About the diary writer

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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.

Introduced Myself to Iowa City Park Graduate - Sunday, April 7, 1963

This morning after church I introduced myself to the family from Iowa City who is at Park this weekend. The mother, girl who is a freshman at University High and boy who is a prospective student are here to look over the campus. Dr. and Mrs. MacDonald are Park graduates - he teaches in the School of Medicine at SUI. They're real nice - I ate dinner with them. She'd like to have the Iowa City area Park people get together this summer - there must be several of us. I had to turn down an invitation to go in to see the home show with them. As it is, I don't know how I'll get everything done. The spring choir concert was real good. Fun tonight in front of the library with some of the sophomores.

Mom Hawkins Arranged a Blind Date - Saturday, April 6, 1963

Well, leave it to when I get the busiest to have some extra fun on top of it! This evening I was on my way to Commons when Mom Hawkins stopped me and fixed me up for a blind date with Stan Hess, a boy from the College of Emporia who was a freshman at Park with this year's seniors. He was back on campus for a missions and ecumenical movement conference but was seeing all his friends rather than attending it. He gets back here quite often. We went to Thieves' Carnival, then walked around campus, then came back and talked at the front desk with Mom. He is real nice. I walked to Alfalfa Point this afternoon with Ardella. Larry Young came to get us in his new convertible.

Saw "Thieves' Carnival" Tonight - Friday, April 5, 1963

I went with Josie, Linda, Nancy and Chu to "Thieves' Carnival" tonight. It was funny. How will I ever get everything done I have to do in the next two weeks? Karen and I went for our Board of Student Publications meeting today (interview) but no one was there - Peggy had forgotten to tell us it had been changed to next Thursday. I was thinking seriously about asking Dr. Hampl if I could cut down on my French outside reading (she said if necessary, we could talk to her about it) - but I turned chicken and ended up making an appointment for Wednesday to report on it - hope I get it done!!

A Peace Corps Woman was on Campus - Thursday, April 4, 1963

Ed psych class tonight. The final is next Thursday, last class Wednesday. Help! Gee, though, I bet even if I get an A on the final, I'll only get a B for the course - gosh, I wish I could completely ace it out - I really think it's possible!?! We had a WRA meeting this afternoon for constitutional changes and basketball all-stars. I was one of six up for forward. Carole DeMort made the team - that's great! A Peace Corps promoter was on campus today. She talked in both elementary phys ed and ed psych.

Started Political Science Paper - Wednesday, April 3, 1963

I got up at 6:00 - after a 5:00 attempt when I went back to bed - to start my poli sci paper and assign yearbook pictures for tonight and write out notices. I didn't get to either of Chad Walsh's lectures - they were Monday and today - or to his night ones for that matter. My year as a WRA representative ended on an interesting, if not typical note. My last two hard recruited players showed up too late to play the game, one minute after the OACs got all theirs there, but in time to save my face in the eyes of the other three LLCs, convince the others that the LLCs "will come through," and cause it to be a double forfeit. As Carolyn said, "I don't believe it!" Such is life.

Heard Dr. Chad Walsh's Discussion - Tuesday, April 2, 1963

Into everything again. Hope I don't flunk out, as little attention as I sometimes give my studies. This afternoon I went over to the J.R. so Kathy and Tom could give me a list of yearbook pictures to schedule. Carole was there, too. At 4:15 I had an interview with her and Mr. Larson. We had a WRA meeting at 5:30 but not many showed up. I spent "spare" time today writing Stylus news and typing WRA minutes. Tonight I read history at the library. Back at the dorm, I took out a half hour to listen to Dr. Chad Walsh's discussion at Mom's suggestion.

Have Finished 31 Page Religion Term Paper - Monday, April 1, 1963

I just finished my religion term paper - 31 pages this time. I'll have to get up early to take it over to Dr. Johnson's box. I can't figure out why the majority of kids think 15 pages is long! Guess I'll have to go in for book writing. Dr. Pivonka gave me some Stylus news on books and chemical gifts to the chemistry department, so I feel "successful" for my year's reporting. He sounded apologetic for not having had any news all year. Also, I was able to put Mr. Edwards' news and an article on "Thieves' Carnival" directly into the Stylus box from my box.