LETTER: Perspective

A recent issue found me clipping and setting aside an article of particular interest to myself and a certain segment of the University community, the non-traditional student. With the intervention of Spring Break and the preparation of a paper requiring a volume of reading and study and various responsibilities, I moved on to other things. But still, I put on hold my intentions of adding some observations in response to the article "Senior citizens relive college days as students" (DP 3/4/92). Please let me share with you some of my reflections . . . the last term I was heading for class on this campus was the fall session, 1946-47. My original matriculation card had me enrolled in "College Collateral Courses" and indicates tuition fee per course as $45.00. Holding my transcript search wiped away a river of years and the doors of education were reopened to me. I feel so privileged to study and work along with today's students -- my young classmates are bright, extraordinarily serious, show an immense faculty for observation, followed by thoughtful recitation in class or written reports to be admired. Even though I am only in class to audit, I made a pact with myself to attempt the short paper, the midterm, the thesis and a final. Venturesome to be sure, but I got a fair idea of what is involved to tackle one course. I applaud all the work effort behind a full roster of multiple subjects. Heedful and attentive professor and teaching assistant motivated and stirred my capacity for thought, reasoning and learning. In the working world I recently retired from, I never listened to such provoking views and imaginative opinions which led me to perceive going very much beyond what I thought I could accomplish. In opposition to this element of campus life, I have observed as well an unlikely, illogical phenomenon that I cannot disregard and which you may find surprising. Let me preface this observation by saying, when each of you started school, someone must have said these or similar words: "Hang on to your stuff!" Since coming on campus I keep finding and turning in objects. For instance, I recollect several lost gloves, hats, scarves, one signed check, one ignition key, four full sets of keys, textbooks, a reading packet, coins and bills, a lunch bag filled with non-nutritional high calorie junk food, one gold disc earring with the name "Charise" cut out on the disc, a cassette of New Kids on the Block, many lighters, a Swatch watch . . . The best I leave for last to share with you . . . In Furness Library, in a book on Sonia Delaunay, I found an unsigned love letter. I didn't turn that one in -- I'm a romantic. I left it there. It was beautiful. I hope it reaches the one it was intended for. I must leave you now, I have to get back to looking for my list of things I have to do when I get out to campus tomorrow -- so far I've located three out of the four books that are due at the library tomorrow. ADELE SNYDER Senior Associate Art History