Future Teachers

“The mediocre teacher tells.  The good teacher explains.  The superior teacher demonstrates.  The great teacher inspires.” William Arthur Ward

 Arielle Keller 

Airella Keller started her journal by announcing that most people called her Air, that she turned 25 in January, and that she is adopted and an only child, although the family has three dogs and a snake.  She graduated from Hammond High and has worked for Strack and Van Til for almost three years.  Here are some journal excerpts:. 

    January 10:My boyfriend of two years celebrated my birthday early because he has to work tomorrow. At his place he gave me two eye shadow sets from Too Faced, Chocolate Gold and Just Peachy Mattes.  The one smells like chocolate and the other like peaches and figs. We ate at Chilis and saw “Pitch Perfect 3,”  a good end for the series.

    January 26:While at work fixing the beer and wine shelf, I knocked a wine bottle over that went crashing to the ground.  A little later a second wine bottle slipped from my hand onto the floor.  It made me so stressed and angry, I went on break. 

    February 2:  In high school I was in Anime Club.  My mom forced me to go to the senior prom instead of an anime con (convention) I had my heart set on that was happening at the same time. I had got dumped that year by my first boyfriend of four years, which really sucked. After some time, I ended up dating this junior for like two or three months and went to prom with him.  It was held at one of the Brookfield Zoo pavilions. Supposedly peacocks walked around the area, but I did not see any since it was kind of cold that year. It was not a happy time because my date was acting like a creep.  He also smelled me a lot, which I told him more than once stop, but he kept doing it. When in the bathroom to get away from him, I walked in on a couple screwing in the handicap stall, which surprised me but gave me a laugh.  I broke up with my date a day later, which led to a three-minute voice mail of him crying and begging me to take him back.  A couple weeks later, he showed up at my house with Mountain Dew and panda snacks, hoping I’d go with him to a football game. I accepted the snacks but didn’t go with him, a bitch move, I’ll admit, but if you’re going to be creepy toward me, I’m not going to feel bad about anything I do to you.

Air with stuffed hippo and in blonde wig at anime-con

          February 3:I still watch anime and attend anime cons when I have the time and money.  Over the years I have gone to at least 15, mostly in the Chicago area but as far away as Ohio and Georgia.  There are panels, photo areas, viewing stations, and at least two or three parties, such as a soap bubble, a rave, and a masquerade ball, often with live music from Japanese or Korean musicians.  Artist alley is the place to buy pictures, key chains, bookmarkers, posters, hats, pillows, toys, stickers, pins, comic books, jewelry, and handmade items. At nearby hotels are get-togethers and purportedly sex parties that have secret codes that you need to hunt for at the con.  At the market place one can buy wigs, anime, hentai (anime porn), cute toys, anime figures, posters, J-Pop, J-Rock, K-Pop, K-Rock (Japanese and Korean music), fur suits and parts, cosplay costumes, yaoi, manga (boys love manga), clothes (like shirts, hats, sweaters, blankets), kigurumi (which are onesies), fancy swords, and anything else you could think of, including videogames, which tend to be dating simulation games in Japanese, so I am not into them that much.  I own just one, a Death Note game, but really don’t know what it is about since it’s all in Japanese. I am into yaoi. I have a large collection of the mangas and own one yaoi DVD. Yaoi comes in three kinds of manga; soft core wIth light make outs; median core, a bit heavier in the make out session and touching; and hard core, which shows everything.  I used to have a larger collection of yaoi manga then I do now. I also have some yaois in Japanese.  I am into Japanese rock groups like Gackt, Dir En Grey, the GazettE, Girugamesh, and Miyavi.  I went to anwesome Dir En Grey concert with friends at Chicago’s House of Blues when still in high school. I even got a CD signed by the whole band. I like fur suits, but I don’t have the money for a set because they cost a pretty penny. I do have a black and blue rave wolf vest that has ears on the hood and a tail. I usually go crazy purchasing items.  I like getting in big group photos of cosplayers (short for costume players representing certain characters).  I also did small cosplays like gir from Invader Zim, Gloomy Bear who eats children, and L From Death Note. I go to the raves if not too sore from all the walking. Anime viewing rooms are also fun. I pretty much do a bit of everything if I have the time.

above, Batman cosplayers; below, Payn and Creeper

    February 16:For our anniversary my boyfriend and I So, we went to David and Busters for dinner and games. I got a blue narwhal plushie from the tickets I won. Then we saw “Black Panther,” which was cool. Back at my place, my boyfriend said some sweet things and then pulled out a ring and proposed.  I said yes!.

   March 12:It’s spring break  and I didn't do much beside laze around the house, watching TV in bed and stuff on the internet. Lunch was chicken-flavored Raman with soy sauce. Dinner was strawberry-flavored mini-wheat cereal. 

