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.

Dear Framingham State

 

I question a reading series when its advertising doesn't really promote its featured authors.

The poster's layout for The Miriam Levine Reading just made me think Miriam Levine was reading, not the author who is making an appearance. 

Maybe you can put the guest author's name in a slightly larger font?

Helen Heineman Lives!

 

 

Dr. Helen Heineman was an English professor when I attended Framingham State University (then Framingham State College). She later became President of the school. I never had her for a teacher, but I did interview her in 1994 her for a Gatepost feature story about her annual live reading of A Christmas Carol (which I also attended and enjoyed). This past Saturday, she was in attendance at the 90th birthday celebration celebration of The Gatepost. She sat at the nineties table with me and other friends. Many of us didn't recognize her until she was invited to speak. She was as attentive and as sharp as she was almost three decades ago.

Reunions

Best part of the reunion was talking to old classmates and fellow Gatepost editors. Bret Kerr's wife Corrie was nice enough to take this selfie in the Gatepost offices, which changed from its original location since I left.

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.

Lauren Geraghty's Life in Words

I noted the passing of Lauren Geraghty last month and some of the work I knew her for. I neglected to mention her poetry. I never knew if she kept up with it after college, but I fondly remembered her work in The Onyx, Framingham State University's student-run literary magazine, which I had a small hand in putting together for a couple of years when I was a undergrad.

RIP Lauren M. Geraghty, 1971-2017

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

Thinking of Reunions

Here are the two best shots of all the pictures/selfies I took a while back when I went with Dale Meyer-Curey for a mini reunion with fellow former Framingham Stater Donna Woods. It was so great to connect after so much time passed, especially with Donna in another time zone.

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.

Thinking Ahead for 2017

When I submitted copies of my work to the alum library at Framingham State University years ago, the main highlights were my two chapbooks (one self-published) and the Seaweed Baby anthology. When January rolls around, I'll be donating all this to my old school. Anthologies, books I've edited and my first collection. And I still have some other additions to make. It's nice to have a home for my words that people can access.

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.