The Summer of '69

debodun

debodun

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Location
way upstate in New York, USA
A spent 6 weeks at Syracuse University taking a course in geology. I am a little fuzzy on how that came about. It may have been because I got a exceptional grade in earth science class in high school and my guidance counselor steered me into it. I did find the photos I took while there to add to the dry reading. It has been edited for spelling and grammar (for the most part). A new post every day (if my computer lasts). Here goes:

Sunday, June 29
Left at 11:06 am. Comfortably warm. Sunny with altocumulus clouds. Stopped for lunch on Route 20 at 12:36 pm near Cherry Valley. Getting more cloudy the further west we go. Stopped at a drugstore in Cazenovia and get AlkaSeltzer and gum. Arrived at Kimmel Hall at 3:20 pm. Finished moving by 4:30.

syracuse6.jpg
There was an orientation meeting at 7:15 pm. Dr Drüger spoke (middle to early 40s, short, dark, funny guy) and introduced Dr. Rommey, the geology professor (tall, thin, blonde, late 40s or early 50s). Met Carol, my roommate, at the reception. She got the wrong room at first. There will be 5 girls in the geology class. Messed up library card. Floor meeting in Terry's (the floor supervisor) room. Have to keep doors locked all the time now. Went to bed at 11:15 pm. Didn't go to sleep until almost midnight.
 
Just a note here to let you know I put the thread on watch. Oh, and let me ask if you prefer interaction to things you say here, or would you rather keep it more "formal" with mainly your entries?
 
Sunday June 29th, 1969 I was in Zurich Switzerland with my artist boyfriend who actually became a well known painter. Just turned 20.
Stonewall gay riots occurred. I was so proud of them!
Judy Garland died around then. Heard both stories on BBC radio.

Sorry to interrupt. That week so vivid in my mind. I can see it! Never had to write it down. Can see the details in depth. I was very happy.
 
Monday, June 30

Woke up at 7:15 am. Took a shower. Wore blue sailor style dress. Went to breakfast. Carol didn't eat. I had 2 eggs, 2 pieces of toast with cherry jam, All Bran cereal, milk and grapefruit juice.

Had first class. Dr. Rommey and his assistant, Edwin Shay, told us about seminars* and took us to Lyman Hall library where we can get reference books. Carol and I went to the book store and bought the books we need for class. She also bought a shower cap and I bought post cards. The books cost $4.75 and $8.95.**

syracuse 5b.jpg

For lunch there was cottage cheese with an olive on a fancy stick, 2 slices of bologna, 2 slices of tomato, lettuce, stewed fruit(?), hard roll and lemonade. A moving conveyor belt takes the dishes away.

Dr. Rommey is taking us on a field trip this afternoon at 1 pm. I think I'll choose vulcanism as my seminar topic.

It was very hot on the field trip. A lot of people got suntans. I got so thirsty I could hardly stand it. We stopped at a dairy bar, but I didn't bring any money with me, so Dr. Rommey shared his drink with me. He said we'll go on another field trip tomorrow.

There was a thunderstorm before we got back to the dorm at 4:45 pm. I hope it isn't as hot. The rain helped cool it off somewhat. I had left the window open and my bed got wet. Ate supper by 5:30 pm. Had roast beef, baked potato, peas, jello, jelly roll, ice cream and milk. Had to write an abstract for class tomorrow. Glad I brought a few books along – the library is complicated.

Poor TV reception here – too many “ghosts” on the tube.***

*Students had to research a geology topic and give a presentation on it before the end of the session.
**That would correspond to about $42 and $80, respectively, in today's money.
***This was long before cable TV. Back them you either had “rabbit ears” or a rooftop antenna.
 
I was smiling because I'm an avid Journaler ....ever since my DD was born... so almost 50 years...and I almost always detail the price of things I've bought outisde of groceries..unless for any reason the food is unusually priced.. so when I read the price of the books I immediately wondered how much they would be today, so thank you for clarifying at the end...

I'm really enjoying these Diary entries...
 
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I'm glad you're doing this diary. Also glad that you're including what you had for meals... that type of thing has always been interesting to me. Had to smile at the "olive on a fancy stick"... and the vision of it. Jello was a huge thing during the 60s, and I see it was served with your supper. I've never joined "team jello" and never ate mine at school. 😁
 
Tuesday, July 1

Woke up at 6:30am. Carol's alarm clock buzzed at 7:30. She didn't get up until I returned from breakfast. For that meal there was French toast, bacon, All Bran, pineapple juice and milk. I see a lot of blind people at meals – there must be classes here for them, too. I have to take rock samples to class this morning.