  March 13:I got up before 6, made coffee and got ready for work, which I started at 8 and  lasted till 1, stocking in different areas of the store. Then I drove myself home and let the dogs out. After lunch I watched some TV with my mom - that's how we bond. We made chicken and pasta for dinner and I went to sleep around midnight.

   March 14:I spent much of the day playing Monster Hunter World.

    March 15:  I took a 34-minute shower and got to work at 7:54 for another five hours of stocking. I went on break at 9:23 and bought myself a hot pocket and green tea. I relaxed in the afternoon and hung with a friend that night in Chicago.  I had Long Island ice tea, a bit of a strawberry daiquiri, a bit of a fruity drink, a bit of a mojito, and two shots of tequila. Also, pizza. 

  March 16:I woke up with no apparent hangover and worked another five-hour shift. Stocking things onto a high shelf while standing on crates, I fell and landed on my right hand, which buckled, causing my elbow to hit the concrete.  It hurt like a son of a bitch. I ended up filling out a work injury form and talking to a nurse, who gave me an icy hot pack for my arm.  Rather than go to a hospital, like I should have, I took pain pills and kept an ice arm pack on the rest of that day. 

    March 17:  Despite my arm still hurting, I went to work. Pain pills helped me get through the day.

    March 18:My mom noticed that my elbow was a different color due to my spill. I hadn’t noticed it before.  I cracked up looking in the mirror, but  my mom wondered why I hadn’t  gone to the hospital. She made a belated St. Patty's Day meal that was very tasty, but, god, did the cabbage smell up the house.

A 24-year-old Education major who asked to go by the name of Janee’ Desire moved from Gary to Merrillville at age 13 and then to Gary’s Miller neighborhood after high school. Here are excerpts from her journal:

 March 15, 2018:Spring break is not working in my favor. Yesterday, my room flooded after a pipe burst, destroying books, school work, and clothes.  We rushed to Menards for a plastic vacuum and sucked up as much water as we could, although by the time we got home, the hallway and living room were flooded.  An insurance adjustor discovered a hole in the pipe probably caused by a gopher. Most everyone's backyard on my block has holes due to those pests.  Fortunately, the pipe will be fixed tomorrow, but meanwhile we must shut our water off.  How do 2 women and a 5-year-old survive without any water (I live with my mom, older sister, and nephew)? Well, I guess we will make do.

   March 16:The pipe hasn’t been fixed, but we have water. 

   March 17:It took nine hours, but workers fixed the pipe.According to the insurance company, it's up to us to soak the water up. I've literally been using this plastic vac for hours and the carpet still seems saturated. I cannot live like this.  Damn, spring break is almost over, and I didn’t even get a chance to enjoy it. Or catch up on assignments.  

   March 18:This the last day I can sleep in. 

   March 19:I worked all day on school assignments. I hate being such a procrastinator, but at least I finally get it done.  I make plans to get them out the way early, but time just flows by.  

   March 20:I want to be a teacher but do not know how I'm going to wake up every morning. This semester my schedule starts at 8 am and ends at 6:45 pm.  The only thing I'm looking forward to today is my counseling session.  At IUN we have access to future therapists and counselors.  My counselor since January, a graduate student, has helped me deal with issues that I face as a young black woman. Early this semester, for example, someone singled me out for being the only black person in the room.  With the help of my counselor, I was able to speak with this person privately and let known my honest feelings, which is that I am not the spokesperson for African Americans. I'm unsure if the message got through.  

   March 21: My 10-week art education course ended. The binder that contained my assignments got a grade of B. I had perfect attendance in this class, so NO WORRIES! 

   March 22:At Longfellow Elementary I observed first-grade teacher Ms. Jensen, who has great classroom management skills. For math, she has students work on tablets and with flashcards, and she goes over different math concepts with small groups at a work station. For reading, Ms. Jensen divided students into three groups based on reading levels,but downplayed how they were arranged. 

   March 23:Today is online class day.  I'm barely able to comprehend the information because we have so little contact with our instructor. 

   March 24:My mom works at St. Margaret's Hospital. Although she isn't a doctor, our family tends to think so and often come to her before seeing an actual doctor. My grandparents are in their 80s and schedule appointments at St. Margaret's, so she can be there to translate “doctor language.” My sister and I have been through so much, including our parents’ divorce. She is like my righthand. The difference we have is her hate/like of education and her temper.  Other than that, we are two different people but like one of the same.  Her son is the light of all our lives. I call him my spiritual child because he is much like me (picky eater, youngest, spoiled.) but looks like his parents. He basically runs the house. That is why went to Walmart today, because it is his favorite store plus they have all the super wings toys he could find.  

