Pag* 2 - Th* Highacres Cellegian, Feb. 6, 1975
THE TAMAQUA
CONNECTION
By Denald R. Serfass
(Editor's Rote: This feature
was written by a former dorm
now a commuter.)
Living in a college dorm
naturally has its drawbacks,
but nothing can compare to the
pain and mental anguish exper
ienced by the commuter.
After reading the rules
and regulations} paying to re
gister Ms car, and signing
his life away, the "fun" begins.
The student is now a bona-fide
commuter.
The first few weeks don’t
seem too bad as he gradually
accustoms himself to the pace.
To do this, he learns Ms sche
dule, which is the most impor
tant thing for a commuter to do.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Donna Baver.••.Editor-in-Chief
Christie Tito. Executive Editor
Donald Serf ass.. Managing Editor
Doreen Mayo.. Production Manager
Dr. Michael;Santulli•..Facul
ty Advisor
STAFF
News: D. Serfass, Editor, D.
Baver, J. Gormley, M. Hydock,
B. Mace, D. Mayo, C. Tito, D.
Tost.
Feature: D. Serfass, The Stu
dent Union Board, Everitt
Binns, Carl Frenkel.
Advertising: D. Baver.
Sports: D. Mayo, M. Hydock.
Composition: D. Mayo, D.
Baver, C. Tito.
The COLLEGIAN is located in
the Publications office in
the Commons Game Room. The
COLLEGIAN is a member of the
Press Associaion of Common
wealth Campuses. Telephone
number - 454-6551*
He realizes that the drive to
school takes about twenty-five
minutes using the fastest route
interstate 81. So in order to
be at Highacres in time for Ms
first period class, wMch is at
8 a.m., he must leave by 7*50
at the latest. That means he
must be out of his warm bed by
6:00 or 6:15. Now he begins to
wonder if college, or anything
else, is worth it. For since,
nothing on God's earth justifies
waking up at such a ridiculous
time! Well, a little less night
life would not be too much to
forfeit, after all, college is
a priority? but then, so is night
life.
Somehow or other, the com
muter adjusts to Ms new time
schedule— perhaps reluctantly,
but at least he adjusts. Every
thing is going swell.
Then one morning he a-
wakes, peers out the window, and
discovers that 72.5 billion snow
flakes are covering the road,
the trees, and most of all, the
oar, the all-important, college
registered car! In commuter
language, that means at least
an hour of warming up, ahovel
! ing, scraping, and defrosting.
So even before he gets a chance
to scream "Dogammit," he has a
migraine.
After a seemingly-unneces*-
sary hour of digging out the
poor, entombed puddle-jumper,
the commuter is ready to com
mute, providing, of course, the
battery is not dead from that
notorious murderer, Mr. Freeze.
To start, it takes him
twenty minutes to slide through
the snowy roads of Tamaqua.
He then recites a quick "Our
Father" in order to safely put
ter up the Hometown Hill. A bit
later he asks God to once again
give him the perseverance to
climb the fantastic one-mile
Mil at Ginthers. So far, so
good.
As he approaches the en
trance to Interstate 81, he must
make a fast decision. Should
he go through McAdoo, Hazleton,
and West Hazleton, where it
would be safer but considerably
longer, or should he try to make
it on 81, wMch is fast, but
desolate and probably snowdrif
ted. A quick glance at his
watch shows him that he has al
ready missed his first two class
es, so the commuter goes for
broke and enters the ramp for
81, Never-Never Land.
To his surprise, he dis
covers that 81 is mostly melted
and slushy. TMs means he can
go like hell to atone for lost
time. But up ahead ha spots the
sign for the Schuykill and Lu
zerne County Line, Now he must
slow down because this is where
the state cops always ambush
unsuspecting speeders. As he
shrewdly slows and passes over
the county line, the commuter
starts to wonder why he decided
against attending the Schuylkill
Campus, which is not only in Ms
own county, but a bit closer
and more convenient, too.
After racing past trucks
like Mario Andretti, the com
muter miraculously arrives at
snowy Highacres about noon. He
parks and begins crawling up
Misty Mountain. As always, he
gets to the top completely ex
hausted and feeling as though
he should plant an American
flag signifying that a humah
being has finally reached the
Classroom Building,
As he passes the second
floor bulletin board, he no
tices a sign explaining' that
the prof could not make it to
school from Hazleton (yes, that's
right, from Hazleton) due to
the inclement weather, so
class has been cancelled!
Turning to leave the build
ing, he hears two girls cursing
madly because they had walked
from the dorm all the way up
the Mil for tMs same class.
The now-frustrated stu
dent heads down the hill to Ms
car. He spies sons more dark
snow clouds quietly drifting
over the mountain.
It's snowing again.
Letters to the Editors
are both welcome and in
vited. Any student or
faculty member who feels
that he has something he
wants to say, should not
waste time only thinking
about it, but should write
it down and print it here
in the COLLEGIAN, where
everyone will be sure to see
it. Letters can be submit
ted to the COLLEGIAN office
in the basement of the
Commons. The letters
should be typed and signed.