It wasn't as hot today for the field trip and I didn't get as thirsty, either. We looked at outcrops along a major highway. I found many fossils. We also looked at a nice little waterfall by the side of the highway. Afterwards, Dr. Rommey took a few of us to the Jamesville Reservoir for a swim. He even went in. He and some guys in class had a swimming race out to the buoys.

Lunch consisted of spaghetti, chicken salad, lettuce, Cheese-Its, bread, jelly donut, orange jello, ice cream and lime juice.

The class visited the library again today. I took out books on vulcanism. Another girl had also chosen vulcanism for her seminar topic, too. We are going to collaborate so each doesn't have as much work to do. Carol chose “The Geological Evolution of the Niagara Gorge” for her topic.

Heard on the radio that Billy Graham will be here in Syracuse on July 16th.

Got 3 letters all at once from mom.

Almost lost my glasses today. I left them in the lab when looking through a microscope. Had to get the custodian to let me in to get them

For dinner there was a pork chop, boiled potatoes, green beans, bread, lemon jello,ice cream and milk.

Have post cards for Linda Palmer, Mr. Magee and the Basses* written. Will mail tomorrow.


*Linda was a neighbor, Mr. Magee was one of my high school teachers and the Basses were the minister and his wife at the church we attended at that time.
 
Wednesday, July 2

I was so tired last night, I went to sleep almost immediately. Woke up with Carol's alarm (7:30 am). There was scrambled eggs, toast with strawberry jam, Special-K cereal, orange juice and milk for breakfast.

We're going on a field trip this morning, then spend the afternoon in the lab. We went to a quarry and also looked at outcroppings along a stream with a waterfall. Smashed my thumb with my rock pick – it bled around the nail.

syracuse 1b.jpgsyracuse 4a.jpg

Dr. Rommey said we're going to spend most of tomorrow at the quarry.

For lunch there was a roast beef sandwich, corn, jelly donut, jello, cottage cheese, ice cream and milk.

In the afternoon I looked at rock samples and the class tried to make a stratographic map. After that, we went to the library and I got another book. I can only take that one for a week. That's all the books I'll take out, I think. Carol and Mary (another girl in class) went down to the hippie section. She bought a stapler, but the staples that came with it were too big.

Supper consisted of meat loaf, spinach, cottage cheese with radishes, orange jello, bread, cream pie and milk.

Heard a speaker on theology (David Miller). He talked about double bonds and applied them to social life and means of escape from them. Soda was served afterwards.

Carol and her “friend” stayed out until 10:30 pm. Getting to bed late tonight – 11:00 pm.
 
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That field trip looks like a lot of fun! I'd have trouble with July's heat at a place like that, I'm pretty sure. Still giggling at the jello... you weren't kidding about it being served often... twice a day!
 
Finishing up my last 12 credit hours for my bachelor's degree at the University of Florida in Gainesville. And sweating the inevitable reclassification to 1A and the draft.

And totally unrelated but I like the song so I'll post it anyway.

 
Thursday – July 3

Laundry pick-up today since tomorrow is a holiday. We're going to have class anyway.

This morning's breakfast was 2 pancakes (or and egg and 2 slices of toast),Special-K cereal, grapefruit juice and milk.

For a field trip we went down Erie Blvd in back of a shopping center. There were massive gypsum outcrops. Even Dr. Rommey was impressed. I took 3pictures. Almost lost camera – I put it on a broken wash basket and it fell through. I didn't see it and discovered it missing when we got ready to leave. I found it, though.

rockK.jpg

Back at the dorm, a cat came into the room when I was making my bed. It looks like Moxie*, only it has short hair.

Lunch consisted of beef stew on rice with Chinese noodles, cottage cheese with radish,fruit salad, cream pie and milk.

In the afternoon we re-visited the Penitentiary Quarry. After that, Dr. Rommey took us swimming again. Only he, another student and I went in. My fingers are all chewed up from grabbing onto rocks. Hair looks like a mess from swimming. Took off bathing suit and hung it it on the lamp over my bed. It dripped down and got the bed soaked. I hope it dries out by bedtime.

Cheery dinner was turkey and stuffing, mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn), mashed potatoes, fruit salad, cottage cheese, bread, ice cream, “nutty” bar and milk.

Got 6 letters today from Mabel**, Grammy, pen pals and mom.

Going to see a movie tonight at 8:00 pm - “All Quiet on the Western Front”.

* Moxie was a cat I had at the time that was a long haired tortoise shell.
** Mabel was my best friend in high school.
 
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