   March 25: Every Sunday the family gathers at my grandmother's house for dinner. This is like a ritual. We never go a week without seeing my grandparents. My grandfather built this house on Gary’s west side near the Tarrytown subdivision long before my mother was born.  My grandparents were originally from Missouri and Mississippi and met in Gary after they moved North for better opportunities. Locke Elementary was right up the street, and my grandfather used to take me to school and pick me up.  He continued to do that at Tolleston and West Side until my junior when I enrolled in the Gary Area Career.  He has even driven me to IUN a few times. My evening highlight will be “Real Housewives of Atlanta. ”   

Charlemagne Tha God

   March 27: My morning ritual includes watching “Breakfast Club” with Dj envy, Angela Yee, and Charlamagne Tha God. I honestly do not know how I could function in this society as a young African American without the gems and jokes they give out. They have great interviews with such artists as Young Jeezy, Gucci Mane, N.O.R.E, and Cardi B. The best part of the show is when Charlamagne gives his “Donkey of the Day” award for people who made dumb decisions.  Donald Trump (not my President) has received the DOD at least 8 times already this year. Class was too long today, or maybe I just was ready to go. I think I have the flu. Longfellow’s principal mentioned that a flu and stomach virus is going around. I think I'll  leave my counseling session early. 

   March 28: Thank god for  medication! As a child, I was diagnosed with chronic bronchitis, so any small cold could turn into the flu. Mucus builds up in the lungs and nasal cavities, which makes it hard to breathe at night, and I have trouble with catching my breath when I'm up walking around. My doctor gave me a prescription that will control my coughing and put me to sleep like a baby. Time for a nap.  

   March 29:My first-grade students are on spring break, so no field experience today. With the flu, I’ll just rest and catch up on shows.  I am currently addicted to the “Joe Budden Podcast.” He is a former rap legend who hates the industry and gives his take on media and celebrities   His predictions usually turn out to be true. He is a “Breakfast Club” fan and friends with Charlemagne Tha God. Each podcast is 2 hours, and the episode I am watching is called "Freaky Man lmao” (Imao stands for arrogant opinion). 

   March 30: Time to catch up in my online assignments.   IWith an early start, hopefully I can watch my Friday shows “Bring It” and “Marriage Boot Camp” and maybe catch up on “Drink Champs” with N.O.R.E (formerly Noreaga ) and Dj EFN as well. They interview rap legends such as Snoop Dogg, Irv Gotti, Wu tang Clan, and Ice Cube. This show is by far the most watched show on YouTube right now. 

   April 1:Before Sunday dinner, my sister and I ran an errand to but lottery tickets for my Grandmother at gas stations on Colfax and by Lake Etta. These are the only places she’ll get her "numbers” for as long as I can remember and seems to have good luck. Playing lottery and gambling are on the agenda when we have family reunions. Hmmm, I wonder what momma is cooking today.   

    April 2:I plan to stop at JERK2GO on Twenty-Fifth, by far the best place to order anything jerked for a decent price.  Or I might go to El Nortenoon Fifth Avenue, which has the best tacos. With that being said, I  may be greedy and go by both places today just to make sure I have enoughwhile watching“ Love and Hip Hop” and “Vanderpump Rules.” 

     April 3:What a day. For starters, one teacher forgot to tell us a discussion board was closing, so none of us did the assignment. Another teacher had us reschedule most of our due dates, so we are now even more behind than ever before. At least history is well organized; we are given the information needed to study for quizzes.  I had no idea I would enjoy this class so much. 

   April 4:My favorite Wednesday show is “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” I've literally seen every episode and still am excited about what going to happen next. This episode involved an assault victim who blamed an African-American man when one of her acquaintances had committed the crime.

   April 5:Today for field, I focused on the classroom discipline aspects of Ms. Jensen's first grade classroom.  The three rules, displayed on a poster, are to “Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Safe.” The teacher came up with these after getting suggestions from students and had them sign the poster.   

   April 6:Chili's, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Rico's Pizza are the best places to get hot wings. Chili's and BWW are all over, but Rico’s is harder to find.  Fortunately there is one on West Twenty-Fifth, near the THIS IS IT station where my grandmother gets her lottery tickets. Since I must do online work, I’ll go to Rico’s later since they are open until 1 am.  

    April 7:Life coach Lyanla Vanzant currently had a show on OWN (Oprah's channel) called “Fix my Life.”  My interest increases when she assists people with father issues. I haven't had a father since I was about 13. I know how important it is to have a father in your life, but in my case, it’s best for my sanity that I keep this door closed. Still there is an emptiness. My therapist told me that women generally choose to marry either someone like their father or someone she thinks her father should be.

   April 11:“Law and Order: SVU” is not on today so I'll watch “Black Ink” on VH1, about a tattoo owner and his employees. Drama, drama and more drama is what this show is about, and I'm addicted. 

