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.
It Seems Unfair - Tuesday, March 7, 1961
Boy, I've got to get on the stick. Seeing today's date just now startled me. I forgot to wrap Virginia's birthday present. Will do. I just don't know if I can get three more plays evaluated by Friday or not. I spent all night on one, but then when I think that some are still reading, well--. I could shoot Mrs. Kephart. Jerolyn missed 10 and got a B. I missed 11--and did I get a B-?--no!--a C+. It's coldish again. I can go to the girls' tournaments.
A Scare in the Stairway - Monday, March 6, 1961
Tonight Mom did the wash in Wellman while I went to an Honor Society meeting. I tried to work out plans with Sheryl but she ended up going to Iowa City with Nancy and Lois. What a life! Mom and Virginia went to town after school to pick out Virginia and Ann's proofs at Wards. I gave my speech but practically read it since everyone else did. Phyllis scared me to death last night. She was halfway up the darkened stairs just as I turned the stairway light on.
Play Evaluations - Sunday, March 5, 1961
This afternoon I finished reading The Last Days of Lincoln and read Our Town. Both were good, but now I think I liked Our Town better. Now to write reports on the four of them, get that speech and essay test over with, get on the ball with my research paper and science project, and do page 2 of the school paper ahead of time for once. Ann just got home from Norma's where she had supper. I think I'm forgetting something I was to have done this weekend. Phyl will be staying all week after school for minstrel practice. They have been since Wednesday.
To Iowa City for Research and Shopping - Saturday, March 4, 1961
I went along with Mom to Iowa City this morning and went to the library. I did research for my speech from a book that John H. McDowell helped translate,
got two criminology books, and a book of three Thornton Wilder plays. We shopped for an hour. I still can't decide whether or not I should have bought a $4.00 spring sweater that I didn't buy. This was Mom's last class for this semester. My speech is 14 note cards long! I cleaned my room, burned trash, and did some hand washing this afternoon.
got two criminology books, and a book of three Thornton Wilder plays. We shopped for an hour. I still can't decide whether or not I should have bought a $4.00 spring sweater that I didn't buy. This was Mom's last class for this semester. My speech is 14 note cards long! I cleaned my room, burned trash, and did some hand washing this afternoon.
National Science Foundation - Friday, March 3, 1961
Again this morning in chemistry, as we did on Wednesday, we had a man from the National Science Foundation talk. At least I must be getting chemistry because I understood the demonstrations better than I did the physics ones last year. Mr. Evans said we had a very good school paper this time. It's sort of blustery. I hope March isn't bad, but right now it's "in like a lion." We took our MacBeth test today. I missed 11, Jerolyn 10, Fred 8, Shirley and Linda 2. I suppose I'll get a B.
Memorizing MacBeth - Thursday, March 2, 1961
Mom had a salary committee meeting at Wellman tonight so I went along to the yearbook staff meeting. We senior girls spent our time typing senior activities and trying to memorize a MacBeth passage that has to be learned by tomorrow. I think Mrs. Kephart is determined to flunk us out of English or something. I have two plays to read and four to write reports on in a week.
No Full Moon in February - Wednesday, March 1, 1961
(arrow pointing left)
I thought I'd forgotten to write one night, but then I remembered that page is for Leap Year. The newspaper staff stapled papers during activity period. We had youth fellowship and choir practice. I haven't done any real studying all week. My tests at the end of the week will probably show it. February was only the sixth month in the last two centuries (2400 months) in which there wasn't a full moon.
I thought I'd forgotten to write one night, but then I remembered that page is for Leap Year. The newspaper staff stapled papers during activity period. We had youth fellowship and choir practice. I haven't done any real studying all week. My tests at the end of the week will probably show it. February was only the sixth month in the last two centuries (2400 months) in which there wasn't a full moon.
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