grind but a little relaxation.

Well, I'm going to have to cut for now but will write again when I get the chance.  Write when you can and let me know the haps.

February 15, 1969 (Letter from Kathy)

Well, it's me again.  I'm kinda depressed tonight.  This school is really getting to me about now.  I've worked so hard this damn term, and there is still so much to do.  Finals start in two weeks.  Spring break is March 7th-17th. Thank God!!!  I'm gonna need that break.  They might take it away form us if we have anymore days off for snow.

Gary and I had a really great time last weekend, and it would have been perfect except for the terrible blizzard we had.  The airport was closed, and he took a bus back.  It took him 37 hours to get to Titusville!  Can you imagine??  He must have been going out of his mind.  He left Sunday at 5:45 (night), got into Titusville at 6:30 Tuesday morning!!  He had a physics midterm at 10:00.  You can't imagine how worried I was when I found out the thruway had been closed.  I called my parents and everything.

Gary didn't stay for the Orpheus concert, but it was cancelled anyway because part of the group was stranded in Worcester.  I'm gonna see the Rascals at Boston College the 21st.  The Chambers Brothers were really great.

In the past four weeks, I have done 3 of my 4 term papers.  I'm gonna try and get the other one finished this weekend.  It's a long weekend because of Washington's birthday!!.  (It's a week from this Sat.???)  If I weren't going home in 3 weeks, I would have taken off.  I'm so sick of this place right now.  There are only 10 of 36 girls left on our floor, and no one will be back until Monday night.

I've cut down on the fraternity parties since before Christmas.  It's too fattening.  I'm trying to lose some of the weight I've put on.  As long as I keep busy, I lose weight or at least I don't gain.  That's been this term anyway.

I haven't heard Caesar and the Romans recording of "Baby Love" but I've been listening for it.  The school has a small radio station which just might play it.

Well, guess I'm run down!  Do you believe -- finally??

P.S.  I heard you took Carol out!  I wish I were home right now.  My sister is getting married in August and I'm gonna be in int.

February 7, 1969 (Letter from Jodee)

Have a half hour before lunch, so I thought I'd write.  It's about the food around here.  We haven't had a decent meal in 2 weeks!  Well, what are ya gonna do?

Second semester classes aren't too bad.  Civ II is another TV course.  Hope I can get a B out of it.  My calc course is giving me problems already but it's too late to drop it now.  I blew a quiz today -- what's five points anyway?  Fr III doesn't look too bad, but I got a C on my first speech in speech class.  (Where else would you give a speech, huh?)  I have a lot of reading this semester, too, and I'm already behind in it.  I better shape up, huh?

Got a letter from Gus yesterday.  I guess she's really diggin Harry Spackman.  They went to Melody last Thurs.  She's finally over John, too.  They had a date and he turned out to be "a real child".  I'm happy for her.  Tommy and I are getting pretty uptight again.  Hmm.  He came to Edinboro a couple weeks ago to see me.  My roommates thought he was really tough.

I called home Wed night, talked about 20 min.  Did you know that Tim Nuhfer's older brother Danny got killed in Vietnam?  I guess my brother felt pretty bad cuz he used to be a frat brother.  I think it kind of scared him to think that going into the service could mean getting killed.  I'm sure glad I'm not a guy!!  Anyway, I wanna go home at the end of the month an bring one of my roommates.  Me and Donna are gonna hit Shorty's.  Can you imagine, she's never been to a bar!!  My goodness!!

Last weekend was a real dud.  Fri nite Don and I went to an Alpha Phi Omega party.  We got our signals crossed.  I thought she wanted to go and she thought I wanted to go and neither of us would go without the other.  We spent most of the time in the bathroom talking about what asses we were.  It was bad.  Sat night Connie and I went to a Delta Sig party.  Everyone was drunk (but us, that is) and threw furniture and bottles all over the place.  Can't wait to see what's in store for this weekend.