   April 12:In my field today, students introduced these little caterpillars to me and let me know they are raising butterflies. I think this is great idea for students, but I don’t do insects and kept my distance. The students also informed me about a field trip to the dairy farm.  I went to one as a child, but I doubt it’s the same experience today. Maybe I should talk to Ms. Jensen about it.   

   April 13:I decided to play Fortnite, a team online game that involves shooting, which was all the description I needed. OMG, this game is just as addictive as a reality show. The only problem is that you interact with different people of all ages.  I heard students talking about it one day. I was supposed to catch up on work, but six hours later I still want to play. No matter how old I get, video games will always be a secret love of mind. 

   April 14:Today we are shopping for clothes for our May trip to Missouri to watch my little cousin graduate. Boy, time flies. I can remember when his mother came to visit. He was the first baby I ever held. I'm so happy for him. He has a great head on his shoulders, and I really hope he plans to attend college.  

   April 15:My grandmother made roast and potatoes, fried/bake chicken, and, of course, greens. Collard greens are a guaranteed side to each Sunday meal.  My grandfather has two gardens where he grows greens, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and have grown pretty much everything he can. He has two tractors.  He claims one is for me and one for my sister, but we haven’t driven them yet. In the summer my grandfather drives them around the neighborhood and to and from his garden. 

    April 17:I had my last counseling session, and I am so sad that it’s over. I noticed an improvement in my behavior and self-esteem. I also like how everything is confidential, well, unless you say you're going to kill someone. 

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is touting a talk in August by IHS coordinator of multicultural collections Nicole Martinez-LeGrand titled “Our Latino Heritage.” It is geared toward those anxious to explore ways to find out about their ancestors.  I suggested she access the Calumet Regional Archives website for information about our Latino holdings and mentioned that Steel Shavings,volume 40, contained a master index covering all previous issues. She was familiar with the Shavingsissues on Latinos Louis Vasquez as well as “Forging a Community: The Latino Experience in Northwest Indiana, 1919-1975” and other books of mine on the subject, saying, “You are held in high esteem here at the Indiana Historical Society.”  I’m flattered and tempted to attend her talk and distribute free copies of my latest Shavings to participants. I’m considering submitting a paper for the 2020 IOHA conference in Singapore on interviews I’ve conducted with Mexican-Americans Jesse Villalpando, Abe Morales, Maria Arredondo, Paulino Monterrubio, and others.  Nicole Martinez-LeGrand grew up in Northwest Indiana and her grandfather was a prominent merchant in the Indiana Harbor barrio. She’s conducting interviews concentrating on old -country roots. 

Ruthellyn Hatcher (above) and Elaine McGregsry

Barbara Walczak’s bridge Newsletterwelcomed Wednesday game newcomers Elaine McGregory and Ruthellyn Hatcher.  Elaine worked for 20 years for the Chicago Transit Authority as a Senior Claims Adjustor. This what Walczak wrote about Ruthellyn:

Ruth was born in Booneville, MO, but since 1967 has lived in Gary and that is the time she began learning to play bridge.  She is currently teaching music at Banneker Elementary School. She has 3 daughters – all lawyers – and 5 grandchildren,  She has been married for 41 years to Richard Hatcher (first black mayor of Gary).  Her hobbies are bridge, golf and traveling.

In the Chesterton game John and Karen Fieldhouse finished first with 60 percent.  Oddly, their worst hand came against Dee and me when Karen bid 4 Hearts over my 3 Spades and went down 5 doubled vulnerable for minus 1400 points due, among other things to a 5-0 split in Heart. When Helen Booth and Joel Charpentier were playing the same hands as Dee and me, they were doubled a 3 Spades and made an overtrick for 930 points.  Imagine their surprise when they discovered they lost out high board to us.

 Brenda Ann Love

Brenda Ann Love’s latest South Shore lament: “It’s ‘Let your kid scream and run around on the train’ day. Oh, and if your kid shits himself, maybe take him to the bathroom.”

I’ve got the 2011 War on Drugs CD “Slave Ambient” on heavy rotation with Flaming Lips. Jimmy Eat World, Fountains of Wayne, and The Head and the Heart.  The sound of “Slave Ambient” is much like the group’s more recent efforts.  It was produced by the independent record label Secretly Canadian from, of all places, Bloomington, Indiana.  In 2011 Adan Granduciel and band members were living in Philadelphia.  Here is a verse from “Come to the City:

Burning tires on my street
Past the roar and debris, baby
All the kids dance around it
But he lacks what he sees

At an emeritus faculty luncheon, 86-year-old John Ban asked if I’d consider giving a talk to Merrillville seniors.  I suggested  I asked IUN Chancellor Bill Lowe about the possibility of having a plaque honoring Ruth Nelson’s 70 years of service to the university, an idea passed on to me by library staff member Anne Koehler that Bill said he would look into.  In 1934, after graduating from Horace Mann, Ruth became secretary to Albert Fertsch, director of Gary College and the school-city’s adult education program.  Promoted to administrative assistant when Gary College became part of IU, she was in charge of scheduling, purchasing, payroll, and veterans affairs prior to becoming bookstore manager.  After she retired, she did volunteer work in the library for many years. 

