I haven’t done one of these in a few weeks. Sitting around on a beautiful day off, turned rainy-haily, turned thunder-sunny, I should probably do a Friday Happy Hour. The questions, as always, come from Mental Floss’ great blog… the answers, as always, come from Mike Tufano’s great mind.
1. On Monday, September 10, 2001, I started a job with Duke University’s Office of Student Development. I was paid $9.68/hour to answer the phones and greet visitors and, on my second day, try to convince panic-stricken parents all over the world that Durham, North Carolina, was not under attack (as far as I knew). What were you doing that Tuesday morning?
I was teaching high school that morning. I didn’t find out until first period ended. I spent the rest of the day watching coverage with my classes and answering what questions I could for them. Clearly this was more important than a day of high school math. I made the call to cancel the volleyball match I was supposed to coach that evening, and finally made it home where I could deal with the emotion myself.
2. By now most new college students are settled into their dorms and getting into a routine, but still feeling a little overwhelmed. If you could go back and give your one-month-into-college self any advice, what would it be?
GO TO CLASS! You can’t coast through this and ace everything like high school. STUDY!
3. There’s a good chance some of you have added children to your lives since the last time I asked this question: what children’s books do you recommend? New ones, classics, whatever you like.
No question… Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic,1 and Falling Up by Shel Silverstein. (And soon to be Every Thing On It)
- My aunt Patti gave me these two books for two Christmas gifts. I still have my original copies and still pull them out to read them. I’m now working on getting them for my nephews as birthday gifts [↩]