Well...That's all Folks!

It's a strange feeling to be at the end of a five year journey, but here The Lost One finds it has indeed come to an end. After five years, three institutions, two cross country moves, and a whole lot of wingeing, the end is here. The Lost One is now a man of letters. My. And now because the Lost One has earned it, he is going to indulge in a little after action reminiscing. So without further adieu, the Lost In Academia, "How I spent my LOOOOOONG senior year."

Ahh, the sweet, sweet feel of summer classes...Not so much. Still it was a real pleasure as the Lost One took a class from the lovely Professor G_____-D_____. A treat both because of the subject matter (Shakespeare), and the teacher. A kind woman whose gentle teaching style was a soothing tonic to the Lost one's nerves which were much abused during his lost year. She was greatly missed for her wit, and verve in later quarters, and had he more time the Lost One is positive he would have earned that minor in English Lit. if for no other reason then to bask in her calming influence. "Sweet hearts, we shall be rich ere we depart. " (Love's Labours Lost, Act V Scene II) Thanks professor, the Lost One is richer thanks to you.

Fall Quarter, What's old is new again. Professor M_____ (I) was the smartest professor the Lost One had by a mile. With a gentle humor, often at himself, that the class never seemed to get, Professor M_____(I) was a source of strength, and sanity as the full import of what sort of challenge was in front of me hit. His class, was quite the elixer for the hideous partisan screeching of Professor S_____ in history. An insult to the subject, Professor S_____ will always remain an example of an excess of ideology fitted to a surfeit of intelligence and the trauma that these bring. Filled with half truths, incidents taken out of context, and the partisan ravings so bad, that at the end the reading section could only approach the subject by asking, "Is modern Liberalism only full of Negatives about America?" And this from the biggest liberal in the class. Hah.

Winter Quarter, the end of innocence. The quarter of highs that hit the roof and lows that never got out of the basement. My faith in professors as decent, if sometimes misguided, was shattered by he who must not be named (bottom of the page to start). A partisan's, partisan, had no compunction about shoving ideology down our throats, in the guise of teaching. Check your brain at the door, and you'd better agree with him. Still the Wonderful Professora Y_____ rescued the quarter by doing something the Lost One would have sworn was impossible, she got him through a quarter of Spanish. Miracle worker that she was The Lost One hopes she never changes a thing. Except for showing Like Water for Chocolate. That she can stop.

Spring Quarter the Spring fever struck. Not a shining example of scholarly work, but the Lost One has to admit not a bad quarter, Professor M_____(II) was a touch obnoxious, but compared to the previous quarter it was a breeze. Profesora F_____ got off to a slow start but turned into a favorite of mine, and given she got me the rest of the way through Spanish, Sainthood is no doubt in her future. She's already got half a miracle under her belt.

Finally, Summer Quarter redux, is it over already? Really brief, only five weeks (didn't it start yesterday?) Professor M_____(III) restored my faith in college professors. Obviously partisan, but laid back about it, cool, humble (Wow!), and smart. Nice man, nice class, nice send off.

And that's the ball game folks. The Lost One would like to thank the Kroger corporation for employing him, the leadership at Eastridge (Including Mr. & Mrs. M_____, and of course Mr. S_____), the gang of four, you all showed up, that rocks. And my family, one more for you all. With out you the Lost One would have despaired and died. Appreciate it.