The Cubs won an exciting game against the Diamondbacks, 7-6, scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth on home runs by Dave Bote and Anthony Rizzo.  They also traded  for Cole Hamels, who pitched for the Phillies when they won the World Series in 2008.  He won 14 games during the season and went 4-0 in the playoffs.  His last game with Philadelphia in 2014, he hurled a no-hitter against the Cubs.

Tsunami

Tsunami: a giant wave that destroys everything in its path.”  Ray Smock

The word tsunami is Japanese in origin and refers to a seismic tidal wave caused by underwater volcanic eruptions, earthquakes or other explosions.  The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Japan triggered waves of well over 100 feet that left nearly 20,000 people dead and caused meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex.

Tsunamis, to the best of my knowledge, do not occur on Lake Michigan, but there are occasional seiches, sudden changes in water levels, such as the water receding and then returning, often in the form of a wave.  In my “Tales of Lake Michigan” Shavings (volume 28, 1998) I quoted Tom Spychalski’s eyewitness description of one that resembled a miniature tidal wave.  He wrote:

    The boats in the basin and along Trail Creek rose and sank down very quickly.  It was almost like a whiplash effect.  Several boats were damaged, particularly those tied to fixed piers rather than floating piers. It was rather frightening.  The waves were only four to six feet in actual height but really violent.

Former student Kass Stone, whom I kept in touch with for years and who currently lives in London, England, interviewed his mother Kathy, who described seeing one on a spring day:

  The entire lake started to just evaporate or shrink up.  I couldn’t believe it.  It was like someone pulled the plug on a bath tub.  All of a sudden the lake went “Shoop!”  It all just started to go away, maybe 30 feet but probably more.  It wasn’t a slow change; it suddenly started to grow small.  It lasted 15 or 20 minutes.  Everyone was staring; it was creepy, like a thing from the movies.  It made all the TV newscasts from Chicago.  It had to do with the barometric pressure or currents.

Tsunami can also refer to the occurrence of something overwhelming, such as the arrival of a plague or, in the case of Native American tribes in Washington’s Puget Sound, white settlers, whose rapacious desire for land and wanton brutality toward those disinclined to surrender to American might signified the sudden disruption of a rich culture dating back thousands of years.  David M. Buerge’s biography of Chief Seattle contains this description of an atrocity that took place in 1855:

  In December, volunteers in the Walla Walla valley took the Walla Walla chief Yellow Bird and others prisoner during a parley under a flag of truce.  A running battle ensued, and during the evening of December 6, the volunteers killed their hostages, scalping and skinning the chief’s body and pickling his ears in alcohol.  Later they dug up his corpse to collect more souvenirs.

above, Princess Angeline; below, Cecile Hansen

Chief Seattle’s daughter Angeline (1820-1896) lived out her days in a small waterfront cabin near where Pike Place Market now stands.  A devout Catholic, she took in laundry and sold handwoven baskets to eke out an existence.  Buerge dedicated “Chief Seattle and the Town That Took His Name” to Duwamish tribal chairwoman Cecile Hansen, who for decades has been attempting (fruitlessly so far) to gain federal recognition for her people, and included this poem of hers:

Holy Seattle, thrice born and

Always among your people;

Visit these words well meant,

And greet us again, birds

Homing under the eaves

In the house of your name

Buerge concluded:

  Having grown rich on Duwamish land, the city of Seattle has consistently made sure that not one square inch of it would be reserved for the people who nurtured and protected settlers in their hour of greatest need.  That is the city’s original sin.  Chief Seattle’s request that his people be treated with justice and kindness falls on deaf ears.  The hand of friendship offered by the Duwamish is met with blank stares and double-talk.  Seattle is indeed a worthy eponym for the city, but is it worthy of its eponym?  Chief Seattle’s claim upon our better nature has yet to be vindicated.

