February 25, 1970 (Letter from Gail)

You would not believe how cold it is here tonite.  I was over at the coffee house till about 10:00 so on my way home I checked the temp -- 2+ out!  Oy!  I can't stand this damn weather much longer!  I wish spring would hurry up and get here.  Oh -- for that warm weather!!

I've been keeping myself pretty busy lately.  I'm in 2 plays this semester.  A short 1 act play for the coffee house -- get this -- only 2 people in it -- me and this boy.  Sharp, huh?  Then I have a real small bit part in our Drama Club spring production.  I'm really excited about both of them.  The C.H. one is March 20 and 23 and the other one is the end of April.

Last weekend I stayed at Patti Suppa's house.  Her parents went to Fla for 2 wks ( those lucky SOB's) so 3 of us stayed there for the weekend, Sheryl Larson, Barb Check, and me.  Barb is staying for the full 2 wks.  Well, Friday night we went bar-hopping.  We hit the biggest dives in J'town I think.  1st Shorty's (naturally) then Pejo's -- picked up some EOC kids, went to the Silver Dollar and Samuels.  We got back in town at 1:00 and Pat and this other girl that was with us stopped at the T&C and Allegheny Hotel and got served!  Oh wow -- what a night.  I didn't get drunk though.  Got in about 2:30.  Sat nite was even better, we went to Satellite Lounge bowling for awhile -- then barhopping again.  We went to one place -- oh god -- it was a real western saloon -- with Merle Haggard on the juke box and real cowboys dancing with their chicks!  Funny!  Then at 5 to 1 we found the greatest bar -- called the Sportsman Cafe -- the place isn't much, but the bartender is fabulous!  A young Italian guy -- "Bootsie" they call him.  Well he told us if we came back in 2 weeks, he'd buy us all a free drink -- there were 8 of us.  Great!!!  We got back about 2:00 then everyone came in and ate pizza.  Then at 4:00 we went for a ride around town with a six pack.  All I could see was the cops pulling us over.  Oy, I was scared but nothing happened -- thank god!  We got home at 5:00 and I finally went to bed.  I was absolutely exhausted -- a little drunk too, but that's beside the point.  I had a great weekend!  So now you probably think I'm a lush, etc.  But you know me better than that.  Right?  Hey, have you heard from Mark?  I haven't.  When are you coming home.  Be good and take care.

March 19, 1969 (Letter from Gail)

Boy, was my face red tonite!  Bonnie Freund and I were sitting in History tonite and we were talking while the teacher was lecturing.  Well he got a little pissed and told us to shut up and stop acting like high school girls!  He stood there and carried on like that for about 5 min -- giving us this big lecture on class behavior, how it's rude to talk while someone else is and blah-blah-blah.  I was so humiliated, I could have spit in his face.  Bon was really embarrassed, too.

Well, Mark came home last wk.  I've only seen him once, Fri night.  Sheryl and I took him over to our coffee house but before we walked in, I saw this guy I haven't seen in 13 months.  He just got home from the service, so I started talking to him.  Well, Sheryl got upset and went home and Mark got pissed and he took off and went to Y'ville with his sister.  He never did make it up there.  But really, I don't think he'd like it.  It's just not his type of place  So I'm not going to force him to come with us anymore when we go there.  I've talked to him once since Fri -- on Monday -- so I think he's up tight about me.  Enuf about Mark.  How's you?  How's all your campus protesting and sit-ins coming along?  Quarters are here on Fri so we should be getting our grades within a couple week.  I'm not really sure what any of them will be but I know that they'll be somewhere around average, as usual.

We were supposed to go see the 5th Dimension at the main campus tomorrow, but as usual our plans were screwed up and we won't be going.  Damn.  Count Basie will be at the high school pretty soon, so we'll probably see that.

Boy, has the weather ever been beautiful here the past 2 days.  Everybody was riding around with their convertibles down, guys were wearing shorts and playing baseball already. But tonight it got cold, so I don't know what it'll be like tomorrow.

Are you coming home for Easter?  Gee if you are, the whole gang, or those who made it home will have to get together and have another New Years party!  Right?  Except this time, there will be no whiskey, no "friends" of Joan's and NO throwing up or passing out till 5:30 in the morning.  If we eliminated these, it sounds like a hell of a boring time, no really, sounds like fun. We'll have to see what we can do about it.

 Well, Mr. Nelson, gotta hit the sack.  Take care and be careful.  See ya soon, right?  XOXOXO.

March 8, 1969 (Letter from Barb Salapek)

Sorry I haven't written lately but I got swamped with homework and tests the last couple weeks.   Yesterday I had a test in World Civilization.  It was one essay question on one of the two books we had to read.  The question he asked was on the book that I didn't finish!  I think I flunked it along with the rest of the class.  Have you done anything exciting lately?  I haven't but that's not unusual for this town.  EC started a coffeehouse.  It's over the B&B Smoke Shop.  It's kinda neat.  It's made up of 2 rooms and a snackbar where you can get coffee, tea, mocha, pop, pretzels, and cookies.  There's a little stage where kids get up and sing.  Most of the time we just sit and talk.  It's nice to have somewhere to go.  Anyone who goes to college or are around 19 can go. If some younger kids come in they have to show a college ID card.  But we haven't had anyone come in from the high school yet.  When you come home you'll have to go up and see it!

When does your Easter vacation start?  I don't know when ours is.

The only thing I've been doing is going to Melody.  There's really nothing more to do.

There was a little excitement around Warren a few weeks ago.  I guess there was a party at a trailer court and the kids had some pot.  It was raided and Mary Jo Conti was there.  (She's a junior, I think, do you know her?)  Well, anyway, she got fined $75.  That will teach them I guess.  Well I'd better go  now.  I have 2 other letters to write to make up for my neglect.  Oh well.  Bye now.

March 5, 1969 (Letter from Gail)

I'm really sorry for not writing sooner but when I tell you why, I'm sure that you'll forgive me.  These past 2 or 3 weeks have been really, really busy and exciting for me.  It all started when I had two tests 2 weeks ago in Art and Math.  Well, I got an A in Math and a B in Art.  Oh god was I happy.  I've never gotten an A in Math before.  I don't know if I told you that I was trying out for the play at school.  Well on Tuesday (last week) I found out that I made a part in the play.  I play a Norwegian maid -- Helga -- who gets pregnant by the son of the family I work for.  I'm so excited, I can't stand it!!!  The play is really crude but it's funnier than all hell.  We practice most every nite.  It's gonna be presented on April 17-19.  I haven't even started to learn my lines yet.  This past Monday we had elections for student government and guess what!  I made it!  That just made the week perfect!  I can't believe it.  So many things have been happening.  Little old EOC is really groovin'.  We're having our talent show this Friday nite at Beaty.  It should really be funny.  They have about 20 acts for it.

Last Sat nite our Zodiac coffee house opened up.  God, was it terrific.  This boy came down from main campus and sang a whole bunch of songs and played his guitar.  He was really fabulous.  The Zodiac is only open 3 nites a week so that if there's anything going on at the college, the coffee house won't keep the kids away.  When you come home, I'll have to take you up.  You'll dig it.

So how's life been treating you?  Has the Board of Health condemned your apartment yet?  I'm only kidding, you know that.  I think on March 20th a bunch of us kids are going to main campus to see the 5th Dimension.  I'm excited.  It should be really great.  Well, I gotta go pick up my sister now.  Be good, Paul and take care of yourself.