Miami University - Recensio Yearbook (Oxford, OH)

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Lori Hawkins With refreshments in hand, seniors Bill Nelson, Mark Brenneman and Frank Perez took an afternoon off to avoid thinking about the future. Different thoughts dominated each senior's mind as graduation approached. While Ann Davies read upon the advantages of a career with Procter and Gamble, Julie Bell checked out the latest fads and fashions with Cosmopolitan. During some free time, Pam Kingery and Lisa Podojil positioned themselves for an afternoon of soap operas. Full of idolized romance, General Hospital was the national favorite among college women and men. Mary McElvain Mary McEkvain Student Life 21

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Looking Back Before Leaving Time only seemed to creep by in provincial little Oxford. Four seemingly interminable years at Miami zipped by before I was aware of their passage. One year was for adjustment: to red bricks piled among the trees, to the absence of parental aid iand sometimes the parental dolu larl, to making new friends and losing track of some old ones. Another year was for relocat- ing on campus and readjusting academically and socially. A third to buckle down and make some decisions. And a final one to change my mind again. Senior year. After 17 years of education I still didnt know what to do. But many seniors did know. Those with jobs lined up had a tendency to miss a few classes here and there, for instance the weeks before and after spring break. Their homework and studies were postponed for a Tuesday night uptown, the 11 p.m. MtAtSiH, or a spur-of-the- moment dash to Cincinnati - or Texas. Of course the pre-law, pre-med and pre- dents worked their tails off. At least until they were accepted. They could then take a much- needed break before their next three-to-life terms of academia began. All anyone talked about were interviews, the long haul to CPPO in Hoyt, ding letters and, at last, acceptance letters. Jobs, grad schools, marriage, unemployment: finalized plans indicated the end. Time did nothing to make goodbyes any easier. Long friendships, now likely to be frac- tured by separation, and even short acquain- tanceships, unfuliilled due to lack of time, led to painful separations. There was barely time to go over old Miami memories. The freshman mixer. The old freshman and exchange corridors; your RA and exchange RA. Dorm lotteries. Red tape at Roudebush, solidified into brick. Vacations that rarely coincided with friends from home. Spring breaks in Florida. The big move off campus. A few special dates - even at Miami! Graduation. We all said weld write. Keep track. Some of us would, some would not. This was my chance to say au revoir to my friends, ac:- quaintances and Miami. Till we meet again. But not goodbye. Not even to liMother'i Miami. f. Scott Harshman

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Take This job and Shove It Was it really worth it? One more iiWhat kind of pie is that? and she was going to throw in her apron and go home. Some days the place was a zoo e with more than its share of beasts. Still, she hung in there for nine to 12 hours a week like hundreds of others students who worked part time. Senior, and three-year-veteran university worker, Laura Morsches toiled in dining halls two years, and one year at the copy center in Gaskill Hall. Although some months the essentials like tuition and rent consumed a large chunk of her pay, she worked mainly for extra money, supplementary income that made life worth living. Laura admitted there were times when she thought Why am 1 working? like when people looked at her lias though I'd made the stuff I was serving? But most of the time she enjoyed working. She got the latest scoop on who was eating with whom and saw who was coming back for seconds. Laura confessed that, had she chosen to, she could have become the Rona Barrett of the dining hall. James Sherron was the creator of culinary marvels at Ozziels Restaurant. For an average of thirteen hours a week, he slaved over a hot stove, secretly hoping to be discovered by one of the great chefs of Europe. Actually, James said it wasn't all that bad of a job, the people were fun, and draft beer flowed freely. What more could you want in a job? If you were one of those people who never worked because your monthly allowance could buy the Hope Diamond, you might wonder why people who didn't absolutely have to work chose to do so. Strange as it may seem some students needed a breather from the same old grind. Working part time pro- vided a diversion. Karen Swedersky worked as a waitress at the Shriver Center for ban- quets and receptions. She usually didnt work more than five hours a week, so her pay wasn't enormous. Still she was happy to have the job, partly for the extra money, but largely because it took her mind off typical student concerns. For a few hours a week, all she had to worry about was getting Junior a glass of milk and his mother an iced tea. Karen said she naturally enjoyed meeting people and nearly everyone had been friendly. Those of us who had a hard time fitting classes into our schedules might have specu- lated that working even a few hours a week would render keeping up with homework im- possible. Jane Siehl, an emergency room assistant at McCullough-Hyde Hospital for two years, conceded that she did have less time to study, but sheid learned to budget her time. When she did have a particularly rough week, others were usually willing to switch shifts. Laura Morsches said she probably wouldnt have been studying the hours she worked anyway. For those who couldnit swing a job, there were others way to make money. Rob Hen- 22 Student Working Vicki Robinson neberg donated plasma twice a week. He found that for about three hours a week, he could make as much as someone working for nearly five hours at most jobs. In Rob's words, illtls a feasible alternative for people who dont have the time to work? Where did all that extra cash go? For some it was spent on the finest luxuries of life e like brand name over Cost Cutter generic beer. For others it went toward concerts, movies and food, often at Dayton or Cincinnati. Those living off campus found the utility companies more than willing to take extra cash off their hands. And though it may be hard to understand why anyone would want to get away from Oxford, some students used their extra money for weekend or spring break trips. The list of moonlighters was endless. You saw them everywhere. A student delivered your pizza; another student rang up your purchase at the Co-op; a student dipped your ice cream at B 8 Rs. Students worked differ- ent hours and for different reasons, but as a group, they all appreciated the extra income working provided. 4N- Ellen Graham Lunch time and evening munching breaks were rush hours for the Redskin Reservation. Under the direction of full-time employees, students ran the Res efficiently. The local merchants often hired students to work during the school or the busy season. At the Campus Discount Center Marty Maloanado became acquainted with many faces and made extra spending money.