Ray Smock’s “Trump Tsunami: A Historian’s Diary of the Trump Campaign and His First Year in Office” just arrived in the mail.  Ray signed it, “For Jimbo and Toni, our long friendship will endure even if the Republic falls!  But let’s do what we can to save this country from itself.  With love, Ray.”  It opens with a George Orwell quote from “1984” (1949): “It was a bright, cold day in April, and the clocks were striking 13.” I appear in “Trump Tsunami” in reference to calling Ray on the eve of the 2016 election desperately hoping for a landslide victory by Hillary Clinton to demonstrate that Americans rejected what Trump stood for.  Alas, it was not to be.  Ray still posts commentary about Trump’s latest egregious antics and rancid policies.   Worst of all is his desire to rekindle the nuclear arms race.  In this the bicentennial year of the publication of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” some critics are comparing atomic weapons to the horror novel’s monster.  In an essay entitled “Don’t Turn Away from Watching Trump Just because it’s Painful, Embarrassing, or Agonizing,” Ray wrote:

      We must pay close attention to Trump whether we can stand it or not. This is no time to go soft because we don't like what we see, or think we need a break from it. We must stay informed and on top of his daily actions and keep letting our members of Congress know how we feel about him and the policies of his administration.  Someone asked me recently if I was “biased” in my opinion about Trump. I said, no I am not biased. Bias means to prejudge, to be prejudiced. Bias is a word often used to stop conversation. It is one of those ON/OFF words. We dismiss people by saying, "Oh, he's biased."  While I am not biased. I am, however, highly critical of Trump. I have not prejudged him; I have JUDGED him, based on his words, his conduct, and his policies. I am not against Trump for something silly like his label as a Republican, when I am a Democrat. My critique rests on almost 60 years of political study, most of it in nonpartisan professional positions.  Trump is a disaster for this country, not because he is a Republican, not because he is a billionaire, not because he is a TV celebrity, but because he is totally incapable of governing this nation and uniting us. All else flows from this objective fact.

      I will continue to watch this administration unfold. I will not turn away because my blood pressure goes up, or because I get disgusted with the latest outrage. I will continue to place my critique in as much historical context as I can muster. I do, however, reserve the right to just throw up my hands on occasion and scream out loud. Sometimes this is very good for the soul.

I have become more partisan than at any other time in my 77 years on the planet. I am not used to being partisan, except in the voting booth. Partisan means to be a dedicated supporter of a particular party or a particular cause. What I am partisan about is not simple party affiliation. I believe in a strong two-party system. I want Republicans and Democrats to debate again and work together again.  I am a partisan who is in favor of maintaining the U.S. Constitution and three co-equal branches of government and seeing that this president and the other amateurs he has selected to run the country do not undermine the Constitution or the rule of law.

Ray asked if I could write a review of “Trump Tsunami” for Good Reads and Amazon, so here goes:

    For two years, I eagerly followed Ray Smock’s remarkably prescient Facebook dispatches about the phenomenon of Donald J. Trump, and unlikely candidate who morphed into a truly dangerous president.  His posts commonly engendered lively commentary, including mine, and recommendations that he publish his essays in book form. Rereading them reinforces my belief in the validity of their perspective and their continued relevance.  As Smock wrote in a recent post, entitled “Don’t Turn Away from Watching Trump Just because it’s Painful, Embarrassing, or Agonizing,” Ray wrote: “We must pay close attention to Trump whether we can stand it or not. This is no time to go soft because we don't like what we see, or think we need a break from it. We must stay informed and on top of his daily actions and keep letting our members of Congress know how we feel about him and the policies of his administration.”

Former Senate Historian Don Ritchie, a fellow Marylander and Sam Merrill student, wrote this review:

    Having spent years studying Congress, the Constitution, and American political parties, and serving as the Historian of the House of Representatives, Ray Smock is dismayed over the direction the country has taken since the election of Donald Trump. Smock holds government to high standards and politicians accountable for their words and actions. This book documents, in real time, his indignation, incredulity, and alarm over developing events, and offers some sound advice on putting the system back on track. Trump Tsunami also reflects Smock’s eclectic interests, drawing from history, popular culture, and personal experience, epitomized by his reflections on visiting Mount Rushmore and comparing past presidents to the present.

 Samuel and Brenda Ann Love

Brenda Ann Love often shares sardonic posts while on the South Shore to and from work.  Her latest: “A guy who just went into the bathroom on the train looked like he regretted that decision as soon as he opened the door,” Natasha Burkett commented: “There's another guy who's been in the bathroom since Hammond...the conductors have informed him there's people waiting and they have been watching to see if he comes out.” Brenda replied: “Do they really want to go in there after he’s been in there so long?”  Natasha responded: “Pretty sure he was in there trying to avoid paying for his fare... probably succeeded too!”  Paul Capriglione agreed, adding: “It’s a common trick, they can wait long enough in there to get a free ride. They don’t want to stop the train for $7 and wait for the cops.”

