So entranced were several alums with our story on student jobs last issue, that they sent us descriptions of their own jobs while students at Eastern. For our next issue, we'd like to hear your stories of residential life adventures and roommate antics while at Eastern. Think back and share your thoughts.

Send to 127 Hargreaves Hall, Cheney WA 99004
- or - ewualumni@mail.ewu.edu

Herb Harris
Mae Senechal Greenwood
Mark Jacobson
Greg Cossette
Margaret (Smith) Cosgrove
Karen J. (Lundgren) Lewis
Zelma Bernd
Robert Wilson
Scott Schaefer

I graduated from EWU in 1986, with a BA in Photographic Science. I worked for the Department of Natural Resources fighting forest fires all over Washington State. I worked for the DNR from 1980-1986.

Herb Harris
BA-1986
Walla Walla, Wash.

When I was in college, I carried the mail in the summer to earn money to pay for school. I also worked one Christmas delivering packages. It paid off - when I graduated and didn't get a teaching job, I went back to the post office full time and met my husband. We just had our 23rd wedding anniversary. Our son started at EWU this fall so we are keeping it in the family.

Mae Senechal Greenwood
BA-1976
Lake Stevens, Wash.

The worst job I ever had was folding cow hides and loading them into semi-trailers. The hides were slimy and smelled horrible. At the end of the day, you had to burn your clothes because you couldn't get the horrible smell out of them. The best job I ever had was student manager at the PUB.

Mark Jacobson
BA & M.Ed.-1973
Westport, Wash.

I worked summers for the Jefferson County Highway Department, Shasta Bottling, and Crown Zellerbach Paper to earn money for school. During the school year, I worked for the physical plant at Eastern. I was the student custodian for the labs, classrooms and offices in the biology and chemistry wings of the science building. Mopping floors, wiping boards and cleaning urinals for $1.85 an hour was motivation to get my degree and improve my pay and working conditions.... All in all, it was a struggle. But then, wasn't it supposed to be?

Greg Cossette
BA-1970
Post Falls, Idaho

I did hashing (serving tables at mealtime) for 10 cents a meal and washing dishes for 10 cents an hour. I also did babysitting, which was arranged by the Dean of Women's Office, for 20 to 25 cents an hour. When the veterans with young families moved into "Trailerville," located near Monroe Hall, new opportunities for baby-sitting were opened. Since there were no evening meals on Sunday, Sally (Wetzel) Cole, and Ruth (McDonald) Dorn, would make grilled sandwiches in their room (3rd floor Monroe Hall) and sell them to willing, hungry college girls for 10 cents each. What a buy! In 1946, during Christmas vacation, I worked at J.C. Penney's. That paycheck helped me purchase my Tawanka sweater.

Margaret (Smith) Cosgrove
BA-1947

Spokane During the summers of 1979-80 I worked for Washington's Department of Natural Resources as a Forest Fire Lookout. The first summer I was the "relief" lookout for Saddle Mountain and Chewelah Peak. I worked two days on each tower and one day as a crew member. When I wasn't on the tower I rode along while fire permits were issued, checked on camp grounds and was even called upon to help fight fires. Chewelah Peak was interesting because it sat at the top of 49 Degrees North, the ski resort. I had several visitors who came to see what it looked like without snow. The second summer I was on Saddle Mountain 5 days a week. It was close enough to Newport I could go home each night. The summers I spent on the lookouts were very peaceful and yes, often boring. There was time for reading all the books you didn't have time for when you were in school.

Karen J. (Lunden) Lewis
BA-1982
Fort Monroe, Virginia

We were married in our junior year. Moved to Trailerville. R.B. managed to get the job as campus postmaster, the highest paying student job on campus (90 cents an hour). I got a job working the campus switchboard at 80 cents an hour. Occasionally we would switch roles, depending on class schedules and studies. A year later our first child was born and she also spent many hours in her buggy in the post office/switchboard. Between those two jobs and R.B.'s $27.90 stipend from ROTC, we made it, never missed a meal or a rent payment and have great memories!

Zelma Bernd
BA-1956; Roy B. (R.B.) Bernd, BA-1956
Olympia

To set the scene, tuition cost $16.50 a quarter, board and room $26.50 a month. For Mr. Pence, I worked as an assistant to his Scout troop.For Mr. Pierce, I was responsible for keeping the Coke machine full on the main floor of Showalter; I cleaned the commuter lounge. With a stack of Glenn Miller and others playing on the phonograph, I could briskly do the job. We would also be called upon to more or less be utility infielders. Miscellaneous: Taking tickets for events in the auditorium; inventory when asked; "hashing" – serving food in Monroe Hall dining room when replacements were needed. This paid ten cents a meal. Certainly this could have been the "best of times and the worst of times," but to me, in retrospect, it is remembered as among the best of times. Excuse the nostalgic tenor of this piece, but it was a trip back through time.

Robert Wilson
BA-1946
San Jose, Calif.

My stint at EWU just happened to coincide with the poorest time of my life. I was in Cheney on a Pell Grant, but was incredibly poor. I'm talkin' government cheese poor. Government butter poor. Government potatoes poor. I remember with excitement when the third Tuesday of the month would arrive, me and my poor roomies would head down to the fire station for our rations of free government cheese, butter, rice and potatoes. We'd then have a baked potato cheese fest where we'd share our free US-funded tubers and leftover dairy products with friends and, if lucky, scrape up enough for a cheap six pack of Schmidt sports beer (in cans, of course). So now, whenever I need some perspective, I think back to the days of government cheese in Cheney. I always feel lucky when I do.

Scott Schaefer
BA -RTV, 1985
Seattle