The Mabley Archive: Reassured by a trip back to college
In 1988, when longtime Glenview resident Jack Mabley brought his column to the Daily Herald, he made a couple of requests: 1. Let him keep his ugly, old green chair. 2. Launch an edition for his hometown. He kept the chair. And now, more than a decade after his passing in 2006, his second request has been granted. This column is from Feb. 17, 1997.
I spent 22 hours on the campus of the University of Illinois at Champaign and Urbana. I feel a lot better about the future.
My impressions are somewhat limited. I spent time in the Student Union, and visited with students and faculty members and enjoyed watching the passing parade between classes.
Some reactions:
- Everywhere I looked, especially in the Union, students seemed to be cracking the books. Eating or drinking coffee was just a diversion as they scribbled away at their notes.
- The area that sends the most students to the state university is right here - the suburbs served by the Daily Herald.
The professor in one class I attended told the students: "You are the elite. You're from the top 10 percent of high school classes."
He told them that because he is a tough teacher and wants them to know what's expected of them.
- In those 22 hours I saw one person smoking, indoors or out. He was puffing in the rain outside a door of the union.
- There are a dozen stand-up computers in the union for sending email. One room in this building is packed with about 100 computers, available to everyone for whatever use they want. Every machine was in use and there was a line waiting for a vacancy.
Computers rule the university.
- An impressive number of students were of Asian heritage. It figures. When we publish lists of honors students in our high schools, the Asian names stand out.
- I couldn't resist telling a couple of student groups my formula for success. Excuse the obvious:
"It's simple. Luck and hard work. Of course, the harder you work, the luckier you get."
I told them I am not a gifted writer, but I do work hard, I try to write clearly, and I'm a nut for accuracy. I think they heard me.
- I met with a dozen editors and reporters for the Daily Illini, the student newspaper.
I was stunned by the similarity between these young journalists and the staff I worked with 60 years ago on the same paper.
They were bright, curious, and obviously capable because their product is outstanding.
The mechanics of producing a paper have radically changed. But nothing can computerize writing a news story or editorial or feature or ad copy. These young journalists are using the same basic tools - between the ears - that we used.
- This year, for the first time, the Daily Illini has a free circulation. They print 20,000 copies.
It's a good trade off. They lose circulation revenue, but the advertisers like the larger circulation. The paper is making money.
When I was there we lost money. The Illio, the college yearbook, supported us. Today it's the other way around.
- In praising the University of Illinois I don't want to put down other colleges. You can get a good education at the other state colleges or at our community colleges or smaller private colleges.
Wherever you go, the ingredients for a useful education are present. It is a matter of how much the student wants to put into his or her schooling.
One of my major regrets is that I goofed my way though most of my college classes. What a waste.
- The attire of students is ... what's the right word ... unattractive. Or dowdy. Or drab. Whatever.
Or let's be kind and call it informal.
I don't do this "good old days" stuff very often, but in my school days you knew a girl was a girl. They had legs. Most wore skirts and sweaters. We guys loved them.
- I never heard of a rape in four years at Illinois. Today stalls in the ladies' toilets have a phone number on the back of the door for rape counseling.