NO JULIP; STILL SERENDIPITY

By now you must be under the impression that my UVa life was all “Sex and the College Boy”.

Nothing could be further from the truce. The mandatory First Year Dormitories were a long way from the “Corner” where the two Drugstores, two Bookstores, Restaurants, Bowling Alley (Duck Pins), two “Bars”, several clothing stores, a movie theater, and Anderson’s diner were a magnet for students including nursing students.

Although most of those pre- nurses had at least two years of college; they were subject to a curfew (11pm). Never the less; they were ,with the exception of a few women students, the only pool of potential female companionship. That left the Saturday night Frye Springs Studio dances  as  the only alternative and the  occasional dances at the Student Center; Madison Hall. To this day I can’t dance.

As an extra-curricular activity, I joined the Virginia Players. There were a few contemporary college girls as members, but most women were spouses of faculty members. After a year as a gofer, and with the Randall Hall interlude, I gradually became inactive. None the less, I am still on the Players alumnus list and receive frequent e-mails.

The Players have evolved into a strong Drama School many of its graduates have become famous on the stage and TV as well as movies. Tina Fey (Elizabeth Stamatina Fey) is one graduate that is well known.

I did have to have two years of a foreign language credits to graduate. The Romance Pavilion; Spanish and French studies, not boys and girls, was on the East Lawn. These Pavilions inter spaced along the rooms were originally Professor’s Residences and class rooms in Thomas Jefferson’s Scholastic Village. Some still serve the same role as faculty residences today.

Because I had had ‘Oui, Oui French” (I have written that story) In High School I was in a class that was taught by a young Southern who was a poet. French taught with a “you all inflection" can be difficult and a worry to one who has always been weak in languages. I was in danger of failing although I was on the Dean’s List from the get-go.

Serendipity to the rescue; Lady Astor was visiting the University and a picture printed on the first page in The Daily Progress (Charlottesville’s newspaper) was a good one of me standing right by her right shoulder. Little did my French Instructor know that while crossing the Lawn, out of curiosity I had investigated what the mob of students was doing.  He was so impressed that I had no trouble passing the course. Naturally I dropped French and in my Second Year took German 101.  Another scholastic triumph and story.

Lightning can strike twice! In my second year my German Class Instructor took a liking to me. I had already begun to cultivate my illegible Doctor’s hand writing and since he could not read my final exam he gave me a personal oral exam. With some prompting I passed and my linguistic college career had ended.

Since “I fought the war” in Europe both came in handy. In dealing with the locals my favorite expressions were “Non Compris” and “Nich Verstehen” (if correct should have been “Ich verstehst nich”); “I don’t understand”. Either simplified things.

This may be boring, but a final explanation. UVa in those years was on a “trimester schedule with an extra summer session. If you were on the Dean’s the first two trimesters you were awarded ‘Intermediate Honors”.  The benefit was that with the exception of scheduled tests and final exams you did not have to attend classes. I found that very useful for certain 8am extremely boring teachers. 

I took full advantage of that privilege for the rest of that year and the next two before I entered Medical School . That too was a serendipitous occurrence.

10am corrections and additions whose absences was missed on initial proof reading. If you note other errors please advise. If you have interest for this saga to continue please say so.