 Jimbo and Penelope Love; photo by Steve McShane

Cundiff's Boarding House in Aetna (circa 1890)

In the Archives, I spoke with Aetna Manor community leader Penelope (Penney) Love about her group’s efforts to revitalize her Gary neighborhood.  I told her about the area’s early history when the Aetna Powder Company operated a very hazardous operation there.  Periodic explosions cost lives and rattled windows miles away.  During the postwar decade, many present-day suburbanites had starter homes there. Penney was particularly interested in former businesses along Aetna Street, so I showed her how to make use of Gary city directories.  In the 1960 edition, for example, listed on the 900 block of Aetna Street are Nowak’s Dancing School, Fifield Real Estate, Aetna Lounge, Aetna Coin-O-Wash Laundry, Mike’s Barber Shop, and Aetna Snack Bar.  On the next block were a Walgreen’s, a Phillips gas station, a grocery, a radio and TV repair shop, and a hardware. In the mid-70s, there was an Aetna outlet where I got my driver’s license renewed.

Due to it being a position round, for the second straight week we bowled the Pin Heads, who were out for revenge.  We prevailed in the first game by 11 pins, rolling an amazing combined 115 pins above our average (I had a 191 for the second week in a row). Then they crushed us, winning the third game, for instance, by 160 pins, Duke Caminsky reminded me as I congratulated him and said, “Good bowling with you.”  He’s teammate Mel Nelson’s buddy and a larger-than-life character.  That evening I hosted a successful condo board meeting, resolving snow removal and landscaping issues; Dave’s family showed up due to having lost electricity; and Miranda and Sean drove through the fog from Michigan for Toni’s birthday. 

 Betty Dominguez files for sheriff

Former Lake County sheriff Roy Dominguez returned my called peetaining to my interviewing him for IU’s Bicentennial project.  A few days ago, his wife Betty, a retired probation officer, filed to run for sheriff in the upcoming Democratic primary.  Some claimed she was just acting as a spoiler to take votes away from Sheriff Oscar Martinez and perhaps help Schererville Police Chief David Dowling, but Roy assured me that she was in the race to win and that it was her decision, not his.  Veteran political columnist Rich James wrote: “Betty Dominguez, who is almost as recognizable as her husband, would be expected to pull a substantial vote.” I told Roy to let me know how I could help.

 Dan Simon and Salina Tejeda in James B. Lane Room of Calumet Regional Archives

For her oral history assignment Salina Tejeda interviewed Dan Simon, who taught in IUN’s Business Division (mainly Accounting) until 1989 before going to Loyola briefly and then Notre Dame. Dan’s main bridge partners are wife Donna and former IUN Business professor Ed d’Ouville.  Here are excerpts from their correspondence:

October 3:  Dan: “Hi Salina, Jim Lane agrees it would be a good idea if I started to keep you up to date on bridge games, successes and failures, starting with a lucky success. On September 20 Donna and I won an event in Gary with teammates Chuck and Dave. This form of bridge differs from regular duplicate, where you and partner compete against all other partnerships.  In a team game you compete with other teams of four.  The method of scoring also differs. Looking forward to our meeting Tuesday.  Good luck in your studies.” I emailed Mr. Simon back and thanked him for the information.

food break during Gary game; photo by Dan Simon

          October 6: Dan: “Hi Salina, In my last email I could report success at the game in Gary.  Now I must report a failure.  Donna and I played Wednesday and Thursday in the Fort Wayne regional tournament.  Our teammates were Ed d’Ouville and David Abraham from Canada.  There are not too many large tournaments in Canada, so David often comes to Indiana, Michigan or Ohio to play.  All four of us played poorly and we deserved our poor results. A regional tournament is a seven-day event with up to three sessions a day, which if you played all three would amount to twelve hours of bridge a day!  Only a few fanatics will play in every session.  They were held in a big room with as many as 50 tables (200 players) each session. The next time I will play will be in a pairs game (regular duplicate) on Monday in Michigan City with Ed d’Ouville as my partner.  A normal club session of this type consists of about 25-28 hands and anywhere from 6 to 12 pairs of players.”

October 10 (Salina): Dan and I met in the library on the third floor, in our classroom across from the Calumet Regional Archives. We first started talking about his personal life. He grew up in East Chicago. We could relate because my parents and grandparents are from there. He met Donna in college and got married in 1964. She had played bridge as a little girl and taught him the game. We talked about his education. Dan was drafted in 1966, went to the army, and came back to the region to get a degree.  They didn’t play much bridge at first because he was in school and they had a child. He did his undergraduate classes at IUN and received a scholarship from Northwestern to get his PhD. In the 1990s they started to take bridge fairly seriously, traveling all over the country, including Florida, Colorado, California, and elsewhere. His favorite place was New Mexico because of the fascinating things to see.  We joked about teaching high school, which is my ambition, and how teenagers are stressful and not nice to teach. His wife was a high school teacher, he said, and it took a big toll on her. He informed that he played bridge against Bill Gates, got his autograph, and was really surprised because there was virtually no security there.  Dan told me most people take these games seriously and people get into altercations.  Local games are more pleasant.

