Sunday, March 23, 2014

Wondering Why I Can't Recall A Leave It To Beaver College Experience At Oregon State

I just happened to be at a U-Haul place this morning getting a truck with my Dad and stumbled across an Oregon State alumni magazine on a chair in the lobby, so I picked it up and started reading some of the feature articles about distinguished alumni.   What caught my attention, just like every time I've read the Oregon Stater alumni magazine, is how Leave It To Beaver-esque the college years come across in print.

Seriously, the writers make it sound like these distinguished alumni had a college experience where everyone acted like Wally and The Beav and mischievous Eddy Haskell-characters never existed.

But for some reason, I cannot recall any point in my college experience at OSU where I ever got that, "Ah gee Wally, that sure is swell," kind of feeling.  Nor a classic Leave It To Beaver virtuous life lesson moment like this ever crossed my mind:

   
But when I read a feature about an OSU alumni who has done well in life (and donated a significant amount of money to the school), I get the feeling that they lived on the set with the fictional Cleavers where their college years were absolutely perfect.  Fraternity boys courted sorority girls, going steady all four years.  And after college, the sweethearts got married and raised above average children.  Sort of a 1950's television fantasy.  

Something tells me the writers for the Oregon State alumni publications won't ever print the most memorable stories that many of the most distinguished alumni created during their college years.  Things like keg stands, streaking down Greek Row, panty raids on Betty Childs, etc.   Instead we readers are stuck with recycled Leave It To Beaver-esque fables from a bygone era that probably never existed even back in the day.