The sororities around here have started throwing their rush parties.  I'd sure like to get into Alpha Sigma Alpha.  Spent three hours there last night getting better acquainted with the sisters.  They're all so nice.

What have you heard from the Humboldt girls?  I got a letter from Sue last week.  Sure wish Nancy'd get around to writing.

How's the weather in Buffalo?  It's so cold here, I can't stand it.  I wish it were summertime and that we were hitting Surf and Snug every weekend.  Oh well, only a couple more months.

Well, Paul, it's time now for another delicious Edinboro lunch.  See ya at Easter OK. Be good and study hard.

February 2, 1969 (Letter from Barb)

I've been trying to write to you all weekend -- this go, go, go -- party, party, party life is getting me down.  Yes, right, don't I wish...The collage doesn't make any sense at all -- it's one of those "pick out a page and cut everything out" ones.

Thanks for writing, letters always make ya feel good.  I wasn't surprised to hear that Mike is the same.  He probably has a couple of friends and considers everybody else really "hoody" or dumb -- does he date anybody?  Poor Michael, but what are you going to do -- Mardi's in a bad way -- between freezing weather, crummy social life, school (blah!), dirty kitchens, and pot raids, she's about ready to shove it all.  It takes time to learn how to handle all the shit they dish out to ya at school.  We have a break (ten days) starting Feb 21-March 2.  I really want to go out and see her.  I could pull if off for $30 or $40.  I really can't afford it since I'm a couple hundred short for school anyway, but I think I'll do it anyway.  If I'm gonna go every day and work at that lousy job I might as well do something I want to do with my money.  Right?!

Things are their usual duddy self here but I really don't mind anymore.  My shoot-down from last semester is haunting me.  I just had Dorm Council for one time I came in an hour late last October and got campused for last night -- neat, huh?  I saw Mr. Wonderful at a party Friday night but he didn't speak -- why are guys always so nice, it must be a real effort.

I have a feeling my grades will be at a new all-time low at the end of this semester.  I haven't done one thing yet this semester!  During the week I don't even have time to breathe right.  I have four hours of classes a day -- that's not much at all, but I work 4 hours a day too, so I have time to squeeze in lunch and a cigarette and that's about it.  Then at night I clunk out for a couple hours in a dead sleep, get up, and shit around -- school, what school?  Missed a test on Friday that I'll have to take a zero for, oh yes, life is a shit sandwich and every day is another bite!  This Friday Smokey Robinson is here.  I'm supposed to have a date with some guy who might not go and I've never even met the kid anyway and you know I'd go alone in my jeans and bare feet and stand in the snow to see Smokey Robinson!  Not get this, that's Friday night and Saturday I'm supposed to go down to Penn State to go to the Chambers Bros with some kid I met there last week (went down last weekend, had a great time) but his roommate called me today and said he's been missing all weekend.  They called the cops, the whole bit.  He took all their hash and said he was coming up here to see me and nobody's heard form him. This poor guy takes LSD and is kind of screwed in the head, if ya know what I mean -- Is this making any sense?

Like I said before -- Help!!  Can't wait to get out of here and take off this summer.  We're going up to Cape Cod if it kills us; I can't take another summer at home working at New Process and sitting up in Shorty's everynight.  Oh, I forgot, Surf Club every weekend.  I feel like I should have my Friday night barstool reserved.  We'll do all that stuff at Easter and that'll hold me for awhile.  I go home April 2-7.

So, Paul, you see, Mardi and I need a few words of wisdom -- got any handy?  I imagine Joan needs more than a few -- I haven't heard from her except she sent me a birthday present.  I wonder if she's married to Rick, hehe, unless of course he hasn't gotten over his "fuckin crab yet".  W hat a case that kid is.  Swinging New Years at Renee's.

So you're going out with Gussie at home -- where is your taste?  I'm just kidding you, she's probably a "very fine person", cough.

P.S.  Was your spirit right about Cheryl!???   You mover, you!