October 10:  Dan: “Hi Salina, Enjoyed our meeting today. It also was good to meet someone with connections to Indiana Harbor.  Let me know if there is anything I can do to make your report easier or better.  Donna would be glad to answer any questions you might have. 

          October 16: Dan: “On Saturday, we played in a team game in Gary with Ed d’Ouville and Barbara Walczak.  Results were fair, winning 3 of 6 matches. In Northwest Indiana, there are games in Gary, Highland, Chesterton, Portage, Valparaiso, Michigan City, and Long Beach. All of these duplicate games last about four hours.  Each location has one game per week except Gary which has two.

          November 4 (Salina): I received information I had requested from Donna Simon about growing up in Gary. She wrote: “My main memories of the fifties and sixties in Gary concern living in Tolleston.  My friends and I got great pleasure from Tolleston Park, where we would often play tennis for many hours.  We also enjoyed going downtown on the bus, where there were many stores, such as Sears, Gordon's, and Goldblatts, as well as movies theatres on Broadway.  Unfortunately, all stores and movies have left downtown areas for malls. As far as bridge is concerned, my father taught me when I was nine.  My husband had never played, but learned quickly.  We learned how to bid from a book by Howard Schenken called Better Bidding in 15 Minutes. Schenken was considered the best player of his time and the Scenken system was popular in the sixties.  We played very little duplicate in the seventies and eighties; but when we started again in the nineties, we continued to use the old Schenken system even though few players still used it. We continue to use the system, which starts the bidding on all strong hands with one club even if you have no clubs!!  Duplicate games in the sixties were held at Temple Israel in Miller and at a hotel on US 20 which is now abandoned.  There was also a game at a Catholic school in Hobart.”

November 16: Dan: “Hi Salina!  Very little bridge to report.  Played the last two Mondays with Ed d’Ouville, doing very well once and so-so once.  Donna and I haven't played recently and probably won't for a while due to a variety of family commitments and (alas) medical appointments. Take heart. The semester is almost over and then you can relax for a couple of weeks! Let us hear from you. Good luck on your finals!”

        November 20: Dan: “Hi Salina, After I was drafted in September 1966 we played little bridge of any kind until the mid 1990s. A few things I remember from the sixties.  There were several good players.  One of the best was Dave Andrews, one of the few African American duplicate players in the area. Dave was much in demand as a partner because not only was he good, unlike many good players he was not critical of his partners mistakes.  Another good player whose name I don't remember was often referred to as the Jays Potato Chip man.  His job was delivering potato chips to stores and he usually had on a Jays Potato chip uniform when he played.  Donna mentioned in her email to you the games in Gary and Hobart.  There was also strangely an evening duplicate game played in the Michigan City South Shore station!”

        November 27: (Salina) I thanked Dan and Donna for helping me with this paper and how wonderful they were to me. They went beyond and above the call for me. Many classmates were having many complications with their interviewee. I was very fortunate to get kind-hearted people who were willing to really help me out.

 above, Kyleigh and Leah; below, Lori Rea with Jimbo and Dee Van Bebber

Kyleigh McCoy and Leah Tsiongas interviewed bridge players Lori and Tom Rea for their Indiana History assignment.  Here are excerpts from Kyleigh’s notes:

October 13: First Interview We are meeting Lori and Tom at Portillo’s in Merrillville at 11am. Leah and I arrived at 10:30 a.m. to save a booth. Also, we sent them a selfie to let them know what we look like; we had an idea of placing a balloon where we sat but thought that might be too much.  Sitting in the diner, Tom and Lori explained that they met in college.  Lori was studying to be a teacher. Tom was in the Air Force and loved working with planes. Lori became an elementary teacher in Gary; she loved working with students in kindergarten, first grade, third grade and fifth grade. Learning about her teaching methods helped Leah and I see how we’d like to teach.  Lori left us with some great advice: “Do something that makes you feel like your actions leave an impression.” We learned that Lori and Tom’s son-in-law was still working the Gary community schools. “A lot has changed,” Tom spoke, “we definitely don’t see the same city we grew up in anymore.”

            October 17: Bridge Game Tom and Lori sent pictures of their bridge game that we could not attend due to both being in class at the time of the games. They were an amazing way to see how the games are being done. We loved how some people looked so intense!

    October 18: Favorite Childhood Book: I asked Lori and Tom about childhood favorite books.  Tom liked Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain because it was a great adventure. Lori mentioned Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, writing, “I loved all the characters. I was probably 11 or 12 when I first read the book.”