About the diary writer
- Barbara McDowell Whitt
- Kansas City, Missouri, Alexandria, Virginia, United States
- ~ About: A 1961-65 Park College Diary ~ As a high school girl and then a college coed in the first half of the 1960s, I wrote nightly entries on the pages of one-year diaries. In January 2010 I began transcribing the entries into a blog and gave each one a title. I grew up on three farms within 30 miles of Iowa City and the University of Iowa with its Iowa Writers' Workshop. As the oldest of four daughters, in my diaries I sometimes referred to my sisters as "the kids" or "the girls." We helped our parents, but we also had good, wholesome fun - a characteristic I took with me to Park. Park is 300 miles southwest of West Chester, Iowa, in Parkville, Missouri, on the Missouri River 10 miles northwest of Kansas City, Missouri, and across the river from Kansas City, Kansas. In 2000 Park College became Park University. Today Park's flagship campus is in Parkville and there are an additional 41 campus centers across the nation. Park was one of the first educational institutions in the United States to offer online learning. My last post was on May 22, 2018. I may be followed on Twitter @BarbaraMcDWhitt.
Used Whole Day for Homework - Sunday, January 31, 1960
Here goes January. I used the whole day for homework. This is getting monotonous. Oh, of course I went to Sunday School and church. The Smith twins sang a duet, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" - really cute. The Cuddeback kids were here for awhile tonight. I suppose they think I'm an old grouch since I kept saying, "be quiet," but I had to get my geometry done.
A Top Rating in Original Oratory - Saturday, January 30, 1960
Well, I guess my II last year and my III the year before paved the way for my I rating this year! This is more like it. My "The Decade of Man in Space" was fifth out of six in original oratory. Gerry and Neta got I's and Jerolyn has a bye. Phyllis and Mom did the wash in town this afternoon. Mom got me some new flats.
Declam Speeches for Assembly - Friday, January 29, 1960
Tonight we played Williamsburg here in two boys' games and won both. Phyllis, Virginia and I went up for them. We all gave our declam speeches this afternoon for the assembly. Some of them are really good. The school paper looks very nice - despite all my qualms with Mrs. Small.
Mrs. Diekman was Impressed - Thursday, January 28, 1960
Another school paper has been printed (but I haven't seen it). Now we've passed the halfway mark. Mrs. Small had to take it over to run off because Gilbert forgot to tell Mr. Shoemaker to wait for it. I gave my declam speech for the history class. Mrs. Diekman was particularly impressed when she found out I'd written it myself.
Every Subject at Home - Wednesday, January 27, 1960
I don't know if I could stand being an editor once a day, every day, for life or not. Not at the rate I'm going. I can never get anyone to type for me. Well, with working on the school paper in the last two study halls, I'm still doing homework. I had to do every subject at home, and I have English yet to do.
School Paper Work - Tuesday, January 26, 1960
The school paper threatens to dehumanize me once a month. I worked the last two periods on it - we're only a fraction done. Then tonight I did my studying and wrote my column. It's skimpy so far, but sometimes I write more than my share for $1.00 a column.
New Seats in Study Hall - Monday, January 25, 1960
I worked two hours at school on history and two more hours at home on geometry. I've still got the school paper to lay out. I do the makeup and layout myself. We got the new seats in study hall. It's just like a new world - 60 of them!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)