I went to mass on Tuesday and, as you know, there was a free picnic afterwards. As I waited in line for food, a girl with a huge Canon camera came up to me. She told me she was with the newspaper and asked if she could take my picture for The Observer's section called "Question of the Day."
Well, I thought I had a great answer. And she said it was her favorite so far. I said my Summer Anthem was "Time of My Life" by Green Day.
Pretty classic! I know what you're thinking, such a product of our generation. Brilliant!
The next day, with great anticipation after my morning studying with a cup of joe, I went to get The Observer.
My fingers twitched with giddiness as I flipped through the pages. I sprung the newspaper open. I ran my eyes over the six faces of the day, and to my astonishment, I was no where to be seen.
There was no smiling me staring up at me from the gray and white pages of this acclaimed newspaper we so greatly adore.
I was missing.
I closed the newspaper and opened it again. And wouldn't you know it, there was the same result.
I found the nearest bench and sat for some time. It took a while for me to process what had just occurred.
I had been filtered. In my place, some one else had been chosen. It is probably futile to mention that each person had the same answer and were from the same dorm, but indeed that was the case.
I don't know what to make of this event. Like a skimmer sifting a leaf out of the pool, I had been dropped to the exterior of the yard and, similarly, to the trash bin on a microchip.
Will I renounce the Observer.?
No, no, I won't. I am much too faithful a reader for that. I will give it another gander .
Tom Coughlin
graduate student
Fischer Graduate Apartments
Aug. 25
