Housekeeping, Internet and Delaware

The first time I saw him he wasstanding waiting patiently for his turn in line at the bank. His clothes were ragged and his head was covered with a worn knif bat. He made his way to my window and as be got closer a smile that spread across his face revealed his missing teeth. He looked like he had not showered in days. He was not sure bow to go about taking money out from his checking account. ,_________ _, I informed him that he would need to write out a check to himself and cash it. To my surprise he handed me the checkbook and asked me to fill it out. I was cmious as to why he didn't do it himself, but I just nodded and filled out the blank check. He signed his name at the bottom in a chicken scratch that he wrote with such grace and concentration. I read the bottom of the check and saw that his name was Oarence. That name always makes me think of angels, because of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life." I completed his transaction and told him to have a nice day. He smiled and told me to do the same and graciously thanked me for helping him. I told him that it was no problem at all.

Catharine Bernson

staff writer

How is it fair that housekeeping can decide not to clean your bathroom if it is too messy? Then if they do not do a good job cleaning you cannot tell them not to come back. My bathroom has not been really cleaned since I got here, and that was a week and a half before school actually started. It is a good thing that I live with girls who like to keep things neat, be._________ _. cause if I did_not I might yak every time I went into the bathroom.

The Internet sucks this year. Ever since the school hooked up with Drexel it has been ridiculously hard to check e-mail. I thought the merger was supposed to help, when all it did was cause more problems. People work for the school as information technology repairmen do not do anything and get paid for it. And my Internet still does not work.

We bombed Afghanistan. I kind of knew that we would but I was thinking it would happen sooner. I was getting my hopes up thinking that there would be no war, but now it is inevitable.

I am from Delaware, home of tax-free shopping, and that is apparently all my home state is good for. It is not true though; there are plenty of good things going on in the First State, like umm. Ok, it is true, sorry.

Last week I let my mom read my article and she got mad at me for remembering the city as smelling of "asphalt and drugs." She's right that's not all the city smells of.

I grew up in a nicer neighborhood, and there was always some one with a barbeque or a fire going. I was able to sit out on my front porch and talk to people as they walked by with their kids or dogs or both. But what I said was honest. When I came home from basketball practice around seven p.m. and had to walk through the ghetto to get home there was definitely a strong odor of hot road and marijuana.

Weekends on campus are not a good time to eat. The cafeteria is never open when it needs to be, and the Wigwam isn't available at all. Brunch and a shortened dinner service is not a very nice way to treat the residence who either can't or don't go home all the time. If the school is really trying to save some of the 8000 plus dollars a year we spend to live and eat here then just have the Wigwam open all day and shut the cafeteria down for the whole time, or an even better idea just keep the hours the same and stop the confusion.

I feel that I should end on a more positive note. I really like my room at the new dorm. I have lots of sunlight and fresh air. My "pod"is the coolest, we all have so much fun with each other its scary. There is no better feeling than knowing that you don't have to worry about disturbing your neighbors with obnoxious guitar playing or loud music, because they do the same things to you.

As Oareoce turned to leave the window it suddenly dawned on me that he <:ouldnot read and I was SID'C of this when I watched him push the doors that exit the bank several times as he was looking at the big black let-·-ters that instructed you to pull. I just watched him until he disappeared from my sight.

I wondered if he would have to go anywhere else that day where he would need someone's assistance and I hoped that they would help him and not belittle, or yell at him. I wondered how difficult life would be without being able to read and only knowing how to spell my name. I thought about how lucky I am to be in college and to have an education. l tho~ght about bow embarrassed Clarence ·mustfeel each time he has to ask someone for help with something as remedial as filling out a check.

As the summer went on I would see Clarence from time to time and he always looked relieved when he saw me at my window. He would bring up his checkbook and sign his name with grace every time and then he would hand the book to me and I would do the rest. After I was all done he would always say, 'Thank you miss." Each time he left I always thought the same things. Where else did he have to go that day, would someone else help him and will he be okay?

Clarence was a little man. He was short and thin and looked as if be bad not eaten or showered in days eac~ time that I saw him.but he could not have been nicer each time be came in. Not one day went by that he would not give me a big smile and thank me. I sometimes wonder if Clarence was an angel in disguise?