From the Mailbag-May

8 responses to “From the Mailbag-May”

1. I graduated in 1979. Because of the record snowfall of 356″ and the very late spring temperatures there was still a large amount of snow in the woods. Some of my classmates and I took advantage of it and had a snowball fight before going to graduation.

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2. I worked 3 years on the Keweenawan yearbook, becoming Editor-in-Chief my senior year (1967). I want to give a shout-out to all the wonderful people who worked with me, making this a publication that Tech could be proud of. Unfortunately, it is no longer put out.

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3. The commencement speaker in 1971 was author Eric Hoffer (“the longshoremen philosopher”). In the few free days before graduation, my friends dropped me off and I camped along the shore on the west side of the Keweenaw Peninsula. I took Mr. Hoffer’s book “The True Believer” to read just in case there was a pop quiz at graduation. Barely surviving exsanguination by the mosquitoes, I made it back in time to meet my family and friends to celebrate.

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4. My friends and I had great times singing old songs and throwing peanut shells on the floor in the Douglass House; which we called the Doghouse. They passed out music sheets and we sang along to the piano music. We could get pretty drunk for $2.00. In the 1960’s there wasn’t much other social life for the guys. Women students in those days were really scarce.

   I graduated in the class of 1969. That wasn’t a warm spring either. The last snow was just before Memorial Day. By graduation day, late spring had arrived and we had great weather.

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5. I attended Michigan Tech for one school year, 1982-83. As a freshman, I took up residence in Wadsworth Hall and was proud to be affectionately known as a “La Maison Maggot”. Although it no longer fits me, I still have my hall football jersey. On the shoulder it proudly displays a maggot inside a garbage can with a cigar in one hand, and a mug of cold beer in the other hand. Oh we were a lively bunch of guys. I also remember the Hobo Parade. Somehow we collected enough money to buy an old sedan that barely ran, and after cutting off the top, we could pack in about a dozen or so students. As we drove down the parade route, parts of the car were dragging on the road from the extra load, and many parade onlookers got soaked from the water-filled fire extinguishers that we carried with us. I also remember how we used the old Fortran computer punch cards in a very creative display…During Greek week, we placed cards in our dorm windows to spell out the words “Greeks Suck”. We caught heck for that and after their mud volleyball game the Greeks ran down our hall and deposited mud from end to end. What a mess, but we all sure had a great time!

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6. My favorite memory was being in the pep band while I was at MTU for one year of graduate school in 1988? M.S. Geological Engineering. It was a joy to wear those multi colored overalls and when we played at last football game of the year and snow was flying in the air, we marched off the field to the beat of a single drum before the game ended as it was too cold to pucker up for the brass players and others!!

   Linda (nee Wieczorek) 1980 B.S. Geol. Eng.

   Linda Hensel

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7. My constant memory is the feeling running through my gradation buddies of a TRUE sense of accomplishment accompanied by two completely different emotions”:

   Happiness have made it and sadness over leaving a great place, a great bunch of Buddies and a great location and atmosphere.

   Len Altobello ’59

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8. My favorite memory of the time before graduation is walking out of the admin building, have confirmed that yes, I really did have enough credits in the right classes to graduate. That sense of well dang, I finally did it stays with me even today. I can remember the the moment well when I realized I was finished.

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