Chad the Grad

Here is a still shot from Mom recording my graduation from Framingham Sate College back in [REDACTED]. I'm thinking of writing a story for The Moth about something that happened the day right after I graduated. Writing my intentions down now in the hopes of fulfilling them sooner rather than never. 

Ha!

I spent four years at Framingham State College. Thirty years later, it's now Framingham State University, and this year might be the first time I've ever seen a sticker for their Rams sports teams.

Bonus Komics

Steve Katsos just turned fifty this weekend. I almost shared these two panels from his "Katman" comic on Facebook but thought better of it. It's amazing what was deemed controversial back in the days of what was then Framingham State College and what caused so many headaches at The Gatepost. Funny enough, campus police jokes were fine.

My Saturday Back in Framingham

Framingham State University's The Gatepost turned ninety in March. This past weekend, we had the celebration. I was excited to visit the campus again. I could have parked in one of the commuter parking lots closer to the college center. I opted for the Maple lot at the bottom of Street Street so I could make the climb up the hill.

Took me back to days of heading to May Hall, where most of my classes were.

How About That?

I've been invited by Framingham State to a celebration of its student newspaper turning ninety.

Worked on that rag for four years. Since graduating, I've been interviewed by its staff once and asked to write again for it once. I've also attended two similar reunion/celebration gatherings.

This one should be interesting.

The Gatepost Turns Ninety

When I worked on the student newspaper for Framingham State University, it was still called Framingham State College. I contributed to the 80th anniversary celebration of The Gatepost ten years ago. Now they're celebrating their ninetieth anniversary with an article that interviews several of my former colleagues including Bret Kerr, Joe Murphy, Suzanne McDonald, Phil LeClare and Steve "I'm the only reason most of you are reading this" Katsos.  

It's a nice read for me, but I wish they could interview some of the younger generation and ask questions like, "How do you feel about spending your college years in the world of print journalism after it lost all credibility in the early 2000's and started to die a slow death that miraculously and horrifically continues to this day?"

On "Yeehaw" Jokes

Regarding today's American Haiku:

My first "Yeehaw" joke that was unrelated to "The Dukes of Hazard" was told back in 1993. I was Comics Editor of The Gatepost, Framingham State College's student newspaper (still it now that it's a university, last I checked). I just found out I was picked to attend a journalism conference in Texas. 

I put my caricatured face on a the state of texas (ah, the days of abused clip art) and declared "Yeeha! Ah'ma going to Texas!" in a small section of my pages.

My editor had me tone it down a it. No putting "Ah'm." That was valid.

I don't remember making a "Yeeha" joke since then. Not even when I went on a mechanical bull in a Providence night club.

I think over twenty years between each "Yeeha" joke is acceptable. 

This will be my last "Yeeha" joke unitl Texas changes it's state nickname to The Wind Power State.

RIP Lauren M. Geraghty, 1971-2017

I just found that last week the Boston area lost one of its hardest working artists, Lauren Geraghty.

Friday Highlight

I spent Friday morning at Framingham State University, my alma mater back when it was still a mere state college. I got to meet Colleen Previte, who heads up the college's Alumni Library. I dropped off the majority of my publications over the last half-decade or so.

Colleen has been asking for copies of my work since 2009. Sadly, my work has yet to be on the shelves. Such is the workload of an overworked, underappreciated archivist (the library looked amazing that day with all its displays). Also, after so long, I am finally able to donate books with actual spines, My section will look a lot better when it's finally up. I'm grateful for Colleen reaching out all those years ago and still keeping at it.

Good Morning

Over twenty years later, Framingham State College is now Framingham State University, and I'll be making a trip today to drop off more of my work for the alumni section of its library.

Is it immortality? Hell no. It's a start. Then again, I say that no matter how long ago I started.

A good chunk of the last ten years of my work is getting packed now.

My Work Still Welcome at Framingham State

A couple of years back, I received an invitation to submit my publications to the Henry Whittemore Library in Framingham State University, which was just a mere college back when I attended. Enough time passed since then  that I didn't remember if I had ever sent the library my first full-length book.

I contacted the college for an itemization of what I had sent them, and they sent the deed of gift to me this Friday. I am happy to report that they welcome more of my work with no limit mentioned. It's great to have an archive for my work. It's not the same as a university accepting all my papers, and them taking my work is basically the school thanking my parents for giving up an ungodly amount of money. Still, it's a start.

I'm sharing a jpeg of the deed of gift. It cracks me up to no end that The Baby Chronicles tops the list.

Dear God

I have found a site dedicated to archiving (among too many other things) the year books from my undergrad school. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the 1994 edition of Framingham State College's The Dial.

I didn't graduate until 1995, but there are plenty of pics of me in there, given I was such a joiner. And it didn't take long for my girlfriendto find a picture of me at the dunking tank.

Steve Katsos as Cartoonist (a Belated Birthday Posting)

I would have posted this yesterday as part of my Happy Birthday Steve fest if not for the fact that I had an internet show to do and was running late. I posted this stuff on Facebook years go but wanted to show them again with more back story.

Steve Katsos was best known to me for a long time as just a funny guy and a cartoonist for Framingham State College's student paper The Gatepost. I read and saved his Katman comic, which I thought was hilarious, as it often had cameos by people I know. I made an appearance of sorts early on, but that's a story for later (later meaning when I have time to scan again).

Steve Katsos as Shock Jock

Here's another installment in my Happy Birthday Steve posts. While Steve Katsos worked on his first TV show The Missing Tooth, he also had a radio show at Framingham State College (now Framingham State University)."Frequency Alterations," his WDJM show with John Cox, ran for an all-too-short time in his college career.

When Maya Angelou Came to Framingham

A late entry in the spirit of Throwback Thursday, also inspired by the recent mini-event with Toni Bee's poem on Maya Angelou being recited on the radio.  When I was a Junior at Framingham State College (now Framingham State University), we had the thrill of having Maya Angelou come to speak there in February 1994.

It's one of the times when I wish I could go back in time with an iPhone.  Then again, the lack of easy technology back then might be why I remember that night so well.  Aside from speaking on Black History Month, she shared a number of stories, including one about her Uncle Willie teaching her how to recite her times tables (details in the article below), culminating (somewhat too crazy to believe) meeting a mayor of her old hometown praising her uncle for teaching him as well.  Then there was her off-page recitation of poets from Edgar Allan Poe to William Shakespeare to Nikki Giovanni.  So much good stuff.  Too much to remember it all.  I hope film of her night there (if any) still exists somewhere.

During my college years, I obsessively saved copies of every copy of the school's student newspaper that I worked on.  It didn't take long for me to dig it up so I could share it with you.

I remember the editor letting the author of the article (whose name I omitted in case they aren't cool with it) be a little more flowery with the language and less "newsy." Which is why the writer took liberties in quoting me for the article!!!  Even though I think the writer waited till we were working on the issue in the newsroom to do so.  The reason why no one bothered to talk to any of the multitudes of people there at the time is a mystery me now (if I even knew why then).

Clearly I was trying WAY too hard to "give good quote.'

I was the only the editor of the paper's comics section at the time, but I wrote a lot for its Living/Arts section until I became the section's editor during my senior year.  I wasn't able to conduct an interview with her (no one was).  Having read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings in my sophomore year and collections of her works before that, I wanted to be part of the Big Issue of Angelou somehow.  The article below was what the best I could come up with (aided with a press packet photo).

I can't even bear to read it, but I know for a fact it wasn't the worst thing I ever wrote.  That honor is for something I wrote my Freshman year.  I vow to reveal that to people immediately after I win the Pulitzer Prize.